Proposed Bus Route Changes in Greenwood

Greenwood Community Council February Meeting

Tuesday February 18, 7:00 pm

Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N

We have two great transportation topics this month – great because (1) they are important, and (2) because they are at a point in their processes where your input can make a difference. 

Agenda:

7:00: Intro and Announcements

7:05: North Link Connections Mobility Project: Metro will present their preliminary proposals to reconfigure the north end bus network once Link light rail opens to Northgate in 2021. Routes 355 and 45 would be changed, and a new route would connect Greenwood to Northgate and Lake City. (More information on Metro’s website, which includes maps and route descriptions).

7:50: N 83rd St. Greenway and Safety Improvements: Seattle SDOT staff will describe work underway to design and construct a greenway on N 83rd St. connecting Greenwood to Green Lake by bicycle for those who prefer riding on streets with less traffic. A new crosswalk signal would be installed at 83rd and Greenwood. Safety improvements in the area will also be described. (More information on the SDOT website).

8:25: Next Steps?

8:30: Adjourn

More on Proposed Metro Changes:

Metro is using the introduction of light rail as a catalyst for major network changes throughout their service area to promote high frequency routes and relying on transferring to reach more destinations. Metro’s proposed changes affecting Greenwood include:

• Starting route 45 in Greenwood rather that in Loyal Heights, and using 80th instead of 85th east of Greenwood Ave. Route 45 buses would begin and end on 3rd W where the 5X ends now. Route 45 riders headed to Loyal Heights would need to transfer, and there are concerns about long waits to cross Aurora on 80th.
• Eliminating route 355 and route 5 express, replacing both with new route 16, that runs the current 5X route but extended north to N 130th St. The 355 would no longer serve 85th St. or Roosevelt Way in the University District; those riders would take route 45. Route 355 riders to Shoreline CC would take local route 5.
• Adding a new cross-town route 61 beginning in Loyal Heights and connecting to Northgate and Lake City. This route would follow the 45 route on 85th, but then turn north to serve North Seattle College, connect to Link at Northgate, then continue to Lake City – connecting Greenwood to new destinations across north Seattle. 

Please give some thought to whether you would use buses more frequently if they went to the places you need to go, and how these changes would affect you. Greenwood has chimed in previously hoping for direct connections to proximate destinations in Ballard and Fremont.