You’ve seen the new fancy-schmancy red and yellow bus. You’ve met the LED-sunglass-and-cape-wearing RapidRide man. And you’ve heard both the boasting and the mocking of what the new bus line will do (or not do) for the Ballard neighborhood.
Well, now it’s time to see what it can do. Because RapidRide, as of Saturday, Sept. 29, is in action. Ballard will be getting service from the RapidRide D Line, to be specific.
The bus line promises to be fast and reliable, offering service every ten minutes during rush hour, every 15 minutes off peak and travel through the most used transit corridors. In the D Line’s case, this means the bus will be coming from downtown and cutting all the way down 15th Ave NW, stopping at key points such as NW Market St, NW Leary Way, NW 65 St and NW 85 St (see map for details).
Besides looking ritzier than your average bus, the RapidRide bus features three doors to get on and off more easily, no steps nor over-clunky access for people who are disabled, and Orca card readers allowing people to pay before they get on board. Other features include an electronic stop reader, well-lit bus stations and RapidRide-specific roadway improvements.
For more information, visit the King County Metro website (metro.kingcounty.gov/travel-options/bus/rapidride). Stay tuned as Ballard News-Tribune’s reporter tests out and reviews the RapidRide experience.
