A series of open houses will collect input from residents about a new "streamlined" bus service coming to Ballard, called RapidRide.

In coordination with the City of Seattle, the new Metro Transit route will make frequent trips all day between Crown Hill and downtown Seattle via Ballard, Interbay, Uptown Queen Anne and Belltown.

This "bus rapid transit" service, called the RapidRide D Line, is scheduled to begin in 2012. Everything about RapidRide, the buses, the stops, the way it operates, is being designed with the goal to keep people moving quickly throughout the day in this heavily used transit corridor.

The D Line will operate on major arterial streets, Third Avenue in downtown and Belltown; First Avenue North, Queen Anne Avenue North, Mercer Street and West Mercer Place in Uptown; and Elliott Avenue West and 15th Avenue West in Interbay.

It will replace Metro routes 15 and 18 on these streets.

Metro is considering two alternative routes through Ballard to Crown Hill. Give your input at an upcoming open house on which is the preferred route.

Open houses and information tables:

Open Houses

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m.Whittier Elementary School Cafeteris, 1320 NW 75th St., Seattle, Served by Metro Route 15

Thursday, Feb. 5, 5:30-7:30 p.m.Seattle Center Shaw Room, Republican Street and First Avenue N, Seattle, Served by Metro routes 1, 2, 8, 13, 15, 18, 30

Thursday, Feb. 12, 5:30-7:30 p.m.Interbay Golf Course, 2501 15th Ave. W, Seattle, Served by Metro routes 15, 18

Information tables

Saturday, Feb. 7, noon-3 p.m.Ballard Public Library, 5614 22nd Ave. NW, Seattle, Served by Metro routes 17, 18, 44, 75

Saturday, Feb. 21, noon-3 p.m.Metropolitan Market, 100 Mercer St., Seattle, Served by Metro routes 1, 2, 8, 13, 15, 18, 30

Rapid Ride is being funded through the voter-approved Transit Now initiative in November 2006. Transit Now increased the sales tax by one-tenth of one percent to pay for a 15 to 20 percent expansion of Metro Transit service over 10 years.

Some elements of Rapid Ride:

Buses will come so often you won't need a schedule. Ballard's RapidRide D Line buses will arrive every 10 minutes or better throughout most of the day. In the evening after 7 p.m., buses will come every 15 minutes, and after 10 p.m. buses will come as often as they do today.

RapidRide buses will have low floors, three doors, and more space near the doors, so people can get on and off quickly. A new, faster fare collection method will be used on RapidRide. A pilot project will allow riders with passes to pay at their bus stop before they get on the bus, and board through any door.

Bus stops will be farther apart for RapidRide than they are for typical routes, so trips will be faster. RapidRide stations and stops will be placed where the most riders board, at reasonable walking distances along the corridor. You can help choose the best stop locations by completing the questionnaire.

Metro and the City of Seattle are working together on roadway and traffic signal improvements to speed the movement of buses. These include the following:

Bus bulbs, extensions of the curb into the parking lane that allow buses to avoid merging in and out of traffic. Bus bulbs also increase the space available for shelters and other passenger amenities.

Business access and transit (BAT) lanes outside lanes reserved for buses and right-turning vehicles.

Transit signal priority, traffic signals that recognize an approaching bus and make green lights stay green longer or red lights switch to green faster.

Queue jumps, travel lanes added on the approach to an intersection to allow buses a head start when the traffic signal turns green.

All these improvements will make RapidRide faster than current local bus routes. RapidRide will travel from Ballard to downtown Seattle in about the same amount of time as express bus routes do today. Since RapidRide will run more frequently all day long, riders will often wait less time, reducing total door-to-door travel time.

Lighting, frequent service and security staff will increase safety.

All RapidRide stops will be lighted. Buses will arrive often, and stops will be placed where the most riders board, reducing the amount of time or the likelihood that people might be waiting alone.

RapidRide stations and buses will have special features.

At the stops where the most people catch buses, about every mile along the route, Metro will build stations with large, well-lit covered waiting areas. Electronic signs will tell people the number of minutes before the next bus will arrive. Stations will have bus-pass readers so people can pay their fares before the bus arrives. Stations will also include other amenities such as benches, litter receptacles, and bicycle racks. The shelters and signs will have a special RapidRide style and color scheme.

The buses will be easily recognizable with the RapidRide design and colors. All buses will be high-capacity, diesel electric hybrid vehicles designed especially for RapidRide.