Transit buses will continue to use Third Avenue as a priority corridor when the downtown transit tunnel opens next month.

The decision was made based on "the outstanding success in moving buses quickly and efficiently through downtown," said Mayor Greg Nickels.

The decision to continue bus service on Third Avenue during peak hours will allow Metro Transit to reorganize surface bus routes and balance transit traffic across downtown.

"By every measure, using Third Avenue for buses has been a very smart move," said Nickels. "With tunnel work coming to an end, this is a tremendous opportunity to improve transit service downtown and help people get where they are going quickly and efficiently. It is one more step toward becoming the most climate-friendly city in the country."

The transit tunnel is on schedule to reopen on Monday, Sept. 24. Eighteen bus routes are moving into the tunnel, and Metro is reorganizing other bus routes on surface streets to further improve mobility through downtown.