Due to construction of the bored tunnel on First Avenue, the RapidRide line C, which will service West Seattle, has been delayed one year and is now planning to begin in September of 2012.

Line C was originally supposed to begin service in 2011, but since the Washington State Department of Transportation announced it would replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a deep bored tunnel , Metro has had to coordinate the implementation of RapidRide with that project.

As the construction schedule for the tunnel was released, it turned out that during much of 2011 First Avenue South will be restricted or completely closed.

Jack Lattemann, transportation planner for King County Metro, said that 2011 would be a good time to introduce a new service that is supposed to increase transit convenience.

But in the meantime, the state transportation department has agreed to provide Metro with 30 new articulated, air conditioned, hybrid buses to mitigate travel constrictions caused by tunnel construction beginning February 2010 and lasting through June 2013.

Lattemann said additional service will likely be added to routes 54 and 55, though he will know for sure where additional service will be added this fall.

Despite the delay in RapidRide service, West Seattle will still see some bus stop improvements soon.

“We are still committed to RapidRide,” said Lattemann. “We want this service to be successful from the start.”