The H Line is a RapidRide bus route in King County, Washington, United States. It is operated by King County Metro and uses bus rapid transit features, including transit signal priority, exclusive lanes, and off-board fare payment at some stations. The H Line began service on March 18, 2023, replacing Route 120 after the construction of new stations and bus lanes at a cost of $154 million.[1] The H Line is the seventh RapidRide line to open and features stations with digital e-ink screens for real-time arrivals information, ORCA card readers, and larger shelters. It is the first RapidRide line to open under the Move Seattle program, which was funded by a levy approved in 2015.[1]

History

Route 120, the H Line's predecessor, at Burien Transit Center in 2009

The Delridge Way corridor was previously served by King County Metro route 120, which was consistently one of the most highest-ridership routes in the system.[2][3] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Route 120 saw about 9,200 passengers per weekday, and in 2022 ridership fell to 5,300.[1][4] Development of the route into RapidRide service, alongside other improvements to the corridor, began in late 2017.[5] The planned design would include bus-only lanes, bicycle lanes, and sidewalk improvements along.[5]

Improvements to bus service include more frequent service, with typical headways of 10 minutes on weekdays; increased wheelchair accessibility at each stop; construction of new sidewalks; and updated pedestrian crossings. Dedicated bus lanes were installed on Delridge Way, and a median was constructed to allow for the planting of 2 new trees for every 1 tree taken down during construction. 150 new trees were planted along the route as part of the construction.[6]

RapidRide H Line bus at 3rd Ave and Union St in October 2024

The H Line opened on March 18, 2023.[7] It has an average ridership of 6,900 passengers on weekdays in its first year.[4]

Route

The 13-mile (21 km) route has 65 stops.[8] The northern terminus of the H Line is in Downtown Seattle at 3rd Avenue and Virginia Street. Between Downtown Seattle and West Seattle, H Line buses travel nonstop via State Route 99 and the West Seattle Bridge.[8] The route continues down Delridge Way and Ambaum Boulevard through West Seattle and White Center, and terminates at the Burien Transit Center.[9]

Stations

RapidRide H Line Stations
Station[8] Notes
Virginia Street Northern terminus; connections to RapidRide C, D and E Lines.
Pine Street Northbound-only Stop
Pike Street
Union Street Northbound-only Stop
Seneca Street Southbound Only Stop
Madison Street
Columbia Street
Seattle Ferry Terminal
S Jackson Street Connection to the RapidRide C Line
SW Andover Street
SW Genesee Street
SW Hudson Street
SW Finlay Street
SW Graham Street
SW Holly Street
SW Myrtle Street
SW Holden Street
SW Thistle Street
SW Henderson Street Connection to the RapidRide C Line
SW Barton Street/Westwood Village
26th Avenue SW
20th Avenue SW
SW Roxbury Street
SW 102nd Street
SW 107th Street
SW 112th Street
SW 116th Street
SW 122nd Street
SW 128th Street
SW 136th Street
SW 142nd Street
SW 148th Street
6th Avenue SW
Burien Transit Center Southern terminus; connection to the RapidRide F Line

Service

The line runs every 7 minutes during peak hours and 15 minutes off-peak, with service until midnight on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c Beekman, Daniel (March 18, 2023). "Bus service begins on new RapidRide H Line from Burien to Seattle". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  2. ^ Switzer, Jeff (December 1, 2021). "RapidRide H Line construction update (Dec. 2021)". Metro Matters. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  3. ^ "King County Metro celebrates launch of RapidRide H Line". kingcounty.gov. March 17, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "2023 System Evaluation" (PDF). King County Metro. October 31, 2023. p. 49.
  5. ^ a b "Public Engagement Report" (PDF). kingcounty.gov. April 2019. p. 5. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. ^ "Landscaping and tree planting continues on Delridge Way SW". RapidRide Expansion Program Newsletter. January 28, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Times-Lanuch was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b c "Schedule and Map: RapidRide H Line". KingCounty.gov. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "King County launches construction of future RapidRide H Line" (Press release). King County Metro. May 18, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Service Change Starting Saturday, March 18th". King County Metro. March 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  11. ^ "RapidRide H Line schedule" (PDF). King County Metro. March 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RapidRide_H_Line
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