GUEST COLUMN | Update on the future routing of No. 11 East Madison bus
On Aug. 20, I was informed of the final proposed routing for the No. 11 East Madison and the other buses involved in the proposed March 2016 Metro and Sound Transit changes for the light rail expansion.
Their proposal was scheduled to go to the Metropolitan King County Council on Aug. 25, and at the same time, the plans were to be released on the Metro website (metro.kingcounty.gov/programs-projects/link-connections), subsequently on Nextdoor at (madisonpark.nextdoor.com/news_feed) and the Madison Valley website (madisonvalley.org).
A group of us, including Greater Madison Valley Community Council president Lindy Wishard, have been working with Metro Transit since it proposed changes in March 2015 to support the expansion of light rail to Broadway and the University of Washington. We have had several onsite meetings with Metro and several community presentations. There have been several open periods for discussion of several Metro plans, and we have proposed several alternatives.
In June 2015, Metro presented us with a plan that removed the No. 11 from East Madison and East Pine streets, west of 24th Avenue East to Broadway, by moving the No. 11 to East John and Thomas streets. This plan was not published on Metro’s website, but we made it public, given the impacts on the users of the No. 11, including residents and workers along East Madison.
We would like to thank those of you that have commented directly to Metro or commented on Nextdoor, which were transmitted to the agency, too.
We will have one more opportunity to comment about the proposed routing for the No. 11, and that is directly to the Metropolitan King County Council in the next few weeks. We plan to be there, even if the decision is to keep the current routing.
By the way, we will still get 15-minute service on the No. 11 starting Sept. 25, due to the sales-tax increase Seattle voters approved in November 2014. The frequent service will be for every day but Sunday.
Also, just an FYI: The stop for buses going east to Madison Park at 23rd Avenue East and East Madison Street has been closed due to construction, which means you have two choices: the stop at Safeway (22nd Avenue East) or the one at 25th Avenue East.
REG NEWBECK is a Madison Park resident. To comment on this column, write to MPTimes@nwlink.com.
[UPDATE, 9-1-15: The service change ordinance was transmitted to the King County Council last week.
Information about the recommended changes is now available on the Metro website: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/programs-projects/link-connections/
Here’s a link to the Route 11 info sheet: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/programs-projects/link-connections/pdf/011-info-08-15.pdf
As you can see in the updated system map, Routes 8 and 11 would share a common path between Madison Valley and the west side of Capitol Hill. Both would serve the segment of East Madison Street between 19th and 23rd avenues, and both would connect with Capitol Hill Station.
There would be no loss of coverage on East Madison Street, as Route 12 would serve Madison Street west of 19th Avenue East. The segment of Madison Street between 23rd and 19th avenues would have considerably more service than today, as well as new connections to Seattle Center, South Lake Union and the Central Area.]