SEATTLE — It's a leftover from the days of the Alaskan Way Viaduct: Buses from West Seattle and Southwest King County go all the way to the middle of downtown before making their first stop.
Commuters who work anywhere south of Seneca or Madison Streets need to double back.
"It is kind of a long distance, I'm surprised that there's not a stop down there," said passenger Ben Zirkle after he stepped off the C Line.
On Saturday, that changes when King County Metro adds a new Pioneer Square stop in each direction.
On Tuesday, workers were moving a parking meter to make room at 1st Avenue and King Street.
Metro expects about 2,000 of the 30,000 riders on this corridor to use these stops.
"With this improvement they're going to be able to get off right here and save a lot of time," said Bill Bryant of King County Metro.
Scroll down to continue reading
More news from KIRO 7
- Suspect arrested for stabbing Kirkland woman was charged with murder before
- Man arrested for trying to throw woman off Seattle overpass
- Fremont encampment removed; long supporter says sweeps aren't working
- Newest Puget Sound orca calf continues to survive
- Do you have an investigative story tip? Send us an email at investigate@kiro7.com
Fifteen routes are changing when buses leave the downtown transit tunnel to make way for light rail.
The city is opening a new northbound transit pathway on 5th and 6th avenues to help with the afternoon commute.
In addition to a new stop at 5th and Marion, signs now alert pedestrians to look both ways before crossing a street that has long been one-way.
"There will be a lot more buses out here using this pathway so the 'look both ways' signs are to remind people that there's now northbound traffic there never was before," said Meghan Shepard of the Seattle Department of Transportation.
To speed boarding on 3rd Avenue, passengers will be able to pay on the sidewalk and board all buses through all doors.
Installation of new ORCA readers is over budget and behind schedule, so at first, workers with hand-held card readers will collect those payments.
Cox Media Group
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/03-07-2024/t_a04eea43993e4d4a91177d329640b460_name_Tran_6p_Everett_Woman_homicide_LL_pkg_frame_22938.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/3BS7G5MQWFBX3BFDTNRKEQQVWY.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/03-19-2024/t_1ebc3aaf80db4d5ab8d13e4288cc85b7_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/2MUQXZL2WZEU7HFVYPAD2KDM4U.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/Q5DMBXG325D3BL6LFBAZLW65MY.jpg)