The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is working with King County Metro Transit to improve service to Route 7, one of the busiest routes in the system, by encouraging vehicles to keep bus-only lanes clear.
The pilot effort is launching in the Rainier Valley area but could also be implemented with additional treatment options at more Seattle bus-only lane locations in the future.
Upcoming treatments to the Rainer Valley area include:
- Installing raised street markings across the bus-only lane. Acting like a ‘rumble strip,’ the vibration and sound of the markings will alert people driving when they are driving in a lane intended for buses.
- Installing additional signs nearby will also reinforce appropriate use for people driving.
- Camera monitors.
SDOT will observe traffic for up to six months to see if there is a reduction in speeding and misuse of the bus-only lane. The department will install tubes across the street to track speeds and check if the vehicle in the lane is a bus or not. In some places, cameras will also be used but not for giving out citations. SDOT is also working on guidelines for installing automated enforcement and would like to try engineering treatments first.
SDOT says another potential future measure would be adding speed cushions to make it less appealing for people driving personal vehicles to inappropriately use the bus-only lane, as they would not be able to easily travel faster than the speed limit.
