Metro Bus Tunnel (Seattle)

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Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
Overview

The first Central Link Light Rail trains are test run in the tunnel
Line	Central Link, Metro 41, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 101, 102, 106, 150, 216, 218, 255, 316, STE 550
Location	Downtown Seattle
Coordinates
System	King County Metro bus and Sound Transit Central Link light rail
Start	9th Avenue and Pike Street
End	5th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street
No. of stations	5
Operation
Work begun	March 6, 1987^[1]
Opened	1990
Rebuilt	September 24, 2007
Owner	King County Metro Transit^[2]
Operator	King County Metro, Sound Transit
Traffic	Bus, light rail
Technical
Length	1.3-mile (2.1 km)

The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, also referred to as the Metro Bus Tunnel, is a 1.3-mile (2.1 km) public transit tunnel that runs the length of downtown Seattle, from 9th Avenue and Pike Street to 5th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street. Approved by Metro Transit in 1983,^[3] construction began in 1987.^[4] It was completed and service began in 1990, at a total cost of $455 million.^[4] In May 2000, the King County Council transferred ownership to Sound Transit,^[5] but ownership was transferred back to King County Metro in 2002.^[2]

The tunnel was closed on September 24, 2005 for modification to accommodate both buses and Sound Transit's Central Link light rail trains on a shared alignment. Prior to closure, around two dozen bus routes ran through the tunnel. The buses were dual-powered, operating as trolleybuses in the tunnel using electricity from overhead wires and as diesel buses on city streets. It reopened on Monday, September 24, 2007.^[6] The two-year closure included retrofits for light rail and other operating system upgrades. A stub tunnel, branching from the main tunnel, was constructed under Pine Street between 7th and Boren Avenues to allow light rail trains to stop and reverse direction and for future extension of Central Link.^[7]

Due to the conversion to light rail, dual-mode trolleybuses can no longer operate in the tunnel. Those buses have already been replaced by Metro's current new fleet of hybrid buses, which produce fewer emissions than standard diesel buses, and, unlike the trolleybuses, require no connection to overhead wires.^[8]

Since the floor of the tunnel was lowered for the light rail, bus mirrors are now at head height, and there have been concerns that they and may strike passengers waiting on the platform. To prevent this, the mirrors are equipped with flashing lights and the buses' speed limit in stations has been lowered from 15 to 10 mph (24 to 16 km/h).^[9]

1 Service
2 Route
- 2.1 Stations
3 References
4 External links

Service

In addition to Central Link Light Rail, the tunnel is used by the following King County Metro bus routes:

41 (Northgate, Lake City),
71 (U-District, Wedgwood),
72 (U-District, Lake City),
73 (U-District, Jackson Park),
74 (U-District, Sand Point),
76 (Green Lake P&R, Wedgwood),
77 (Maple Leaf, Jackson Park, North City),
101 (Renton),
102 (South Renton, Fairwood),
106 (Rainier Beach, Renton),
150 (Southcenter, Kent),
216 (Sammamish, Bear Creek P&R),
218 (Eastgate Freeway Station, Issaquah Highlands P&R),
255 (Kirkland, Brickyard P&R),
316 (Green Lake P&R, NSCC, Meridian Park)
and Sound Transit Express 550 (Bellevue).^[10]

The tunnel is open Monday through Saturday, 5:00 am to 1:00 am (05:00 to 01:00), and Sunday, 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight (06:00 to 00:00). Buses running outside tunnel operating hours are rerouted to nearby surface streets.

Route

The north portal is near 9th Avenue and Olive Way, with dual entry/exit ramps onto the Interstate 5 express lanes. The tunnel runs northeast-southwest under Pine Street, then turns left and runs northwest-southeast under 3rd Avenue for most of its length. The tunnel passes four feet below the Great Northern Tunnel.^[11] The south portal is near 4th Avenue and Royal Brougham Way, where buses have dual entry/exit onto the Interstate 90 express lanes and the SoDo E-3 Busway. At the south portal, the light rail tracks split from the shared alignment onto their own right-of-way, which runs parallel to the SoDo Busway until just south of Lander Street.

Stations

The tunnel has five stations, from north to south:^[12]

Station	Location	Notes
Convention Place	9th Avenue and Pine Street	Serves Washington State Convention Center, Paramount Theatre, Greyhound Lines terminal, Federal Courthouse. Transfer to surface bus or cross Interstate 5 to Capitol Hill. Buses from south of the tunnel terminate and layover here. A future transit-oriented development site.^[13] Served only by buses.
Westlake	Pine Street between 3rd and 6th Avenues	Serves Westlake Center, Seattle Center Monorail, South Lake Union Streetcar, Nordstrom, Macy's, Pike Place Market. Transfer to surface buses toward Belltown, Queen Anne Hill, Magnolia, Fremont, Shoreline, Green Lake, and Redmond. Transit information and passes can be obtained from the Metro Customer Stop on the mezzanine level. Northern terminus of the Central Link light rail. At this point, the tunnel makes a left, and follows Third Avenue.
University Street	3rd Avenue between Union and Seneca Streets	Serves Benaroya Hall, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Central Library, Main Post Office, Washington Mutual Tower. Transfer to surface buses toward First Hill
Pioneer Square	3rd Avenue between Cherry Street and Yesler Way	Serves Pioneer Square, King County Courthouse, King County and City of Seattle government offices, King County Jail, Washington State Ferries Colman Dock
International District/Chinatown	5th Avenue S. and S. Jackson Street	Serves International District, King Street Station, Uwajimaya, Waterfront Streetcar, Metro and Sound Transit offices. Transfer to surface buses toward Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, Industrial District, SoDo, and the Eastside. Buses from north of the tunnel terminate and layover here.