Metro considering transit options for Seaview Ave and Golden Gardens

Metro transit is looking at ways to better serve those who live on Seaview Ave and Sunset Hill, and they’re asking for feedback from residents about potential transportation options.

King County Metro and Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles have been meeting with Shilshole residents over the past year to discuss options, and now, Metro is launching a community connections pilot in the area.

Most of Seaview Ave and Sunset Hill west of 28th Ave NW doesn’t have a regular, all-day, fixed route bus service. So, they’re looking at ways to change that.

Sylvia Vikingstad lives in Sunset West condos on Seaview Ave. “We feel at a loss as to bus service down here,” Vikingstad told My Ballard when the lobbying efforts started last year. She said most of her neighbors are seniors, and it’s quite a long walk to get to the closest bus stop at 32nd Ave NW next to the Ballard Locks.

There are a few solutions being weighed, for which Metro is seeking feedback through an online survey.

Here are the ideas in the survey (from King County Metro):

Golden Gardens Summer Shuttle (April – October): Shuttle Service between downtown Ballard and Golden Gardens Park

• This service would operate along a fixed route, having several stops to pick-up and drop-off passengers along Seaview Ave NW and NW Market St.
• This service would operate every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on summer weekends only.
• This service is ADA Accessible
• Provides shuttle service along Seaview Ave NW and NW Market St connecting to Golden Gardens Park and downtown Ballard on summer weekends, when parking is constrained.
• Can use an ORCA card, cash, paper transfer, mobile ticket, and/or other forms of valid fare media to ride, and it cost the same as riding a Metro bus ($2.75 or less) – see Metro’s Fare Webpage.

Community Van(s)

• Community Van is a van provided by Metro for local, non-work commute group trips (with two or more riders) to meet community-identified transportation needs.
• As part of the program, a Community Transportation Coordinator position is created – this individual matches trip requests with volunteer drivers, and manages the Community Van trip schedule
• Riders can join prescheduled group trips or request their own group trips.
• Trips can be taken throughout the day or evening and on weekends.
• Volunteer drivers ride fare-free, and riders pay a standard Metro fare ($2.75 or less) – see Metro’s Fare Webpage.
• The vans can accommodate bicycles, and accessible vans are available on request.
• Trip Examples would include a recurring trip to the grocery store. attending an evening concert or sporting event in Seattle, going to a movie in downtown Ballard, or going to a community center or doctor/service appointment.

The survey also seeks feedback on shared mobility services, such as bike shares (Jump and Lime bikes), car shares (Lime, Car2Go, ZipCar), and Metro van pools/shares.

To learn more about the efforts to bring public transport to Seaview Ave, visit Metro’s website about the project.