Proposed Changes For Bus Route 65 Along 40th Avenue NE And Sand Point Way

A reader alerted us that Metro Bus Route 65 is currently under consideration for changes specifically to stops along 55th Avenue NE . The proposed changes would include more stops along 40th Avenue NE where Metropolitan Market, the new Fire Station and businesses are located. The revised route would also include a new stop at Children's Hospital.

The proposed changes would specifically reroute bus 65 from NE 35th Street to turn left and down the hill on NE 55th Street and then right onto 40th Avenue NE near Metropolitan Market and then proceed down 40th Avenue NE past Ronald McDonald House down to Sand Point Way. Currently the bus runs southbound on 35th Ave NE, to 5 corners (Baskin-Robbins/Tully's intersections), then west past University Village.

The new route would serve the new entrance to Children’s hospital when the new construction is finished at the Laurelon Terrace site. The northbound route would follow that path in reverse.

One reader says that "the change actually makes a lot of sense to me, since it adds three major destinations with a change of a few blocks in the route." And another reader says that he would like the current route to remain the same as his bus stop would be elminated under the proposed change.

Here is a map of the proposed revision from the Wedgwood Community Council website. The map shows the proposed changes with ridership figures at stops along the revised segment.

A reader forwarded us an email from Ted Day, Transportation Planner with King County Department of Transportation, in which he responds to comments received about the proposed changes:
We feel that there is enough potential ridership from Wedgwood and Meadowbrook to Children's Hospital that would be attracted to the revised service that would result in more riders for the route. We estimate that the increased travel time would be approximately three minutes and that this is a reasonable tradeoff for improved service to a very important neighborhood facility. The revision to Route 65 would serve many more customers than the existing routing without requiring a major increase in budget.

Laurelhurst Community Club supports the change and says in a letter recently sent to Ted Day:
This is a sensible way to deliver Metro service to more people. The route change would not only service Seattle Children’s Hospital patients and employees but also provide service for the fire station, business offices, vet clinic, Metropolitan Market, Ronald McDonald House and the many apartments and condominiums along 40th Ave NE.


Furthermore, in the next few years the intersection of Sand Point Way and 40th Avenue NE will be redesigned adding a signal, crosswalk and trail access. We will need more transit support at this location because the new intersection/trail connection will encourage pedestrian and transit use and serve the neighborhoods and businesses on both sides of Sand Point Way.


Ted responded:
We have been working with SDOT and Children's Hospital on the intersections that the route would traverse. We have identified some modifications that will need to be in place in order to ensure the safe operation of this revised routing.


Thank you for pointing out all of the many destinations served by the revision to Route 65. We do expect more ridership on a revised routing and we also think it will help reduce traffic headed to and from Children's Hospital. With the significant expansion plans occurring at Children's Hospital, improved bus service is critical in meeting the increased demand from employees, volunteers and visitors.

And a response from Ted posted on the Wedgwood Community Council site says:

Given the fact that capital improvements can take some time, I don’t expect that the revision could take place before October at the earliest and more likely in 2012. The main thrust behind the proposal is to serve the large number of employees, volunteers and visitors who live in Wedgwood and Meadowbrook who commute to Children’s Hospital.


Ridership along the portion of 35th Ave NE that would be missed is relatively small (see the attached map) so we feel the route can attract more riders by serving Children’s Hospital. The fact that Children’s Hospital is expected to grow substantially while the area along 35th Ave NE is not expected to grow only adds to the reasons for a revision.

These proposed bus route changes are not part of the Children's Hospital Livable Street Initiative as one reader asked us. That effort only deals with pedestrian and bicycle safety projects.

As to when these changes might take effect, the Wedgwood Community Council website posts from an email from Ted:

Given the fact that capital improvements can take some time, I don’t expect that the revision could take place before October at the earliest and more likely in 2012. The main thrust behind the proposal is to serve the large number of employees, volunteers and visitors who live in Wedgwood and Meadowbrook who commute to Children’s Hospital.


Ridership along the portion of 35th Ave NE that would be missed is relatively small (see the attached map) so we feel the route can attract more riders by serving Children’s Hospital. The fact that Children’s Hospital is expected to grow substantially while the area along 35th Ave NE is not expected to grow only adds to the reasons for a revision.


Ted told us that he is still collecting comments. He says "There is no deadline for comments at this point since a decision does not need to be made imminently. However, if you would like to encourage comments before the end of March that would help us to respond to concerns and potentially revise the proposal to make it more acceptable."

You can send comments to Ted at Ted.Day@kingcounty.gov.

(photo courtesy of Wedgwood Community Council website)