Downtown Seattle commuters are experiencing improved bus service on Howell Street thanks to a strategic partnership between King County Metro and the City of Seattle. Earlier this year, these agencies collaborated to address significant traffic congestion impacting bus speeds and reliability along this crucial corridor.
The primary issue was heavy congestion on Howell Street, particularly for Metro and Community Transit buses heading towards the I-5 on-ramps. Despite the presence of a dedicated bus-only lane, buses were frequently delayed by vehicles attempting to access I-5, which often blocked the designated bus lane. This bottleneck was particularly problematic during afternoon rush hours, when approximately 36 buses per hour, carrying around 8,500 daily commuters, navigated this route.
To resolve this persistent congestion, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Metro joined forces to implement a smart and effective solution. They shifted the bus-only lane to the far-left side of Howell Street, specifically between 9th Avenue and Yale Avenue. This strategic move was complemented by the addition of a queue jump system at key intersections.
A queue jump is a traffic signal optimization that prioritizes bus movement through an intersection. It allows buses to proceed first, before general traffic flow, effectively giving them a head start and minimizing delays. An existing queue jump was already in place at the intersection of 9th Avenue and Howell Street, facilitating the buses’ initial move from the far-right lane to the newly positioned far-left bus lane. To further enhance traffic flow, a second queue jump signal was installed at Yale Avenue and Howell Street. This second signal assists buses in smoothly transitioning back to the right side of the street to pick up passengers and continue towards the I-5 Express Lane on-ramp.
The result of these improvements is a significant boost to bus transit efficiency. Buses on Howell Street are now able to effectively bypass the congestion leading to the I-5 on-ramp. This translates directly to faster and more reliable bus journeys for thousands of daily commuters, making public transportation a more attractive and dependable option.
This important project was made possible through funding from the City of Seattle, via the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Benefits District, and King County Metro, supported by a Washington State Regional Mobility Grant. It exemplifies Metro’s Spot Improvements Program, which focuses on low-cost, high-impact capital investments designed to alleviate bottleneck conditions that negatively affect bus travel times, reliability, and overall safety. In 2018, this program successfully partnered with multiple cities including Seattle, Kent, Bothell, Redmond, and Renton, along with Snohomish County, to address traffic hotspots at 14 different locations. These collective efforts benefited an estimated 263,000 riders across 72 bus routes, demonstrating the significant positive impact of targeted transit improvements.
