City of Seattle Celebrates the Completion of Construction to Transform Madison Street for RapidRide G Line

Seattle, WA - Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell celebrated the completion of major construction on the Madison Rapid Ride G Line project with federal and local leaders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project added miles of red bus lanes for the new RapidRide G Line, along with extensive upgrades and improvements to Madison Street. King County Metro's new RapidRide G Line will start service on September 14.

"Seattle has many reasons to celebrate this robust new transit line and the wide array of safety, accessibility, and connectivity improvements through some of our most vibrant neighborhoods. This project was made possible because of a strong team effort, and I want to thank our federal, state, and local partners for their investment and collaboration, as well as the neighbors and local small businesses who have supported increased transit service and endured construction," said Mayor Harrell. "This upgrade and new six-minute service has been long anticipated for neighborhoods like the Central District, Capitol Hill, Downtown, and Madison Valley, and will bring real benefits. Our focus is on making it easier and safer to get where you need to go, and completing this project reflects our commitment to expanding and strengthening transit service throughout Seattle."

The RapidRide G Line will connect Downtown Seattle with First Hill, Capitol Hill, Central District, and Madison Valley, providing a vital link between these key areas and offering the highest quality bus service in the region. The redesigned Madison Street will improve safety around schools, small businesses, libraries, and hospitals, and the project also included sidewalk repairs, new walk and bike signals, and rebuilt utilities.

The $144.3 million RapidRide G Line project was funded through a combination of $80.5 million in federal grants, with additional contributions coming from Sound Transit ($35.8 million), the Levy to Move Seattle ($19.7 million), King County Metro ($3.5 million), WSDOT grants ($2.5 million), and other City of Seattle transportation sources ($2.3 million). The federal grants included $59.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Small Starts program and $10.9 million from President Biden's American Rescue Plan.

"The RapidRide network has become a critical economic and personal asset for millions of riders throughout the Puget Sound region," said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool. "Adding this service to Madison Street will help connect families to each other, patients to healthcare, students to education, and get everyone where they need to go faster, safer, and more frequently. Thank you to everyone who made this investment a reality."

The RapidRide G Line will offer frequent service with new 60-foot, five-door buses arriving every six minutes most of the day to ensure reliable and efficient travel. Dedicated bus lanes and faster boarding with center-running bus stations will reduce commute times and enhance ridership, while new curb ramps, crosswalks, and sidewalks improve accessibility. Additionally, the project also included significant infrastructure upgrades like replacing a 120-year-old water main to improve drainage and wastewater systems, as well as upgrading street lighting and power distribution.

"The RapidRide G Line is an essential addition to our expanding regional transit network. Traveling along the Madison St. corridor, RapidRide G creates connections to multiple transportation options," said King County Executive Dow Constantine. "You won't need a car to get from the CID, First Hill or the Madison Valley to downtown Seattle, Link light rail, ferries, water taxis, and more. The RapidRide G Line is a major step forward in reducing pollution and increasing opportunities for all."

Highlights of the project include:

• 3.8 miles of new or replaced sidewalks
• 9.1 lane-miles of concrete streets
• 2.3 lane-miles of new asphalt
• 1.4 miles of new dedicated bus lanes
• 21 new RapidRide bus stops
• 2 upgraded bus stops
• 4 new center-running bus stations
• 5 new signals and 36 upgraded signals
• 108 newly planted trees

This work was supported by the Biden-Harris Administration, Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Representative Pramila Jayapal, Representative Adam Smith, and many public agency partners who collaborated throughout the planning, design, construction, and operation of the new service.

For more information about the RapidRide G Line - Madison St project, visit the project website or the King County Metro Matters blog.

What People Are Saying

"I have been proud to support the RapidRide G project throughout my tenure in Congress and during my time in the Washington State Legislature. While serving on the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee, I helped ensure that RapidRide G received dedicated funding in the Connecting Washington Transportation Package. This project will be transformative for our connecting communities and enhancing regional transportation mobility." - U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal

"Madison Street is a critical connection for the Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, First Hill, and downtown. The new rapid ride line will help people move efficiently among these vital neighborhoods." - State Senator Jamie Pedersen

"As we celebrate the completion of this project, I am proud of the progress we've made in improving our transportation infrastructure. This new line will not only enhance connectivity for our communities but also reflects our commitment to sustainable, efficient, and equitable public transit. The patience, support, and engagement from the people in our district have been invaluable throughout this process. Together, we are building a future where everyone has access to reliable and safe transit options." - State Senator Rebecca Saldaña

"As our region grows, it's important that we also grow our transit options to stay connected with each other and to the places that make up our everyday lives-school, work, healthcare, grocery stores, and our favorite small businesses. This new G Line will provide faster and more frequent connections to enjoy all our downtown, First Hill, and Capitol Hill neighborhoods have to offer. Thank you to Metro for the robust engagement with communities throughout the heart of Seattle in creating this plan. This G Line will make our entire transit network more powerful and help get more people out of their cars and into the downtown core-boosting our local economy, fostering community, and helping us to meet our climate goals. If you ask me, the G in G Line stands for Great!" - King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda

"The RapidRide G Line is a convenience game changer for District 3 residents. This new line gives our neighbors and visitors an easier connection to the downtown core. It'll also offer greater traffic and an economic bump for the many small businesses on Madison. I want to thank our Seattle Department of Transportation and King County Metro for their phenomenal work on this project." -Seattle City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3)

"I'm thrilled to see the opening of the RapidRide G Line, a crucial step forward in our state's commitment to multi-modal transportation, Complete Streets and efficient transit services. This line will not only improve connectivity to the newly enhanced Colman Dock ferry terminal, but also contribute to a more resilient and accessible transportation network for Washington." - Washington Secretary of Transportation Roger Millar, PE, FAICP, Dist.M.ASCE

"The completion of the RapidRide G project demonstrates how our region's transit agencies - SDOT, KC Metro, and Sound Transit - are successfully partnering to deliver on one shared promise: Making it easier, faster, and less expensive for people to get where they need to go every day." - Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman

"The new RapidRide G Line will deliver frequent and reliable service across Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, the Central District, First Hill, and downtown Seattle. This collaborative, regional effort serving some of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods will improve lives, help local businesses, and expand access to opportunity." - King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison

"You can count on the G Line to get around the heart of Seattle, connecting the ferry dock and downtown with health care facilities on First Hill and neighborhoods along Madison. This infrastructure and mobility project creates safer streets and intersections for all users, while enabling frequent, reliable bus service every six minutes along a unique diagonal corridor within our street grid." - SDOT Director Greg Spotts

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