09.17.2024

Today’s Forecast

🚌 Here’s the word on the street

RapidRide G Line brings 6-minute bus service to Seattle

Members of Seattle Department of Transportation stand behind a podium as they announce the launch of the new RapidRide G Line. One of the stretch buses is parked behind them.

The G Line is one of the shortest RapidRide routes — but it connects riders to plenty of other transit options. | Photo by Tim Durkan

King County’s new RapidRide G Line route — a bus service running every six minutes Monday-Saturday through Seattle’s downtown, First Hill, Capitol Hill, and Madison Valley neighborhoods — just launched over the weekend.

Part of the Madison Street Area Project, the G Line implements new RapidRide stops + dedicated transit lanes in an effort to improve bus reliability and travel times.

The numbers

SDOT added 1.4 miles of red bus lanes dedicated for the G Line, fixed sidewalks, installed new walk and bike signals, rebuilt utilities, and redesigned street aspects to regulate traffic. Here are some more G Line project numbers:

$144.3 million — the project’s completion cost
3.8 miles of sidewalk built or replaced
9.1 lane-miles of completed concrete roadway
21 new RapidRide stops — 10 paired stops in each direction + one on First Avenue
Five new traffic signals and 36 upgraded existing signals 
108 new trees planted throughout the project area, with some final planting to be completed this fall

SEA_G Line route information — The G Line’s route runs predominantly along Madison Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and First Avenue.
|
Graphic via Seattle Department of Transportation

The “limo” bus

Dubbed the “limo” bus by Mayor Bruce Harrell at a ribbon cutting in August, the G Line fleet has some added bells and whistles to improve transit access and experience.

The New Flyer XDE60 models run $1.3 million each, equipped with a new wheelchair system + on-board space for bicycles (similar to the light rail, instead of racking them at the front like other buses).

The new buses also have left-side doors for passenger boarding at new center median island stops, with ORCA card readers at every point of entry. The centrally located stops let buses pick up and drop off riders without getting blocked by drivers turning right.

The new-and-improved route connects to the First Hill Streetcar, the Seattle Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock, and light rail at Symphony Station.

Events

Tuesday, Sept. 17

Paint Your Pet | Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 6-8 p.m. | Reds Wine Bar & Craft Beer, Kent | $55 | Paint a portrait of your fur baby with step-by-step instructions along the way.
Kuthu Hip Hop Dance Workshop with Charles Edward | Tuesday, Sept. 17 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Dance Underground | $40 | “Street Dancer” opener Charles Edward is bringing his world-renowned talents to Seattle for this all-levels dance class.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

DNA Damage Detection: Micronuclei | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 6-8 p.m. | SoundBio Lab | $30 | It’s time to put yourself under the microscope.
“The Hitchcock Hotel” | Wednesday, Sept. 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Can Can Culinary Cabaret | $64+ | It turns out working the nightshift at a dubious hotel can be quite paranormal — and sultry.

Thursday, Sept. 19

Speed Friending (Ages 24-40) | Thursday, Sept. 19 | 6:30-10 p.m. | The Dock Sports Bar and Grill | $10 | Forget the Seattle Freeze — go make some friends.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Travel

✈️ 3 wildly cheap flights out of Sea-Tac in 2024

A plane flys over palm trees in a clear sky.

Pro tip: Set custom destination alerts as a Going Premium member. | Photo by Pexels

Great airfare deals do exist — and thanks to flight price tracking services like Going, you can save hundreds on your next trip. Sign up for Going’s Premium plan, and you’ll be emailed when international flights leaving our nearby airports are seriously discounted.

Here are real flight deals out of Sea-Tac the Going team found this year:

$775 to Tokyo
$539 to Tahiti
$589 to South Africa

News Notes

Traffic

The Spokane Street Bridge to West Seattle will be partially closed for at least a couple more days following a weekend crash. The bridge is accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians, but is closed to cars and trucks. Repair crews and technicians haven’t disclosed an exact date for reopening. (Seattle Times)

Coming Soon

PCC Community Markets is coming back to downtown Seattle after closing its flagship in January. The upscale co-op will be opening a smaller store in Rainier Square in late 2025, offering prepped takeaway foods + a limited selection of groceries. PCC will also move its corporate offices into the new space. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Outdoors

Playfield 2 at Genesee Park is undergoing new turf installation this week. The previous synthetic turf is being replaced with a sustainable cork and sand refill + structural repairs will accompany the swap-out. Playfield 2 should open by spring 2025, and Playfield 1 will be completed next fall.

Sports

Can the Washington Huskies find their offensive identity after a tough Apple Cup loss to Washington State? Hear about the team’s missed opportunities from local experts on Locked On’s daily, Huskies-focused podcast.

Weather

Don’t put away those sunglasses just yet — Seattle is expecting some cloud breaks the next few days and temps in the upper 60s. Plan ahead with KING 5 Senior Meteorologist Rich Marriott.

Eat

Have you been craving pear crisp as the seasons change? You’re not alone — according to a recent survey, the dish is Washington’s favorite fall food this year. Let us know where can we find the autumnal delicacy around Seattle + we may share your response in a future newsletter. (Wealth of Geeks)

Shop

Old slides sitting in your attic are memories just waiting to be shared. Digitize slides + film at home with the Kodak Slide N Scan, now 20% off.*

The Buy

The Buy 9.17.24 (Affiliate)

A soft knit sweater that’s available in six different colors. Bonus: No dry cleaning necessary — it’s machine washable in a handy laundry bag.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Madeline

From the editor

Normally I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin flavored things, but I recently tried the pumpkin chai at Little Oddfellows — the first sip quite possibly rewired my brain.

The pumpkin syrup was the perfect amount of earthy and sweet, which paired so well with the chai’s signature spice.

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