Despite rumors to the contrary, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is still targeting a 2024 opening for RapidRide J Line, which will speed up the Route 70 bus, and is not planning to shift project funds to fill other budget holes, the agency confirmed on Monday.
Transit advocates were getting nervous after a constituent claimed a council staffer had said the RapidRide project was to be delayed and potentially shelved “a very long time” due to the budget crunch from the pandemic and costly emergency repairs needed for the West Seattle Bridge.
“The Seattle Department of Transportation is not planning to change our investment in the RapidRide J Line project or the protected bike lanes on Eastlake,” SDOT spokesperson Kari Tupper confirmed. “We do not anticipate that our response to the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure would have an impact on the separate RapidRide J project budget.”
That said, the Move Seattle levy, which already faced a “reset,” may need another one in reaction to the pandemic, which has slowed and complicated project delivery this year. “Any changes to Move Seattle project budgets will depend on the outcome of the 2021-2022 budget process,” Tupper said.
Pedersen’s take
This seemingly puts the ball back in the Seattle City Council’s court. Transportation Chair Alex Pedersen, whose office was allegedly the source of the J Line delay rumor, acknowledged SDOT controls the timing and has some of the funding set aside.
“SDOT is in control of the timing and existing funds for the proposed J line (Roosevelt Rapid Ride),” Pedersen said in an emailed response. “I strongly support the preservation and increase of public mass transit options throughout Seattle and led Council’s efforts to get a Seattle Transportation Benefit District [STBD] on the ballot for voters even during the Covid pandemic.”
While Chair Pedersen did bring forward Seattle Transportation Benefit District renewal legislation, he was the lone vote against an amendment boosting the size of the ballot package by 50%. During deliberations, he emphasized the need for bridge replacement citywide and the West Seattle Bridge as a pressing emergency that should alter priorities.
“As I understand it from SDOT, the process to put the proposed J line in place could be delayed by numerous factors including the COVID pandemic and the timing of the federal/state environmental review,” Pedersen said in an emailed response. “The Covid pandemic and massive budget deficits facing all levels of government are making it harder for SDOT to get all transportation projects on line as originally scheduled and we are faced with the additional challenge of the West Seattle Bridge crisis on top of a backlog of infrastructure maintenance projects.”
