The conversion of Metro Route 120 into the RapidRide H Line is still two years away – fall 2021 – but the station locations and routing are about to be finalized. The King County Council Mobility and Environment Committee has a vote scheduled at its 1:30 pm Tuesday meeting downtown; agenda information (pages 29-69, PDF) notes, “Approval of the alignment and station locations would allow Metro to complete design of the capital elements of RapidRide and move forward with construction.”

We have reported on the H Line planning at various stages over the past few years. Here’s the overview, again from the agenda document:

The proposed H Line alignment … would mostly adhere to the current Route 120 path. That path, northbound, starts at the Burien Transit Center, traveling along Ambaum Boulevard SW, 16th Avenue SW, 15th Avenue SW, SW Roxbury Street, SW Barton Street, Delridge Way SW, and 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle. One proposed deviation from the Route 120 path is that the H Line would extend the northern terminus of the route from Downtown Seattle to South Lake Union at Harrison Street, via Westlake Avenue North, Lenora Street, and Blanchard Street, serving the same stations as the C Line. Additionally, the H Line is proposed to operate on Southwest 150th Street between Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and the Burien Transit Center, rather than the current Route 120 pathway on Southwest 148th Street. The H Line is proposed to have thirty-one stations serving both directions of travel located an average of one‐third of a mile apart. Currently Route 120 has 41 bus stops northbound and 39 bus stops southbound, spaced an average of one quarter of a mile apart.

As planners have noted previously, one-third mile is closer together than usual RapidRide spacing. Here is the station list:

Westlake Avenue North and Harrison Street (existing)

• Westlake Avenue North and 9th Avenue (existing)

• Blanchard Street and 6th Avenue (existing, northbound only)

• 3rd Avenue and Virginia Street (existing)

• 3rd Avenue and Pike Street (existing)

• 3rd Avenue and Seneca Street (existing)

• 3rd Avenue and Columbia Street (existing)

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Andover Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Genesee Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Hudson Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Findlay Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Graham Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Holly Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Myrtle Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Holden Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Thistle Street

• Delridge Way Southwest and Southwest Henderson Street

• Southwest Barton Street and 26th Avenue Southwest

• Southwest Roxbury Street and 26th Avenue Southwest

• Southwest Roxbury Street and 20th Avenue Southwest

• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Roxbury Street

• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 102nd Street

• 15th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 107th Street

• 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 112th Street

• 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 116th Street

• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 122nd Street

• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 128th Street

• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 136th Street

• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 142nd Street

• Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Southwest 148th Street

• Southwest 150th Street and 6th Avenue Southwest

The briefing document says, “The proposed H Line would have an average travel time reduction of 13 percent compared to the Route 120 today, which equates to a 5-6 minute improvement for a passenger travelling from Westwood Village to Downtown Seattle or an 8-9 minute improvement for a passenger traveling from the Burien Transit Center to Downtown Seattle. Combined with transit signal priority improvements made in the corridor since RapidRide planning began in 2012, the end-to-end run time for the H Line would improve by 21 percent.”

Though the routing/station locations are about to be finalized, community feedback will be sought on another point – lighting – a sore spot when RapidRide C Line turned Roxhill Park into a major transit center, for example: “The need for lighting will also be addressed in final design to address safety at bus shelters. Questions about specific locations where lighting is needed will be asked during the next phase of community engagement.” In the meantime, tomorrow’s vote in council chambers at the County Courthouse downtown is at 1:30 pm and part of a meeting that includes a public-comment period. It would be followed at some point by a full council vote.