Rapid Ride to get Test Drive Through Redmond and Bellevue Route

Metro Transit will test the new Rapid Ride B Line between Bellevue and Redmond without passengers, in the run-up to the launch of the new line Oct. 1.

Metro will be doing pre-service testing of the B Line on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 22 and 23. This will include running the 12 RapidRide buses through all the stops and stations on the line for up to 20 hours each day, according to an agency news release.

The tests will run 20 hours a day, but no passengers will be able to board the new buses, according to the King County Metro Transit.

When the service launches, rides will be free the first weekend of service on Oct. 1 and 2.

Rapid Ride will run from the Bellevue Transit Center to Redmond Transit Center via N.E. 8th Street, Crossroads, and tne Overlake Transit Center.

RapidRide is a different type of Metro service that includes newly designed buses, shelters and signs. The distinctive red-and-yellow buses are energy efficient, low-emission hybrid vehicles with low floors and three doors for easier, faster boarding. The B Line also features free Wi-Fi, real-time bus arrival information and off-board ORCA card readers at major stations, and a passive restraint system for wheelchairs.

This week’s testing will allow Metro to check the many systems unique to RapidRide service, as well as allow bus drivers to become more familiar with the equipment and routing. Included in the tests will be checks of the automated onboard announcements, transit signal priority for traffic lights, real-time information signs at bus stops, and a functional test of the Wi-Fi system on each bus.

Metro also wants to confirm that B Line schedules are aligned with Eastside traffic conditions before actual service starts on Saturday, Oct. 1. No passengers will be allowed on these test runs.

The B Line is the second of Metro’s six planned RapidRide routes. It travels between the Bellevue and Redmond transit centers, both located in the downtown core of those cities. In addition to the downtown areas, it makes limited stops along Northeast 8th Street, 156th Avenue Northeast, 148th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 90th Street which includes service to Crossroads, the eastern portion of Overlake, the Microsoft campus, and North Redmond. It operates with 10-15 minute service most of the day.

So, if you see a big red-and-yellow bus on the road in Bellevue and Redmond this week, give it a wave and plan to start riding it in October.

For more information about the B Line, visit Metro Online at www.kingcounty.gov/metro, or call Customer Information at (206) 553-3000.

Rapid Ride B was brought on with other changes made to the Eastside transit system.

-- Information from King County Metro Transit and Bellevue Patch Archives