A King County Council committee heard a proposal for potentially replacing the Route 7 bus with a RapidRide R line, a project that has raised concerns among community members over the potential elimination of up to 36 stops.
On Oct. 20, Transportation, Economy, and Environment Committee members listened to the proposal, known as the alignment ordinance, which establishes a general outline for RapidRide R line bus stops and the route. No action was taken at the meeting. If approved by the committee and then the full council, it would allow Metro to begin the design phase of the project.
The committee could vote on the proposal at its next meeting on Nov. 17. If approved, RapidRide R service is expected to begin in 2032.
The transition would cost $91.2 million, with the aim of bringing faster and more reliable bus service to the South End, along with upgraded bus shelters as well as road and sidewalk improvements along Rainier Avenue South.
"South Seattle deserves an upgrade, it deserves the best possible transit service, and a better overall rider experience that RapidRide brings," King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said in an interview before the proposal was submitted. "I would not be supporting this if I didn't think it was going to be a better experience for everyone."
Route 7 currently has the second-highest ridership of any bus route in the county and serves over 11,000 riders almost every day. Over the past few months, community members and advocates have said their biggest concerns with instituting RapidRide were the elimination of stops and the potential impact on elders, people with disabilities, and those with families.
The route's design would not be finalized until Metro and the executive's office submit a service change plan to the council, which is planned for 2028, said Misha Werschkul, policy director for the executive's office. After the design is approved, the plan would move to construction.
RapidRide buses are part of the county's efforts to have buses function similarly to light rail. They're a package deal that intends to increase bus service and add enhanced shelters with better lighting, signs with real-time arrival information, and more seating.
Metro also works with cities to improve sidewalks and pedestrian safety and expand transit signal priority, bus-only lanes, and level boarding. The R line would also feature better connections to the light rail system, including the Rainier Beach, Judkins Park, Mount Baker, and International District/Chinatown stations.
Initial groundwork for the project began in 2019 but was halted shortly after due to the pandemic and funding delays. Zahilay allocated additional funding in this year's budget to expedite the delivery of the bus.
However, replacing Route 7 with a RapidRide line could result in the potential elimination of up to 36 stops: 16 of them north of South Henderson Street and the other 20 south of South Henderson Street.
Metro says some potentially eliminated stops would still be served by other routes, including routes 9, 14, 50, 106, 107, and 547, according to an email from Callie Craighead, press secretary for the Office of the Executive. Other potentially eliminated stops would be within 0.2 miles of a RapidRide R stop.
The current proposal would have RapidRide R end at the Rainier Beach light rail station. The South Prentice Street loop, which contains 20 stops, would be eliminated, leaving people near Rainier View with a different transit landscape. Craighead said the county would be looking at a future service plan for the Prentice loop.
"We know that is an area that we're going to be spending more conversation on in the future," said Michelle Allison, general manager for King County Metro. "These decisions have not been made, and we're committed to working closely and being as transparent with the community as possible about the trade-offs in front of us as we move from design to service."
Metro will reach out to potentially impacted communities before the RapidRide R line launches, and a separate process would be created to ensure those residents still have transit access. The input gathered in that process will help inform changes to other bus lines, including routes 9, 106, and 107, or expanded options like Metro Flex, an on-demand transit service available in parts of King County.
Community members have said they want greater investment in transit in South Seattle, but there are concerns about the potential impacts on people with disabilities and elders who may have to walk longer distances between stops. A ride-along on Route 7 hosted by the NonDrivers Alliance showed the challenges people could face.
In an interview before the proposal was submitted, Zahilay spoke with the Emerald and addressed some of the concerns brought up by community members. Many questioned why there couldn't be both a Route 7 and a RapidRide line.
"In a universe where we had unlimited resources, maybe it could be, but when you take finite resources and divide them between two projects … they might interfere with each other," Zahilay said. "So for financial and operational reasons, we can't have both."
Neighborhoods with RapidRide lines have seen an increase in ridership and greater satisfaction because of more predictable schedules, increased comfort, and cleaner buses, Zahilay noted.
"Route 7 has had its fair share of issues. It's not the best bus system, it's not the best experience, it's not the most reliable," he said. "There are going to be a tremendous number of upgrades that come with RapidRide."
"We know that a lot of parts of Rainier are treacherous," Zahilay said, adding that these improvements are meant to make bus service experiences more comfortable and safer for riders. "It's going to be managed through a better system."
Due to community feedback, Zahilay said two bus stops near Mount Baker that were up for possible elimination — Rainier Avenue South at State Street/South Grand Street and Rainier Avenue South at South Bayview Street — would not be cut.
There will be several community forums for the overall design process of the R line to gather feedback on the proposed route, station placement, sidewalks, lighting, crossings, and ways to reduce construction impacts. Zahilay said he would like to continue to hear from community members about what stops are significant to them, so Metro can incorporate that input into the design process.
"I would really encourage people to sit with the map and see which ones are going to affect their lives most consequentially, and then share that with us," he said.
King County Metro and Zahilay submitted the ordinance to the council, while District 2 County Councilmember Rhonda Lewis, who represents South Seattle, served as the sponsor. She was appointed to fill Zahilay's seat when he was elected as the executive in November 2025.
"RapidRide is the premier, highest level of service King County Metro provides, with the highest level of speed and reliability investments of any Metro service," Lewis said. "The R line will be the first RapidRide line in South Seattle, and is an overdue investment for this community. The riders who depend on transit most should receive the best service Metro offers."
Her term ends once a new District 2 councilmember is chosen during the upcoming general election and the results are certified at the end of November. Both candidates for the seat, Rebecca Saldaña and Toshiko Hasegawa, attended the Route 7 ride-along. The winner of the race could be in charge of moving the plan forward.
"The South End is the last to get the best, greatest new innovations," Lewis said. "We want community members to have the option, dependability and reliability of being able to get to where they need to go quicker, and that's what RapidRide is going to allow them to do."
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