RapidRide G Line – Madison St

Last updated: March 3, 2025

Passengers wait at a Madison St RapidRide station as a King County Metro G Line bus approaches, displaying "Downtown" as its destination.

Passengers wait at a newly upgraded Madison St RapidRide station as a King County Metro G Line bus approaches.

Project Overview

The RapidRide G Line – Madison St Project was one of SDOT’s largest and most complex capital projects as of 2024. We celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony in August 2024, marking substantial completion. This project transformed Madison St to shift First Hill and Capitol Hill’s main street from moving as many cars as possible to moving as many people as possible.

In addition to 1.4 miles of red bus lanes for the new G Line, SDOT’s project fixed sidewalks, added new walk and bike signals, rebuilt utilities, and created a street design to keep traffic at slower, safer speeds next to schools, small businesses, libraries, and hospitals.  

The planning for this project started in 2012 as part of the Seattle Transit Master Plan. Madison St from downtown Seattle to Madison Valley was identified as a key transit hub that needed more frequent and reliable bus service.

Project Highlights 

  • We built/replaced 3.8 miles of sidewalks
  • We completed 9.1 lane-miles of concrete roadway and 2.3 lane-miles of new asphalt overlay.
  • We added 1.4 miles of dedicated transit lanes
  • We built 21 new RapidRide stops; 10 paired stops in each direction and one on First Avenue
  • We built 4 new center-running stations between 7th and 13th Avenues
  • We installed 5 new traffic signals and upgraded 36 existing signals 
  • We planted 108 new trees throughout the project area (some final tree planting will be done this fall) 

Mayor Harrell, elected officials, agency staff, and community partners cut the ribbon on the RapidRide G Line - Madison St project in Capitol Hill.

Mayor Harrell, elected officials, agency staff, and community partners cut the ribbon on the RapidRide G Line - Madison St project in Capitol Hill. (Photo SDOT)

Project Benefits 

  • Community Benefit: The improved corridor connects communities along Madison St. making it easier for people to get to medical appointments, work, school, grocery stores, or visit a family member or friend. 
  • Comfort and Accessibility: New sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, street lights, and curb bulbs make walking convenient and comfortable so people can easily get to the bus stop.
  • Bus Improvements: 1.4 miles of dedicated bus lanes, designed to cut down travel time and improve reliability by minimizing traffic congestion and raised center stations speed up boarding, and reduce conflicts with other vehicles.
  • Sustainability at Heart: By choosing public transportation, riders contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fostering a more sustainable city for future generations.
  • Maintain & Modernize our Infrastructure:  This isn’t just a transit project. We also replaced a 120-year-old water main, improved the drainage and wastewater system on Madison, and improved Seattle City Lights’s power distribution system.   

A Collaborative Effort 

This project was made possible thanks to the collaboration between the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and King County Metro, in partnership with federal funding from the Federal Transit Administration, President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, Sound Transit, and support from Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities. 

RapidRide G Line 

King County Metro’s new RapidRide G Line service began on September 14, connecting Downtown Seattle with the Central District and Madison Valley. Riders will experience frequent, reliable bus service with buses arriving every six minutes most of the day. The new Madison St is tailored to keep buses moving and help people walk, roll, and bike to and from new well-lit stations.  

Visit King County Metro’s RapidRide webpageexternal link to learn more about the benefits of RapidRide and other RapidRide routes.  

Project Area

Project features map

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Project Schedule, Progress, and Milestones

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Project Design by Neighborhood

This project went through a rigorous process to develop the design with community input. Explore the design for each neighborhood: 

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New left turn restrictions 

The new center-running stations and center bus lanes require restricting left turns at several intersections. People driving will need to use alternate routes and make left turns where they are permitted. Click on the links below to see maps showing intersections where left turns will be restricted and alternative routes for drivers.

Progress Photo Gallery

RapidRide G | Best Of

Resources

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.