Seattle wins $99M BRT award
The FTA highlighted a $99 million investment for Seattle’s King County Metro RapidRide I Line groundbreaking as part of recent federal BRT funding. That project is a near-term example of how federal program dollars are driving rapid bus upgrades and station-level investments. (x.com)
King County and federal partners formally broke ground on RapidRide I on March 19, 2026, advancing a $174 million, 17‑mile upgrade of the existing Route 160 with service scheduled to begin in 2027. (content.govdelivery.com) The Federal Transit Administration previously awarded a $79.7 million Capital Investment Grants (CIG) Small Starts construction grant for the I Line in January 2025. (transit.dot.gov) King County’s project summary shows the FTA award plus more than $19 million in other federal grants bring total federal support to roughly $99 million, with $27.5 million in state funding and $47.5 million from King County Metro making up the remainder of the $174 million budget. (content.govdelivery.com) FTA’s project profile lists the line’s capital elements as 23 diesel‑electric hybrid buses, about 1.95 miles of exclusive bus lanes, level boarding stations, off‑board fare payment, transit signal priority and queue jumps. (transit.dot.gov) Agency and local coverage notes the I Line will include 41 new stations with shelters, lighting and real‑time arrival displays, and that the corridor being upgraded currently carries about 5,000 daily riders on Route 160. (lynnwoodtimes.com) King County says the construction contract with Stacy Witbeck requires at least 20% of the contract value go to certified small or disadvantaged businesses and sets a target that 15% of labor hours be performed by apprentices, with construction work continuing through 2027. (content.govdelivery.com)
