vintage seattle bus on 'ride free day,' available at allposters.com

Bad idea: King County Metro still plans to axe the downtown Seattle Ride Free Area in September.

Worse idea: The county and the city plan to replace this valuable service, not with a full equivalent service but just with an infrequent “short bus” circulator route, intended strictly to help poor residents get to social-service offices and medical appointments.

Not nearly enough.

Not even nearly nearly enough.

Free downtown bus service has been used here since the 1970s by all economic castes.

Before that, Metro and predecessor Seattle Transit ran a “dime shuttle” looping around downtown.

This kind of service can and should return.

First, the current #99 route, looping Alaskan Way and First Avenue, should become a more frequent, all-day, free (or lower-fare) service.

Second, another free (or lower-fare) route should go up and down Third Avenue, from Seattle Center to Pioneer Square and doglegging to the International District.

(Alternately, this could be two routes; one looping north on Fourth and south on Third, the other looping north on Third and south on Second. That would so help people avoid downtown’s steep slopes.)

If the county and the city can’t fund this service themselves, bring in the Downtown Seattle Association and the Downtown Metropolitan Improvement District to pitch in.

Because this is a service to the shoppers, diners, workers, and residents of greater downtown (and also to human-service-agency clients).

It reduces auto traffic, and helps people avoid costly parking.

It makes downtown a better place to be in and to live in.

If it can’t be in place when the Ride Free area ends in September, it could at least get instigated by the Xmas shopping season.

Let’s get this vehicle on the road.