Skip to main content

Oh, the people you'll meet on Seattle's most crowded bus line

caption: Commuters ride the E Line bus southbound on Aurora Avenue North, around 5:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Seattle.
Enlarge Icon
Commuters ride the E Line bus southbound on Aurora Avenue North, around 5:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

The RapidRide E Line is Seattle's most crowded bus route, with more than 17,000 boardings each weekday. It connects Aurora Avenue North to downtown.

It’s a rolling microcosm of the city, with passengers from many walks of life on board.

On the 5 a.m. run into downtown Seattle, the inky blue of pre-dawn still visible through the windows, Tom Fleege and Deborah Phillips sit in their regular seats at the front of the bus. After riding together for a couple of years, these two passengers have struck up a friendship on this route.

Listen to their story above.

Why you can trust KUOW