Seattle's 'late 8' bus route gets an overdue upgrade. Can the L8 become G8?

Some long-awaited changes are coming for a Seattle bus route known as the “late eight.”

The city announced plans Wednesday to add a dedicated bus lane this summer in the most congested spots along Denny Way to help the Route 8 bus bypass rush-hour traffic from South Lake Union to Capitol Hill.

Transit rider and advocate-turned-mayor, Katie Wilson, pushed for these changes following years of grassroots campaigns to improve services on the line, which is known for ghosting riders.

“Being stood up by your bus is one of the most dispiriting experiences you can have,” Wilson said. “And it’s serious. You can lose a job because you’re half an hour late because your bus didn’t come.”

But at Wednesday's press conference, the mayor beamed. Announcing the creation of the new bus lane was of her favorite moments as mayor so far, she said.

Route 8 is one of the busiest buses at King County Metro and has a long history of being slow and late.

“The core of the problem is that you can jump rope faster than the bus when it goes eastbound during rush hour, so this certainly will fix the problem,” said Nick Sattele, co-leader of a group called "Fix The L8."

In June 2023, the bus was on time at less than 58% of its stops, according to a study prepared for the Seattle Department of Transportation.

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The bus became so notorious that the band "Tacocat" wrote an anthem in 2014 with the title "F.U. #8." The song says in part: “I think I’ve been stood up / Are you ever gonna come and pick me up? / Just standin' here wastin' my day / You're a half an hour late and you're still makin' me pay.”

In 2025, SDOT opted to create a shorter bus-only lane than advocates had wanted.

That change improved the buses' on-time performance. A report from March 2026 found that the Route 8 bus was on time at 77.8% of its stops, and served nearly 6,800 passengers every weekday. The new dedicated bus lane this summer will extend that shorter bus-only lane from the Seattle Center through South Lake Union.

“What that will do is give buses the priority, so buses will be able to move through and pass traffic and congestion and serve riders waiting at all the stops ahead,” said Dan Anderson, a spokesperson with Seattle Department of Transportation.

Transportation workers will start the project in May, but pause for the World Cup, and finish work in August.

Tacocat singer and Stranger Arts Editor Emily Nokes said in an email she is tickled the Route 8 activists are using her song to advocate for improvements.

"My 20-something self would not believe they're actually acknowledging / trying to improve that damn bus," Stokes said, followed by a laughing emoji.