"Fresh Elmo" is Seattle transportation slang for the bright red paint used to designate dedicated bus-only lanes, designed to improve speed and reliability.“Paint is cheap. Results are bold. Carbon savings are forever.”— Add Dedicated Bus Lanes for Every Route by Ryan DiRaimo | The Urbanist WHY BUILD SOUND TRANSIT’S WEST SEATTLE LINK EXTENSION?West Seattle buses DELIVERED 27,000 riders TODAY in 2026 to Downtown & beyond.VS.An ESTIMATED 27,000 daily riders to SODO for their PROPOSED $4.5 BILLION Link light rail route in 2048.Link light rail is NOT a one-size-fits-all solution for mass transit . LEARN MORE