As a former frequent rider of the 2/13 [before I switched to the 3/4, and before I moved to SF], I'll be very curious to see how you feel about that route.

There's definitely a very different feel between the 2/13 and the 3/4, even though they run through some similar places.

There are a couple of important differences. The 3 and 4 go near Pioneer Square and Harborview Hospital. (And Swedish, and Providence. And two food banks and a welfare office).

The 2 doesn't go that far south in downtown and the only hospital it goes by is the more upscale Virginia Mason.

The 3/4's heaviest loads are going up that hill from Pioneer Square to Harborview. Thus a less affluent class of effluent, more wheel chairs, etc.

On the other hand, while the 2 passengers are a little easier to deal with, there are more on the 2 who scam free rides. Almost everyone on 3/4 have passes, the 2 has more cash customers.

On the Queen Anne end of the 2/13 and 3/4, they're pretty similar, although the 13 trying to plow straight down QA Ave on a Friday Night is an experience. Everyone goes out up there.

Another 2/13 factor is the Exeter House, helping to skew the ridership even older.

The 3/4 seems to be on time more often than the 2/13. Not that the 2/13 is often late, but it seems more susceptible to snafus that make a bus not come for 45 minutes, then 3 standing-room-only's in a row. Is there something in particular on the 2/13 that goes wrong to whack it out like that?

The only thing I can think of here is someone screwing up the turnaround loop at the Lake Washington end of the 2 line. It would take a while to get a truck down there to help out. In the meantime the turnaround is blocked, so the outbound coaches will start piling up at the end of the line.

God forbid this happens to me...