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Traffic is shown on Aurora Avenue North on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018, in Seattle. State Route 99 is an iconic roadway — a relic from Seattle’s early days when the city dreamed that free and easy travel by car would attract people to its center, and later, help them bypass congestion downtown.But what sped by was time. The road is better known today for its seedier side — prostitution, homelessness, discount stores and car dealerships.Seattle’s growth is bringing changes and tensions to the throughway some call Seattle’s “Mother Road.” We look at what it tells us about where we came from and where we’re going.

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

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
Commuters ride the E Line bus southbound on Aurora Avenue North, around 5:30 a.m., on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, in Seattle.

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.

Year started with KUOW: 2015