Sound Transit
Over the coming years new light rail, bus transit, and commuter rail stations will open, connecting riders throughout the region. Link ridership was up 9.3 percent from Q4 2016 to Q4 2017. The weekday average reached about 71,000 riders, up 8.3 percent from the year before.
The increased ridership can be attributed to the new stations that opened in 2016: University of Washington, Capitol Hill, and Angle Lake. In addition to providing congestion-free service, beginning in 2019, Link light rail trains will operate on 100 percent clean energy, further reducing regional carbon dioxide emissions.
Sound Transit
Come 2023-24, riders will be able to use the East Link light rail extension, connecting Seattle to the Eastside’s biggest population centers. The $3.7 billion project adds 10 stations between the International District station and the Redmond Technology Station. The first phase of the East Link will be completed in 2023, connecting Seattle to Bellevue, then in 2024, the remaining portion of the line will open extending from Bellevue to Redmond.
The East Link will run on the central lane of the I-90 floating bridge over Lake Washington. This will be the first time light rail trains will run across a floating bridge. Since floating bridges sway with the water underneath, steel platforms and flexible bearings will be installed to keep the light rail tracks in line. The 148,000 pound trains will be able to travel upwards of 55 mph across the bridge. It is projected that by 2030 about 50,000 riders will use the East Link every day.
Sound Transit
Travel Times
- East Main to Westlake: 21 minutes
- East Main to Northgate: 34 minutes
- Bellevue to University of Washington: 30 minutes
- South Bellevue to Sea-Tac: 50 minutes
- Mercer Island to University of Washington: 20 minutes
- Redmond Technology Center to Downtown Bellevue: 10 minutes
Sound Transit
Upcoming Light Rail Stations
- 2021: U District, Roosevelt, Northgate
- 2022: Tacoma link extension to Hilltop
- 2024: Shoreline, Mount Lake Terrace, Lynnwood, SE + Downtown Redmond; Kent, Des Moines + Federal Way
- 2030: Alaska Junction, Avalon, Delridge; South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma, Tacoma Dome
- 2035: Ballard, Interbay, Smith Cove, Seattle Center, South Lake Union, Denny, Midtown
- 2041: South Kirkland, Richards Road, Eastgate/Bellevue College, Issaquah
Once complete, the Link light rail system will expand to 116 miles, more than five times its current length, with over 80 stations servicing 16 cities in the region.