Lynnwood light rail extension, 4 new stations to open Aug. 30
SEATTLE — Sound Transit announced Thursday the 8.5-mile extension from Northgate to Lynnwood on the Link light rail line will begin service on Aug. 30. Four new stations will open along the route.
Stations will open in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood, and Sound Transit said trains will run approximately every eight minutes during peak hours.
The extension was announced six years ago by the Seattle-are public transit agency and is on schedule with the initial goal to start service to Lynnwood by mid-2024. Crews broke ground for construction on Sept. 3, 2019.
Bus route changes were originally planned to take effect Aug. 31, but a Sound Transit press release said Community Transit and King County Metro have agreed to revise the date to Sept. 14 to allow a smooth launch of the 1 Line extension.
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The Lynnwood extension will serve the following stations:
The station will be located just northeast of I-5 at the NE 145th Street exit, according to Sound Transit.
The agency said the station will include an approximate 500-space parking garage as part of the project.
Sound Transit said the northern Shoreline station will be on the east side of I-5, serving Shoreline Stadium, the Shoreline Conference Center, and the surrounding neighborhoods. This station will also feature a new parking garage with about 500 spaces.
Pedestrian pathway improvements will also bolster the station with connections to the west side of I-5, according to Sound Transit.
The Mountlake Terrace station will be located east of I-5 at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center and just north of 236th Street Southwest, Sound Transit said. The agency also said the elevated station will be west of Veterans Memorial Park and straddle 236th Street Southwest,
Sound Transit said the new station will be a short walk from the Mountlake Terrace Library and the new city hall.
There are 890 existing parking spaces at the station, according to the agency.
The terminus of this light rail extension will be at the Lynnwood Transit Center, and according to Sound Transit, this elevated station will serve one of the busiest transit centers in the region.
A new garage opened in April 2023 that has 1,670 spaces and there will be extensive connections to local and regional transit service, according to Sound Transit.
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The $3.1 billion 'transformational' project
“Opening the 1 Line to Lynnwood is a major milestone in the growth of light rail,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine. “For the first time, the light rail system is joining two counties, bringing voters’ vision for our region’s integrated transit system one step closer to reality."
Sound Transit said the $3.1 billion project budget includes up to $1.17 billion from a Full Funding Grant Agreement executed by the Federal Transit Administration. The agency also added that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau executed a $658 million low-interest loan supporting the project, including new light rail vehicles and support facilities.
“We’re excited to transform and improve bus service connections for riders as they travel between communities, the new light rail stations, and the new RapidRide G Line,” said Michelle Allison, the general manager for King County Metro. “As the 1 Line expands northward, we’re ensuring a smooth and successful transition for tens of thousands of daily riders as they explore the upgraded transit network.”
Metro’s planned bus route changes were first proposed by Constantine and approved by the King County Council, according to Sound Transit. The agency said riders will have five new bus routes, 15 revised routes, a new Metro Flex service, and the launch of a new RapidRide G Line in Seattle.
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This is a game-changer," said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. "“The opening of light rail to Lynnwood will be transformational for Snohomish County."
"Light rail is essential for supporting our projected growth in the years to come, allowing residents to travel reliably, safely, and efficiently to downtown Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport, and beyond without having to contend with highway traffic," Somers said.
"The Link light rail extending into Lynnwood heralds the start of a new era for our city and the rest of Snohomish County,” said Sound Transit Boardmember and Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell. “Light rail is number one in our list of strategic priorities as we fulfill our Community Vision for a sustainable and vibrant community."
Sound Transit said Stacy & Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman JV and Skanska Constructors L300 JV are executing the civil construction on the extension.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding transit across the country, including the Puget Sound Region,” said FTA Regional Administrator Susan Fletcher. “By opening Lynnwood Link, Sound Transit takes another step to ensuring that people throughout Snohomish County and our entire region have access to fast, reliable transportation that avoids highway congestion while getting them where they need to go safely and efficiently."
Click here to learn more about the Link 1 Line extension to Lynnwood.