Passenger service is set to begin on Sound Transit’s Link 1 Line extension to Lynnwood on Aug. 30. The 8.5-mile segment will add four new stations: Shoreline South/148th St., Shoreline North/185th St., Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood City Center. During peak hours, trains will run approximately every eight minutes.
Community Transit and King County Metro have agreed to revise the date for bus service upgrades and improvements originally planned to take effect Aug. 31. Bus changes will instead take place Sept. 14, allowing a smooth launch of extended 1 Line service before bus routing changes occur.
“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. Thanks to the collaboration between our region’s transit agencies, we are ready for the start of service, with increased capacity for Link riders and a smooth service transition for other riders.”
“The opening of light rail to Lynnwood will be transformational for Snohomish County,” said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “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, Wash., Sea-Tac Airport and beyond without having to contend with highway traffic. This is a game-changer. I’m looking forward to the next phase in Link’s growth in Snohomish County, as we work toward extending service to Everett.”
King County Metro’s planned route changes were proposed by Executive Constantine and approved by the King County Council. Highlights for King County Metro riders regionwide include five new bus routes, 15 revised routes, a new Metro Flex service and the launch of RapidRide G Line in Seattle.
Stacy Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman JV and Skanska Constructors L300 JV are executing the civil construction on the extension. The $3.1 billion project budget includes up to $1.2 billion from a Full Funding Grant Agreement executed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). In addition, 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.
“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. FTA is proud to have been a partner with Sound Transit in this critical project.”
The Lynnwood extension will serve the following stations, all of them with multiple transit connections:
- Shoreline South/148th Station: Located just northeast of I-5 at the Northeast 145th St. exit, the elevated Shoreline South/148th Station includes a parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces as part of the project.
- Shoreline North/185th Station: Located on the east side of I-5, Shoreline North/185th Station serves Shoreline Stadium, the Shoreline Conference Center and the surrounding neighborhoods. Improved pedestrian pathways connect the station to the west side of I-5. A parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces is part of the project.
- Mountlake Terrace Station: Located east of I-5 at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, just north of 236th St. Southwest, west of Veterans Memorial Park, the elevated Mountlake Terrace Station straddles 236th St. Southwest and is a short walk from the Mountlake Terrace Library, new City Hall and the future Gateway transit-oriented development neighborhood. There are 890 existing parking spaces at the station.
- Lynnwood City Center: Located at the Lynnwood Transit Center, the elevated station serves one of the busiest transit centers in the region, with extensive connections to local and regional service. A new garage containing 1,670 parking stalls in a five-story structure opened last year.
“Light-rail service reaching Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace translates directly to more bus service and better connections for people all over Snohomish County,” said Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz. “Starting Sept. 14, we will shift Community Transit resources off I-5 and redeploy more service locally, including great connections to light rail at Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and Shoreline. Snohomish County residents can look forward to dramatic improvements to both local and regional travel options.”
“Today’s announcement is the culmination of years of commitment and hard work on the part of Sound Transit’s project team, our contractors and the construction workers,” said Sound Transit CEO Goran Sparrman. “They deserve our thanks for maintaining their focus on this project despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the months-long concrete strike. I also want to thank our partners at King County and Community Transit for their ongoing collaboration in ensuring that we will have additional train capacity and transit options for riders when the Lynnwood extension opens.”
