 Big things are happening on the 2 Line!
 Photo: Sound Transit
This week saw some big milestones in advance of Sound Transit's East Link light rail (now called the 2 Line) opening on the Eastside in spring 2024:
Redmond Technology Station Garage opens
On Monday I joined elected, business, and community leaders to celebrate Sound Transit’s opening of the new parking garage at the Redmond Technology Station to serve people taking transit, walking, and biking, as well as future Link light rail passengers. This opening represents another exciting step forward as we build the future with light rail service that will connect people to the activities and opportunities in some of the most dynamic neighborhoods on the Eastside.
2 Line light rail testing is live!
 Sound Transit light rail testing – including training for operators and maintenance staff, and continued testing to ensure stations, tracks, utilities, and vehicles work together – began Wednesday this week. Light rail vehicles will run frequently between the South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations, including at street crossings in the Bel-Red area. Pedestrians and motorists should be alert for trains and expect they could be running at any time of the day or night. Learn more about the testing, what to expect and who to contact with questions:
Calling all Bellevue and Lake Washington School District students!
 Bellevue and Lake Washington School Districts’ students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to enter the 2 Line Safety Video Contest, a partnership with Sound Transit and Move Redmond. With the 2 Line opening next year between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations, we want everyone to be aware and alert —especially in the Bel-Red neighborhood where the 2 Line will operate at street level.
For a chance to win cash prizes, students are invited to submit a maximum 60-second vertical format video on the theme of “Practicing Safe Habits around Light Rail.” Submissions close on Feb. 16, 2024. Winners will be announced before the 2 Line opens. First-, second- and third-place winners will be selected in grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Learn more from Move Redmond:
Lake Hills Clubhouse welcoming youth again!
 Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue staff explains the equipment in the Teen Tech Center
On Tuesday, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue reopened the Lake Hills Clubhouse after upgrading it to better serve Bellevue youth. With a state-of-the-art tech center, a maker’s space, a recording studio, room for counseling services through Youth Eastside Services, and more, the new and improved Clubhouse will serve up to 135 middle and high school students every day. The upgrade was made possible through public-private partnership and will allow the Boys and Girls Club to help even more youth reach their full potential.
Your vote is your voice – make it heard!
 For Tuesday’s Nov. 7 general election, King County Elections projects 45% turnout for the county but currently only about 13% of ballots have been returned. That means there are a lot of ballots that need to be filled out, and then mailed or delivered to one of King County’s vote centers or 78 drop boxes located across the county!
Still need to make your voice heard in Tuesday’s election? Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day or put into a ballot drop box by 8:00pm. If you need to register or need assistance voting you can visit one of six vote centers across the county, including one at Bellevue City Hall. Thanks to the City of Bellevue for partnering with King County Elections to host the Eastside vote center!
Once you vote, you can track your ballot all the way through the process to ensure your vote is counted.
You can also observe democracy in action by watching the ballot processing through live election cameras, from sorting to signature verification to scanning and tabulation.
Celebrating the next generation of kokanee fry in Lake Sammamish
 Snoqualmie Tribe members rowing to release the fry in Lake Sammamish
Last week, representatives from King County, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Snoqualmie Tribe, and the Cities of Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond, and Sammamish gathered to release kokanee fry (baby salmon) into Lake Sammamish and Lewis Creek as part of an important collaboration to recover kokanee salmon in Lake Sammamish.
Kokanee salmon are native to the Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington watersheds but declined severely in recent years. In addition to being culturally and historically significant, these “little red fish” are important to the watershed’s biodiversity.
Following a ceremony at Lake Sammamish State Park, Snoqualmie Tribe members rowed out to the center of the lake to release the fry. As a result of this partnership and periodic kokanee supplementation, biologists are observing promising signs of health in the kokanee population in Lake Sammamish.
Spread the word!
Please forward this email widely and invite others to sign-up to my email updates to receive important and timely information for District 6 constituents.
Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
District 6
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