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Welcome to a special edition of Sound Transit's CTR newsletter! Are you prepared for Connect 2020? For this special edition, we've pulled together the main things you should know about Connect 2020 into one handy place for you to forward to your employees or professional network.
Between Jan. 4 and March 15, 2020, Sound Transit crews will connect new tracks to the existing Link tracks at International District/Chinatown Station in preparation for opening light rail services to the Eastside in 2023. This will result in 10 weeks of reduced Link service.
The agency's commitment to continue operating service during construction is called Connect 2020.
To safely provide the maximum amount of service during this time, Sound Transit will close one platform of the International District/Chinatown Station for construction at a time, requiring trains to travel in both directions on a single track. During single-tracking, Link will essentially operate as two lines—one from Angle Lake to Pioneer Square, and one from Pioneer Square to the University of Washington. Between Westlake and Stadium stations, one platform will serve all trains, except at Pioneer Square where both platforms will be open. Riders continuing north or south at Pioneer Square will use the train's inner doors to transfer across a new temporary center platform to a waiting train. Riders exiting at Pioneer Square can still use the train's outer doors to access the permanent platform.
 What to expect: four-car trains will arrive every 12 minutes, every day during regular service hours. Boarding platforms and station entrances will change through the duration of the project. When riding Link during Connect 2020, you should allow for more time (at least 30 minutes) and expect crowding during weekday peak hours. Trains will use the full platform length — spread out on the platform and onboard the trains to avoid overcrowding. Pro tip: The first and fourth train cars are usually the least crowded! Pay attention to signage: Signs will point you to the correct platform, and staff will be available during commuting hours to help answer your questions.
Plan ahead! Visit www.soundtransit.org/connect2020 for additional information, tips and trip-planning advice.
As part of Connect 2020, downtown Seattle Link stations are scheduled to be closed on three weekends: Jan. 4-5, Feb. 9-10 and March 14-15. The exact dates of the February and March closures depend on construction progress, so sign up for Link rider alerts to make sure you have all of the current information! Free Link shuttle buses will connect riders to all stations between SODO and Capitol Hill.
Bus Shuttle Information:
- Shuttle is free and runs every seven minutes.
- Link shuttle operates the same service hours as Link service (5 a.m. to 1 a.m.).
- Trains run from UW-Capitol Hill and Angle Lake-SODO only; Link shuttle buses run from SODO to Capitol Hill and will stop at or near each Link station.
- Maps indicating each exact bus shuttle stop locations are available here!
We understand this service disruption will impact our riders' journeys, and are committed to run as much service as possible during these 10 weeks. We will be running four-car trains every 12 minutes during all service hours — peak and nonpeak hours. Below are a few answers to frequently asked questions:
Do I need to tap off and back on when switching trains at Pioneer Square?
A: Nope. If you're continuing your ride past Pioneer Square, just change trains across the center platform. No tap necessary.
Q: Where can I see real-time arrival info?
A: Sorry, we won't have real-time information during Connect 2020; all digital tools (like ST's Trip Planner, Google Maps, station displays, etc.) will show scheduled times only. Trains will arrive every 12 minutes.
Q: How long is this going to last?
A: We need to limit service for 10 weeks, ending March 15, to allow for construction.
Visit soundtransit.org/connect2020 to learn more and to stay up to date.
During Connect 2020, you may want to choose different ways of connecting from Link to Sounder or the ferry, or vice versa.
Sounder passengers: If you normally transfer to a northbound Link train at International District/Chinatown Station, consider walking to Pioneer Square Station to board Link northbound or taking any northbound bus on Fourth Avenue at Jackson Street for downtown stops. If you normally transfer to Sounder from a southbound Link train at International District/Chinatown Station, consider walking from Pioneer Square Station to King Street Station or taking any southbound bus on Second Avenue and getting off at 2nd Ave Ext & S Jackson St.
Ferry riders: If you are connecting to International District/Chinatown, SODO, the Rainer Valley or Sea-Tac Airport, walk up Marion Street to Third Avenue, turn right and enter the Pioneer Square Station at Cherry Street to board a southbound train. If you are connecting to Westlake, Capitol Hill or the University of Washington, walk up Marion Street to Second Avenue, turn left and enter the University Street Station on University Street to catch a northbound train.
We will not have real-time information during Connect 2020; trains will arrive every 12 mintues, and all of our digital tools (Trip Planner, Google Maps, station displays, etc.) will show scheduled times only. We encourage riders to plan a few extra minutes for their trips and to sign up for our alerts to stay in the loop!
If you ride our service, you may have seen people clad in teal vests at bus stops, Link stations and Sounder platforms talking with riders about upcoming service changes or service disruptions. You may have wondered: Who's that in the teal trying to make me take my headphones out or handing me a brochure?
The people rocking teal are Sound Transit Ambassadors chock full of helpful information about your commute. If you take Link through the downtown core, you'll see a lot of Ambassadors during Connect 2020. To help familiarize yourself with them, our talented video team made a sweet introduction video that you can check out here.
Ambassadors come from every department in the agency. You may be talking to an engineer, administrative professional, writer, IT specialist or even our CEO. We make an agency wide effort to make sure our riders know what is happening in real time and how it impacts them. Look for us during Connect 2020! We'll be wearing teal and ready to answer your questions.
There will be full accessibility for our riders during Connect 2020. All light rail vehicles feature two spaces for riders who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Four-car trains running during this time means eight spaces will be available every twelve minutes. Handrails are available throughout all rail cars to assist with sitting, standing and balance. The temporary platform that will be used during this time for transfers at Pioneer Square Station will feature level boarding just as our existing platforms do; this will allow our passengers who use wheelchairs or other devices to roll aboard. Service animals will still be welcome during Connect 2020. Those who cannot use stairs will have priority on using station elevators and escalators. We're also installing larger, easy-to-read signs throughout the stations and adding Priority boarding signs at elevators between the platform and mezzanine levels.
As mentioned above, Sound Transit Ambassadors will be available throughout the 10-week construction period to answer questions or provide assistance. For more information and/or unanswered questions, call: 1-800-201-4900, TTY Relay 711 – Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For additional information about accessibility during Connect 2020, visit our recent Blog post on this topic.
Sound Transit's primary concern is maintaining a safe environment for all riders. With up to 1,600 riders needing to transfer across the same center platform at Pioneer Square, bikes will be prohibited at Pioneer Square Station to protect the safety of all riders. Southbound riders with bicycles must exit at University Street, northbound riders with bicycles must exit at International District/Chinatown. People riding bicycles between University Street and International District/Chinatown stations can use protected bicycle lanes on Second Avenue, S. Main Street, and Fifth Avenue S. Learn more about Seattle bike routes and how to bring your bike on Link.
Sound Transit has recently contracted with BikeLink to provide on-demand bicycle lockers at current and future facilities. Cyclists will be able to use on-demand bicycle lockers at University of Washington, Rainier Beach, and SODO stations by the end of 2019.
The primary difference between on-demand lockers and existing lockers is that they are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rentals cost just 5 cents per hour, are accessible 24 hours a day, and have no long-term commitment or monthly fees. Users register with BikeLink and purchase a smart card loaded with $20 value to use the lockers. They can add money to their BikeLink account through bikelink.org and use their smart card at any BikeLink facility nationwide.
 Cyclists can use on-demand lockers in four simple steps:
- Insert your Bikelink card into the reader of any locker not on use.
- Select the duration of time your bike will be parked.
- Remove your Bikelink card and the door will open.
- Put your bike inside and close the door.
To retrieve your bike, insert your card, end the rental and remove your bike. Any unused time is refunded to your BikeLink card.
Sound Transit will install on-demand lockers at all future facilities, such as at the Northgate, East and Lynnwood Link extensions, and retrofit them into existing facilities over the coming years.
For more information, visit soundtransit.org/bicycles or email bicycles@soundtransit.org. To purchase a BikeLink card and to learn more about using BikeLink lockers, visit bikelink.org.
This winter, in our third feature highlighting how Sound Transit staff commute to work, we meet Customer Outreach Coordinator Kennedy Dresh.
When I started at Sound Transit as an intern living on the cusp of Capitol Hill and the Central District, I took the Seattle Streetcar's First Hill Line between work, school and home. On some days, I rode the streetcar up to five times. I grew to love its distinctive bell-like horn, jolty braking and regular commuters.
After graduating, I moved further into Capitol Hill where, for me, Link light rail is the fastest way to get to work. I walk seven minutes to catch an eight-minute ride on Link. It's a ridiculously easy commute that I enjoy.
Yet, I still miss the streetcar. On a sunny day, the streetcar offers stunning views of the Rainier Valley and Mount Rainier. Link's downtown tunnel can't compare (although riding Link further south certainly does). So, during Connect 2020 (the 10-week period of limited Link service that this whole edition has been talking about — seriously, read above!), I've decided to re-embrace the streetcar life.
The streetcar's First Hill Line connects the Capitol Hill and International District/Chinatown stations. I plan to skip riding Link altogether. The streetcar moves with traffic on surface streets, so it probably won't be faster than Link. But it'll likely be less crowded and, because I love any excuse to hop back on the streetcar, that is justification enough for me.
We want to feature you in an upcoming newsletter! Send us your stories here.
We know Connect 2020 will be challenging for our Link riders, but it's necessary. When Connect 2020 is construction is complete, the existing transit tunnel will be connected to East Link's 10 new stations. When East Link opens in 2023, riders will be able to travel between Northgate and the Overlake area of Redmond with stops at destinations including the University of Washington, downtown Seattle, Mercer Island, downtown Bellevue and Bellevue's Spring District. Eastside riders will be able to transfer to the existing Link light rail at the International District/Chinatown station in Seattle and reach Sea-Tac Airport in a reliable, traffic-free 54 minutes from downtown Bellevue.
And what a ride it will be! Many things will make a trip on East Link special. From west to east:
- The Judkins Park Station will be accessible by bike, bus and on foot. It will feature artwork by local artist Barbara Earl Thomas, and a 50-foot mural of native son Jimi Hendrix.
- East Link trains will be the first in the world to cross a floating bridge, a feat made possible by innovative engineering that enables trains to transition from land onto a moving, floating structure at their maximum operating speed of 55 mph. The views of the lake, and on a clear day, Mt. Rainier, will be spectacular.
- From the floating bridge, eastbound trains will travel in the center lanes of I-90 across Mercer Island, and then climb an elevated guideway curving over I-90, through a trench located within feet of the historic Winters House, under an existing roadway and through a one-third-mile curved tunnel that was excavated in just over a year without a tunnel-boring machine.
- At downtown Bellevue, riders will be able to transfer to Stride BRT, to connect to destinations and communities along I-405 and SR 522 including Renton, Kirkland and UW Bothell.
- The Spring District/120th Station will be located in the dynamic, growing Bellevue Spring District, which is home to REI's new headquarters, GIX and future transit-oriented development including retail and housing.
- The Redmond Technology Station will connect to the Microsoft campus and will have a 300-space parking garage for Eastsiders who want fast trips on Link to jobs, shopping and entertainment throughout the region.
- Downtown Redmond Link, which will extend East Link to Marymoor Park and Downtown Redmond, will open just one year late in 2024.
Have an upcoming Commuter Fair? Need Sound Transit schedules? Let us know!
Alex Ko
South King County, Pierce County, South Seattle
email: alex.ko@soundtransit.org
phone: 206-903-7269
Kassandra Andrews
Central Seattle
email: kassandra.andrews@soundtransit.org
phone: 206-903-7572
Corrie Adams
Snohomish County, East King County, North Seattle
email: corrie.adams@soundtransit.org
phone: 206-903-7528 |
