| Welcome to the fall edition of Sound Transit’s CTR newsletter! We’ve pulled together service-related and project-related highlights into one handy place for you to forward to your employees or professional network.
As part of Sound Transit’s September 2023 Service Change, we’re updating schedules and service to improve connections and increase reliability.
 Here are a few of the larger changes that will take place beginning Sept. 2 - 4:
- ST Express 545 will no longer stop at Bellevue Avenue and E Olive Street in Seattle due to changes at Pike and Pine streets in downtown Seattle. This route will use a temporary stop at Olive Way and Boren Avenue.
- ST Express 556 will use Bay 5 and Bay 8 at Bellevue Transit Center when traveling eastbound to Issaquah and westbound to University District, respectively.
- ST Express 566 will use the bus loop at Redmond Technology Station and Bay 4 when traveling southbound to Auburn.
- ST Express 574 will have minor schedule changes and an additional round trip each day of the week.
Other ST Express routes may have minor schedule adjustments to reflect current travel times. Please see the full list of affected routes on our website:
2 Line service on the Eastside begins in spring 2024; 1 Line begins service to Lynnwood in fall 2024.
 On Aug. 24, the Sound Transit Board of Directors approved two Link light rail openings for 2024.
In spring 2024, a segment of the 2 Line will open on the Eastside with service every 10 minutes during peak hours, seven days a week. This segment includes eight new stations at South Bellevue, East Main, Bellevue Downtown, Wilburton, Spring District/120th, BelRed/130th, Overlake Village, and Redmond Technology. Easy transfers to existing ST Express bus routes like the 542, 545, 550, and 554 can take you across Lake Washington or further east to Issaquah or downtown Redmond.
The Lynnwood Link Extension will add four stations to the 1 Line in fall 2024, connecting Northgate to Lynnwood City Center. When the Lynnwood Link Extension opens, three- and four-car trains will run 20 hours a day, arriving every 10 minutes in peak hours and every 10-15 minutes off-peak.
Youth ages 18 and under ride for free on all transit.
 Youth are going places! Washington is the first state in the U.S. where everyone 18 and younger can ride transit completely free. Go all the places, do all the things, and pay none of the fares. To ride free, tap your Youth ORCA card or simply hop on board to enjoy an affordable and reliable way to get around. Whether you're heading to sports practice, catching a movie, or just hanging out with friends, transit has you covered. Get around the Sound with all the ease and none of the cost.
Visit FreeYouthTransitPass.com or call 888-988-6722 to learn more and start riding for free today.
New stations dropping soon!
 Hello Tacoma! The Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension is opening on Saturday, Sept. 16!
The T Line is getting six new stations, adding service to the Stadium District, Wright Park, and major medical facilities. The Theater District Station will also be moved to Old City Hall.
Join us and our community partners at the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center on Sept. 16 to celebrate!
Whether you’re talking, rolling, biking, or driving, our top priority is keeping you and everyone around you safe around our light rail tracks. Here are some of our latest improvements.
 When it comes to track safety, we want to raise awareness that trains come from both directions. People assume it’s okay to cross the tracks because one train has passed. And because they are only looking one direction, they may not see the train coming from the opposite direction. Look pavement signage is one way to alert people that trains come from both directions and to “Look” both ways.
Sound Transit has installed the Look pavement signage at the Columbia City, Othello, and Rainier Beach grade stations as a pilot program in collaboration with SDOT.
 In addition to Look pavement, we have also installed dynamic signage to alert pedestrians and cars to help further reduce potential accidents. Our “Another Train Coming” signs feature brightly lit LEDs to warn people to look for incoming trains. Link light rail trains are quiet because they are electric, so you might not hear them coming, particularly if you are at a noisy intersection or if you’re driving and listening to music.
Another way we are helping keep drivers safe is our left-turn street markings and LED signage next to the traffic light signal. This lets drivers know when it’s safe (and more importantly, when it’s not safe) to turn left over the tracks. These signs are also part of the Rainier Valley safety pilot program and are installed at the Columbia City, Othello, and Rainier Beach grade stations.
Safety is everyone’s responsibility
We are committed to keeping everyone safe, but we can’t do it alone. We need everyone to stay aware and alert when they’re around the tracks. Together, we can make sure everyone gets to their destination safely.
We enjoyed connecting with you this summer!
 If you’ve been to any of the fairs and festivals in the Puget Sound region this summer, you may have seen our community engagement staff! We’ve been out there to share news, answer questions, and hear from you. There were two topics we talked about most:
How do we ride? We talked to a lot of people who were getting ready to ride Sound Transit for the first time! Some were newcomers to the Puget Sound region, and some will begin using our services once we come to their neighborhoods.
When folks ask about the best way to use our services, we recommend using an ORCA card to seamlessly transfer across all providers in the Puget Sound region. This includes Sound Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Washington State Ferries, and more. There are reduced fares for older people, passengers with disabilities, and passengers in low-income households. And all youth ride for free! Learn more at myorca.com.
When is opening day? This was our most frequently asked question! People were eager to hear when they can start using our new services. We heard about all the ways these services will help people get where they need to go. One passenger described how the new East Link will allow her to visit her granddaughter without having to deal with traffic and parking! She was also excited about using a mode of transportation that won’t contribute to air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions.
In spring 2024, we plan to open the East Link Extension, which will run light rail service between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations. This extension is part of our future 2 Line. In fall 2024, we will extend our light rail service northward, adding four new stations to connect Northgate to Lynnwood City Center.
Our website always has the most up-to-date information about project timelines. Visit soundtransit.org to learn more about any of our projects, or see our webpage on the history of voter-approved plans. You can also subscribe to receive updates for any of our projects!
Meet Director of System Engagement Jennifer Lemus!
 How has your commute changed since you started working at Sound Transit?
Ever since I started working here at Sound Transit in 2006, I had a great bus (Route 522) that took me from where I parked in Kenmore to Union Station in about 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. However, when Northgate opened, that bus connected to Roosevelt Station and then a transfer to light rail. It worked for me for a while, but a two-seat ride is not for me.
How do you get to work now?
I drive from Bothell to Northgate Station and hop on the light rail to my office in the International District. Door to door, it is less than an hour, and I can have my alone time in my car and can sing at the top of my lungs to my 80’s playlist and then take the train (still with my playlist, but I promise, no singing) and I can relax and get ready for my day. Parking is easy at Northgate Station, as there are many garages and surface lots to choose from and light rail service is frequent, reliable, and safe.
Tap on and tap off at Link and Sounder stations!
 Before you enter Fare Paid Zones at Link and Sounder stations, make sure to tap on! Listen for one beep—that’s how the ORCA card reader tells you you’re good to go.
When you tap off, the reader will beep twice. Since Link and Sounder trains have distance-based fares, tapping off lets the system know how much to charge your card. If you don’t tap off, your card will be charged the maximum fare.
Have an upcoming commuter fair? Want more information? Let us know!
Arthur Bachus
Email: Arthur.Bachus@soundtransit.org
Phone: 206-553-3774
Valerie Cortes
Email: Valerie.Cortes@soundtransit.org
Phone: 206-553-3618 |
