Light rail opens from Seattle to Bellevue this weekend
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A train crosses over Lake Washington on the new Sound Transit connection. Photo: Courtesy of Sound Transit
Light rail over Lake Washington will become a reality on Saturday, nearly 18 years after Puget Sound voters first approved it.
Why it matters: The completion of Sound Transit's East Link extension will connect Bellevue to Seattle, creating a roughly 60-mile network stretching from the Eastside to Lynnwood to Federal Way.
Zoom in: The new 7-mile connection traveling along Interstate 90 marks the world's first light rail line over a floating bridge, according to Sound Transit.
- The agency previously opened an Eastside-only segment of the line, which runs from Redmond to South Bellevue.
The new addition means people will be able to ride Sound Transit's Line 2 all the way from Redmond to Lynwood without switching trains.
- Riders coming from the Eastside will also be able to transfer once they reach the International District/Chinatown station, allowing them to board a Line 1 train south to Federal Way and the airport.
- New stations in Seattle's Judkins Park neighborhood and Mercer Island will provide new transit access for nearby residents.
What they're saying: Saturday's opening will be "the culmination of decades of work," Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine told reporters Thursday. He called it "the biggest opening in the history of Sound Transit."
- King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci — a former Bellevue mayor — recalls that her child was about 3 years old when Bellevue officials took their first major vote on the light rail project.
- "That kid is now 20," she told Axios Thursday.
By the numbers: Sound Transit predicts 50,000 people will ride the completed East Link Connection daily — up from roughly 10,000 who typically ride the shorter line between Bellevue and Redmond on a given day.
- Trains will arrive every 8-15 minutes from Judkins Park to Redmond, with service running from 5am to midnight.
- Between the International District/Chinatown and Lynnwood stations, trains will come every four minutes during peak times, since both Line 1 and 2 share those stops.
- Traveling from Redmond to Seattle will take about 40 minutes, while trips from South Bellevue to Seattle will take about 20 minutes.
What's next: A ribbon cutting for the new East Link opening will begin at 9am Saturday at Sam Smith Park, near the Judkins Park station.
- Service along the new stretch will begin shortly after 10am. Celebrations will take place at multiple stations through 2pm.
