Eastside Light Rail Stations May Open Sooner, Despite Extension Delays

BELLEVUE, WA — Sound Transit is exploring the feasibility of a plan to open Eastside light rail stations to serve local trips before it completes the connection to Seattle's 1 Line. Construction issues prompted officials earlier this year to delay the original 2023 opening date of the 2 Line by at least a year. Once completed, the East Link extension will operate across 14 miles of track and 10 new stations between Seattle and the Eastside.

In August, the Sound Transit Board's System Expansion Committee was briefed on multiple challenges impacting project timelines, including several emerging construction issues. For the East Link, contractors working to fix concrete plinths that support the track on both sides of the Interstate 90 floating bridge uncovered more issues with mortar pads, rebar and fasteners, which will require the concrete blocks to be recast.

The Lynnwood and Downtown Redmond extension timelines were both impacted by the concrete strike and the pandemic, and the latter project is also contending with power connection issues and staffing issues.

As The Seattle Times reported this week, Sound Transit is exploring the potential to open eight stations on the Eastside as a "starter line," with trains running trips between south Bellevue and the Microsoft campus.

Supporters of the plan include King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, who sits on the Sound Transit board, and penned an op-ed calling for the starter line in late August. Last month, the mayors of Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond joined major Eastside employers like Microsoft and Amazon in signing a joint letter of support for the plan addressed to Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm.

"The Puget Sound Region has collectively invested in the shared vision of a connected transit system with mobility options for all," the letter reads in part. "If analysis supports the Eastside-only starter line, the entire region benefits: residents, employers/employees, the environment, and the economy. Not least among beneficiaries is Sound Transit which can demonstrate commitment to delivering East Link in the most expeditious manner possible."

According to the Times, Timm is working with staffers to explore the possibility and plans to have an update later this month, with a final decision expected early next year.