Link Light Rail
Encyclopedia
Sound Transit
Link Light Rail is a rapid transit project in the Greater Seattle region, originally approved by a ballot measure in November 1996. Two lines are currently operating as of 2009: Tacoma Link, which uses 3 vehicles built by Škoda
, and Central Link, which uses 35 vehicles built by Kinki Sharyo
. The University Link
extension, extending Central Link northward from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington
, began preliminary construction work in late 2008 with service slated to start in 2016. In addition, voters approved a November 2008 ballot measure to extend Link light rail north via Northgate
to Lynnwood
(with planning and property acquisition to support later extension to Everett
), south to Redondo Heights Park & Ride in Federal Way
(with route planning to support later extension to Tacoma and extensions of Tacoma Link to the east and west), and east via Mercer Island
and Bellevue
to Microsoft
's main campus in Redmond
(with route planning and right-of-way acquisition to support later extension to downtown Redmond).
, Pierce
, and Snohomish Counties approved increases in sales taxes and vehicle excise taxes to pay for a US$3.9 billion transit package that included $1.7 billion for a light rail system, including Central Link and Tacoma Link. Over the next several years, debates raged over various issues surrounding the Central Link line.
In the late nineties and early 2000s, Sound Transit underwent a series of financial and political difficulties. The cost of the line rose significantly, and the federal government threatened to withhold necessary grants. In 2001, Sound Transit was forced to shorten the line from the original proposal, and growing enthusiasm for the proposed monorail brought rising opposition to the light rail from Seattle-area residents.
But by the end of 2002, Sound Transit decided on a route and became more financially stable. On August 22, 2003, the Tacoma Link light rail line in Downtown Tacoma opened and quickly reached its forecast ridership. On November 8, 2003, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Central Link light rail line. Central Link opened between Westlake and Tukwila on July 18, 2009 and was extended to SeaTac/Airport on December 19, 2009.
King County Metro, which operates Central Link, runs Central Link trains on the following schedule:
Tacoma Link is located entirely within Pierce County, and most of the connecting transit is provided by Pierce Transit
. Sound Transit also runs express buses that provide connections from Tacoma Link to places around the region, and Intercity Transit
runs an Olympia
express bus from the Tacoma Dome Station.
Central Link is located entirely within King County, and therefore most of the connecting transit consists of buses provided by King County Metro. Metro buses and Link Light Rail share the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, making bus-train transfers easy. At Westlake Station, one may transfer to the South Lake Union Streetcar
or to the Seattle Monorail. Commuter buses to Snohomish County are provided by Community Transit, and Sound Transit runs several express buses from Downtown Seattle
and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
to points in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties, as well as the Sounder commuter rail
service to all three counties. Three Amtrak
intercity rail routes run from Seattle's King Street Station to points around the country, and the intercity bus depot is located several blocks north of Westlake Station. Finally, ferry services are provided from Colman Dock
on the waterfront in Downtown Seattle by Washington State Ferries
, and by the King County Ferry District
.
The ORCA
card enables contact-less fare payment and automatically calculates transfer credit between Link Light Rail and Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Everett Transit, Washington State Ferries, and Kitsap Transit
.
Tacoma Link is fare-free throughout its entire route in Downtown Tacoma.
The Tacoma Link cars were manufactured in the Czech Republic
by Škoda
in 2001-2, under a partnership with Inekon, another Czech company. The three cars are model 10T
, the same type used by the Portland Streetcar
(the latter's cars 001-007). They were delivered to Sound Transit in September 2002, prior to the 2003 opening of Tacoma Link. They only operate as single cars (not coupled in trains), and are 66 feet long, 8 feet wide, and have two articulations in the middle. They have a total capacity for 157 people, with 30 seated and 127 standing. The cars draw their power from 750-volt overhead wires.
Central Link cars are manufactured by Kinki Sharyo
in Japan
and the United States
. The first vehicle arrived in November 2006, and two more per month began arriving in May 2007. The cars are 95 feet long and 105,000 pounds, with the ability to be coupled
into four-car trains. They use 1500-volt electrical power drawn from a single overhead catenary wire, and have a capacity for 200 passengers, including 74 seated.
's Tacoma campus and several museums. As of fourth quarter 2009, Tacoma Link has a daily ridership of 3,900, surpassing the prediction that by 2010 it would have ridership of 2,000 per day.
line. The trains began carrying passengers on July 18, 2009, stopping at 12 stations and running 4.4 miles (7.1 km) on elevated tracks, 2.5 miles (4 km) in tunnels and 7 miles (11.3 km) at grade.
To support the line, Sound Transit retrofit the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and four of its existing stations for joint use by both light rail trains and buses. Sound Transit also built new light rail stations in the following locations (listed here from north to south): Near CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field
, in the Sodo district
at Lander Street just south of downtown Seattle; on Beacon Hill at Beacon and Lander, in the Mount Baker
neighborhood at McClellan and Rainier; in the Columbia City
neighborhood at Edmunds and Martin Luther King Jr. Way (MLK); near Othello Street and MLK; in the Rainier Beach
neighborhood at Henderson and MLK; and in Tukwila
on Tukwila International Blvd. Sound Transit extended the line another 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, adding a thirteenth station on December 19, 2009.
The Beacon Hill tunnel is one of the main components of Central Link. Its west portal, or opening, is under I-5, east of Airport Way. The underground Beacon Hill Station is located at the southeast corner of Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street, approximately 150 feet below grade.
The east portal, or opening, is east of 25th Avenue South and south of South McClellan Street, where the light rail line emerges to an elevated trackway as it approaches the Mount Baker Station near the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Stevens Street.
approved Sound Transit's plan for extending the light rail 3.1 miles (5 km) north to the University of Washington
after completion of an Environmental Impact Study
. A grant was approved in November 2008, which allowed University Link to begin construction in December 2008. Actual construction will last until approximately 2016.
In 2011 Sound Transit made the decision to accelerate plans for the construction of a station at S. 200th Street and 28th Ave S., just south of SeaTac International Airport, as an extension of Central Link. The new station is expected to open in 2016, concurrently with the Capitol Hill and UW Stations. It will serve as a connection to the future South Link.
to the south, and Downtown Bellevue and Overlake Transit Center to the east.
station, Roosevelt
, Northgate
, and points north. Once North Link is complete, the major urban centers of downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, the University District, and Northgate will be connected via light rail. It is a top priority for Sound Transit as it will add over 40,000 daily riders to Link Light Rail by 2030, easing pressure on the Interstate 5 corridor.
Proposition 1, the measure on the ballot in 2008, included extensions of Central Link north to Lynnwood Transit Center, via the stations described above and Jackson Park, Shoreline
, and Mountlake Terrace
. The ballot measure also includes funding for a study to develop possible routes for a future extension of Central Link to Everett
. As the extension to Lynnwood Transit Center will be finished in 2023, it can be assumed that an extension to Everett would not be completed until well after that year. An extension to Everett would require a separate, future measure.
Transit Center. The proposed route will have stations at South 200th Street, Highline Community College
, Redondo/Star Lake Park-and-Ride, Federal Way Transit Center, South Federal Way Park-and-Ride, and Fife
. The length of this connection will be aerial, mostly following Highway 99. There are many stakeholders, including the Washington State Department of Transportation, so many agreements must be made before it is built. The line, which has a projected daily ridership of 38,000, would fulfill one of the main goals of Sound Transit: to connect Seattle and Tacoma via light rail. It will not be possible to extend Central Link on Tacoma Link's tracks unless Tacoma Link is retrofitted with Central Link technology. Tacoma Link currently runs on 750 volt power, while Central Link runs on 1500 volt power. It uses different types of cars and has much shorter station platforms as well.
The November 2008 Proposition 1 included a portion of South Link, extending Central Link as far south as Redondo/Star Lake Park-and-Ride, and passed by a vote of about 57% to 43%. The extension to South 200th Street and Highline Community College is scheduled to open in 2020, with the Redondo/Star Lake extension following it in 2023. The whole extension all the way to the Tacoma Dome was on the ballot as part of the previous 2007 Roads and Transit package, but that measure failed 56% to 44%.
, extend across the I-90 bridge express lanes through downtown Bellevue
and serve the Overlake Transit Center, including Microsoft
headquarters.
It will provide stations on I-90 at Rainier Avenue and Mercer Island
; in Bellevue at South Bellevue Park-and-Ride, East Main, Bellevue Transit Center, Overlake Hospital, and on the Bel-Red corridor at 124th and 130th; and along SR 520 at Overlake Village and Overlake Transit Center, adjacent to Microsoft. South Bellevue, East Main, and Overlake Hosptial stations will be elevated and the Bel-Red corridor, Overlake Village, and Overlake Transit Center station at-grade. The Bellevue Transit Center in the middle of Downtown Bellevue
will be either at-grade or underground. Bellevue wants a tunnel through its downtown, but money was not included for this in Proposition 1, so Bellevue will have to come up with its own funds to build the tunnel. If it does not come up with the money, that segment of the route will be along the streets.
East Link also includes right-of-way preservation work for later service extension from Overlake Transit Center to downtown Redmond
, with stations in SE Redmond adjacent to Marymoor Park
and in Downtown Redmond adjacent to Redmond Town Center
.
. The proposed route would be at grade, and would serve key destinations including Stadium High School, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Tacoma General Hospital
, and the University of Puget Sound
. It is projected to boost the daily ridership of Tacoma Link by 8,000 people. The ballot measure in 2008 included matching funds for this and possibly other Tacoma Link extensions.
has proposed building a new light rail line on the western side of Seattle, and has promised to hold a public vote on the matter in 2011. This new light rail line would be built as a joint project between Sound Transit and the city of Seattle, and could service districts including but not limited to Ballard, West Seattle, Fremont, and Belltown. This would fill a key gap in the Link's currently-planned service area.
"), more people can live more densely without the increases in automotive commuting traffic that might otherwise be expected. In addition, the concentration of residents near stations helps maintain ridership and revenue. Climate change activists also point out that compact development around light rail lines has been shown to result in dramatic reductions in residents' emissions, compared to more conventional suburban automotive commutes.
Environmentalists, transportation groups and some affordable housing advocates have sought greater government regulatory support for transit-oriented development along Link Light Rail, and in 2009 a bill was introduced in the Washington State Legislature that would have raised allowable densities (as well as lowering parking requirements and easing some other regulations on development) in station areas. The bill did not pass, but supporters vow to bring it back in 2010.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
Link Light Rail is a rapid transit project in the Greater Seattle region, originally approved by a ballot measure in November 1996. Two lines are currently operating as of 2009: Tacoma Link, which uses 3 vehicles built by Škoda
Škoda
Škoda is a Czech surname and brand name. It may refer to:* Škoda Auto, automobile manufacturer in the Czech Republic...
, and Central Link, which uses 35 vehicles built by Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
. The University Link
University Link
University Link is a future light rail extension of Sound Transit's Link light rail system in Seattle, Washington, USA. The line will connect downtown Seattle with the University of Washington via Capitol Hill. The line was approved by the Federal Transit Administration in November 2006...
extension, extending Central Link northward from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, began preliminary construction work in late 2008 with service slated to start in 2016. In addition, voters approved a November 2008 ballot measure to extend Link light rail north via Northgate
Northgate, Seattle, Washington
Northgate is an informal district of neighborhoods in north urban Seattle, Washington, named for and surrounding Northgate Mall, the first covered mall in the United States....
to Lynnwood
Lynnwood, Washington
Lynnwood is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 35,836 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest in Snohomish County and twenty-ninth largest in Washington State. The city is a mix of urban, suburban, small city, crossroads and bedroom community to many...
(with planning and property acquisition to support later extension to Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
), south to Redondo Heights Park & Ride in Federal Way
Federal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
(with route planning to support later extension to Tacoma and extensions of Tacoma Link to the east and west), and east via Mercer Island
Mercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
and Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's main campus in Redmond
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
(with route planning and right-of-way acquisition to support later extension to downtown Redmond).
History
In November 1996, voters in KingKing County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Pierce
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
, and Snohomish Counties approved increases in sales taxes and vehicle excise taxes to pay for a US$3.9 billion transit package that included $1.7 billion for a light rail system, including Central Link and Tacoma Link. Over the next several years, debates raged over various issues surrounding the Central Link line.
In the late nineties and early 2000s, Sound Transit underwent a series of financial and political difficulties. The cost of the line rose significantly, and the federal government threatened to withhold necessary grants. In 2001, Sound Transit was forced to shorten the line from the original proposal, and growing enthusiasm for the proposed monorail brought rising opposition to the light rail from Seattle-area residents.
But by the end of 2002, Sound Transit decided on a route and became more financially stable. On August 22, 2003, the Tacoma Link light rail line in Downtown Tacoma opened and quickly reached its forecast ridership. On November 8, 2003, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Central Link light rail line. Central Link opened between Westlake and Tukwila on July 18, 2009 and was extended to SeaTac/Airport on December 19, 2009.
Headways
Tacoma Link trains currently run on the following schedule:| Time | Headway Headway Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for... |
|
|---|---|---|
| Monday through Friday |
5:20 am – 6:50 am | 20 |
| 6:50 am – 8:00 pm | 10 | |
| 8:00 pm – 10:10 pm | 20 | |
| Saturday | 8:00 am – 10:10 pm | 10 |
| Sunday | 10:00 am – 6:00 pm | 20 |
King County Metro, which operates Central Link, runs Central Link trains on the following schedule:
| Time | Headway Headway Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for... |
|
|---|---|---|
| Monday through Friday |
5:00 am – 6:00 am | 15 |
| 6:00 am – 8:30 am | 7.5 | |
| 8:30 am – 3:00 pm | 10 | |
| 3:00 pm – 6:30 pm | 7.5 | |
| 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm – 1:00 am | 15 | |
| Saturday | 5:00 am – 8:00 am | 15 |
| 8:00 am – 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm – 1:00 am | 15 | |
| Sunday | 6:00 am – 8:00 am | 15 |
| 8:00 am – 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm - 12:00 midnight | 15 |
Connecting transit
Pierce Transit
Pierce Transit, in full the Pierce County Public Transportation Benefit Area Corporation, is the public transit authority of Pierce County, Washington. Based in Lakewood, Washington, it was founded in 1979...
. Sound Transit also runs express buses that provide connections from Tacoma Link to places around the region, and Intercity Transit
Intercity Transit
Intercity Transit is a public transportation service organized as a municipal corporation that services Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm, Washington, an area of approximately...
runs an Olympia
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
express bus from the Tacoma Dome Station.
Central Link is located entirely within King County, and therefore most of the connecting transit consists of buses provided by King County Metro. Metro buses and Link Light Rail share the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, making bus-train transfers easy. At Westlake Station, one may transfer to the South Lake Union Streetcar
South Lake Union Streetcar
The Seattle Streetcar—South Lake Union Line is a streetcar line connecting the South Lake Union neighborhood to Downtown Seattle, United States. Service began on December 12, 2007...
or to the Seattle Monorail. Commuter buses to Snohomish County are provided by Community Transit, and Sound Transit runs several express buses from Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
The Seattle–Tacoma International Airport , also known as Sea–Tac Airport or Sea–Tac , is an American airport located in SeaTac, Washington, at the intersections of State Routes 99 and 509 and 518, about west of Interstate 5...
to points in King, Snohomish and Pierce Counties, as well as the Sounder commuter rail
Sounder Commuter Rail
Sounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running...
service to all three counties. Three Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
intercity rail routes run from Seattle's King Street Station to points around the country, and the intercity bus depot is located several blocks north of Westlake Station. Finally, ferry services are provided from Colman Dock
Colman Dock
Colman Dock, also called Pier 52 is an important ferry terminal in Seattle, Washington. The original pier is no longer in existence, but the terminal used by the Washington State Ferry system, and is still called “Colman Dock”-Location:...
on the waterfront in Downtown Seattle by Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
, and by the King County Ferry District
King County Ferry District
The King County Ferry District is a special-purpose district in King County, Washington that owns and operates passenger ferry services. Its governing board of directors is composed of all nine members of the Metropolitan King County Council...
.
Fares
Central Link fares are distance-based, with a flat rate starting at $1.75 plus 5 cents per mile, rounded to the nearest quarter. Riding in the Downtown Transit Tunnel is not free, unlike on the buses. This results in a maximum cost of $2.50 for a one-way trip from Downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport, compared to fares (as of January 2010) of $2.00 (off-peak) to $2.75 (peak) for the same route on the 194 Metro bus. Maintaining the ride-free area downtown for light rail would have resulted in fares 25 cents higher.The ORCA
Orca Card
The ORCA ' Card is a contactless, stored value smart card used for payment of public transport fares in the Puget Sound region...
card enables contact-less fare payment and automatically calculates transfer credit between Link Light Rail and Sound Transit, King County Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Everett Transit, Washington State Ferries, and Kitsap Transit
Kitsap Transit
Kitsap Transit is a public transportation agency serving Kitsap County, Washington, USA. The system is based in Bremerton, Washington and is overseen by a nine-member board composed of the three county commissioners, the mayors of the four incorporated cities in Kitsap County and two Bremerton City...
.
Tacoma Link is fare-free throughout its entire route in Downtown Tacoma.
Rolling stock
The rolling stock fleet consists of two types of vehicle, for a total of 38 vehicles. Tacoma Link has three, while Central Link has 35.The Tacoma Link cars were manufactured in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
by Škoda
Škoda Works
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century...
in 2001-2, under a partnership with Inekon, another Czech company. The three cars are model 10T
Škoda 10 T
The Škoda 10 T is a three-carbody-section low-floor bi-directional tram, developed by Škoda.The vehicle is four-axled, and is based on the Škoda 03 T, a uni-directional model operating in a few cities in the Czech Republic...
, the same type used by the Portland Streetcar
Portland Streetcar
The Portland Streetcar is a streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, that opened in 2001 and serves areas surrounding downtown Portland. It is currently a single line that is almost long and serves some 12,000 daily riders, but a second line is expected to open in 2012.As with the heavier-duty MAX...
(the latter's cars 001-007). They were delivered to Sound Transit in September 2002, prior to the 2003 opening of Tacoma Link. They only operate as single cars (not coupled in trains), and are 66 feet long, 8 feet wide, and have two articulations in the middle. They have a total capacity for 157 people, with 30 seated and 127 standing. The cars draw their power from 750-volt overhead wires.
Central Link cars are manufactured by Kinki Sharyo
Kinki Sharyo
is an Osaka, Japan-based manufacturer of railroad vehicles. It is an affiliate company of Kintetsu Corporation.In business since 1920 and renamed The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd in 1945...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The first vehicle arrived in November 2006, and two more per month began arriving in May 2007. The cars are 95 feet long and 105,000 pounds, with the ability to be coupled
Coupler
Coupler is a word used to describe any of a number of things:* A railway coupling device;** A Janney coupler;* An electronic device, more properly, an acoustic coupler;* A telecommunications device known as a directional coupler;...
into four-car trains. They use 1500-volt electrical power drawn from a single overhead catenary wire, and have a capacity for 200 passengers, including 74 seated.
Tacoma Link
Tacoma Link is a free light rail line running through the densest parts of Tacoma. This light rail system connects the Tacoma Dome Station (a regional hub for local and express bus, and commuter train service) with downtown Tacoma. It has stops at the Tacoma Dome Station, S. 25th Street, Union Station, the convention center, and the Theater District. The Union Station stop is next to the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
's Tacoma campus and several museums. As of fourth quarter 2009, Tacoma Link has a daily ridership of 3,900, surpassing the prediction that by 2010 it would have ridership of 2,000 per day.
Central Link
Service has begun on Sound Transit's 13.9 miles (22.4 km) Central Link light railLight rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
line. The trains began carrying passengers on July 18, 2009, stopping at 12 stations and running 4.4 miles (7.1 km) on elevated tracks, 2.5 miles (4 km) in tunnels and 7 miles (11.3 km) at grade.
To support the line, Sound Transit retrofit the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and four of its existing stations for joint use by both light rail trains and buses. Sound Transit also built new light rail stations in the following locations (listed here from north to south): Near CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field
Safeco Field
Safeco Field is a retractable roof baseball stadium located in Seattle, Washington. The stadium, owned and operated by the Washington-King County Stadium Authority, is the home stadium of the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball and has a seating capacity of 47,878 for baseball...
, in the Sodo district
SoDo, Seattle, Washington
SoDo is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, that makes up part of the city's Industrial District. It is bounded on the north by South King Street, beyond which is Pioneer Square; on the south by South Spokane Street, beyond which is more of the Industrial District; on the west by the Duwamish...
at Lander Street just south of downtown Seattle; on Beacon Hill at Beacon and Lander, in the Mount Baker
Mount Baker, Seattle, Washington
Mount Baker is a neighborhood in southeast Seattle. The neighborhood's name comes from the view of Mount Baker in Whatcom County, that is seen by looking north over Lake Washington. It is bounded by Lake Washington to the east, Interstate 90 and then Leschi to the north, Rainier Valley to the west,...
neighborhood at McClellan and Rainier; in the Columbia City
Columbia City, Seattle, Washington
Columbia City is a neighborhood in the Rainier Valley area of southeast Seattle, Washington, known either for being one of the "hottest" neighborhoods in Seattle, or for its rapid gentrification, depending on one's perspective...
neighborhood at Edmunds and Martin Luther King Jr. Way (MLK); near Othello Street and MLK; in the Rainier Beach
Rainier Beach, Seattle, Washington
Rainier Beach is a set of neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington that are mostly residential. Also called Atlantic City, Rainier Beach can include Dunlap, Pritchard Island, and Rainier View neighborhoods....
neighborhood at Henderson and MLK; and in Tukwila
Tukwila, Washington
Tukwila is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The northern edge of Tukwila borders the city of Seattle. The population was 19,107 at the 2010 census.-History:...
on Tukwila International Blvd. Sound Transit extended the line another 1.7 miles (2.7 km) to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, adding a thirteenth station on December 19, 2009.
The Beacon Hill tunnel is one of the main components of Central Link. Its west portal, or opening, is under I-5, east of Airport Way. The underground Beacon Hill Station is located at the southeast corner of Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street, approximately 150 feet below grade.
The east portal, or opening, is east of 25th Avenue South and south of South McClellan Street, where the light rail line emerges to an elevated trackway as it approaches the Mount Baker Station near the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and South Stevens Street.
University Link
In November 2006, the US Federal Transit AdministrationFederal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
approved Sound Transit's plan for extending the light rail 3.1 miles (5 km) north to the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
after completion of an Environmental Impact Study
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
. A grant was approved in November 2008, which allowed University Link to begin construction in December 2008. Actual construction will last until approximately 2016.
Airport Link
See S. 200th StationIn 2011 Sound Transit made the decision to accelerate plans for the construction of a station at S. 200th Street and 28th Ave S., just south of SeaTac International Airport, as an extension of Central Link. The new station is expected to open in 2016, concurrently with the Capitol Hill and UW Stations. It will serve as a connection to the future South Link.
Future extensions
Sound Transit's Phase 2 plan, under the name of ST2 (Sound Transit 2), is the plan for the second phase of Link Light Rail expansion. ST2 was put before voters in November 2007 as part of the "Roads and Transit" measure, which included hundreds of miles of highway expansion along with the light rail, but failed to pass. Sound Transit then put another ST2 plan on the ballot in November 2008. The measure passed by large margins. The plan will extend light rail to Lynnwood Transit Center in the north, S. 272nd St. in Federal WayFederal Way, Washington
Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States. Federal Way is located between Seattle and Tacoma. Its western boundary is Puget Sound. It is bordered by Des Moines on the north, Kent, unincorporated King County, and Milton on the east and Tacoma and Fife on the south...
to the south, and Downtown Bellevue and Overlake Transit Center to the east.
North Link
North Link is a future extension of Central Link partially approved by voters in November 2008. It will connect the University Link project currently under way to a central University DistrictUniversity District, Seattle, Washington
The University District is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because the main campus of the University of Washington is located there. The UW moved in two years after the area was annexed to Seattle, while much of the area was still clear cut forest or stump farmland...
station, Roosevelt
Roosevelt, Seattle, Washington
Roosevelt is a neighborhood in north Seattle, Washington. Its main thoroughfare, originally 10th Avenue, was renamed Roosevelt Way upon Theodore Roosevelt's death in 1919...
, Northgate
Northgate, Seattle, Washington
Northgate is an informal district of neighborhoods in north urban Seattle, Washington, named for and surrounding Northgate Mall, the first covered mall in the United States....
, and points north. Once North Link is complete, the major urban centers of downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, the University District, and Northgate will be connected via light rail. It is a top priority for Sound Transit as it will add over 40,000 daily riders to Link Light Rail by 2030, easing pressure on the Interstate 5 corridor.
Proposition 1, the measure on the ballot in 2008, included extensions of Central Link north to Lynnwood Transit Center, via the stations described above and Jackson Park, Shoreline
Shoreline, Washington
Shoreline is a city in King County, Washington, United States, north of Downtown Seattle bordering the northern Seattle city limits. As of the 2010 census, the population was 53,007, making it the 19th largest city in the state of Washington....
, and Mountlake Terrace
Mountlake Terrace, Washington
Mountlake Terrace is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It lies east of Edmonds, Washington, south of Lynnwood, Washington, and west of Brier, Washington. Its southern boundary runs along the King County line. Interstate 5 runs north-south through the city, and services the city...
. The ballot measure also includes funding for a study to develop possible routes for a future extension of Central Link to Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
. As the extension to Lynnwood Transit Center will be finished in 2023, it can be assumed that an extension to Everett would not be completed until well after that year. An extension to Everett would require a separate, future measure.
South Link
Sound Transit plans to connect the south end of Central Link, SeaTac Airport, to the Tacoma DomeTacoma Dome
The Tacoma Dome is an indoor arena located in Tacoma, Washington, USA, approximately 30 miles south of Seattle.-History:...
Transit Center. The proposed route will have stations at South 200th Street, Highline Community College
Highline Community College
Highline Community College is a junior college located in Des Moines, Washington, south of Seattle, Washington. Highline was founded in 1961 as the first community college in King County. The main campus is located on of hilltop land that overlook Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains to the west...
, Redondo/Star Lake Park-and-Ride, Federal Way Transit Center, South Federal Way Park-and-Ride, and Fife
Fife, Washington
Fife is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,173 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1940, it was described as "Fife...at a valley crossroads in the midst of a thickly settled berry growing and truck-gardening district is represented by a string of markets, taverns,...
. The length of this connection will be aerial, mostly following Highway 99. There are many stakeholders, including the Washington State Department of Transportation, so many agreements must be made before it is built. The line, which has a projected daily ridership of 38,000, would fulfill one of the main goals of Sound Transit: to connect Seattle and Tacoma via light rail. It will not be possible to extend Central Link on Tacoma Link's tracks unless Tacoma Link is retrofitted with Central Link technology. Tacoma Link currently runs on 750 volt power, while Central Link runs on 1500 volt power. It uses different types of cars and has much shorter station platforms as well.
The November 2008 Proposition 1 included a portion of South Link, extending Central Link as far south as Redondo/Star Lake Park-and-Ride, and passed by a vote of about 57% to 43%. The extension to South 200th Street and Highline Community College is scheduled to open in 2020, with the Redondo/Star Lake extension following it in 2023. The whole extension all the way to the Tacoma Dome was on the ballot as part of the previous 2007 Roads and Transit package, but that measure failed 56% to 44%.
East Link
In November 2008, voters approved the construction of an East Link light rail line connecting the city of Seattle to Mercer Island and the Eastside communities of Bellevue and Redmond as part of the Proposition 1 measure. This line will split from Central Link just south of the International District/Chinatown Station in downtown SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, extend across the I-90 bridge express lanes through downtown Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
and serve the Overlake Transit Center, including Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
headquarters.
It will provide stations on I-90 at Rainier Avenue and Mercer Island
Mercer Island, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census....
; in Bellevue at South Bellevue Park-and-Ride, East Main, Bellevue Transit Center, Overlake Hospital, and on the Bel-Red corridor at 124th and 130th; and along SR 520 at Overlake Village and Overlake Transit Center, adjacent to Microsoft. South Bellevue, East Main, and Overlake Hosptial stations will be elevated and the Bel-Red corridor, Overlake Village, and Overlake Transit Center station at-grade. The Bellevue Transit Center in the middle of Downtown Bellevue
Downtown Bellevue
Downtown Bellevue is the central business district of Bellevue, Washington. It comprises 400 acres bounded by I-405 to the east, NE 12th Street to the north, 100th Ave NE to the west, and Main Street to the south...
will be either at-grade or underground. Bellevue wants a tunnel through its downtown, but money was not included for this in Proposition 1, so Bellevue will have to come up with its own funds to build the tunnel. If it does not come up with the money, that segment of the route will be along the streets.
East Link also includes right-of-way preservation work for later service extension from Overlake Transit Center to downtown Redmond
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
, with stations in SE Redmond adjacent to Marymoor Park
Marymoor Park
Marymoor Park, located on the north end of Lake Sammamish in Redmond, Washington, is King County's largest, oldest, and most popular park, with more than 3 million annual visitors coming to roam its . Among recreational activities available are various sports facilities, rock climbing, a dog park...
and in Downtown Redmond adjacent to Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center is a mixed-use development located in downtown Redmond, Washington. Owned by Macerich, Redmond Town Center has more than 110 shops, restaurants, lodging, and entertainment venues in an outdoor environment...
.
Tacoma Link extensions
Sound Transit is considering several extensions of Tacoma Link Light Rail. One of these proposed extensions would extend the line west to Tacoma Community CollegeTacoma Community College
Tacoma Community College is a community college located in Tacoma, Washington, with satellite operations in Gig Harbor and the Tacoma Mall. It serves the city of Tacoma and the Pierce County portion of the Kitsap Peninsula....
. The proposed route would be at grade, and would serve key destinations including Stadium High School, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Tacoma General Hospital
Tacoma General Hospital
Tacoma General Hospital is the largest hospital in Tacoma, Washington. It is a level II trauma center with 391 beds and the second largest obstetrical care center in the state of Washington. Tacoma General began serving patients in 1882...
, and the University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
. It is projected to boost the daily ridership of Tacoma Link by 8,000 people. The ballot measure in 2008 included matching funds for this and possibly other Tacoma Link extensions.
Other proposed extensions
Seattle mayor Michael McGinnMichael McGinn
Michael "Mike" Patrick McGinn is the mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist and a former Sierra Club state chair...
has proposed building a new light rail line on the western side of Seattle, and has promised to hold a public vote on the matter in 2011. This new light rail line would be built as a joint project between Sound Transit and the city of Seattle, and could service districts including but not limited to Ballard, West Seattle, Fremont, and Belltown. This would fill a key gap in the Link's currently-planned service area.
Land-use impacts
An expressed purpose in building the Link Light Rail system has been to support a "smart growth" approach to handling the region's population growth and development. By concentrating new development along light rail lines (a practice known as "transit-oriented developmentTransit-oriented development
A transit-oriented development is a mixed-use residential or commercial area designed to maximize access to public transport, and often incorporates features to encourage transit ridership...
"), more people can live more densely without the increases in automotive commuting traffic that might otherwise be expected. In addition, the concentration of residents near stations helps maintain ridership and revenue. Climate change activists also point out that compact development around light rail lines has been shown to result in dramatic reductions in residents' emissions, compared to more conventional suburban automotive commutes.
Environmentalists, transportation groups and some affordable housing advocates have sought greater government regulatory support for transit-oriented development along Link Light Rail, and in 2009 a bill was introduced in the Washington State Legislature that would have raised allowable densities (as well as lowering parking requirements and easing some other regulations on development) in station areas. The bill did not pass, but supporters vow to bring it back in 2010.
See also
- List of Link Light Rail stations
- Sounder commuter railSounder Commuter RailSounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running...
- Seattle Streetcar NetworkSeattle Streetcar NetworkThe Seattle Streetcar Network will be a system of streetcar lines in Seattle, radiating out from Downtown, in the U.S. state of Washington. One line has been in operation since 2007, and others are planned....
- List of rail transit systems in the United States