Seattle’s Sound Transit and project partners celebrated the groundbreaking of the agency’s new Renton Transit Center.

The project will relocate and rebuild the Renton Transit Center to better serve the regional Stride S1 line, local King County Metro services, and the future RapidRide I Line. 

The Renton Transit Center is a key component of the Stride S1 Bellevue to Burien line, which will offer service on double-decker electric buses running every 10 to 15 minutes, more than 17 hours a day.

The Stride fleet will be Sound Transit’s first battery-electric fleet, and the first of its kind in the country to use this technology for double-decker buses.

The S1 and the Renton Transit Center

S1 will run primarily in HOV and dedicated transit infrastructure, helping reduce travel times for trips between the East and South King County. The service will also provide easy connections to 1 and 2 Line light rail stations in Bellevue and Tukwila, including a reliable one-transfer ride through Tukwila International Boulevard Station for trips between the East Side and the airport. 

The new Renton Transit Center will feature eight bus bays, covered waiting areas, and a new four-way signalized intersection to support bus operations. To ensure fast and reliable trips, a bus-only lane will be added to the northbound shoulder of SR 167.

Additionally, the project will add new sidewalks, lighting, multi-use paths, expand the existing two-way bike lane along Shattuck Avenue, and deliver new stormwater bioswales, vegetation, and plantings.

“Stride S1 will transform travel between Burien, Renton, and Bellevue, allowing passengers to speed by traffic on 405 and seamlessly connect to local bus routes, Link light rail, and the future RapidRide I and Stride S2 lines,” said Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine, “The new Renton Transit Center will not only be a hub for Stride but an asset for Renton and the entire Central Puget Sound.”