In the next five years, Link will add 22 stations and expand to more than 50 miles of rail service.
Sound Transit
2 min to read
In the next five years, Link will add 22 stations and expand to more than 50 miles of rail service.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit marked the 10th anniversary of the start of its Link light rail service. Over that time, Link has had more than 134 million total boardings and has seen ridership grow from an average of just over 15,000 weekday boardings to about 77,000 today.
On its opening day in 2009, Link covered 14 miles of service between the Westlake and Tukwila International Boulevard Stations. Since then, Link has grown to 22 miles. Service to Sea-Tac International Airport was added in December 2009, to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington in March 2016 and to Angle Lake in September 2016.
“Because of Link, riders have been spared countless hours sitting in ever-worsening traffic,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “Link’s tenth anniversary comes at a time when we are expanding the network to the North, South and East. By the time Link’s fifteenth anniversary comes around, we expect that more than twice as many riders as we have today will have discovered the advantages of fast, effective light rail.”
In the next five years, Link will add 22 stations and expand to more than 50 miles of rail service. In 2021, Sound Transit will begin light rail service to the U District, Roosevelt, and Northgate. In 2023 trains will reach Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake. Next up will be the extension of light rail to Lynnwood, Federal Way and downtown Redmond in 2024. By 2026, daily weekday boardings are projected to be between 257,000 and 303,000.
Future Link extensions approved by voters in 2016 as part of ST3 are planned for West Seattle (2030), Tacoma Dome (2030), Ballard (2035), Everett (2036), South Kirkland (2041), and Issaquah (2041). With these additions, the system will grow to 116 miles and is projected to serve about 600,000 riders every day.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, MCTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
This final component of the 2 Line will cross Lake Washington and connect with the 1 Line at International District/Chinatown Station, creating a fully integrated regional light rail system.
Expected to enter service in 2029, these locomotives support the agency’s commitment to offer reliable and efficient rail transportation across South Florida.
