Yesterday, I had the chance to join members of the press in a media tour of South Bellevue Station, which will open for Link operations in just a matter of weeks when the East Link Starter Line begins service. As things currently stand, the ELSL will open to the public on April 27th, while the full extension across I-90 is still tentatively set for 2025.
At South Bellevue, the accompanying park-and-ride garage has been open for more than two years and the station itself has been finished for quite for time. However, only recently was tile replacement completed on the platform, which was necessary after quality issues surfaced during the initial installation. According to Jon Lebo, East Link Executive Director, Sound Transit placed full-time inspectors over the replacement work to avoid repeat mistakes.
Operationally, the ELSL has been undergoing pre-revenue testing at the scheduled headways of 10 minutes. Lebo indicated that operator staffing is already at desired levels, with well over 100 operators hired specifically to drive ELSL trains. When the line opens, two-car train service is expected to serve roughly 6,000 daily boardings.
Matt Sheldon, Deputy Executive Director of Planning & Integration, also gave some additional insight into the system-wide service impacts that are anticipated. No immediate service changes are planned for the ELSL opening but once the full cross-lake 2 Line opens, the 550 will be completely replaced, with its Bellevue Way market covered by the rerouted 554. Mike has previously written about the broader suite of changes.
According to Sheldon, Sound Transit is also continuing to look at paid parking options across the system, but the Board hasn’t given direction about specific locations to target. I asked if the agency had looked at updated park-and-ride utilization forecasts, given that many park-and-rides are much barer than they were pre-COVID. Sheldon indicated that no new forecasts have been done (Metro has not updated their publicly-available reports since 2017), but was optimistic that the ELSL will create new ridership markets and that South Bellevue Station parking will gradually fill in over time.
I looked at Sound Transit’s latest progress report (https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/documents-reports/agency-progress-reports) from february.
According to this, the Downtown Redmond extension is currently projected to open in December (December 31 – 9 days of float)
and the I-90 connection to Seattle is projected for August 2025, although this includes a full 2 months from February to April 2025 with no major activity scheduled 🤔
A theory on that: Feb-April = out-migration season for juvenile salmon. This is part of ST’s agreements with the tribes and resource agencies to secure environmental clearances for the project.
Those sorts of limitations are only applicable to in-water work, though. Would testing require inspections of the roadway from below?
It’s probably just the testing time. One can’t just start having passengers one day after construction is complete
@WL,
The timing would roughly correspond with the 2 month verification phase (fit and function) of testing. But I’m not sure why that wouldn’t be called out on the schedule.
So I’m a bit confused about what Mike is talking about.
100 operators hired to drive ELSL trains that run 16 hour a day, 7 days a week, running every 10 minutes, but it’s just 19 minutes from end to end? 100 seems high.
I think that number must either include all east link staff including security and maintenance, or include future drivers for Lynwood extension
Because ELSL runs 16 hours a day all 7 days, that’s 112 hours a week. That will require over 4 drivers per train (3 drivers at full time is 120 hours) once the things like report time, breaks, sick and vacation days (spare drivers) and out of service trains get regrown into the calculation.
It looks like the round trip is 38 minutes plus layover/ reversing at each end. So figure that’s 6 trains operating at any given time. (It could be 5 but 6 seems more likely.
6 trains x 5 drivers per train is 30. So yeah that’s likely all the other staff too.
Consider that:
(1) There will be a layover of over 10 minutes at one end or the other, so operators can get breaks, possibly both ends for recovery time and schedule reliability.
(2) Lunch breaks have to be worked in somewhere.
(3) The shifts might have to be 10 hours instead of 8, for base activity and deadheading in and out of service.
(4) standby operator(s) for standby train(s) in case of breakdowns
(5) vacation coverage
(6) Training classes have to hire more employees than are needed, as some offers will get declined, not all will stick around through the training, not all will pass the final test, and other operators retire in the meantime. So, yeah, you always have to overhire for large work forces.
(7) In the case of Metro, operators are hired to part-time first, go through a training, and go through another training before moving to full-time. Link operators come from this work force, by picking the Link work packets. And then they have to go through yet another training specific to operating the trains.
(8) Some of the packets for Link will likely be part-time. See (2) above. Or maybe 9/9/9/9/4 combos.
(9) Some scheduling gymnastics may be required to honor religious and other accommodations. As a matter of simple math, a majority of ELSL operators will be working on Sundays. But Metro/ST may choose to over-cover Sundays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays in expectation of covering more day-off requests.
(10) Link supervisors would likely have to have been trained on and have experience operating Link, as they might be called on to operate the trains.
Are the next-arrival displays similar to the new ones installed at CID? I can’t fully gauge their size from the photo and the start of the video. It looks like they may be larger and have less elegant lettering. I did see the CID kind at Redmond Tech through the fence.
I haven’t looked too closely at both displays but I would assume they are the same. ST is not the type of agency to deploy different tech of the same thing, unless they are next-gen upgrades.
Fun speculation: Where will the opening-day speeches be? South Bellevue, Redmond Tech, Bellevue Downtown, Spring District, …? Northgate’s were at the college across the ped bridge. I could see South Bellevue because VIP parking, Redmond Tech to show off the ped bridge, or Bellevue Downtown as the most walkable/transit accessible and the largest city.
The opening is only 2 weeks out. I’m sure ST has a schedule for press events during that period.
Did you ask the question directly? ST will either answer it directly, or be evasive. Either way, you will likely get an answer.
I’ll just wait for the announcement. I thought it might be fun to guess where, and why. It’s not something I urgently need information on.
I would put money on Downtown Bellevue. It seems like the heart of the East Side, and likely the station with the most riders (with the starter line and in with the full East Link Line).
Agreed. They pushed hard for the grade-separated alignment, and that is truly Balducci’s influence on the project scope. That has to be the location.
No need to speculate, it’s at Downtown Bellevue: https://www.soundtransit.org/discover2line/events
Which should not be a surprise. Having the festivities at almost any other station would probably be a downer.
Thanks CC, I don’t know why folks are speculating – all the announcements have discussed the hub of events as being Downtown Bellevue.
I didn’t see any announcements.
Will the Light Rail extend down 405 to Renton at some point?
Likely, never. That’s what the STRIDE bus is for.
> Will the Light Rail extend down 405 to Renton at some point?
Originally there were plans for using the BNSF or perhaps freeway median for light rail up i-405 or commuter rail. those plans were mainly removed in favor of stride brt (the freeway bus).
The ‘new’ far flung plan is to extend the west seattle light rail down to burien and then to TIBS, then south center and finally renton. If you want to know more I can go fetch and link the old document plans for you.
Generally the section of i-405 from renton to bellevue is unlikely unless there’s a lot more density. The section of i-405 from bellevue to lynnwood is a more likely as either an extension from redmond or the future line from issaquah to kirkland then extending up to totem lake.
to clarify “The ‘new’ far flung plan i” this would be after st3, and of course given being 20 years later it’s a very nebulous plan.
“Originally there were plans for using the BNSF or perhaps freeway median for light rail up i-405 or commuter rail. those plans were mainly removed in favor of stride brt (the freeway bus).”
Just to keep things historically accurate, that should read
” … rail. those plans were removed by a request from the City of Renton [along with the Kennedale Neighborhood Association]”
Stride 1 was the only transit option left.
ST said Renton-Bellevue doesn’t have enough ridership yet for light rail but it could in future decades. Stride 1 is partly to prebuild that ridership and see if it emerges.
In the run-up to ST3 ST studied an extension from West Seattle to Renton and Burien. A Renton-Bellevue line would most likely be an extension of that. The WSJ-Burien-Renton study said it could achieve 40-minute travel time from Westlake to Renton — comparable to the 101 — but it would have high cost and low ridership. Renton, Tukwila, and Burien became quiet about it after the results came out, so we don’t know how much they’re still interested.
“ST said Renton-Bellevue doesn’t have enough ridership yet for light rail but it could in future decades.”
We knew that back in 2001 when the Preferred Alternative was chosen for the I-405 Corridor Program (now referred to the “Master Plan” for the I-405 portion of the 405/SR167 CorridorPlan).
The cost/benefit ratio didn’t justify building a concrete cathedral type system like the “Freeway Light Rail” we have for the 1-Line now. For that, it’s still about 30 years out before the c/b ratio works.
“Stride 1 is partly to prebuild that ridership and see if it emerges.”
Plus Stride 1 keeps the unwashed masses out of the backyards of the Eastrail Greenwashers.
If only they studied a cheaper alternative than LR.
Even cheaper than Stride 1 is apparently costing.
If Only….
What does any of this have to do with the South Bellevue station tour, and the opening of the ELSL?
Sam, the blog has a rule against moderation requests within the comments. You can send such requests to the contact email.
I didn’t make a moderation request.
Not designing and reserving a new rail track alignment within the current massive 405 rebuilding going on is going to keep any rail project from evolving between Renton and Bellevue for generations to come. The region missed that consideration by assuming that the only rail connection possible was on the Eastside Rail Corridor with its single-track and constrained right of way when ST corridor studies were done 10 years ago..
“We knew that back in 2001 when the Preferred Alternative was chosen for the I-405 Corridor Program”
WSDOT is not the decider, and 2001 is not 2015. WSDOT was looking at whether to incorporate inline bus stations into the highway expansion.
“What does any of this have to do with the South Bellevue station tour, and the opening of the ELSL?”
It’s semi-related as Eastside light rail, in a corridor that may go to or nearby South Bellevue Station.
If the Renton-Bellevue light rail corridor is ever advanced, there will be a reevaluation of the alignment, especially if 20-30 years have passed since the study.
“Link does not belong in freeway corridors.”
There’s no other way between Renton and Bellevue. It was developed with 405 as practically the only way through. And what matters is where the stations are, not where the track goes between the stations.
“WSDOT is not the decider, and 2001 is not 2015. WSDOT was looking at whether to incorporate inline bus stations into the highway expansion.”
It wasn’t WSDOT deciding anything, they were just the project leader.
All the municipalities in that corridor participated in the decision as to what went into the FEIS.
Renton VETOED including the ERC in the study.
It doesn’t matter what year, Mike. The corridor’s Master Plan is the playbook they’re using for the current execution of the plans.
DO NOT keep promoting the idea of the transit alternative being decided after ALL the alternatives were looked at.
They weren’t.
I don’t give a rat’s ass if everyone has me pigeonholed as a foamer.
I just watched the ‘planning’ happen in real time.
The Nimbies Won.
That’s it.
You can put all the lipstick you want on this pig, but it isn’t changing any facts.
STRIDE is all the Eastside is going to get, Glorious Interchanges and all.
> There’s no other way between Renton and Bellevue. It was developed with 405 as practically the only way through. And what matters is where the stations are, not where the track goes between the stations.
One can use the ERC as Jim noted. It debated back in the early 2000s (I can’t find the older document) for commuter rail and was analyzed back in 2014 as well.
https://www.scribd.com/document/224257175/STCentralEast-Level2Pres-ERC405-043014-MASTER-1
It’s on page 19 the light rail alternative for Renton to Bellevue.
* 10 minute headways, all-day service, two-car trains
* Double tracked except in Renton from Coulon Park to the Ripley Lane NBridge
* In-street operation on Logan Avenue in Renton
* $930-$1250M
* 24-30 min
Though as you noted, the ridership potential is basically the same whether ERC or freeway in this section — there isn’t much density south of i90 before reaching renton
Jim, that was in the past. Nothing is set in stone. You have to remember that Seattle went through 3 different transit proposals before one was settled upon. So again, Renton may of said no years ago bit doesn’t speak to how it’ll parse out in the future with them and other cities along the I-405 corridor. Same with Kirkland for that matter. The Save Our Trail people won’t be here forever, so your insistence that everything is set in stone is really the wrong mindset to have about the long term and future transit in the Puget Sound.
Oh, I’m sure it will change…
At the same pace as continental drift takes place.
In an Environmental Impact Statement there is always a benchmark alternative called “No Action”.
I was on the Citizens Committee for the development the I-405 Master Plan FEIS, and witnessed how the system gets gamed. Our former peanut gallery contributor (DT) even explained the process from his time living on Bainbridge Island whose representative, by the way, was on the I-405 Executive Committee – State Senator Jim Horn.
It has now been almost 25 years since the FEIS was finished.
That corridor essentially picked the No Action alternative.
I’m happy you think change is coming, because this jaded old geezer still sees decisions being made to this day that tells me almost all our representatives still have a ‘through the windshield’ view on transportation planning.
Sadly, I still see all the public talk as just lip service to non-automotive crowd.
The ERC is being developed as a trail right now, so there will be even less willingness to put rail on it. We need rapid transit, but we also need quiet non-motorized trail oases.
We can put light rail on or next to 405 later, like we’re doing on I-5 right now. I don’t see any other feasible location for it, except maybe Coal Creek Parkway.
I don’t think it will happen, because the motivation for more far-flung extensions will collapse of its own weight. But it’s not because previous plans or decisions constrained them. Renton asked to remove the ERC concepts for now, not for ever. I attended the ST board meetings in 2014-2016 when these were being discussed. Stride on 405 and 522 was not seen as a permanent replacement for light rail, but as an interim step for the next few decades that might lead to light rail there later.
In 25 years it will be a different generation of people making the decisions, in a cultural environment we can’t predict now.
If a line to Renton is someday added, it would likely branch from the Issaquah line around the curve between I-405 and I-90. The freeway is too massive in front of a junction at South Bellevue.
Renton should be connected by having the Rainier Valley line diverted and extended down MLK, along with an airport express coming straight down the Duwamish corridor and integrated with the existing elevated line at E. Marginal Way.
I agree: https://twitter.com/mixio17/status/1487144850566746112/photo/1
Alex actually suggested to build the Duwamish bypass and to slow down RV trains to keep them safer. I would then build underpasses for cars/pedestrian/cyclists so that the trains could run at full speed and be extended to Renton – all without impact of the spine.
I also agree and have said so for at least five years, but with one caveat. I would continue service between the Rainier Valley and Sea-Tac because many airport workers live there, based on the quality direct service.
Since ST seems Hell-bent on spending a half-billion dollars to avoid having to construct a reliable junction just south of SoDo, at least let the anorexically served “West Seattle” trackway be the host for the Deep South “Bypass” trains. That way the UW-Lynnwood line would have direct airport service, and Ballard-SLU would too, albeit somewhat more circuitously.
Half (or 2/3) of the trains from Ballard-SLU would go to Renton while the rest would go to the airport.
Martin, overpasses would be much better at most arterials in the RV, because there are hills on one or the other side of Martin Luther King Blvd, so the transition to a bridge for two lanes would be a natural thing. Also, with bridges, “wings” on the “farside” to connect MLK with the crossing street would be easier to accommodate in the constricted roads pace of the RV than a bunch of tunnel portals all over the place.
Tom, you could also run a small automated shuttle between Rainier Valley and TIBS to connect the two lines – I wish ST had expertise with automated trains…
You can take advantage of the hills with overpasses as well as underpasses. On Columbian Way for example, there is plenty of space as you come down the hill to go deeper and under MLK and you end up coming out at the bottom of the hill. With an overpass you would not only have to go up to go over MLK, you would also have to deal with an already steep decent towards Rainier Ave.
In other places you may have more space on the lower part. You could stay high coming off the hill and then just drop down after crossing MLK.
Martin, you’d go only as far as TIBS and make people transfer for a single stop to the airport? No. I agree that a shuttle might be made to work, but where to put the north-end reversal is a question. Even automated trains need a place “out of the flow” to lay for time, because even automated systems get backed up sometimes.
I don’t see a good place for that around Mt. Baker, though if it ran through Beacon Hill, there are plenty of opportunities near the MF.
Martin, ML King Jr Boulevard IS “the bottom of the hill” on Columbian Way, as it is on every other arterial between Mt. Baker and Rainier Beach except Othello. I would agree that Othello would make a good candidate for an underpass, but really the only one.
Link does not belong in freeway corridors.
Anyways if you are interested these are some of the previous plans
https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/lrpupdate_finalseis_04_chapter2.pdf
> Some of the corridors in the Current Plan Alternative identified as “Potential Rail Extensions” in the 2005 Long-Range Plan have not yet been included in a system plan for construction or the project development phase. These corridors, shown on Figure 2-7 and listed in Table 2-2, could be commuter rail and were evaluated as such for purposes of analyzing potential impacts associated with the Current Plan Alternative.
> Renton to Woodinville—The portion of the ERC identified by Sound Transit as a
potential rail corridor stretches from Renton to Woodinville, generally following I-405. Commuter rail could be considered as the HCT mode in the ERC.
https://www.scribd.com/document/224257175/STCentralEast-Level2Pres-ERC405-043014-MASTER-1
The light rail plan for Renton to Bellevue analyzed does not go to south bellevue station. It’s on page 14 using the eastrail corridor.
> 10 minute headways, all-day service, two-car trains
> Double tracked except in Renton from Coulon Park to the Ripley Lane NBridge
> In-street operation on Logan Avenue in Renton
It’d cost $930-$1250 for a travel time of 24~30 minutes.
The “Level 2 Briefing on ERC and I-405 Corridors” actually also talks potential future bus stops for the stride 1 brt beyond what is currently planned as well.
Anyone else having trouble seeing the video? I can’t see it on any of my mobile devices.
inspecting the file it seems it’s a mov file, which while supported on desktop and iphone, is unsupported in some android phones by default. Or at least that’s what google says might be the issue?
@Sherwin Lee
You might want to reupload it as an mp4 file and then relink (you don’t need to reformat the file, it plays fine as a mp4 just needs to be renamed).
Thanks for the call-out. I’ve converted to mp4 and replaced the video.
@Sherwin,
Thanks. That worked. Now I can see the video just fine.
Thanks again.
> Yesterday, I had the chance to join members of the press in a media tour of South Bellevue Station
Thanks for reviewing, love the video. it’ll be quite exciting to have another opening. I’ll probably be there april 27 to check it out. Maybe test out going/walking to a couple destinations from the station like to h mart, the mall, bellevue library. Maybe get chickfila from the wilburton station lol? For belred, the 130th and the overlake village are a bit far from most destinations but ill test it out.
If someone were to ask me how best to experience the ELSL on one of the days of the opening week, I’d probably tell them just to ride it round trip, maybe even twice. But, if they really want to get off and explore somewhere, get off at the downtown station, because at a lot of other stations, there’s really not much to do, unless you first research what’s around the station. However, if the RTS ped bridge is open, that will be very interesting to check out. Of course, if someone is interested in exploring parks, several stations are close to some nice one’s.
But, getting off at most ELSL stations and just wandering around to explore the area is going to leave most people underwhelmed.
> But, getting off at most ELSL stations and just wandering around to explore the area is going to leave most people underwhelmed.
I’ve lived in bellevue a bit before, so I’ll test out the destinations ive been before. bellevue downtown station ill just walk down the grand connection path the mall.
for wilburton i was kind half joking might skip that one. mox is actually pretty close to the 130th station. I might actually use the station in the future to avoid searching for parking at mox.
probably overlake village ill walk to the fred meyer/bellevue Marketplace plaza. its a bit far to crossroads mall would probably have to take the bus or maybe bring escooter.
@Sam,
“ But, getting off at most ELSL stations and just wandering around to explore the area is going to leave most people underwhelmed”
Exactly. I find the Eastside to be a little underwhelming in general. But if you do your research, you can usually find a reasonably OK restaurant or two, so the Eastside is at least survivable. Just hold on to your wallet!
I plan to look at several station areas on my own and write about anything noteworthy I see, but that’s too much for a group ride or maybe even in one day. With Link’s 10-minute frequency it would take an hour to get off and back on at four or five stations, and most people would only commit to stay for an hour or two total.
There are a dozen restaurants east of Overlake Village Station along 152nd and 24th.
At the Wilburton station, I would recommend the 3 Pigs Barbecue in the strip mall north of Whole Foods. I’ve also seen a Bai Tong food truck in the Arco/AM-PM south of the station, though I don’t know if they’re open weekends.
Wilburton will be an interesting station because of the proximity to the East Trail. It’s a great location if you’re traveling with or by bike. The trail connectivity should be similar to the bike bridge at Northgate. You can get north along that trail and view the OMF East if you’re interested in eyeballing the fleet activity. And of course the Pump House is right there if you need a libation.
Parts of Eastrail are still being built. I don’t know which parts are open now between South Kirkland P&R and Renton. I think the Wilburton Station junction will be finished sometime after Link opens.
When the Wilburton connection and the NE 8th Street trail bridge are finished, then I do see it as becoming a popular access point. Suburbanites love trails, even if they’re not so sure about buses and trains and on-street bike lanes. Many people won’t realize Eastrail exists or the Wilburton connection is available until after the full Kirkland-Renton segment opens and they hear about other people using it.
We sometimes have group rides on openings, although we haven’t done it recently. We’d want to go the entire length, although we could turn around and end at an intermediate station for lunch or exploration.Since downtown Bellevue has the most destinations and the park, we’d most likely want to end there. Since several people would be coming from Seattle, South Bellevue would probably be the best place to start. That would also allow people to try out transferring to Link there.
sure that sounds fun, id be down to plan/join a group ride.
I won’t be available that Saturday. That should be an additional incentive for more people to come out of the woodworks and have a mobile STB meet-up that Saturday.
Either the video image is reversed, or that train is headed to Mercer Island.
The words on the PIMS and on the LRV read correctly, so the vid is not reversed.
@Sam,
There is a double crossover just south of the station (railroad west).
So it might just be that the operational plan is for the trains to offload fully at South Bellevue, then pull a little bit further south to use the double crossover to swap tracks so they can return back to Redmond Tech Station on the proper side.
Mike should know. He was there.
This is correct. That train was heading south but I think it only went as far as the crossover before returning later.
Yesterday I saw a new mixed-use building at 130th & Bel-Red Road on the northeast corner. Is that the one you were talking about, Sam? I also saw several 4+ story buildings between 130th and 135th or a block south of it, so growth on Bel-Red Road is happening, although not all lots or strip malls yet.
Group ride: How’s this? Meet at 10:30am at the South Bellevue station entrance, and we’ll leave around 10:50. That gives time if the bus is late or anyone misses it. We’ll go east to Redmond Tech, and back to Bellevue Downtown, and then we can explore downtown Bellevue if people want. This may be adjusted if the event has something else we don’t want to miss, such as speeches at a particular time.
From downtown Seattle, the 550 leaves 5th & Union at 10:08am and arrives at South Bellevue at 10:29. From Bellevue Transit Center, the 550 leaves at 10:18am and arrives at 10:30 (or take Link). The next bus is 15 minutes later.
So according to Christopher’s link, there will be a ceremony at Bellevue Downtown at 10am, and the ribbon-cutting around 11. I suppose we can just go to that, although I’m not particularly interested in standing for an hour listening to politicians give platitudes. And with the crowd it may take a while to get on a train. Still, the first train won’t reach South Bellevue until sometime after 11.
I’ll have my twill flat cap. If we all wear hats, we can be the hatted transit riders.
I know of at least one other transit fan group that’s planning to attend the opening ceremonies at Downtown Bellevue, then take a bus to South Bellevue, and then board the first ELSL train that’s apparently scheduled to depart northbound just after 11am.
From the Urbanist’s Local Events calendar:
I’ll be curious how active the drop-off and pick-up will be. I don’t expect much at first but when full 2 Line opens I’m expecting to see lots of it.
I can’t help but observe how the South Bellevue Station colorful paneled mural faces Bellevue Way but the waiting Link riders get a gray wall on their side — as shown in the video.
It’s as if ST must please drivers with art but not the waiting link riders.
That makes a pretty bold statement about who the artwork is for, doesn’t it?
It’s for everyone looking at the station, including pedestrians and people waiting for buses. Pedestrians may be going to the Mercer Slough trail. Bicyclists may be on their way to the Mercer Island Bridge.
to be fair, there is supposed to be art placed on the parking garage that’s visible from the east side of the station platform. It is a bummer that the backside of the acoustic panels isn’t decorated in any way, though.
No artwork on either side of trackway acoustical panels throughout most of the entire Link system … complete silence from the comment section. But, one station has artwork on the panels facing outward, and the comment section is angry it’s not on both sides?
I encourage you to submit a Page 2 post regarding the lack of art on the trackway retaining walls and acoustic panels.
There is a lot of artwork that only riders see inside the Link underground stations in Seattle.
Yet another fine example of the edifice complex from which Skycastle Transit suffers. This station is only useful as a transfer intercept for buses from I-405 or the main lanes of I-90 kiss and riders from the same highways and the limited number of cars which can be parked in the adjacent garage. It didn’t need to be four stories up in the clouds.
ST could have made the cars entering the garage climb over the tracks and just elevated the trackway enough for people to walk under it to short escalators to the platform. Always and forever ST favors autoistas over riders arriving by bus.
The elevation of the station has nothing to do with the parking garage? It’s how the track is coming over from 405.
@AJ,
Yep. It is called geometry. Apparently a new concept around here.
I haven’t been to the station yet, but it appears to be well designed and functional. I don’t see any obvious issues with it.
Here is the Google Earth view from the SE 30th Street interchange looking (approximately) north. https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5837497,-122.1886318,3a,19.3y,331.86h,93.3t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1stqNxXUwVlWWjLDIEmX4UtA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DtqNxXUwVlWWjLDIEmX4UtA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D331.8628487079683%26pitch%3D-3.2953755531921587%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu You can see an inflection in the grade down for the elevated guideway about half way between SE 30th and the south garage entrance roadway, shown here from SE Bellevue Way: https://www.google.com/maps/@47.5852183,-122.1902811,3a,67.6y,81.07h,103.31t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1skRnW1uveZsSeW4vH2dTrkw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DkRnW1uveZsSeW4vH2dTrkw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D81.06621278953014%26pitch%3D-13.313369526832219%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205410&entry=ttu The trackway is almost exactly three stories in the air through the station, far higher than it needs to be to clear vehicles entering and leaving the garage, and punishingly high for riders transferring to and from the buses using the loop just to the north.
I grant that it would be more challenging to have provided the garage accesses using bridges above a lower trackway, but it certainly could have been done, and by a different transit agency, would certainly have been investigated.
It’s I-90, not I-405 from which the track “is coming over”.
Lazarus, there’s nothing “wrong” with the station except that it is, exactly like Northgate, ridiculously and unnecessarily high in the air — i.e. “a Skycastle” — and could have been designed with much less wasteful frou-frou and closer integration with bus passengers.
Other Respondents, I am NOT criticizing the placement of the station; it’s in a great location for bus intercept. But it is not designed to maxmize that bus intercept by making the transfers as nearly level as possible. It’s the same thing we criticize ST for in its deep bore station designs downtown: vertical movement is more difficult, costly and tedious than horizontal movement. It should be minimized even if it costs a few tens of millions during construction, because the things will be used effectively (given 30 year depreciation assumptions) forever.
@Tom T,
Look at where the platform is, not the approaches. It looks to be just about as low as you can practically build it. I don’t see any issue.
Looks OK to me.
The top of the station may be 3 stories up, but the track as it passes over the access roads looks like it is only 1 “story” of clearance, i.e. around 20′. Perhaps it could have been a few feet lower, but given there is no mezzanine I think the station is as low as possible without being at grade. I don’t see how this is different than Northgate (or 135th or 147th), where the bottom of the station is sufficiently high for busses & trucks to safely drive underneath. I suppose you could insist on each station to be suspended by cables above so that vehicles can pass mere inches below the rails, but that seems like a bunch of extra cost for only a few feet of elevation difference.
Keep in might the perspective from Google Earth – the parking garage behind it is sunk down 2 stories, which may make the station look taller.
It the station was in a trench (like the alignment will be immediately north of the station), I don’t see how that is any better than elevated, and at-grade would have introduced a bunch of conflicts with circulated traffic, no only the private vehicles in the garage but also the KCM & ST buses in what will be an important transit center for multiple routes to terminate & layover.
“ There are plenty of similarities between this “starter line” and Issaquah Link. ”
I know how much we call it Issaquah Link, but technically it should be called South Kirkland-Issaquah Link.
https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/south-kirkland-issaquah-link
Of course the forecasted boardings in South Kirkland are so awfully low that it seems silly. It really begs the question about what to do with the projects’s only station north of the East OMF and East Link tracks. Cancel it? Move it? Spend the money building the deferred Lakewood Station (I-90 and W Lake Sammamish Parkway) instead?
@al
To be fair it is kinda an open secret they’ll extend from south Kirkland up to woodinville but just opted to end there for now to avoid the nimbys
I dunno, I think it should be called “Bellevue/Issaquah Link,” because the Bellevue stations will have higher ridership than Issaquah, just like “Ballard Link” is mostly a SLU/QLA subway that extends onwards to Ballard.
And Kirkland may evolve like West Seattle Link – it’s bundled with Issaquah for now, just like WSBLE was a single operating line at one point, but I predict it will end up as a branch of Line 2, to boost frequency on the Line 2 Seattle/Bellevue trunk without overloading the at-grade Bel-Red segment.
AJ: “… but I predict it will end up as a branch of Line 2, to boost frequency on the Line 2 Seattle/Bellevue trunk without overloading the at-grade Bel-Red segment.”
Operationally this would be the preferred condition. Then the Issaquah segment could be an automated segment with single track sections as needed. That would avoid needing the really messy wye south of East Main Station at 112th, allow for higher frequency trains with no drivers, waiting train doors at the transfer station, shorter platforms and maybe enough cost savings to not only build the Lakewood Station but maybe a second Issaquah Station too!
Of course, politically it won’t happen. There would be much screaming about only 15-20 minute light rail service to Redmond even though the trains would be relatively empty at the current frequency. Plus, ST isn’t willing to revisit the ST3 service layout in its planning either — or the three line DSTT would be on the table. Finally, the Everett Link segment north of Mariner and possibly Tacoma Dome Link is much longer and less used so cutting frequency here would mean cutting it there too.
I guess ST could blend the segments in a mix-match scenario — one train to each alternating destination for both lines. However, ST did not design for a cross-platform transfer station so the trips that required a transfer would require waiting on the platform in Downtown Bellevue until a the right train arrives.
AJ, the doors to my hospital’s garage are about eight feet high. That’s all that personal cars need (and that mostly so people can walk in and out of it), and that’s what the garage is designed to store. So twenty feet of clearance is a ridiculous level of “over-kill”. Not even a trolley bus would require that much clearance. “Twenty feet” is a “story” only on the first floor of a skyscraper.
ST made the station unnecessarily high, presumably for some vanity “aesthetics”, and it will punish people transferring there for a very long time.
@Tom T,
“ ST made the station unnecessarily high, presumably for some vanity”
More fixation on “height”? I don’t get it.
The station can’t be built as low as you suggest. Not possible.
The east side of the bus loop is on the garage side of the station, so the station has to be at least high enough to get a bus under it. And, since regionally we are running more Double Talls, that at least means there should be enough clearance for a bi-level bus. Add the depth of the guideway beams and you pretty much come up with what ST built.
Additionally, building codes require that you be able to get emergency vehicles to both sides of the station platform and to the parking garage itself. Yes, concrete structures don’t usually catch fire, but the vehicles in them often do. So this means fire vehicles need to get under the guideway too.
So there you are. ST built this station at just about exactly the proper height.
Obviously, what is possible and what should be done are two very different things sometimes, but East Link absolutely could have built South Bellevue at a lower elevation had it wanted to do so.
How do I know?
TriMet built this thing to cram the Orange Line into an existing highway cloverleaf, going from ground level under a street to over its entrance ramp (which is tall enough to accept semis without restriction) in 400 feet.
Certainly, it’s not ideal, but it keeps the station at Tacoma Street from being an expensive elevated affair, and makes bus transfers quite easy as buses and MAX are both at ground level. I’ve made connections at this station that I would never have been able to do at a Link station due to the amount of time it takes to get between a Link station and adjacent bus stops.
@Glen,
What you describe is only about a 5% grade, which is pretty benign.
And ST didn’t have that much room at South Bellevue. The access paths to the bus platform are nearly under the Link platform, and they are designed to accept double tall buses.
Additionally, the bus platform is a central platform and is located directly under the central platform of the Link station. No crossings of streets, busways or Link tracks is required to transfer from bus to Link. It should be better than the transfer you describe in Portland.
And given the amount of bus/car/ped/bike traffic at this station which would need to cross the tracks, and potentially back up onto them given the short distances, it would simply be extremely poor design to attempt to build everything to accept level crossings at this location.
As per the Portland design being “not ideal” as you state, I think ST needs to avoid such compromises. Our 400 ft trains with higher operating speeds and significantly higher passenger loads put a premium on good, and safe, design. As it should be.
Thanks, Glenn. Skycastle Transit’s edifice complex has produced hard-to-access stations everywhere the tracks go since the “template” was created at Tukwila-International Boulevard Station.
Only in the at-grade stations along Martin Luther King Jr Blvd can one expect to make a three-minute bus-to-train transfer reliably, and even there partner agency Metro forces riders to cross two streets at Rainier Beach by putting the bus stops north of Henderson.
Tri-Met does a vastly better job of bus-to-rail integration, probably because it owns and operates both modes.
Lazarus: double-tall buses are no taller than the semis that regularly use the Tacoma Street cloverleaf.
Trains, weather TriMet or Link, don’t go especially fast when entering or leaving stations.
Sure, ground level transit centers might sometimes delay buses by a few seconds, but that must be weighed against the delay each passenger experiences when getting from the train to the bus. At Gateway Transit Center, I can get from MAX to bus route 15 or 17 in less than 20 seconds, but at Northgate it takes me over 5 minutes to get from Link to the 512. By then, whatever I’m trying to catch is usually gone.
Obviously all this must be weighed in the planning phase, but it certainly seems an alternative design to the current South Bellevue situation could have been possible.
@Glenn,
The transfer experience a passenger will encounter at South Bellevue Station is about as optimum a transfer as a passenger can dream of. It is a center bus platform located directly beneath a center Link platform. No need to wait to cross anything, or delay anyone. Just get off and go either up or down and you are there. And there are verticals conveyances for those people who don’t even want to walk that far.
As to the height, minimum clearance for overpasses is typically 16 ft, with an extra 1 to 1.5 ft of clearance added for pedestrian structures. Add in the height of the supporting beams and platform decking, and the minimum height for the platform is easily in excess of 22 ft. And that is before any consideration of engineering realities like grade, slope, integration, etc.
So I really don’t see the issue with the station. It is designed for efficiency and usability, and it seems like it accomplishes those goals. And it also does a good job of eliminating any possibility of surface traffic backing up onto or blocking the LR tracks.
Seems like a pretty good design.
I get what Tom and Glenn are getting it. Really tall (or deep) stations are a big pain. But I don’t see that with South Bellevue. There is no mezzanine, and from what I can tell it won’t take that long to get to the platform. Maybe it could be a little bit shorter, but not much. You can make a good case that they overbuilt the parking lot, but I find it hard to make that case about the station itself.
“Then the Issaquah segment could be an automated segment with single track sections as needed. ” Right, or just become a Stride line that terminates at South Bellevue. Even if they built some fancy Stride stations at Factoria and Issaquah (e.g. the Kirkland 85th interchange rebuild), that would be much cheaper than a full Link line.
Much like Link north of Mariner or south of Federal Way, Issaquah Link will struggle with frequency because 4-car trains is overkill, so a mode that is properly rightsized to demand (e.g. an artic-bus or a single Link car) can provide better all day frequency.
It is noteworthy that this appears to be the only East Link station with no adjacent significant multi-family housing nor destinations at the station.
That could be called a failure. However, since that’s not the case for every other 2 Line station, having one station as mainly a mega-parking garage may be ok. In other words, the 2 Line cities can be commended for allowing TOD at every other station. Even Mercer Island has allowed some (though not as much as they could).
Bellevue wisely has the Transit Center in the walkable downtown, and the P&R on the outskirts. The P&R was established in the 1970s, and is the access point for drivers coming from south and east to transfer to Link.
If only Lynnwood, Burien, and Renton P&Rs were in the outskirts, and if only Issaquah TC bus transfers weren’t in the middle of nowhere.
Having an extra P&R station on the outskirts is the least bad option if we must have a P&R.
Yeah back to the beginning of East Link planning, staff was good a differentiating between “urban” stations (East Main, Downtown TC, etc) and “suburban” stations. Redmond Link perhaps does this best, placing the P&R and bus/carpool transfers at SE Redmond station away from the urban/downtown station, while still using the SE Redmond station to create TOD via the Marymoor Village upzone.
Mercer Island has only 1 station, so they necessarily compromise between creating a good bus transfer environment & facilitating TOD, which then points me towards Issaquah Link. For Bellevue, Factoria will be a “TOD” station while Eastgate will be the “suburban” station with a large P&R and bus transit center, so that should for fine. But for Issaquah, with only 1 station planned in the valley it will be a compromise, so I hope the project evolves into something that better segregates the uses in Issaquah.
Similarly, Kirkland’s lone Link station is clearly a ‘suburban’ station, with the obvious urban station further north no yet planned/funded.
Let’s not forget Mercer Island’s role in all of this. The city did not want that to be the main connection point for I-90 buses, even though it is the best location. They also weren’t too thrilled with lots of people from other areas driving to the island and parking there. Thus Mercer Island Station would not become a huge bus/train station or have a giant parking lot.
Unlike Seattle, people on the East Side also felt it was necessary to build park and rides somewhere (otherwise how do you drive to the train?). The combination left South Bellevue as the obvious choice for some buses and lots of cars.
I don’t think it is bad though. I’m not sure if the agency would have saved much money if they skipped the station. Even if Mercer Island built a major transit center (along with a big park and ride lot) there would still be a few buses going to Bellevue from the south, and some of those riders might want to connect to Link to head to Seattle. Because of the station, those riders have less backtracking.
The biggest flaw with East Link (by far) is that the train doesn’t go on Bellevue Way. The decision to stay east leaves Bellevue with only one good station to the west of I-90 (the Downtown Bellevue Station). Bellevue Way is just a much stronger corridor (with multiple opportunities for good stations) and would have greatly expanded the high-density coverage area of this line.
@AJ — Interesting you brought up Issaquah Link. There are plenty of similarities between this “starter line” and Issaquah Link. If ridership is really high on this starter line (e. g. 50,000 riders) then I see ST being very excited about the future Issaquah Link line. If ridership is low (i. e. less than 10,000) than it is pretty hard to justify the line. If not that many people are riding the starter line despite being connected to the biggest employment center in the region (Microsoft) then I don’t see how Issaquah Link could do any better.
The starter line doesn’t make sense for many Microsoft employees. Many drive in (MS has massive underground parking garages). Many use the company’s own Connector bus service. Many use Metro to get to work (Those living in downtown Redmond, Crossroads, Kirkland, etc.). Many walk in from nearbylarge apt complexes. For many Seattle residents, the route 545 makes more sense than the 550+ELSL). But, for some, it will make sense to use the starter line. Downtown Bellevue residents can take the ELSL to RTS or OVS, for example. I’m not sure how many south or east county MS workers will switch from driving in, to driving to South Bellevue and taking the ELSL the rest of the way in. I suppose some Eastgate and Factoria area MS employees might opt for driving to South Bellevue over taking the route 245 into work. I even suppose some will go a little bit out of their way to take the starter line, because they like the idea of being on a train and using a new train line, even if it isn’t the most logical way to get to work. The game-changer for MS will be when the full 2 Line opens.
Ross, I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison because this starter line won’t be connected to the larger Link network, while an Issaquah link (and/or Kirkland Link) will be connected to the overall Link network. Instead, I think the I90 bus network will be a sufficient benchmark – if ST/KCM struggle to meet peak peak with very high frequency buses, that is when the the project should move forward. Taking a bus from Eastgate TC to S Bellevue will be very comparable to taking Link, so like most bus –> rail corridor upgrades, the upgrade is merited once buses struggle to handle peak capacity. That demand should be there in the 2030s if Bellevue & Issaquah continue build housing a sufficient rate.
Sam: “ The starter line doesn’t make sense for many Microsoft employees. ”
It cones down to whether Microsoft requires paying for parking at either their Overlake campus or at their Downtown Bellevue buildings.
Generally, I think the number of riders on the starter line is a function of parking costs and arrangements in Downtown Bellevue.
There may be some that want to avoid the I-405 traffic congestion between Downtown Bellevue and I-90 but I think that’s much less of a factor. To be clear, South Bellevue Station will likely be over 90%+ people driving to and from the station — park and ride or drop off/ pickup. Some may be bus transfers, but the number walking or bicycling there will be extremely low (unless T-Mobile or Bellevue College creates a huge new shared bicycle fleet).
It’s not just financial cost, it’s traffic. Driving between the Microsoft campus and downtown Bellevue during rush hour takes a long time; the train would be faster, more reliable, and more pleasant.
Just getting a car out of the Microsoft campus in the afternoon rush already takes about as long as walking to Overlake Transit Center and waiting up to 10 minutes for a train.
South Bellevue Way also has congestion. The southbound 550 comes to a near standstill around the station in the PM peak and sometimes weekend afternoons.
South Bellevue Station will be 90% P&R drivers or dropoffs or bus transfers, but we new that from the beginning. The station was chosen to have a Link P&R outside downtown Bellevue and near I-90 and 405.
Microsoft could charge for parking (which they won’t), and the statement that the starter line doesn’t make sense for many Microsoft employees, would still hold true. The starter line will only help a small percentage of MS employees. The full 2 Line will help a much larger percentage of MS workers, but the ELSL won’t.
@Sam,
“ The starter line doesn’t make sense for many Microsoft employees.”
The ELSL doesn’t have to make sense for “many” MS employees to be successful. Most people will still probably drive. This is still America after all.
But some will switch, and some of the people who do drive will still use it for side trips.
And MS employees aren’t the only ones who will use the system.
“Many use the company’s own Connector bus service.”
Yes, and some of these sill still use the sytem for side trips during the day. My neighbor has already told me he intends to do this.
“Many use Metro to get to work”
And some of this will certainly switch to the ELSL. Faster, more frequent, more reliable, better ride quality.
What’s not to like?
Even small subsets of a large number of people is a large number of people. If Microsof’s campus has 50,000 people and 5% of them take Link to work, that’s 1,500 people right there.
The starter line will only help a small percentage of MS employees.
That is probably true, but it still might add up to a significant number of riders. I don’t have trip data or stop data for the RapidRide F, and it is the closest approximation. There is the 566 and about 100 riders a day used to go from Downtown Bellevue to the campus. Link will be a lot more frequent. Other than that though, I don’t see any other trip pair (involving Microsoft) resulting in a lot of ridership. I suppose you can take the 250 from Kirkland then transfer at the Spring Station. When Link gets to Downtown Redmond it will probably get more riders (both transfers and people going from their apartment to work).
You also have travel during the day (not just commuting). Microsoft has offices in Downtown Bellevue, so there may bet travel between the two. Folks might carpool now and decide to take the train. There are also social visits to Downtown Bellevue (and eventually Downtown Redmond). The numbers seem significant, but not huge. Obviously everything is suppressed because of more people working from home as well.
Lazarus, no offense, but it sounds like you might not know where the starter line goes, especially in relation to various eastside neighborhoods. You yourself said you are completely clueless when it comes to the eastside. Maybe it’s best you sit this one out.
@Sam,
“ You yourself said you are completely clueless when it comes to the eastside”
Ah, no. Please don’t put words in my mouth. I never said that, nor would I.
I have said that I don’t get over to the Eastside much, but that is a matter of choice and of convenience. I simply have most of what I need for daily living within a short walk of my house, and I don’t have any need nor reason to spend that much time on that side of the lake.
And I don’t much care for car dependent living anyhow. I’ve spent enough time behind the wheel of a car in my life to know that I don’t want to spend any more than I have to.
I am quite aware of the ELSL and where it goes. In fact, I drove most of the line just this last week. Actually ended up at RTS by accident. A rare event for me, but there I was.
Anyways getting a bit more on topic, what do yall think about the future 545 (Redmond to downtown Seattle) termination and conversion to the 542 (Redmond to uw)
It’ll kinda lengthen transit trip a bit if heading to Redmond since one will have to transfer at uw now
Ross, I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison [Issaquah Link and the starter line] because this starter line won’t be connected to the larger Link network, while an Issaquah link (and/or Kirkland Link) will be connected to the overall Link network.
Except the connection will be largely meaningless. If you are trying to get from Issaquah to Seattle you would be much better off taking an express bus to Mercer Island. If you are going to Redmond, you are better off taking the 269 or transferring at Eastgate to a bus headed north. From Kirkland there are buses that go directly to Redmond as well as Seattle. If you are headed to Downtown Seattle than taking a bus to the UW and transferring there would likely be faster than taking a bus to South Kirkland and then taking two trains to downtown.
The Issaquah Line offers next to nothing from a regional standpoint. It is for travel within the East Side, and primarily to Downtown Bellevue. This is why I think the comparison is apt. The starter line is very similar. The main destination is Downtown Bellevue, although Downtown Redmond and Microsoft are decent destinations. There are several stops and it is largely grade-separated (fast) and thus handy for folks traveling within the area. It works for some trip combinations, but almost exclusively within the East Side. If ridership on the starter line is not really high, I don’t see how ridership on the Issaquah line would be.
Anyways getting a bit more on topic, what do yall think about the future 545 (Redmond to downtown Seattle) termination and conversion to the 542 (Redmond to uw)
It’ll kinda lengthen transit trip a bit if heading to Redmond since one will have to transfer at uw now
I think the assumption is that riders will take Link across the lake. There may be a time penalty (especially in the middle of the day) but it doesn’t look huge (like what would happen if they truncate the 594 at Federal Way).
A SR 520 ST Express bus route from downtown Redmond or Redmond Tech to downtown Seattle can’t outperform the full cross-lake 2 Line in directness and speed if it doesn’t exist.
Generally, I think the number of riders on the starter line is a function of parking costs and arrangements in Downtown Bellevue.
I think that is much more the case with South Bellevue Station than it is the starter line as a whole. South Bellevue Station has very few people or destinations nearby. It has connecting buses, but there is little reason to transfer there. If you are on the 550 from Seattle, chances are you are headed to Downtown Bellevue and the starter line doesn’t add much. I can see a few trips being better, just not that many. Pretty much the only reason you would use this particular station is as a park and ride. Since you’ve already driven to the station, you might as well just keep going to your destination. I suppose there might be some more traffic, but it seems like you’ve already endured a lot, and decided against transit to get to your destination. As I see it, the main reason you would ride the starter line from South Bellevue is if it costs too much to park at your destination (Downtown Bellevue, and to a lesser extent Redmond locations).
But for the line as a whole I don’t see that. This does go through areas that have density. People will walk to a nearby station instead of messing around with driving. Preferences vary. The cost of parking influences this preference, but it isn’t the only factor or even the biggest one. You could have given me free parking downtown (when I worked there) and I still wouldn’t use it. You could have charged me for parking in Factoria and I still would have driven (although I probably would have parked somewhere in the neighborhood and walked). I think the line as a whole is roughly approximated by the RapidRide B. The B had about 6,000 riders before the pandemic, and is slowing creeping back up (it got close to 5,000 last month). A lot of riders will switch, and a lot of riders who were “on the fence” but just didn’t like the speed or frequency of the B will switch to the train.
Ok, Lazarus, if you say know the eastside, I believe you. But when you say things like Microsoft workers will run errands on the ELSL during midday breaks (that makes no sense), or when you say Microsoft workers will switch from Metro to the ELSL (the vast majority can’t switch), it makes it sound like you are unfamiliar with the area, or where the starter line goes.
Also, you are free from car-dependency? Most of your trips are on public transit? I’m very surprised. Congrats.
“Anyways getting a bit more on topic, what do yall think about the future 545 (Redmond to downtown Seattle) termination and conversion to the 542 (Redmond to uw)”
That has been ST’s plan all along. It’s why the 542 was boosted in the U-Link restructure to prebuild that ridership corridor.
“It’ll kinda lengthen transit trip a bit if heading to Redmond since one will have to transfer at uw now”
By the time the 545 is retired, the full Line 2 will be running. Westlake-Redmond Downtown will be around 40 minutes, similar the 545 at 35-39 minutes (noon and 5pm).
Link on Westlake-Bellevue Downtown is coming out at 20-25 minutes, compared to 30-45 minutes on the 550 (noon and afternoon; I’ve timed it several times). It can’t take more than 20 minutes more to get to downtown Redmond.
I thought ST said from downtown Redmond to Westlake on the 2 Line would take 45 minutes.
Oh I guess to clarify it was mainly my Microsoft friends complaining about the future removal of the 545. It’ll go from around 20 minute travel time to 40 minutes taking the 2 line there from Westlake/ Capitol hill to Redmond technology. Or going up to uw and transferring to the 542.
Granted uw does gain a lot more connections and people coming from lynnwood it’ll be a lot faster too so it’s just tradeoffs
I thought ST said from downtown Redmond to Westlake on the 2 Line would take 45 minutes.
Yes, and they are still saying that: https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/downtown-redmond-link-extension. According to the schedule, a similar trip via the 545 takes 33 minutes at noon. So yeah, that is a hit (and bigger than I thought). It is even worse if you are starting a bit to the north (Denny Regrade). The difference shrinks if you are headed to the south end of downtown though.
Ross; “ I think that is much more the case with South Bellevue Station than it is the starter line as a whole.”
I would concur with that. I merely see those that park to ride ELSL here to be the most variable market that exists with factors outside of ST’s control. If parking was free in Downtown Bellevue those parking at this station would mostly keep driving the extra two miles to Downtown. If parking was expensive at RT Station or in the Spring District as it has been in Downtown Bellevue I would expect much higher ridership riding from South Bellevue station to these places too. ST can’t be blamed if the garage here is too empty, nor take major credit if it’s full a month after ELSL opens.
Certainly there will be a baseline volume of riders on ELSL that won’t be driving to it, and that’s probably about 2-4K. It’s that extra market of riders who drive to a station that would be quite variable — a few hundred with totally free parking, but as much as 4K with parking as expensive as it was getting five years ago in Downtown Bellevue.
A final market for using this station is with dropoff and pickup riders. It’s the only ELSL station outside of Downtown Bellevue with nearby HOV access ramps to a freeway (Mercer Island will be better for this once opened). While I see 405 HOV riders pulling off mostly at NE 6th, 90 HOV riders would pull off here — from a typical private vehicle or some sort of private shuttle.
Or going up to uw and transferring to the 542.
That might make sense from Capitol Hill, but anyplace to the south and I don’t think that saves you much. You might as well head south and around via East Link. The transfer at the UW is not a quick one.
I think there will be fairly big hit for riders going from Redmond to Downtown Seattle. I get that Link will be more reliable and a bit more frequent, but the time difference is substantial. It will hit the folks coming and going from the north end of downtown the worst. Not only will they spend more time traveling, but you have to work your way south to Westlake (since the 545 has stops north of Westlake).
You could definitely make the case for retaining the 545 for those reasons. I don’t think it is the biggest need when it comes to East Side regional transit though (let alone general East Side transit). I think a UW to Totem Lake express adds more. The bus could then go to the neighborhood (directly serving the dense Totem Lake neighborhood as well as Lake Washington Institute of Technology). This would enable some handy two-seat rides as well (e. g. Woodinville to UW, or UW Bothell to UW). An alternative would be to extend the bus further north (to Woodinville or UW Bothell). Either way the overlap with the express buses along 405 would make for good regional connections.
Of course if you had both then some riders could transfer along 520 as well. For example, Totem Lake to downtown (especially the north end of downtown). This might be faster than transferring to Link at the UW.
I think that the “winner” for the Issaquah end of the line is a peak overlay that stays on the main line to RTS at least. The buses that cross the jaws are and i creasing will become subject to traffic congestion. And such an overlay would boost intra-Eastside service between South Main and RTS.
It is technically possible to bicycle to nearby Factoria (with T-Mobile) without getting on a highway. Even Bellevue College is reachable for a hearty college student.
I’m expecting to see increasing pressure to provide high-frequency feeder shuttles to here from Factoria and Eastgate areas. It’s going to take too long to wait for the 4 Line opening. While Metro will run connecting bus service, that service extends well beyond these areas and won’t have the allure of a quick round-trip shuttle.
I’m even expecting some talk of a gondola or other cable-pulled service. The challenge is of course Mercer Slough. I’m curious whether or not a transfer platform could be added like at Coliseum BART. Given how expensive and time-consuming that would be, I don’t see that happening unless ST gives up on the 4 Line and this becomes the substitute project.
I was about to say I biked to 119th Ave SE in the 80s. I looked at the map to try to figure out how I did it, and I may have gone south on 114th, which turns into 118th. But if the Mercer Slough trail is wide enough and hard enough to bike across, I may have done that, going south on Bellevue Way to the P&R, across the trail, and south on 118th.
I have biked from South Bellevue station south and then east across the Mercer Slough on the Mountains to Sound Greenway. I have also biked along Lake Hills Connector, but it’s a car sewer.
Yes, a gondola from Eastgate to Factoria to South Bellevue could substantially increase ridership. Modern 3-cable systems could cross the Slough without supports towers. Maybe T-Mobile would pay for it instead of running their own shuttles.
“I’m even expecting some talk of a gondola or other cable-pulled service” – that’s a plausible evolution of the existing Link extension, as that project is far enough in the future it is little more than a finance placeholder at this point.
I’m expecting to see increasing pressure to provide high-frequency feeder shuttles to here from Factoria and Eastgate areas.
Those are two different areas (and two different time periods). With that in mind, here are some combinations:
Factoria or Eastgate to Downtown Bellevue (both time periods) — The train doesn’t add that much. It is highly likely the bus is going to Downtown Bellevue anyway, so it isn’t worth the transfer. In some cases a different bus will go to downtown Bellevue and be better. This is true with the starter line and it is true when Link gets to Seattle.
Eastgate to Redmond (both time periods) — Link might save riders some time, but it means heading the wrong direction and looping around. Folks probably prefer taking a direct bus (like the 245).
Factoria to Redmond (both time periods) — A more direct bus to South Bellevue Station could be popular (as Factoria lies south and west of Eastgate).
Eastgate to Seattle with Starter Line — Link is basically irrelevant. You take an express to Seattle.
Eastgate to Seattle with full East Link — Link is basically irrelevant. You take an express to Mercer Island and transfer to Link there.
Factoria to Seattle with Starter Line — Link is irrelevant.
Factoria to Seattle with full East Link — You need a good connection to Link and South Bellevue works about as well as Mercer Island.
Thus I don’t see much pressure from Eastgate riders, but I could see some from Factoria. The thing is though, the 241 connects riders to both South Link Station and Downtown Bellevue. Consider the two biggest destinations — Downtown Bellevue and Seattle. For Downtown Bellevue they would benefit now (before the starter line). For Seattle the pressure won’t occur until Link goes over the lake, and then the folks have to live with the restructure. Thus I don’t think there is going to be significant pressure placed on any agency until after East Link is complete, and various people will be pleased or unhappy with the restructure (with Factoria largely in the second group).
“hearty college student” – this is where electric bikes + Link + high quality off-street bike corridors are compelling. Between S Bellevue station, Willburton (Eastrail), and the Redmond stations, there are some excellent bike/train transfer opportunities, with an electric bike greatly expanding the 10 bike-shed of those stations. I expect to see a good number of east-siders bike to the train and then train to final destination, and a good number of west-siders take the train across the lake and bike to their final destination.
South Bellevue is fine. Alongside remember that the station sits next to a slough or swamp and blueberry farm so its limits of what the station can sit and stand was going to be limited to being an elevated station. It’s also likely to be an important connection station for riders from Renton, Newcastle, Factoria, Issaquah, North Bend, Snoqualmie, etc. And sometimes that’s what ends up being the purpose of such a station. I will say that it is one of the better connector stations I’ve seen as it doesn’t completely sit on a highway so waiting at the stop will be more pleasant.
@Al (separate thread)
South Bellevue to Factoria and Eastgate
> I’m expecting to see increasing pressure to provide high-frequency feeder shuttles to here from Factoria and Eastgate areas.
There will be kind of is frequent service but the bus routes are semi-complicated due to i-405/i-90 intersection blocking a lot of common routes. There’s 3 bus routes from South Bellevue to factoria
Route 203: peak 20 min, midday 30 min, evenings 30, later evenings 60 min
Route 226*: peak 20 min, midday 30 min, evenings 30, later evenings 60 min
Route 240: peak 15 min, midday 15 min, evenings 15, later evenings 30 min
Combined: peak 6~12min, midday 7.5~13 min, evenings 7.5~13 min, later evenings 15 min ~ 25 min
The left number is the optimal, but it’s probably not that balanced so I put a guesstimate number to the right
Route 226, I think you’ll have to walk from just north of i-90 from eastgate way, but I’ll count it for now lol.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/metro/programs-and-projects/east-link-connections#gallery-2
“I’m expecting to see increasing pressure to provide high-frequency feeder shuttles to here from Factoria and Eastgate areas.”
Skeptical that it will happen, though. Metro’s “equity” focus means long-term shifting of service away from east king and into South King. Sound Transit also just spent a fortune building a giant new parking garage precisely for the purpose of allowing people to bypass the feeder buses.
asdf2, It’s not “giant-enough” to make the station much of a contributor to daily ridership totals on Line 2. If bus-intercept fails, the station fails.
Bellevue could fund this additional service if Metro won’t.
I don’t see why Bellevue would (unless it was part of an overall increase in transit service, similar to what Seattle did). This doesn’t strike me as an area that is particularly underserved. I think the biggest weakness with the restructure is the frequency of the 270 (it is not nearly as frequent as it should be).
“I don’t see why Bellevue would (unless it was part of an overall increase in transit service, similar to what Seattle did).”
That’s what I mean. Bellevue could make its transit better rather than making its residents do without until/if somebody else funds it.
Parts of the Eastside are equity-emphasis areas, including in Crossroads, Issaquah, and Snoqualmie. Factoria/Eastgate may be such an area too; it’s not as affluent as most of the Eastside. Even if it’s not an equity-emphasis area now it may be in the future.
Metro’s East Link restructure is almost finalized; we’re just waiting to see if there are any last-minute revisions after the delay in the full Line 2 opening. It should be submitted to the county council this month I think. But after the restructure, there could be additional service in Factoria, since it’s a designated regional growth center, and it’s where people who can’t afford central Bellevue or Kirkland live, and community college students.
The 226 restructure will extend the southern terminus to South Bellevue Station, so no need to walk to Link.
If I’m waiting for a bus on Factoria Way south of I-90, Route 226 is not an option. Route 240 would require a rider to spend time while the bus jogs up to Eastgate before getting to Link at South Bellevue.
That pretty much leaves only Route 203 directly connecting the station for a rider coming from Factoria Blvd. Route 203 goes all the way to Issaquah Highlands and it only will run 20 minutes at peak, with 30 minutes at midday. That’s hardly a shuttle.
I’ve chatted with several Seattle residents who work in the Factoria and Eastgate areas. They often complain about the inaccessibility of the area from and to Seattle unless they are near the Eastgate freeway stop — which is rather far from most of the area.
The thing is, this is an area that people without cars from Seattle and across the region see more as a destination. The Metro service treats it more like a residential suburb.
I can’t predict what the final service form will be (Private vans? New subsidized short Metro route? Subsidized Uber or Lyft?) but I expect something additional to be implemented.
> If I’m waiting for a bus on Factoria Way south of I-90, Route 226 is not an option. Route 240 would require a rider to spend time while the bus jogs up to Eastgate before getting to Link at South Bellevue.
It’s not efficient to detour if your goal is south bellevue, but with double the frequency I’d imagine that’s what most people would take the first bus rather than skip and wait for the 226
Sorry I meant wait for the 203
I always felt like the 240 going to Eastgate was a mistake. After Factoria, the bus should just seek to connect to Link as quickly as possible. South Bellevue to Eastgate already has the 554, 215, and 218, so doesn’t need the 240.
The problem, I guess, is that some bus has to connect Factoria and Eastgate to each other, but it seems that should be the 203, with the more frequent service being the direct Link feeder.
> The problem, I guess, is that some bus has to connect Factoria and Eastgate to each other, but it seems that should be the 203, with the more frequent service being the direct Link feeder.
The 203 has less frequency at 30 minutes. Honestly while the 240 isn’t the best, I’m not sure how it can be improved with just rerouting buses.
It’s just complicated since its near a freeway interchange and basically one needs to connect the top left (south bellevue station), top right (eastgate p&r) and then bottom right (factoria) . Ideally we’d have the 554 make a stop in factoria, but even if a freeway inline station existed, it’d practically impossible from the center to then enter/exit south bellevue way.
Alternatively I guess we could one of the 215/269 bus routes exit on the local feeder roads so they’d stop at factoria boulevard, (or if an inline freeway station is built, these routes could stop there as well.) Though of course this involves greatly slowing down these bus routes.
“I’ve chatted with several Seattle residents who work in the Factoria and Eastgate areas.”
It has always been like that, especially Eastgate.
“The 203 has less frequency at 30 minutes. ”
How much frequency does Factoria->Eastgate actually need, though? With the full Link opening, it’s not a path to Seattle anymore, and most of the places you can take a bus to from Eastgate transit center, you can take a different bus to from Bellevue Transit Center. There is, of course, Bellevue College, but it’s way less important than the combined value of everywhere the 2 line will go when fully finished, and the 203 would still provide at least some direct service there.
I honestly think the problem here boils down to simple inertia. The 240 goes to Eastgate today, Metro isn’t sure how many people from the south ride it there and doesn’t want to rock the boat. And the south bellevue parking garage makes good Link feeder service less important (at least for people with cars) because they can just drive to the train and not bother with it.
@Al
> How much frequency does Factoria->Eastgate actually need, though? With the full Link opening, it’s not a path to Seattle anymore
It’s a moderately strong segment. You can see it here: https://seattletransitmap.com/eastside/ Part of the ‘problem’ is that route 245 currently goes to that segment.
If i recall correctly, people were asking for way from eastgate to reach factoria so they proposed making such a routing.
You can view the original proposal for route 240 here https://www.theurbanist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Route-240-Concept.png
Perhaps one could have the route 245 continue running to factoria and then have route 240 skip eastgate. Though I guess that then makes the route 240 miss a connection with the 223 and 220.
Factoria reminds me of the Haller Lake area in Seattle. There are some areas with moderately high density but no really big destinations. Haller Lake has the hospital, and some clinics closer to Northgate Way. Factoria has apartment buildings, some retail and some office complexes. Worse yet, neither is part of a really strong corridor. Many of the areas around there are very low density. There are biggest destinations that are fairly close (e. g. Northgate, BCC) but it is awkward to get there. If you are trying to connect to Link the fastest route involves skipping the density or destinations. It all makes for an awkward connection no matter what you do.
Ross: “ Factoria has apartment buildings, some retail and some office complexes. ”
T-Mobile alone has about 5000 employees in Bellevue with most in multiple buildings in Factoria.
The Marketplace at Factoria has about 500,000 square feet of leasable area.
It’s way more than what one finds in Haller Lake.
T-Mobile alone has about 5000 employees in Bellevue with most in multiple buildings in Factoria.
Yeah, I’m well aware of that. I used to work in those buildings when it was owned by Attachmate.
It’s way more than what one finds in Haller Lake.
In terms of total employment, probably. But Haller Lake has the hospital. I have no idea how many people work there, but definitely thousands. A hospital has more people “visiting” than an office. Thus more people may go to Northwest Hospital in a day than go to T-Mobile headquarters. It is certainly in the same ballpark.
I didn’t realize that there is already a “Magenta Express” shuttle service operated by T-Mobile. Information about is us behind firewalls so I can’t say much. However I expect this service will find South Bellevue Station its main focus upon full East Link opening during 2025. There are plenty of months left for them to figure out how to modify their own shuttle program.
[Edit]
I misread the schedule for the 240. My apologies for anyone who read the comment before the correction.
I really don’t see what the problem is. Factoria is in great shape compared to much of the East Side. Just to back up here, “Factoria” is not one particular stop, or even corridor. From T-Mobile there are three bus stops within walking distance. The closest one is along 36th, basically right next to the office buildings (and medical clinic). Every other stop is a bit of a walk. It is about six minutes to the bus stop on Eastgate (https://maps.app.goo.gl/ER5aaY5yUcshWvcS9). It is about the same to the closest bus stop on Factoria Boulevard (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ao1mT3rSmXjHR7TGA). These can be thought of as three different places:
T-Mobile — The 240 will run every 15 minutes peak and midday while connecting riders to Renton, Eastgate, Bellevue College and Link.
Eastgate Way — That same bus *and* a second bus (the 226) which provides additional service to those same areas and then some. If you are headed towards the station then you can take the stop by the freeway and also catch a third bus (the 203) to get to Link or the college.
38th & Factoria Boulevard — You have the 240 (which runs by T-Mobile) and you have the 203 which provides additional frequency to and from Link.
Overall this sounds quite good. In contrast, consider Lake Washington Institute of Technology. It has about 7,000 students (roughly the same size as Seattle U.). There are nearby apartments. It is also not that far (by bus) from the “Village at Totem Lake” (an apartment complex that resembles TOD except without the “T”). To the college (and the roadway connecting to the “Village”) you basically just have just one bus: the 225. It runs every half hour, at best. It does not connect to Downtown Bellevue or Seattle. To get to the UW you can transfer to the 255, which runs every 15 minutes. From that transfer point it takes 45 minutes to get to UW Station (when there is no traffic). To get to Downtown Bellevue you can take the bus as it makes its way to Kirkland, and then take Link. You could also transfer to the Stride Line (whenever that is built). So not only does the bus run infrequently, the trips to any major destination take a very long time. Factoria is a transit paradise in comparison.
Sherwin paraphrases Matt Shelden on service. Rather than no change, there is modest change; in March 2024, Route 221 will be revised to serve the OV Link station on 152nd Avenue NE. More change would have been better: Route 566 would have truncated at BTC; routes 226 and 249 would have served the three Bel-Red stations, and Route 250 would have served the Spring District station.
Shelden also mentions that the arterial pathway of Route 550 will be served by conceptual Route 554. Link will also connect the station pairs via the Main Street station. Why is important that a blue bus serve the soon-to-former Route 550 pathway? The East Link Connections network may have too much service in the area: Route 554 and Route 240 (15/15) on 108th Avenue SE and Route 249 in Enatai and Beaux Arts (30/30?). 108th Avenue SE behind Bellevue High School has speed bumps.
> Shelden also mentions that the arterial pathway of Route 550 will be served by conceptual Route 554. Link will also connect the station pairs via the Main Street station. Why is important that a blue bus serve the soon-to-former Route 550 pathway
The point is for 554 to reach Bellevue downtown from Issaquah. Alternatively it could run on the freeway straight there, but I think reaching more destinations within bellevue itself is fine.
> The East Link Connections network may have too much service in the area: Route 554 and Route 240 (15/15) on 108th Avenue SE
The 554 will be on bellevue way while route 240 is on 108th avenue SE. Though even if it was on the same road, it’s fine it’s just sharing the last mile or two to reach bellevue downtown.
249 is a very weird and circuitous route though there’s not quite any obvious fixes
It’s so that the 554 can kill three birds with one stone.
1. Preserve Issaquah-Seattle trips (current 554) by transferring at South Bellevue. (Avoids significant backtracking.)
2. Preserve Issaquah-Bellevue trips (current 556) by keeping a one-seat ride.
3. Preserve south Bellevue Way service (current 550) that ST Express has served from the beginning. Otherwise it would be withdrawing ST service from a corridor that has long had it. And it’s limited-stop so it’s faster than whatever Metro route is on Bellevue Way.
Orr has the ST story correct.
alternative. Delete Route 249 south of BTC. Place a local route on 108th Avenue SE both north and south of Bellevue Way SE. Serve the Route 550 arterial pathway with Route 240; it would not serve Eastgate.
Route 554 between Highlands and Mercer Island via Eastgate freeway station; Route 555 between Issaquah and BTC via Eastgate freeway station and Richards Road (this was the Route 555 in the past).
The Redmond Downtown extension begins systems integration this month. This includes “rail grinding”, “dead-car tows”, and “rider information and alert systems testing”.
Interesting. That would seem to indicate that RLE could beat its Dec 31 target date for start of revenue service.
LLE is almost done with its verification phase testing (if it isn’t already done), and those type of staff and roles for the most part aren’t needed during simulated service testing. So ST could start verification testing on RLE in mid to late April, which would put the RLE start of revenue service in November.
Either that, or ST is planning to slow walk this one. With ELE and LLE both opening soon, ST does have a lot on their plate.
And ST said it prefers 6 months between openings to avoid stretching staff thin. But downtown Redmond is such a short and simple extension that I think ST could do it with minimal resources if it tried. Just do the technical certification work, and ask the City of Redmond to handle the ceremony planning and logistics and marketing. It’s entirely within Redmond. Marymoor Village is a minor station, and Redmond Downtown station can be seen as a downtown event.
My biggest beef with South Bellevue Park and Ride is that it cost a huge amount of money to build, and is going to do more in the way of cannibalizing riders from existing parking garages in Eastgate and Issaquah, rather than attracting new riders.
By the time the 2 Line is fully operational to Seattle and buses have been restructured, there is essentially no reason for anyone to use the parking garages further east, (except as overflow if South Bellevue P&R is full), which means the existing garages that ST also spent tens of millions on are going to become white elephants.
Maybe ST can make lemonade out of lemons and sell some underused parking garages in Issaquah for use in new development on adjacent land, but otherwise, these facilities seem destined to become permanent empty eyesores.
For eastgate there are some developments. there’s http://eastgatecommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Inland-Group-AH-Eastgate-PREAPP-Submittal-2020.05.29-compressed.pdf and also next to the parking garage there’s Alexan Eastgate https://www.djc.com/news/re/12149250.html
Perhaps the surface parking lot can be converted to some tod as well.
> Maybe ST can make lemonade out of lemons and sell some underused parking garages in Issaquah for use in new development on adjacent land, but otherwise, these facilities seem destined to become permanent empty eyesores.
For issaquah I’d assume people would continue using them to take the 554?
“For Issaquah I’d assume people would continue using them to take the 554”
A few would, but the vast majority wouldn’t. The result will be a large parking garage holding a volume of cars small enough to fit in a surface lot. Enough users that outright closing the garage will be difficult, but still very low utilization. In theory, the unused capacity could be leased out to tenants of new developments next door; in practice, various legal rules would likely get in a way, leading to an end result where the developer of the new building next door spends tens of millions of dollars to build their own parking garage (passed on to tenants through higher rents, including tenants that don’t even have cars), while the ST parking garage that’s already sits 80% empty. A ridiculous waste, resources-wise, but this is how our society works.
Yes, I expect the Issaquah Highlands lot to be used quite a bit (once Link gets across the lake). Service from Issaquah is quite frequent compared to most of the East Side. You have the 554, 203, 269 and 215 running during the day. That works out to over 8 buses an hour. There is also the 218 which will run during peak (every 15 minutes) in addition to those buses. It is also quite a ways from there to Link (with plenty of traffic during rush-hour) making the local park and ride more attractive.
In contrast Eastgate is not that far from South Bellevue. I could definitely see people switching as a result. There are some traffic particulars with South Bellevue though that might make it less attractive. Basically if you are approaching it from the east you have to get on the freeway (https://maps.app.goo.gl/ASYp41Ny6rf9yVzZ7). Some riders might just endure it (since is a short trip) while others may find Eastgate Park and Ride more convenient.
“For Issaquah I’d assume people would continue using them to take the 554”
A few would, but the vast majority wouldn’t.
I don’t see how you can conclude that. During rush hour there will be more than 12 buses an hour leaving Issaquah Park and Ride (heading to Link). You are suggesting that people would rather drive in heavy traffic (from Issaquah to South Bellevue) rather than catch a frequent bus? That is a lot of extra driving. At that point the bus is basically free. It is quite likely that driving to South Bellevue is not only slower, but less reliable than just catching a bus. Someone can catch the 215, 218 and 269 (which all operate as expresses to Mercer Island) and have a very good idea of when they will be at work. In contrast, traffic can be bad or it can be awful. I can definitely see people switching from Eastgate to a different park and ride, but not that many from Issaquah.
“It is quite likely that driving to South Bellevue is not only slower, but less reliable than just catching a bus.” Right – not only do 405 and 90 have significant congestion and solid bus priority via HOT/HOV lanes, but the local street grids also have significant congestion during peak.
Eastgate, Issaquah, and S Bellevue P&R serves completely different markets. Eastgate (unless you are a carpool) and Issaquah P&Rs are difficult to get to if you are already on the freeway. For drivers already on the freeway (i.e. Sno/North Bend drivers on I90, or Renton/Newcastle/S King drivers on 405), S Bellevue will be the best option. But for people who live in SE Bellevue, getting to Eastgate P&R via local streets will be much more compelling than slogging through metered ramps onto the freeway, and same for someone living in Issaquah valley floor (Talus, Olde Town, etc).
This is also mostly a moot question – the big east side P&R consistently filled up pre-COVID (a few times I tried to park at Eastgate too late in the morning and had to give up and drive into work). Once Line 2 runs across the lake, all of these garages will fill up within a few years: free parking + Link will be super compelling. There are many more commuters on the east side than there were pre-COVID (even if some of them only commute 1~3 days a week).
I expext that there will be many white elephant parking garages once Stride and ST2 Link are operating. Some may even be new Sounder South parking garages not even opened yet!
If East Link is so successful that it obsoletes a few suburban parking garages, then so be it. That is why we built it, and that is what we want.
But I suspect that the South Bellevue garage will eventually fill up. It is the best intercept point, and there aren’t a lot of nearby places to Hide and Ride.
Mercer Island will fill up too, as it is also a good intercept point. After that the spillover will move back to the other parking garages that you are worried about. And people will take some sort of shuttle to either MI or South Bellevue.
Link should generate much more demand than the old bus system, so there should be plenty of opportunity to get creative with these garages. They might actually do better in the long run.
But if they sit empty, then that is fine by me.
If East Link is so successful that it obsoletes a few suburban parking garages, then so be it.
He is referring to the parking lot, not Link itself. I get why some people need to drive to a park and ride. But is it worth the money just so folks can avoid a (frequent) transfer? Using that logic we should add park and ride lots at the UW so that folks in Windermere and Laurelhurst don’t have to catch a connecting bus. Same with the U-District Station. That would help those from all over (Wedgwood, View Ridge, Wallingford). But it would also cost a fortune and result in traffic that the buses would (for the most part) have to endure.
Cost has to be factored in, and this was expensive. It is was cheap then it would be different. Then it would be basically like the freeway ramps to Montlake Terrace — now outdated. They served their purpose, and now no one is sure what we should do with them. In this case though a lot of people are expected to switch from parking lots that have fairly frequent bus service (8 buses an hour midday) or we spent a fortune building a lot that not that many use.
Another weird tidbit about the South Bellevue garage…the Issaquah Highlands parking garage, built several years ago, has EV chargers in it, while the brand new South Bellevue P&R garage does not. Is there a particular reason for this policy change? Logically, one would think a commuter park and ride lot would a great place for someone who can’t charge at home to charge while at work. Unless, of course, vandalism and cable theft of EV charging stations have now gotten to the point where installing them at a place like a park and ride would be cost-prohibitive.
My best guess is S Bellevue is an ST garage while the Highlands is a KCM garage.