LYNNWOOD— “Don’t you just love it when a plan actually comes together,” United States Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) rhetorically stated with enthusiasm for the opening of the Lynnwood Link extension. “This has been a long time coming but it has so worth the wait!”

Hundreds gathered at the Lynnwood Transit Center on Friday morning to celebrate the official opening of the $3.1 billion Lynnwood Link extension connecting both King and Snohomish counties with reliable, cost-efficient public transit. The 8.5-mile extension adds two stations in Shoreline, a station in Mountlake Terrace, and a station in the Lynnwood City Center—just a part of Sound Transit’s expansion that will eventually connect South Snohomish County to the city of Everett.

“The opening of Lynnwood Link is the biggest thing to happen in Snohomish County since the first 747 rolled out of the Boeing plant in 1967,” said Washington State Senator and Chair of the House Transportation Committee Marko Liias. “Light rail will enhance mobility, reduce congestion on critical corridors, and empower all of us to make new and different transportation choices. We have been waiting for this day for decades, I am thrilled it’s finally here.”

Senator Murray shared how for almost two decades she fought in Washington D.C. to secure the funding to bring commuter rail to Washington state. She acknowledged her fellow colleagues, United States Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), for working with her “every step of the way.”

“I remember pressing the Department of Transportation in hearings and letters and phone calls and just about every way I could save the Lynnwood Link extension from the chopping block in a signed Full Funding Grant Agreement,” Senator Murray said, who is also the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

In 2016, Sound Transit became the first transportation agency in the country to enter into a master credit agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation. By 2018, the agency received a $1.17 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) for its Lynnwood Link light rail extension from the Federal Transit Administration, then the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau on December 19, 2018, also executed a $658 million low-interest loan supporting the Lynnwood extension.

“Of the $9 billion in funding commitments invested by the Trump Administration to support the nation’s transit infrastructure since January 20, 2017, this $1.17 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement is the largest, said then-FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams at the Lynnwood Link groundbreaking five years earlier. “This investment in the Lynnwood Link project will improve mobility for thousands of people in the Puget Sound region.”

The almost $2 billion in funding secured from the federal government in 2018 allowed Sound Transit to break ground on September 3, 2019, for its 8.5-mile Lynnwood Link Extension to connect Lynnwood’s City Center with Northgate in King County. Both then-Mayor Nicola Smith and then-councilwoman Shannon Sessions shared at the groundbreaking ceremony that Lynnwood will be the regional model for Light Link Rail.

“Lynnwood Link, and all of the improvements that will come to our city as a result, will be a catalyst for a vibrant and interconnected community that supports living, learning, doing business and enjoying life,” said then-Mayor Smith.

The Northgate, Roosevelt and University District Link light rail stations opened on October 2, 2021, followed by the Tacoma Link extension on September 16, 2023, and the Bellevue to Redmond light rail route earlier this year.

Originally East Link (Line 2) was to fully open in June of 2023, prior to the Lynnwood Link, but supply chain disruptions due to the COVID shutdown of 2020 and a four-month concrete strike in 2021—both external challenges outside of Sound Transit’s control—coupled with construction quality issues along the entire stretch of the I-90 bridge portion of the light rail track discovered in June of 2022—specifically, faulty concrete plinths, and defective pre-cast blocks and nylon fasteners bolt inserts—resulted in a partial opening on April 24 along the Redmond to Bellevue route only.

The remaining portion of Line 2, along I-90, is now scheduled to open in 2025, which will then allow residents from Lynnwood City Center to travel to Bellevue via the International District/Chinatown Station in downtown Seattle.

According to Sound Transit’s adopted realignment strategy, the Lynnwood-Mariner extension is to be complete in 2037, and the Mariner-Everett link to open in 2041. Yet the parking for the Everett link is scheduled to be complete in 2046.

“The opening of Lynnwood Link is a testament to the hard work of the construction teams and Sound Transit staff who have worked for years to make this project a reality,” said Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman. “They persevered through the pandemic and a four-month concrete delivery strike to bring us to today’s celebration. Lynnwood Link’s opening also marks a transformative moment in Sound Transit’s history, as we enter Snohomish County. With the openings of the full 2 Line next year and the extension to Federal Way in 2026, we will have more than doubled the size of our system in just a few years, providing the residents of our region great options for easy, efficient travel to even more destinations.”

The Lynnwood Link extension increases the light rail system from 39 stations and 35 miles of track to 53 stations and 62 miles of track with trains running every 8 minutes during peak hours. Sound Transit expects approximately 50,000 people—pre-pandemic estimates—to use the Lynnwood Link daily.

“It’s not just that we can get off of I-5, get out of our cars and enjoy a fast and reliable trip to our destination,” said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. “Light rail is also helping our environment and ensuring that our economy remains strong for generations to come.”

“The Lynnwood Light Rail Link opens today and so does a new chapter in the history of Lynnwood,” Lynnwood City Council President George Hurst told the Lynnwood Times. “The bedroom suburb with strip malls is being transformed into a major city in South Snohomish County. Lynnwood is the regional model for development around the light rail station. The walkable and vibrant City Center that residents have wanted for years will soon follow. It is an exciting time to live in Lynnwood.”

The project is the culmination of 15 years of dedicated work. Voters approved the Link light rail system initially back in 1996, which included service from SeaTac airport to the University of Washington in Seattle, with a Northgate extension dependent on funding. Voters then approved Sound Transit’s 15-year program in 2008 which included the extension to Lynnwood and east to Bellevue/Redmond, and in 2016 approved extending light rail north to Everett and south all the way down to Tacoma by 2044.

“You cannot have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure,” said U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, the lead Democrat on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks in part to historic federal investments, Sound Transit light rail has arrived in Snohomish County, and that means more jobs and opportunity for Northwest Washington. 

Lynnwood is adding more than 3,000 housing units to its City Center because of light rail. Active construction sites along the Lynnwood Link extension will add over 10,000 new apartment units within walking distance of the new rail system, whose residents will take advantage of leveraging the transportation system’s investments. On Sound Transit property alone, there have been a total of 3,300 new living options built, the majority of which (2,200) are classified as affordable housing.

Housing Hope is currently building an additional 160 new affordable homes directly next to the Lynnwood City Center station, three quarters of which will serve larger families (three-to-four-bedroom units) which is in desperate need for the region.

“Lynnwood has been preparing for this milestone since the creation of our Legacy Lynnwood plan in 1993,” said Sound Transit Board Member and Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell. “This achievement would not have been possible without our community’s incredible support, and for that, I am grateful.”

Lynnwood’s City Center light rail station will have 1,670 free parking spaces for commuters with an additional 688 parking spaces at the Mountlake Terrace station, and 500 parking spaces at each of the two Shoreline stations.

Projected travel times from Lynnwood to University District Station is 18 minutes; to Westlake in downtown Seattle is 28 minutes; and to SeaTac Airport is 65 minutes all at the flat rate of $3. Low-income fares and senior discounts of just $1 are also available. Riders can even use the Transit Go app to pay their fare so no need for an Orca Card. All riders using the app will have to do is show their paid fare to one of the many Fare Ambassadors patrolling the trains directly from their phone.

As far as security goes, Sound Transit is committed to ensuring riders have a safe trip. It currently contracts with Allied Security and law enforcement agencies providing 550 commissioned security guards within its system who will be working around the clock during the train’s regular operations from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays and holidays. Security will also be stationed during nonoperational hours to protect facilities.

Fare Ambassadors will check passengers for proof of payment at Link stations. They will also help new riders navigate the rail system. Elevators to the platform are available for those with ADA needs.

Artwork done by Preston Singletary, Claudia Fitch, David Franklin, a hummingbird, a kitchen window, and artistic yet functioning streetlamps, adorn the station as passengers trickle in to load their Orca cards with fare and board the train to whatever destination awaits.

The Lynnwood City Center Station—including the parking garage and plaza—is the first Sound Transit project to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.  Specific achievements include the following:

• 30% energy cost reduction vs the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline, with advanced metering for real-time monitoring
• 34% indoor water use reduction through efficient fixtures vs EPA baseline
• 71% reduction in irrigation water use through native, drought-tolerant plant species vs EPA baseline
• 85% of open space covered in vegetation via pedestrian promenade, walkways, bike trails, and planting areas
• 81% of construction waste diverted from landfills
• 100% of paints, coatings, adhesives, sealants, flooring, ceiling, and insulation met LEED low-VOC requirements

Though construction of Lynnwood Link involved removing some trees along the 8.5-mile stretch, Sound Transit planted just over 15,000 trees, nearly three times as many as it had to remove. The agency will maintain the newly planted trees along the alignment for up to 13 years, greatly improving their survival rates.

“The opening of Lynnwood light rail service is a major milestone for our region,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine. “For the first time, our light rail system connects two counties, bringing us closer to the vision of an integrated, high-capacity transit network for Central Puget Sound. This achievement is the result of community support, careful planning and construction, and sheer persistence. Now, it’s time for Snohomish County to hop aboard reliable, traffic-free, carbon-free Link light rail.”

Stacy & Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman and Skanska Constructors performed the civil construction on the extension. Mass Electric completed the systems work, which included the overhead catenary, traction power, signaling, and communications. 

Skanska, a global construction and development firm based out of Stockholm, Sweden, was a critical partner to the success of the Lynnwood Link extension. It served as the General Contractor for the construction of the Lynnwood City Center and Mountlake Terrace stations, built the Lynnwood City Center Station’s five-story parking garage and was responsible for meeting the construction standards required for the LEED Gold certification of that station. 

Skanska was also responsible for the Lynnwood Link Extension (L300) section delivering 3.8 miles of light rail guideway connecting the cities of Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood to the north of Seattle.

“As I was listening to the speeches today, what really resonated with me, is what we [at Skanska] tried to achieve as an organization, building projects that include the community that we work in and improving the lives of those that live in the community,” Ryan Clayton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Skanska USA told the Lynnwood Times. “To hear that message and theme come through from all of the elected officials just gives you a sense of pride for the work the men and women who work in our organization, and the time and effort they put into it really brings value.”

Clayton informed the Lynnwood Times that throughout the lifecycle of the project, Skanska employed approximately 1,000 from union trades.

“What we try to do as an organization is make sure that we put together on-the-job mentorship,” Clayton said.

Skanska is hoping to continue its work with Sound Transit on the West Seattle extension. It is actively working currently with WSDOT on the $4.1 billion 520 Portage Bay Bridge Project, that is expected to complete in 2031, and is building express toll lanes on the 405 through the city of Bothell that is expected to wrap up in 2028.

Infrastructure design firm HNTB collaborated with Sound Transit to ensure its design was consistent and compliant with the transportation authority’s standards, all while keeping costs under control. HNTB’s team selected the most effective type of structure for the region—precast concrete girders which the company used consistently throughout most of the stretch.

What stood out about this project to Moein El-Aarag, Group Director and Associate Vice President at HNTB, is its sheer scale and complexity, he informed the Lynnwood Times. Unlike the smaller projects he has managed in the past, Lynnwood’s light rail had a significantly larger footprint. 

“It feels incredibly rewarding [to have been a part of the light rail expansion]. I’m truly grateful to be working on a project of this magnitude that will have a lasting impact on Western Washington,” El-Aarag told the Lynnwood Times. “There’s a unique satisfaction in being part of something that connects communities and improves lives on such a large scale… I couldn’t be prouder to contribute to a project that will bring such significant benefits to our community, both now and for future generations.

Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link light rail expansion is particularly special to El-Aarag as a Lynnwood resident. He continued that the impact of the project goes beyond improving mobility it will “enhance the quality of life for many people across the region.”

Changes to Community Transit Routes to align with Sound Transit Centers

Community Transit is making major changes and improvements to bus service on September 14. The changes come two weeks after Sound Transit’s Link light rail 1 Line extends to Snohomish County. It’s not too early for people to plan their new commute or explore new ways to travel by transit. Trip planning tools (below) are now available to help people get ready for September 14.

What to expect on September 14:

• Riders should check for schedule updates since there are changes on most routes for more frequent and reliable service.
• Commuter routes to Northgate and Seattle will be eliminated and replaced with new express and local routes that connect to light rail. Swift Blue Line is also extending south to connect to the Shoreline North/185th light rail station.
• There will be more bus service running more often, including on weekends.

Simplified bus fares start September 1 — $2.50 for all adult fares, $1.25 discounted fares for those who qualify, and kids 18 and under ride free. Using an ORCA card is the easiest way to pay.

Riders should take a few steps now to get ready for September 14:

• Check Maps & Schedules on Community Transit’s website to view the Sept. 14 preview schedules.
• Use the Plan My Trip tool to build a customized trip plan any time. Be sure to set the arrival or departure date to Sept. 14 or later.
• Visit the Service Change web page to see maps and videos for changing routes.
• Contact Customer Care at riders@commtrans.org or (425) 353-RIDE (7433) for personalized trip planning or printed materials.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Senior Reporter Kienan Briscoe contributed to this article.