You know Sound Transit for our Link light rail, Sounder train and ST Express bus service throughout the region, but our voter-approved ST3 expansion will also add a new high-capacity transit mode to the family.
Opening in 2028 and 2029, Stride Bus Rapid Transit will be a new regional service connecting communities north, east and south of Lake Washington.
With easy transfers to Link light rail, King County Metro, Community Transit and other mass transit services, Stride will transform the way you get around the region.
Three Stride lines – S1, S2 and S3 – will utilize new bus lanes and transit priority improvements to help you avoid traffic on some of our region's busiest highways.
In fact, compared to current bus routes, Stride offers faster travel times for transit riders and saves time by:
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Featuring integrated highway stations with direct access to the I-405 express toll lanes, so buses do not have to exit the highway to get to stops.
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Offers quick and easy boarding thanks to off-board payment, multiple bus doors for entry and exit, and larger platforms to accommodate multiple simultaneous bus arrivals and departures.
We're all in this together
With a range of approximately 48 miles and 25 stations, building the Stride network is all about partnerships.
We have worked with the Washington Department of Transportation over the past 20 years on a variety of projects to transform the way people get around Central Puget Sound, and Stride is a continuation of that partnership.
All three Stride projects include changes to existing interchanges that support our new train stations and new express toll lanes.
That's why Sound Transit is distributing funds to WSDOT to build several portions of the Stride system in conjunction with I-405 improvement projects. WSDOT is leading construction and communications on several key Stride-related projects, including:
Visit WSDOT's I-405 project pages to learn more about construction schedules and impacts.
In October, the Sound Transit Board gave the green light to partner with WSDOT to design and build the new Tukwila International Blvd station, which will provide easy access to the Link 1 line and communities south of SR 518.
Sound Transit and WSDOT are in the process of finalizing our construction agreement and once it is in place we will announce a timeline. This project includes the new inline station at the center of SR 518; Pedestrian bridges connecting the Stride station platforms to the Link station to the north and SR 99/Tukwila International Blvd; road works; and paths for easy access on foot, by bike or by bike.
In addition to WSDOT, we also work with cities around Lake Washington to invest in transportation and pedestrian improvements.
For example, the City of Bothell has completed construction of BAT Lane within its city limits and recently completed construction of the NE 185th St. corridor in preparation for Stride.
Sound Transit is also supporting the City of Kirkland with a new pedestrian and bike path connecting to the Kirkland/NE 85th Station, and we are supporting the City of Shoreline's 145th Street and I-5 Interchange Project to improve safety and public access along the NE 145th Street corridor.
Dig in
While partnerships will be critical to building the Stride program, Sound Transit will also directly deliver several parts of the network.
These include our new bus operations and maintenance facility; the Burien Transit Center and the Renton Transit Center (Line S1); Poplar Way in Lynnwood (Line S2); and NE 145th St at Seattle and Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore and Bothell (Line S3).
We also install all stride shelters, communication systems, furniture and other platform facilities.
On August 12, Sound Transit and project partners celebrated the groundbreaking of our bus operations and maintenance facility north of Canyon Park Park-and-Ride in Bothell.
This facility will service and store our new Stride fleet, including the loading mechanisms for our battery-powered double-decker and articulated buses. The Bus OMF will also support some ST Express bus services and provide space for future fleet expansion.
The Sound Transit Board also recently approved completion of two major construction contracts for the Stride program. In September, the board approved a contract with Atkinson Construction to build needed road and station improvements on the Kenmore and Bothell portion of the future S3 line. And in October, the board approved a construction contract with Shimmick Construction for the Renton Transit Center on the S1 line. We assume that work on both construction contracts will begin in early 2026.
This month the board will consider two additional contracts for Stride. The first will be with MV Transportation, Inc. as operator of our new Stride service as well as some ST Express bus service in Snohomish County.
The board will also consider a construction contract with Pivetta Brothers Construction to complete the roadway and stations along the Seattle/Shoreline (NE 145th St) section of the S3 line. Subject to board approval, work in this segment is also expected to ramp up in early 2026.
