Sound Transit's light rail plans have been stealing headlines lately, but the agency's next expansion projects out of the gates will actually be the three lines that make up the nearly 50-mile "Stride" bus rapid transit (BRT) network. Josh Kline of YouTube channel Build Core recently took a look at the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) plan to improve Interstate 405 in Seattle's Eastside suburbs, integrating BRT infrastructure in their work.
Given the Eastside's growth trajectory, Kline laid out how important BRT will be to ensuring the traffic-clogged I-405 freeway can handle greater trip demand without succumbing to further congestion. Triple-decker freeway interchange stations like NE 85th Street in Kirkland may not be paragons of urbanism, but they will facilitate quick BRT service, with buses able to quickly hop on and off the freeway in dedicated lanes. Riders can take solace that buses come every 10 minutes at peak times as they wait sandwiched between three major traffic arteries.
The Stride S2 line is expected to open in 2028, connecting Lynnwood and Downtown Bellevue. The S1 line is slated for 2029, extending the line south to Renton and over to Burien. An S3 line will serve the SR-522 corridor and open in 2028.
Correction: The original version of this article flip-flopped the S2 and S1 Lines. S2 is the northern line. Due do delays impacting S1 to a greater degree, S2 is opening before S1. They were originally scheduled to open simultaneously.
Doug Trumm
Ryan Packer
