You know Sound Transit for our Link light rail, Sounder train, and ST Express bus service across the region, but a new high-capacity transit mode will also join the family as part of our voter-approved ST3 expansion.
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 local transit services, Stride will transform your options for getting around the region.
Three Stride lines — S1, S2, and S3 — will use new bus lanes and transit priority improvements to help you avoid traffic on some of our region’s busiest highways.
In fact, Stride will offer faster travel times for transit riders compared to current bus routes, saving time by:
Using Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, queue jumps, and express toll lanes along I-405 and SR 522.
Featuring inline freeway stations with direct access to I-405 express toll lanes, so buses won’t need to exit the highway to access stops.
Taking advantage of transit signal priority to shorten wait times at busy intersections.
Offering quick and easy boarding thanks to off-board payment, multiple bus doors for entry/exit, and larger platforms to accommodate multiple simultaneous bus arrivals and departures.
Arriving every 10-15 minutes to minimize your wait time.
We’re all in this together
With approximately 48 miles of service and 25 stations, building the Stride network is all about partnerships.
We’ve worked with Washington’s Department of Transportation on a variety of projects over the past 20 years to transform how people get around the Central Puget Sound, and Stride is a continuation of this partnership.
All three Stride projects include changes to existing highway interchanges that will support our new 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 the construction and communications on several key projects related to Stride, including:
The Tukwila International Blvd Inline Station Project.
Visit WSDOT’s I-405 project pages to learn more about construction timelines 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 create easy connections to the Link 1 Line and communities south of SR 518.
Sound Transit and WSDOT are now finalizing our construction agreement, and once it’s in place, we’ll announce a schedule. This project will include the new inline station located in the center of SR 518; pedestrian bridges connecting the Stride station platforms to the Link station to the north and to SR 99/Tukwila International Blvd; road work; and pathways for easy walk/roll/bike access.
In addition to WSDOT, we’re also partnering with cities surrounding Lake Washington to invest in transportation and pedestrian improvements.
For example, the city of Bothell completed BAT Lane construction within its city limits and has recently completed construction on the NE 185th St. corridor in preparation for Stride.
Sound Transit is also supporting the city of Kirkland on a new pedestrian and bicycle path that connects to the Kirkland/NE 85th Station, and we’re supporting the city of Shoreline’s 145th Street and I-5 Interchange Project to improve safety and transit access along the NE 145th Street corridor.
Digging in
While partnerships will be key in helping build the Stride program, Sound Transit will also deliver several parts of the network directly.
These include our new Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility; the Burien Transit Center and Renton Transit Center (S1 Line); Poplar Way in Lynnwood (S2 Line); and NE 145th St in Seattle and Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore and Bothell (S3 Line).
We’ll also install all Stride shelters, communication systems, furnishings, and other platform amenities.
On Aug. 12, Sound Transit and project partners celebrated the groundbreaking of our Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility, located north of the Canyon Park Park-and-Ride in Bothell.
This facility will service and store our new Stride fleet, including the charging mechanisms for our double-decker and articulated battery-electric buses. The Bus OMF will also support some ST Express bus service as well, and it will include space for future fleet expansion.
The Sound Transit Board also recently approved execution of two important construction contracts for the Stride program. In September, the Board approved a contract with Atkinson Construction for construction of the roadway and station improvements required through 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 expect work for both construction contracts to ramp up in early 2026.
This month the Board will consider two additional contracts for Stride. The first will be with MV Transportation, Inc., as the operators 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 for completion of the roadway and stations along the Seattle/Shoreline (NE 145th St) portion of the S3 Line. Pending Board approval, work in this segment is also expected to ramp up in early 2026.
How to stay in touch
You can expect to hear more updates on Stride progress as construction advances. Be sure to subscribe to our email list to stay tuned for news and upcoming events.
Questions in the meantime? Reach out to the Stride project team by email at brt@soundtransit.org, or by phone at (206) 556-5277.