The Platform

Your express stop for the latest Sound Transit news

Rendering of a stride S3 bus at a station with people waiting

Stride partners with the Washington State Department of Transportation and the community to create a transformative regional transportation system

Publish Date

Stride bus rapid transit will be part of a new regional transportation system, with buses running as often as every 10 minutes.

With connections to Link light rail and other transit services, Stride will help bridge communities in the Puget Sound area. Stride’s three bus lines —S1, S2, and S3— can take you anywhere from Bellevue to Burien, Lynnwood to Bellevue, and Shoreline to Bothell.

Learn more and check out the map of future Stride service.

Travelers on I-405 between Renton and Bellevue experience one of the state’s worst commutes. We want to help fix that.

The Stride S1 Line will run from Burien to Bellevue, and S2 will run from Bellevue to Lynnwood, using Express Toll Lanes (ETL) to help move past traffic. These lanes and Stride stations along the highway are part of what puts the rapid in bus rapid transit.

Sound Transit is partnering with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on Stride to add infrastructure to improve the commute along I-405.  

How does a partnership between Sound Transit and WSDOT work? 

We have been working with WSDOT for over 20 years to transform regional transportation. Stride, a voter-approved and tax-funded project part of the ST3 package, is a continuation of this partnership. Sound Transit distributes funds to WSDOT to build portions of the Stride system in conjunction with their own I-405 improvement projects.  

In this partnership, WSDOT brings expertise in roadway design and construction management in the complex freeway environment. Sound Transit understands transit and how people use it. Our different subject matter experts collaborate on how to make Stride best operate along I-405. Then, WSDOT delivers the freeway improvement projects, meaning the WSDOT team leads the construction and communications.   

WSDOT formed an I-405 Master Plan in 2002, which developed plans and funding for over 150 projects to improve your travel experience. Since WSDOT already had plans to create infrastructure for a high-capacity regional transit system like Stride, this is the perfect opportunity for collaboration.

WSDOT can seamlessly integrate Stride into the I-405 Master Plan’s goals, which saves time and energy spent on planning, contracting, constructing, and maintaining the roads that riders and drivers rely on. Agency partnership helps us make the best use of taxpayer money, a win-win!  

In partnership with WSDOT, we aim to improve community safety, transit access, and travel experience through a variety of transportation projects within the I-405 corridor:  

A rendering of the Northeast 85th Street interchange and inline Stride station looking north on I-405 in Kirkland.
Here's a view of the Northeast 85th Street interchange and inline Stride station looking north on I-405 in Kirkland.

What else is in the works?  

Alongside our WSDOT-delivered projects, we work with cities and community members to invest in pedestrian improvements. For example, Sound Transit is providing support to the City of Kirkland on a new pedestrian and bicycle path near the Northeast 85th Street Stride station. This will connect Kirkland’s downtown to other neighborhoods, making it easier for people to access other areas and Stride stations.  

Beyond new pathways, we connect with agency partners, businesses, community organizations, and the public to understand how to meet different community needs. You might have seen us at local fairs or festivals! We plan to host and attend more community events to talk with our future riders and neighbors.   

Our collaboration with WSDOT and the community will make the Stride system as fast, frequent, and reliable as possible. You can expect overall road, station, pedestrian, and environmental improvements— on top of the fully electric Stride bus rapid transit system!

Our region is growing, ridership levels are rising, and Stride will offer a new way to get around the Puget Sound region. We invite you to stay tuned and sign up for our email list so you can be our partner too.  

Back to The Platform 

Categories