What’s going on at the Bellevue Transit Center

The Bellevue Transit Center has been at the heart of ST Express bus service on the Eastside for several decades, with tens of thousands of riders passing through each month – and it is at the core of an even larger project currently under construction: Stride bus rapid transit.  

Stride is Sound Transit’s new all electric rapid bus transit system. When it opens later this decade, it will provide connections every 10-15 minutes, 17+ hours a day, between Burien and Bellevue (S1), Bellevue and Lynnwood (S2), and along SR 522 between Shoreline and Bothell (S3). 

All three lines will intersect with Link light rail, with Bellevue Transit Center and Bellevue Downtown Station serving as a major Eastside hub.  

In preparation for its role as serving Stride S1, S2, ST Express Service, other transit systems, and the Link 2 Line, the Bellevue Transit Center is getting some upgrades – and in order to complete those, parts of the station are being closed for construction.  

This work, which started in late July, will make modifications to the station canopy to accommodate the new all-electric double decker fleet that will operate on S1 and S2, refresh existing canopy steel, and install new Stride-specific signage, including pylons and real time information screens.  

This work is scheduled through January 2027, but only half of the station will be closed for construction at any given time, starting with the east side. In October, work will conclude on the bays that are currently closed, and the project will move across to complete their work.  

This work, combined with the fall service change and the upcoming flip to the other side of the station, means that bus bay assignments will be changing more often than normal. For riders on the ground, Sound Transit and partner agencies are working to deliver improved temporary signage, and for those planning their trips the best ways to stay informed are to subscribe to rider alerts and Stride S1/S2/S3 construction alerts.