For immediate release: April 27, 2000

This spring and fall, Sound Transit will build upon their successful ST Express regional bus system by introducing up to five new long-haul, limited stop bus routes serving Everett, Redmond, SeaTac, Lakewood, Auburn and Seattle's downtown, University District and Northgate areas.

A public hearing on the proposed ST Express bus routes by the Sound Transit Board will be held on Thursday, May 11 from 2 - 2:30 p.m. in the boardroom at Sound Transit's Union Station headquarters, 401 S. Jackson St., in Seattle's International District neighborhood.

The new ST Express bus routes being considered by Sound Transit are Route 505 serving Everett to the Northgate Transit Center; Route 540 from Redmond to Seattle's University District; Routes 545 and 546 from Redmond to downtown Seattle; Route 560 from Bellevue to SeaTac; and Route 585 serving Lakewood to Auburn.

Last year - ahead of schedule and on budget - Sound Transit introduced nine new ST Express routes and is on track to offer a total of 18 limited stop, long-haul bus routes by 2001. ST Express is part of the Regional Express division of Sound Transit, which includes numerous capital projects such as improvements to transit centers, park-and-ride lots and HOV lanes.

Voter-approved in 1996, Sound Transit is on track to implement a three-county regional transit system plan known as Sound Move. Along with ST Express, Sound Move includes Sounder commuter rail, an 82-mile system using existing rail lines serving Everett, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Seattle, Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma and Lakewood; and Link light rail, a 21-mile system connecting the cities of Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac and a 1.6-mile system in Tacoma.

For more information on Sound Move write for more information at Sound Transit, Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104, (206) 398-5000 or 1-800-201-4900.

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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.