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Sound Transit to add stop on eastbound ST Express Route 554 to serve the International District

Sept. 21 service changes include adjustments to some ST Express routes to increase reliability

Publish Date

Service changes for Sound Transit’s express bus service taking effect Sept. 21 will add a stop to eastbound ST Express Route 554 to serve the Chinatown/International District neighborhood, and adjust the schedules of several other routes to make them more reliable. 

A new Route 554 stop at South Jackson Street and Maynard Avenue South will restore eastbound service to the Chinatown/International District neighborhood that was lost when the route changed in 2018 due to the closure of the Rainier Freeway Station for East Link construction. Route 550 riders in the Chinatown/International District neighborhood who currently board at 2nd Avenue South and South Washington Street will have the option to board Route 554 at this new stop and transfer to Route 550 on Mercer Island.

ST Express Routes 522, 540, 541, 560, 567 and 577 will all have minor schedule changes. Details are available in the September 2019 transit guide.

The updated "Ride the Wave Transit Guide" also  includes an updated timetable for Sounder commuter rail that indicates which trains will operate during reduced weekday service on the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. 

While service on Link and Tacoma Link will not change, riders will begin seeing a change in the way these lines are identified. To improve clarity as the system expands, Sound Transit is changing to a color system for naming Link light rail lines.

  • Link trains from Angle Lake to the University of Washington are now the Red Line. In 2021, the Red Line will open three new stations at Northgate, Roosevelt and the U District.
  • Tacoma Link trains are now the Orange Line. In 2022, the Orange Line will open six new stations in the Stadium and Hilltop neighborhoods.
  • In 2023, Sound Transit will open the Blue Line, with 10 new stations in Overlake, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Judkins Park. Trains will then share tracks with the Red Line serving all stations from downtown Seattle to Northgate.