A Sound Transit bus in the shadow of the Northgate Lightrail Station in Seattle. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

A Sound Transit bus in the shadow of the Northgate Lightrail Station in Seattle. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Sound Transit to keep some Snohomish County bus routes

Routes 510, 512, and 513 will change, but they’ll still be around.

LYNNWOOD — A temporary bus line, Route 515, will run from the Lynnwood City Center station to downtown Seattle, to alleviate overcrowding concerns on the new 8½ miles of Link light rail track set to open in late August.

Sound Transit will offer the express route until the east side Link, known as the 2 Line, crosses Lake Washington sometime in 2025. Once that happens, Sound Transit will have a much easier time making sure train cars are maintained and on time.

The Sound Transit Board of Directors approved the plan in a vote late last month.

Sound Transit — with Community Transit as a subcontractor for the routes — will continue to operate routes 510, 512, and 513. Routes 512 and 513 will be shortened to run between Everett and Lynnwood City Transit Center. Route 510 from Everett to downtown Seattle will continue temporarily and then get reevaluated in 2025.

The route changes will go into effect Aug. 30, the day the light rail extension to Lynnwood opens.

“I appreciate the partnership and the collaborative way that Sound Transit has worked with Community Transit and King County Metro to make this happen, and for taking the concerns of the overcrowding serious enough to get creative and make this happen,” Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell, who also serves on the Sound Transit board, said at last month’s meeting. “I just can’t express my appreciation more than that.”

Sound Transit expects between 47,000 and 55,000 daily riders on the new light rail route to Lynnwood by 2026. The Lynnwood Transit Center parking garage has 1,670 spots and another 226 outside. The garage is owned by Sound Transit and connects with the rail station.

The Mountlake Terrace Station offers another 890 parking spaces. The new Swift Orange Line, which connects to Alderwood Mall and its large parking lot, also connects with several park and rides.

During the meeting March 28, Sound Transit officials also said they had found more rail car storage sites along the 1 Line of the Link. This should allow for faster service times, Sound Transit planner Brian de Place said.

“We now believe we have found enough storage that we can continue to deliver 8-minute peak headways with four-car trains when we extend to Lynnwood,” he said.

He also told the board that “with this additional capacity, we believe that crowding will be at manageable levels, on average, until the 2 Line crosses Lake Washington, and we can then return to our plan of 4-minute combined headways.”

Sound Transit is also switching to a flat $3 fare for Link trips, starting in August when the train reaches Snohomish County. Commuters will no longer have to tap off at the end of a ride.

Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Traffic slows as it moves around the bend of northbound I-5 through north Everett on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Paving project will close I-5 lanes in Everett

Crews will close up to 4 lanes overnight for weeks to complete the $8.1 million repairs.

Top, from left: Bill Wheeler, Erica Weir and Mason Rutledge. Bottom, from left: Sam Hem, Steven Sullivan.
Candidates seek open District 1 seat in crowded race

Five people are aiming to take the open seat left after current council member Mary Fosse announced she would not run for reelection.

From left to right, Lynnwood City Council Position 3 candidates Josh Binda, Tyler Hall and Bryce Owings.
Position 3 candidates focus on affordability amid city’s growth

City Council Vice President Josh Binda is seeking a second term against challengers Tyler Hall and Bryce Owings.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

District 1 candidates talk financial priorities, student needs

Three newcomers — Carson Sanderson, Arun Sharma and Brian Travis — are eyeing the vacant seat on the district’s board of directors.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Snohomish man, who trained extremists, sentenced for illegal gun possession

An FBI investigation revealed Benton posted violent extremist content, neo-Nazi propaganda, and anti-Semitic materials on social media.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Fire at Quil Ceda Creek Casino forces evacuations

Marysville fire received reports of a commercial fire Thursday afternoon. People are advised to avoid the area until further notice.

Edgewater Bridge construction workers talk as demolition continues on the bridge on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crews complete demolition of Edgewater Bridge

City engineers say work is still on pace to open the vital connection between Everett and Mukilteo in early 2026.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, center, speaks to reporters alongside Solicitor General Noah Purcell, left, and Northwest Immigrant Rights Project Legal Director Matt Adams, right, outside a Seattle courthouse where federal appeals court judges heard arguments over President Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship on June 4, 2025. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
Appeals court maintains WA’s nationwide block of birthright citizenship order

A federal appeals court on Wednesday agreed with a Seattle judge’s decision… Continue reading

Bothell
Deputies: Motorcyclist, 19, dies after crashing into fence near Bothell

Detectives believe the rider lost control when navigating a turn Thursday morning.

The orca Tahlequah and her new calf, designated J57. (Katie Jones / Center for Whale Research) 20200905
Whidbey Island local Florian Graner showcases new orca film

The award-winning wildlife filmmaker will host a Q&A session at Clyde Theater on Saturday.

A digital render of the Food and Farming Center in its planned location in McCollum Park. (Image provided by Snohomish County Planning and Development Services)
Snohomish County Council pass Food and Farming Center regulations

Fundraising will take place through 2026. Phase one of construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.