It’s a party: Light rail service begins in Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline

It’s been years in the making, but light rail now runs out of Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline.

Celebrations with entertainment and food trucks are taking place until 8 p.m. Friday.

“This is a historic day for Snohomish County,” said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a press release. “The arrival of light rail marks the start of a transformative regional transit system that will change how we get around and that will provide widespread opportunities for our residents. It’s not just that we can get off of I-5, get out of our cars and enjoy a fast and reliable trip to our destination. Light rail is also helping our environment and ensuring that our economy remains strong for generations to come.”

I flew over the new light rail station and the redesigned and redeveloped Lynnwood Transit Center Sunday as our 737 banked south toward the airport. From above, you could see just how much has changed and how much bigger the complex is compared to what it used to be.

There is a giant parking garage with 1,896 spaces. Street-level parking has grown and new bus access has expanded the entire footprint. Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell said the city has been working for years to ensure the streets around it are ready to handle all the extra traffic.

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“In case you haven’t been in Lynwood for the last five years, we totally redid our downtown thoroughfare of 196th,” Frizzell said. “We have added more streets through this area and, yes, there are one-way streets now. We’ll have access so the buses can get where they need to be.”

The 8.5-mile extension of the 1 Line includes four stations, one at Lynnwood City Center, one at Mountlake Terrace, and two in Shoreline, as well as three new parking structures.

I will tell you that it will be a little confusing the first time you try out the new Lynnwood Transit Center. The new streets and configurations take some getting used to. For starters, you cannot access that parking garage by simply driving into the transit center.

While there is access to the garage from 44th Avenue, you can’t just drive into the main entrance on 46th Avenue and access the garage. You have to drive around the transit center to 48th Avenue. I recommend a test run to get a lay of the land.

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“That it flows has been very important to us since Day One,” Frizzell said. “How do we get people and buses and cars to where they want to be?”

I asked Frizzell about the potential of increased crime flowing into Lynnwood from Seattle. She said the police are prepared to keep the line safe.

“Our police department has worked closely with Sound Transit and with Community Transit because we do want to make this safe for people,” Frizzell responded. “They’ve got all their ducks in a row, so to speak, about how to manage.”

There are no plans to add dedicated officers to the light rail trains or the Transit Center, like what Bellevue Police has done on the Eastside.

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Frizzell called this a generational change for her community and the region because a reliable transit option is now reaching into the suburbs.

“It is much more relaxing than driving on my own,” Frizzell said of her light rail trips. “I get on the train. I can read a book. I can look at my emails, and I know I’m going to get there.”

And that is what I have been hearing from transit riders in Snohomish County. Buses get caught up in the traffic. Trains do not.

A reliable 28-minute trip from Lynnwood to downtown Seattle. That is a game changer.

Editors’ note: This piece originally was published on Tuesday, Aug. 27. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

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