Metro and Sound Transit kicked off a month of public outreach to inform Eastside bus commuters and other bus riders who stop at the Rainier Freeway Station about changes coming in September 2018 as a result of construction on East Link light rail . Customers can learn more about these changes through an online open house and in-person drop-in sessions throughout January.
Current Rainier Freeway station bus stops are located over Rainier Avenue alongside I-90 in each direction. Buses pull to the side to serve the stops and then continue along I-90 without having to exit the freeway. These stops will be closed as part of the construction of the East Link light rail extension, and will become the Judkins Park Link station when East Link begins operating in 2023.
During construction the following routes will be affected:
- Sound Transit routes 550 and 554
- King County Metro routes 111, 114, 212, 214, 216, 217, 218 and 219
While these routes will continue to serve downtown Seattle, they will either bypass the Rainer Freeway Station or serve stops at different locations on Rainier Avenue. Routes that serve Rainier Avenue from the Eastside will exit I-90 at Rainier, and continue downtown via surface streets. There will be no changes to bus routing on the Eastside.
Riders are encouraged to learn about changes to their routes early and to plan ahead for impacts to their routines. Details are available through the online open house at https://i90servicechanges.participate.online/.
For more information
- Drop-in sessions are scheduled at the Issaquah Transit Center on Jan. 18; the Bellevue Transit Center on Jan. 23; and the Rainier Freeway station on Jan. 25. All drop-in sessions run from 3:30 – 7 p.m. Details about these sessions are available on the open house website.