A sneak peek into Lynnwood Link

Northbound train arriving at Shoreline North/185th

On Wednesday, Sound Transit invited members of the media for a preview ride of the Lynnwood Link extension. The extension officially opens on Friday, when Lynnwood will officially inherit the mantle of Link's northern terminus from Northgate. The completion of Lynnwood Link represents a major milestone in ST2 expansion. The other points of ST2 expansion, namely Federal Way and the 2 Line connection across I-90, will have to wait until next year or potentially 2026 to open.

A full album of the preview ride can be viewed here.

The tour commenced at the line's northern terminus, Lynnwood City Center station, which sits next to the existing Lynnwood Transit Center. Prior to the ride, both King County Executive Dow Constantine and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers gave remarks on the extension. Constantine, in particular, highlighted the sheer amount of housing that has been built or will be built: some 10,000 units within the new station areas. According to Constantine, 3,300 units are on Sound Transit property alone, of which 2,500 are considered affordable.

Looking north from the Lynnwood station platform: unrealized TOD potential

At Lynnwood City Center, there is still a substantial amount of construction taking place outside the station but a direct walkway from the station plaza to the main intersection at 44th Ave W and 200th St SW is a welcome pedestrian link. But as the Urbanist's Ryan Packer pointed out, TOD and good pedestrian connectivity can be outweighed by lengthy crossing signals.

New housing developments to the north and east of the station have sprouted up, but the land use in the immediate station area is still predominantly auto-oriented: large surface parking lots and strip malls. Despite being the most commercial setting of the four Lynnwood Link stations, the station area also has the most underwhelming amount of TOD planned in the near future.

Pedestrian walkway connecting 44th/200th to the station

Mountlake Terrace station connects with the existing transit center and freeway station. A substantial amount of multi-family housing has cropped up south of the station although the surrounding area remains largely single-family residential. Most of Lynnwood Link is freeway-running; however, the stations are still largely set out of the I-5 right-of-way, which helps protect against some of the adverse effects that are more apparent with freeway median stations in other light rail systems.

Housing south of Mountlake Terrace

Shoreline North/185th station may be my personal favorite. The station bears a stark orange color palette that blends well against a backdrop of other blue and green elements. The aesthetic also fits a large nearby multifamily complex, which has sprung up just north of the station. Like its other companions, the station is accompanied by a large park-and-ride, but easy access to NE 185th and destinations west of I-5 is a plus for pedestrian connectivity.

TOD north of Shoreline North/185th

Shoreline South/148th is the southernmost of the Lynnwood Link stations, until the infill station at 130th is built. There is the least visible amount of new housing development here, although some 3,000 units are planned in the station area. Indeed, the most prominent feature from the station platform is the bus loop and parking garage.

View from platform at Shoreline South/148thA southbound train departing Shoreline South/145th station

Tomorrow we'll have a summary of all the day-of events and festivities. And in less than two days, members of the public will get to join in on the fun with plenty of opportunities for readers to chime in on their own experiences.