Stride 3 BRT Part 1: Seattle, Lake Forest Park, and Kenmore

Stride 3 BRT map by Sound Transit

On February 26, Sound Transit announced the ground-breaking of Stride 3 BRT construction. Stride 3 BRT will be a new avenue running BRT on SR 522 (Bothell Way) from Seattle/Shoreline via Lake Forest Park and Kenmore to Bothell. The Stride 3 will connect the north Lake Washington corridor to the regional rail spine. The bus will run every 10 to 15 minutes and stop at 14 stations. This article will go over the choices for the Seattle to Kenmore segment and review the design plots released by Sound Transit.

145th Street vs Lake City Way NE Alignment

We'll start with a very brief history of the alignment of the western section. (The Woodinville segment will be discussed in the next article).

2005 Long Range Plan by Sound Transit2014 SR 522 bus plan

Originally the Sound Transit 2005 Long Range plan called for a high capacity transit (tram or BRT) starting from Roosevelt Station north up Lake City Way NE and then continuing north on Bothell Way through Lake Forest Park and then ending at Bothell. The 2014 plan started considering ending the high capacity transit (will say BRT from now on) at Northgate Station instead using Northgate Way.

2015 FEIS Lynnwood Link ExtensionSR 522 / NE 145th BRT route by Sound Transit

In 2015, the Lynnwood Link FEIS was released, establishing the Shoreline South Station next to I-5 & 145th Street. Prior to the FEIS, Sound Transit was unsure if the Lynnwood Link extension would be built on Aurora Avenue or along I-5. Even after selecting the I-5 alignment, the draft Lynnwood Link EIS left the specific set of station locations at N 185th, N 155th, NE 145th and N 130th stations along I-5 undecided. After the 145th Street (Shoreline South) station was confirmed, the SR-522 BRT project was modified terminate at the new station by routing its western leg along NE 145th street instead.

Shoreline South TerminusShoreline South station by google maps

The Stride 3 BRT will start from Shoreline South Link station and head east on NE 145th Street. Most riders from Bothell, Kenmore, and Lake Forest Park will transfer here for Link light rail and head further south to downtown Seattle.

Stride 3 BRT stops to the east of 15th Ave NEApartments in Red, Retail in Blue

The first stop is at 15th Ave NE, next to the Goodwill and QFC. There's a couple garden-style apartments both to the north and east.

Lake City StationsLake City on google maps, bus stops annotated in red

Near the Lake City neighborhood there will be two stops, the 30th Avenue stop and the NE 153rd Street stop. The Lake City neighborhood features a significant concentration of apartments and townhouses, providing a decent residential base for the BRT.

30th Avenue Stop designNE 153rd Street Stop design

The 30th Avenue stop will serve as the primary BRT stop for Lake City neighborhood. Located 1000 ft / 0.2 miles away from the SR 522/NE145th intersection, the stop is much closer than the NE 153rd street station which sits 0.45 miles north of the intersection.

Lost SR 522 & NE 145th Station Pair 2019 10% plan2021 30% plan

Originally, NE 145th Street was slated for widening from 5 to 6 lanes. This would allow 2 westbound general lanes and in the eastbound direction 2 left turn lanes, 1 through lane/ left turn bus lane, and 1 right turn lane. Crucially, this 6-lane footprint would have allowed a dedicated station pair just north of the intersection.

However, the design was scaled back to maintain the existing 5-lane width. To preserve the new second eastbound left turn lane, planners removed one westbound general lane and eliminated the originally proposed SR 522 & NE 145th station pair.

2019 Stride 3 BRT diagram with annotations. Actual bus stops being built shown in a green circle.
Moved bus stops have pink arrow

Here is an overview of the stations have been removed or shifted from 2019 refined design diagram. The 25th Ave NE & NE 145th bus stop was shifted to 5 blocks east to the 30th Ave NE, while the station pair at SR 522 & NE 145th in Lake City was completely removed.

Lake Forest ParkStride 3 BRT map with bus lanes

On the southern edge of Lake Forest Park, the city will have two additional stops. One stop at NE 165th Street and then a major bus station Ballinger Way (formerly labeled Lake Forest Park Town Center").

NE 165th ST design

The NE 165th St bus stations will be on the far side of the intersection.

Lake Forest Park Town Center design

The Ballinger Way bus station will be placed on the west-side of Ballinger Way. The stop will provide access to the shopping center Town Center at Lake Forest Park, holding a cluster of around 40 shops and businesses. In addition to retail, the stop also serves civic facilities such as the city hall, the police department, and the local library. To support future growth, the city zoned TOD for new apartments and Sound Transit plans include building 300-space parking garage.

Bothell Way BAT lane and pushbackBothell Way curbside BAT lanes by google maps

The design on Bothell Way mostly called for curbside BAT lanes on the right side. There would be 7 lanes in total: 4 general lanes (2 in each direction), 2 curbside bus/BAT lane (1 in each direction ) and finally 1 center turn lane for left turns. There was some pushback for adding BAT lanes throughout the corridor in Bothell, Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. Most prominently in Lake Forest Park where there was heavy debate between property takings on the south-side, removing trees within the public right-of-way on the north-side, or most worryingly removing the BAT lanes and subjecting bus riders with heavy traffic.

Ultimately, Sound Transit committed to continuous BAT lanes throughout the corridor by using public right-of-way while seeking to minimize property takings. These ~5 miles of BAT lanes along the corridor will ensure that the bus remains fast and reliable.

We'll continue with Kenmore and Bothell segments in the next article.

Conclusion

Stride 3 BRT will help connect Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and the regional transit network. The commitment to continuous BAT lanes ensures that the bus remains fast and efficient for riders to reach Shoreline South Link station.

References

• Sound Transit Long Range Plan Update (for 2014)
• Sound Transit Long Range Plan 2014
• Original SR 522 BRT Executive Summary (2019)
  • includes list of stations
• Seattle
  • 60% Roll Plot 2022
• Sound Transit Stride 3 BRT 100% designs (2025)