Judkins Park Station Access Guide

Eastbound 2 Line train departs Judkins Park station.

Judkins Park Link station will open with the full East Link Extension on March 28. While Judkins Park station will be an incredible resource for Seattle residents in the Central District and Southeast Seattle, the station's location in the middle of I-90 is less than ideal.

The two entrances to Judkins Park station are quite different. The east entrance faces 23rd Ave, a 2-lane arterial, and Sam Smith park on the I-90 lid. The west entrance faces the 6-lane Rainier Ave under the Link tracks and several I-90 overpasses. Recent improvements in the area have mitigated some of the challenges faced by people traveling to the station by transit, bike, and on foot.

Transit Connections

Judkins Park station's east-west orientation has potential for great connections with several north-south bus routes. Fortunately for transferring passengers, King County Metro, Sound Transit, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have worked together to provide front door transit service to both entrances.

East EntranceNorthbound Route 48 bus passes Judkins Park station on 23rd Ave.

Judkins Park station's east entrance will have convenient transit connections to Metro routes 8 and 48. These routes both travel between Mount Baker Transit Center and the Central District before continuing to South Lake Union (8) and UW (48). South of Madison Valley, Route 8 primarily travels on Martin Luther King Jr Way. The route currently has a short detour to 23rd Ave between Yesler Way and Jackson St. Starting March 28, this detour will be extended south to Massachusetts St and have a new stop at Judkins Park station.

Route 48 runs on 23rd Ave and will also use the new stop added right outside the station. The new southbound stop will be located immediately adjacent to the station entrance. The northbound stop will be on the other side of 23rd Ave, accessible via a crosswalk at a mid-block beg button triggered traffic signal. Routes 4 and 14 also travel near Judkins Park station but will not be rerouted.

West EntranceNorthbound Route 106 bus passes Judkins Park station on Rainier Ave.

On the other side of Judkins Park station, Metro routes 7, 9, and 106 will be accessible at new stops under the overpasses for I-90 and the Link tracks. The northbound stop will provide curbside service to the station's main west entrance. The southbound stop is on the far side of Rainier Ave, accessible via a new pedestrian bridge from the station. These new stops will open on March 28. When it opens in 2032, the RapidRide R Line will replace Route 7 and stop at Judkins Park station.

A new pedestrian overpass on Rainier will help passengers transferring between Link and southbound bus routes on Rainier AveBicycle AccessJudkins Park station is connected to multi-use trails (red), neighborhood greenways (green), and protected bike lanes (thick dark blue). (SDOT Bike Map, edited by author)

The Mountains to Sound Trail passes directly in front of Judkins Park station's east entrance. The trail currently starts in Beacon Hill and wraps around the hill following I-5 and I-90. After passing the new station, it continues through the Mount Baker Tunnel to Mercer Island and Bellevue. This east/west trail connects with many north/south bike facilities, including the protected bike lanes on 15th Ave S, Beacon Hill Healthy Street, several Central Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, the MLK Way protected bike lanes, and the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway.

A new bi-directional bike path has been built in front of the station's west entrance to connect two spurs of the Mountains to Sound Trail.

New bike path near Judkins Park station's west entrance, under I-90. Pedestrian Access Update

As noted in last year's article on pedestrian access, SDOT and WSDOT have partnered to implement a few short term improvements for people walking and rolling to Judkins Park station. These include raised crosswalks with flashing beacons on the I-90 ramps. Unfortunately, a shortage of flashing beacons has delayed the project's completion, but SDOT has installed large crosswalk signs. The flashing beacons should be installed this week.

Eastbound I-90 on ramp from southbound Rainier Ave has a new raised crosswalk, and large crossing signs. Flashing beacons will be installed at the top of the crossing signs this week. Long-Term Improvements Update

Longer term, WSDOT is planning to redesign the I-90 and Rainier Ave interchange. The agency has selected Alternative 2 as the preferred alternative.

Alternative 2 removes the westbound I-90 to northbound Rainier off-ramp (Ramp 4) and reroutes traffic to Ramp 5. (WSDOT)

The changes with this option include:

• New pedestrian signal across Rainier Ave just north of I-90.
• Under I-90, Rainier Ave will have one vehicle lane and one bus lane in each direction.
• Removes Ramp 4 and reroutes traffic to Ramp 5.
• Re-aligns Ramp 2 to meet Rainier Ave at a right angle.
• Re-aligns Ramps 3 and 5 to meet Rainier Ave at a right angle. A new traffic signal or roundabout will be added to the intersection.

Proposed Rainier Ave near I-90 with the updated ramp alignments. (WSDOT, edited by author)

Implementation of these improvements is still at least a decade away as more detailed designs and federal funding are required. In the meantime, SDOT will repave Rainier Ave S between S Jackson St and S Walden St. The agency will begin designing this levy funded project later this year.