Editing Sound Transit (section)

===COVID-19 pandemic and ST2 openings===

The local onset of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Washington (state)|COVID-19 pandemic]] in early 2020 led to a 67{{nbsp}}percent decline in Sound Transit ridership by mid-March after [[remote work]] policies were enacted by major employers in the Seattle area.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=March 12, 2020 |title=As ridership drops, should Seattle-area transit agencies trim service amid coronavirus outbreak? |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/as-ridership-drops-should-seattle-area-transit-agencies-trim-service-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |last2=Lindblom |first2=Mike |date=March 18, 2020 |title=King County Metro will reduce bus service amid coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/king-county-metro-reportedly-plans-to-cut-bus-service-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The agency halted its fare collection and enforcement for several months and reduced service in response to the decline in ridership and lack of available staff during the beginning of state-mandated [[COVID-19 lockdowns|lockdown measures]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |last2=Baruchman |first2=Michelle |date=May 19, 2020 |title=Local transit systems make slow return to charging fares as coronavirus restrictions ease |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/local-transit-systems-make-slow-return-to-charging-fares-as-coronavirus-restrictions-ease/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> In April, Link service was reduced to a frequency of every 20{{nbsp}}minutes, several Sounder trips were suspended, and some Sound Transit Express routes were temporarily cancelled;<ref>{{cite press release |date=April 3, 2020 |title=ST to temporarily reduce service further on Link and ST Express routes serving Pierce and King counties |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/st-to-temporarily-reduce-service-further-link-st-express |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> by the following month, total ridership on the agency's services had declined 85{{nbsp}}percent to an average of 21,000 weekday passengers.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Clarridge |first2=Christine |date=December 7, 2020 |title=Sound Transit temporarily reduces peak-hours service on Link light rail |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sound-transit-temporarily-reduces-peak-hour-service-on-link-light-rail/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit also suspended most of its work on active construction projects until May due to the inability to meet public health guidelines on [[social distancing]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Groover |first2=Heidi |date=April 6, 2020 |title=Sound Transit halts 'almost all' construction work due to coronavirus outbreak |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-halts-almost-all-construction-work-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Normal frequencies on Link were restored in June 2021, shortly before capacity limits set by the state government were lifted.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 9, 2021 |title=Sound Transit light rail will improve to 8-minute frequency this weekend |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-light-rail-will-improve-to-8-minute-frequency-this-weekend/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Baruchman |first=Michelle |date=June 30, 2021 |title=Puget Sound transit systems will return to full capacity in July |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/puget-sound-transit-systems-will-return-to-full-capacity-in-july/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=March 23, 2025}}</ref> Some Sound Transit Express routes returned to normal service, while others remained suspended through 2022 due to a shortage of bus drivers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Staffing shortages lead Sound Transit to reduce bus service |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/staffing-shortages-lead-sound-transit-to-reduce-bus-service/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:Lynnwood City Center Station opening day festival - 01.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lynnwood City Center station]] on its opening day in 2024]]

Light rail service on the 1{{nbsp}}Line in Seattle was extended north by three stations from the University District to Northgate on October 2, 2021. The majority of the {{convert|4.3|mi|km|adj=mid}} extension is tunneled and the $1.9{{nbsp}}billion construction cost was funded by ST2.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Baruchman |first2=Michelle |date=October 2, 2021 |title=New light-rail stations now open at U District, Roosevelt and Northgate |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/new-light-rail-stations-now-open-at-u-district-roosevelt-and-northgate/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The new stations drove an increase in Link ridership above its pre-pandemic figures, reaching over 80,000 daily boardings by 2023, despite the slower recovery for ridership at downtown stations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=February 6, 2024 |title=Smoother sailing for light rail riders after weeks of repair |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/smoother-sailing-for-light-rail-riders-after-weeks-of-repair/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The system also set several one-day ridership records in July 2023 due to special events in Seattle, reaching 136,800{{nbsp}}passengers on July 23.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 11, 2023 |title=Seattle light rail sets ridership records amid big events, games |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-light-rail-sets-ridership-records-amid-big-events-games/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Tacoma Link, now renamed the T{{nbsp}}Line, doubled in length to over {{convert|4|mi|km}} with the opening of an extension to the [[Stadium District, Tacoma, Washington|Stadium District]] and [[Hilltop, Tacoma, Washington|Hilltop]] neighborhoods on September 16, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=September 16, 2023 |title=Sound Transit's Tacoma streetcar climbs the Hilltop starting this weekend |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transits-tacoma-streetcar-climbs-the-hilltop-starting-this-weekend/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The project was delayed by a year and cost $65{{nbsp}}million more than its original ST2 budget due to issues with relocating underground utilities during construction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=September 14, 2023 |title=Tacoma Link doubles in length Saturday. Sound Transit isn't delivering what they promised |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article279221189.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=April 22, 2023 |title=Contractor blames red tape for Tacoma light-rail project delay |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/contractor-blames-red-tape-for-tacoma-light-rail-project-delay/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

The [[2 Line (Sound Transit)|2{{nbsp}}Line]], formerly named East Link, was originally scheduled to open from Seattle to western Redmond in 2023, but was delayed a year by construction issues and a four-month strike by concrete delivery drivers.<ref name="Times-Delays2022">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 18, 2022 |title=More delays for light rail to Bellevue, Redmond, Federal Way, Lynnwood |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/more-delays-for-light-rail-to-bellevue-redmond-federal-way-lynnwood/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The $3.7{{nbsp}}billion project is the most expensive section of the ST2 package and had already been delayed three years due to disputes during its planning process. The opening of the {{convert|14|mi|km|adj=mid}} line was split into two phases to allow for the completed section between [[South Bellevue station|South Bellevue]] and [[Redmond Technology station|Redmond Technology]] stations to be used by passengers.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 24, 2023 |title=Eastside-only light rail should open in March, Sound Transit says |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/eastside-only-light-rail-should-open-march-2024-sound-transit-says/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The initial section between Bellevue and Redmond opened on April 27, 2024. The western section of the 2{{nbsp}}Line, which uses the Interstate 90 floating bridge, is scheduled to open in late 2025 after the rebuilding of 5,455 concrete [[plinth]]s under the rails.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Kroman |first2=David |date=April 27, 2024 |title=Eastside light rail line opens as huge crowds try out the ride |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/eastside-light-rail-line-opens-as-huge-crowds-try-out-the-ride/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Banner |first2=Ellen |date=April 14, 2023 |title=Bad light-rail ties on I-90 bridge can't be fixed, must be rebuilt |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/bad-light-rail-ties-on-i-90-bridge-cant-be-fixed-must-be-rebuilt/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The 1{{nbsp}}Line was extended {{convert|8.5|mi|km}} from Northgate into Snohomish County on August 30, 2024, with the opening of four stations in [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]], Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Deshais |first1=Nicholas |last2=Lindblom |first2=Mike |date=August 30, 2024 |title=New light rail stations draw big crowds for first trips |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/new-light-rail-stations-draw-big-crowds-for-first-trips/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The opening of the [[Lynnwood Link Extension]] increased daily ridership on the 1{{nbsp}}Line to an average of 90,000 on weekdays in November despite reliability issues that led to major service disruptions by the end of 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=December 3, 2024 |title=Light rail delays again strike Sound Transit riders |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/light-rail-delays-again-strike-sound-transit-riders/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>