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Lynnwood Link Connections
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As Link light rail extends to Lynnwood, the Lynnwood Link Connections mobility project will address changing transit needs and improve mobility options for communities in northwest King County and southwest Snohomish County. Metro is working with Sound Transit and Community Transit, among other partners, to coordinate bus routes based on feedback from communities.
In this section
Project overview
In 2024 and 2026 Sound Transit will expand the Link light rail to include five new stations in Seattle, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. In addition to the new light rail stations, Sound Transit may change the ST 522 Express route to match the planned Bus Rapid Transit service between Bothell and Shoreline as early as 2025.
To prepare for the extension of Link light rail service to Lynnwood Transit Center and potential change to ST 522 Express service, to respond to changing mobility needs, and improve mobility access for historically underserved populations, Metro is launching a mobility project in northwest King County, generally serving communities within North Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell, and Mountlake Terrace. This project will deliver an updated mobility network that connects with Sound Transit Link light rail and connects with Sound Transit and Community Transit services. The project will be done in coordination with Sound Transit, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), City of Shoreline, Community Transit, and other partners.
Project goals
Through the Lynnwood Link Connections project, Metro aims to:
- Improve mobility for priority populations (as defined by the Mobility Framework), who are an important part of our current and potential customer base.
- Equitably inform, engage, and empower current and potential customers traveling in the project area.
- Deliver integrated service that responds to Link expansion, changes in the transit network and community needs
- Improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and environmental sustainability of the transit system.
Equity Impact Review
The Lynnwood Link Connections project will include an Equity Impact Review (EIR) study to ensure that proposed route changes will improve mobility and access to transportation for priority populations in King County. At each phase of the planning process, Metro will review technical data and results from engagement with priority populations to understand the expected impact to underserved communities and inform planning decisions. Public engagement and EIR summaries will be shared after Phase 3 engagement under the Process and Timeline section below.
Route information
The following routes will be explored for potential changes as part of the Lynnwood Link Connections Project.
Metro routes: 5, 16X, 20, 28, 45, 64, 65, 67, 73, 75, 301, 302, 303, 304, 320, 322, 330, 331, 345, 346, 347, 348, 372
Sound Transit Express route: 522
Maps
Lynnwood Link Connections current Network Area Map
Sound Transit's map of the stations:
Mobility Priorities
In Phase 1, we received direct feedback from surveys, conversations with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), and input from our Partner Review and Mobility Boards. We looked through feedback, found common themes and summarized the following priorities used to create the potential new bus routes.
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Create new and improved east-west transit connections. |
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Provide transit to/from important, community-identified destinations where priority populations live, and locations with dense housing development plans by 2026. |
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Improve nighttime transit service serving major and important destinations. |
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Maintain and improve frequencies on routes that connect to/from major destinations and/or frequent high-capacity transit (RapidRide, Link, Route 522 BRT, etc.). |
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Improve weekend transit service serving major and important destinations. |
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Ensure that transit transfers are convenient, accessible, reliable and as seamless as possible for all riders, especially priority populations. |
Route proposals
Metro is presenting final route proposals for northwest King County and a portion of south Snohomish County. Your feedback will help finalize the bus network, which will open alongside the Link light rail extension to Lynnwood beginning in 2024.
Lynnwood Link Connections - Phase 3 Service Proposal
Quick definitions
- Equity Priority Area: A geographic area with a high proportion of priority populations.
- Frequency: The number of minutes between bus trips.
- Frequent service: Bus service levels that are scheduled to run approximately every 15 minutes or better from 6am to 7pm on weekdays, and every 30 minutes or better on evenings and weekends.
- Metro Flex: An on–demand transit service that provides rides within multiple King County neighborhoods. Riders can book rides using the Metro Flex smartphone app or with a phone call to the reservation line.
- Peak–only service: Transit service operating during peak travel periods (from 6 to 9am and from 3 to 7pm on weekdays).
- Priority Populations: Community members who are Black, Indigenous and of color; have low or no–income; are immigrants or refugees; have disabilities; or are linguistically diverse.
In Phase 2, Metro received feedback on route ideas and how they addressed priority mobility needs. Metro developed a list of Phase 2 main issue areas that used feedback from a public survey, community–based organizations, focus group meetings, in–person outreach, online and in–person community meetings and input from partner cities and organizations.
Metro worked with the community–based Mobility Board and Partner Review Board of outside interested parties to assign priority rankings (from least to most important) to the main issue areas identified during engagement. Rankings helped Metro focus first on the areas with the highest need. This ranking process was created using community feedback, equity, and best practices of transit system design.
More information on the main issue areas identified during Phase 2 engagement is included in the Phase 2 Engagement Summary.
When developing the Phase 3 proposal, Metro focused on addressing community–identified needs and kept service that received positive feedback during Phase 2. The Mobility Board and Partner Review Board provided additional feedback to improve and finalize the Phase 3 proposal.
Highlights of the Phase 3 proposal include the following.
- Link light rail will provide very frequent north-south service allowing for more east-west bus service that does not exist today.
- Creating new and revised east–west connections across the entire project area.
- Maintaining or improving convenient transit access for Equity Priority Areas and priority populations, including Linden Ave and in the Lake City neighborhood.
- Maintaining or creating new connections to schools and community destinations, especially in Seattle and Shoreline.
- Continuing to shift toward an all-day frequent network that includes more evening and weekend bus service, and less peak–only service
- A new, Metro Flex on–demand service area in north Kenmore and Lake Forest Park that connects to the Mountlake Terrace Link light rail station.
- Improved east/west connections, with new, frequent all–day service on N 145th (Routes 72, 333 and 522 BRT), new continuous service on 125th to 130th (new Route 77), and a new connection between Lake City, Northgate and Greenwood (new Route 61).
- Multiple new connections between Lake City and Link include the following:
- Shoreline South/148th: Routes 65, 72 and 522 BRT
- NE 130th Street Station: Route 77
- Northgate Station: Routes 61, 67, 75, 322, and 348
- Roosevelt Station: Routes 67 and 77
- University of Washington Station: Routes 65, 67, 72, 75 and 77.
- New all–day service on Lake City Way, connecting to Roosevelt Station and the University of Washington (new Route 77).
- Continued connection from north Lake City to Nathan Hale High School and Jane Addams Middle School (Route 65), and new connection from Pinehurst (new Route 77).
- Continued service to Sanford Hildebrant Towers, with a new connection to Shoreline Place and Shoreline South/148th Station (revised Route 345).
- Direct service to Ingraham High School (new Route 365).
- Frequent service from Northgate to North Seattle College and Northwest Hospital (revised Route 345 and new Route 365).
- Continued frequent service to downtown Seattle via Link, routes 5, 40, 62 and RapidRide D and E Lines.
- Some routes in this area require further coordination with the City of Seattle.
- Improved east/west connections, with new frequent all–day service on N 145th (routes 72, 333, and 522 BRT) and N 175th (Route 333), and improved service on N 185th (Route 348) and N 155th (Route 345).
- Continued frequent service to downtown Seattle via Link, Route 5 and RapidRide E Line.
- New frequent all–day routes providing connections to Link (routes 72, 333, 348 and 522 BRT).
- Improved connections to Shoreline Community College with new Route 333 offering frequent all-day service from Shoreline South/148th Station, and revised Route 331 offering a connection from Mountlake Terrace Station and service later into the evening than today.
- Improved service to Shorewood High School (new Route 333 and revised Route 331) and Shorecrest High School (revised Route 65).
- Continuous service on 5th Ave NE between Shoreline South/148th Station and Shoreline North/185th Station, offering a direct connection to Link (new Route 365).
- More direct service to Shoreline Place and NW School for Deaf and Hard–of–Hearing (revised Route 345).
- Continued all–day connections to Northwest Hospital and North Seattle College (revised Route 345 and new Route 365).
- Continued peak service between Aurora Village, Northgate, downtown Seattle, and First Hill (Route 303).
- New connection to Mountlake Terrace Station extending to University of Washington Bothell, and improved evening and weekend service (revised Route 331).
- New fast and frequent connection from Bothell, Kenmore, and Lake Forest Park to Shoreline South/148th Link Station (Sound Transit Route 522 Bus Rapid Transit).
- New Metro Flex service area in north Kenmore, north Lake Forest Park and southeast Mountlake Terrace. This on–demand service will offer connections to Mountlake Terrace Station, Route 522 BRT, Lake Forest Park Town Center, Kenmore Park–and–Ride, and more.
- New all–day frequent service from Mountlake Terrace to key destinations in Shoreline (Route 333).
- Peak service between Kenmore, Lake City, Northgate, downtown Seattle and First Hill (revised Route 322).
- More frequent and faster service between University of Washington Bothell and Seattle campuses will be available by Route 522 BRT with a transfer to Link light rail at Shoreline South/148th Station or a transfer to new frequent Route 72 at 145th.
Based on these feedback priorities, the final route proposal maps and details are included in each sheet below.
| If you ride this route: | Proposed change: | Review these routes (PDFs): |
| 5 | 5 | |
| 16 | 5 | |
| 20 | 44 45 61 62 | |
| 28 | 5 28 77 | |
| 45 | 31 32 45 75 | |
| 64 | 62
65
 Link
|
|
| 65 | 65 | |
| 67 | 67 | |
| 73 | 45 67 72 77 348 | |
| 75 | 75 | |
| 301 | 303 333 348 | |
| 302 | 303 322 331 348 | |
| 303 | 303 | |
| 304 | 333 345 348 | |
| 320 | 61
322
522 BRT
Link |
|
| 322 | 77 322 | |
| 330 | 65 72 333 345 | |
| 331 | 331 | |
| 345 | 5 333 345 | |
| 346 | 303 345 348 365 | |
| 347 | 333 348 365 | |
| 348 | 348 | |
| 372 | 72
331
522 BRT
Link
|
|
| Metro Flex | Metro Flex | |
| ST 522 | 72
77
522 BRT
Link
|
|
| Link | Link light rail |
Process and timeline
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FALL – WINTER 2021
Pre–engagement Planning -
WINTER – SPRING 2022
Phase 1 – Needs Assessment
Mobility Board prioritizes needs -
FALL – WINTER 2022
Phase 2 – Service Concepts
Mobility Board reviews recommendations -
SUMMER – FALL 2023 (Current)
Phase 3 – Service Proposal
Mobility Board reviews final proposal -
WINTER – SPRING 2024
King County Council
During this first phase of engagement, Metro will inform the general public–including riders in impacted communities—about the project scope and vision, and gather information about service needs from the public, riders and key stakeholders. This information will help the Mobility Board and Metro staff as they co-create the draft service concept for public feedback during Phase 2 engagement.
During this second phase of engagement, Metro will share the project scope, vision, and proposed bus routes developed with information gathered during phase 1 with the general public, including riders in impacted communities. We will collect feedback on the proposed route changes to learn more about community priorities and how they should inform the final proposal of bus routes.
Activities used to inform communities about engagement opportunities may include:
- Working with Community–Based Organizations (CBOs)
- Hosting multilingual open houses
- Press release and multilingual blog post
- Transit Alerts, Rider Alerts, and coach posters
- Distributing digital and/or printed multilingual materials
- Multilingual information available on the Metro website
- In person outreach at bus stops, transit centers, and community events
Phase 2 Engagement Summary (PDF)
Recording of our virtual community information sessions:
- January 24, 2023
(Spanish interpretation available under the icon)
- February 4, 2023
(Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese interpretations available under the icon)
- February 27, 2023
(Mandarin and Cantonese interpretations available under the icon)
If you'd like to listen to a recording in a different language, let us know! Email us (in your preferred language) at: haveasay@kingcounty.gov
In the final phase of engagement, Metro will present a bus service proposal to the public, explaining how community input from Phase 2 affected these updates. We will ask for feedback on ways to improve the service proposal before making it final. We will then review how community input, priorities and equity affected the final service proposal and explain any other relevant next steps.
Our rider survey is now closed. Sign up to receive project updates and hear about future engagement opportunities.
Participate
Community Engagement
Through a three–phase community engagement process, Metro will focus on listening to mobility needs, learning about barriers that riders face and opportunities to improve transit in northwest King County. We will stay informed by local communities about changing conditions that pose mobility challenges and explore benefits and tradeoffs of future mobility options with community members and stakeholders.
Recording of our virtual community information sessions:
- July 24, 2023
(Spanish and Mandarin interpretations available under the icon)
- August 15, 2023
(Spanish and Mandarin interpretations available under the icon)
- August 19, 2023
(Spanish and Mandarin interpretations available under the icon)
Mobility Board
Metro has brought together a 15 member Lynnwood Link Connections Mobility Board that equitably represents groups of people historically left out of decision-making conversations related to transit, and who are disproportionately affected by these decisions. The Mobility Board’s primary role is to collaborate with Metro staff to develop and refine a coordinated regional transit network in northwest King County.
Partner Review Board
In addition to Metro’s individual engagement with project partners and stakeholders, Metro has also brought together a team of external stakeholders to serve as a concept review board, known as the Partner Review Board. The Board includes representatives from jurisdictions and major institutions in the project area, leaders of community-based organizations and representatives from partner transit agencies. The Partner Review Board’s primary role is to inform, review and provide comment on service concepts developed by the Mobility Board. Learn more about the Partner Review Board.
Contact us
By email (in your preferred language) at: haveasay@kingcounty.gov
General Comments
If you have general comments or feedback on Metro services, call (206) 553-3000. Interpretation services are available!