What's the Point of Seattle's New Train? (Meet the 2 Line!)

On April 27, 2024, Seattle's Sound Transit opened the 2 Line light rail, also known as the East Link Extension, between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology. It connects Microsoft, all sorts of tech offices, and a slew (slough?) of transit-oriented development projects. But what's the point in stringing all of that together if it doesn't go into Downtown Seattle?
Alternate title, "In which I fly 2,000+ miles to ride 6 miles of light rail."
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0:00 Meet the 2 Line
0:21 The Map
1:12 South Bellevue
3:18 East Main
6:05 Bellevue Downtown
7:31 Wilburton
9:37 Spring District
11:34 BelRed
12:19 Overlake Village
14:09 Redmond Technology
16:07 Back to South Bellevue
16:46 Crossing Lake Washington
Classy Whale - at-least-weekly misadventures with trains and transit!

[@originalmetalhead73]

Can't wait for the Lynnwood (2 n's) section to open. Rode from Northgate to Stadium the other day and it was a breeze.

[@meteorologist4life]

You and me both!

[@MikeDunphy]

Samsies

[@harlander-harpy]

One really cool thing about the 2 line (and specifically the bridge) is it relates to the freeway revolts from back in the 1960s and 70s. A very long story short, the express lanes were built to support future rail rapid transit because of activism led by the Seattle Black Panther Party

[@mrvwbug4423]

I wished they had thought of that here in Denver. When they rebuilt US36 between Denver and Boulder in the early-mid 2010s they had a perfect opportunity to run commuter rail in the median as the RTD commuter rail was under construction at the time as well, but they plunked down toll lanes instead, and ironically that project finished in 2016, the same year the A-line commuter train opened between downtown Denver and the Airport. The B line to Boulder wasn't slated for completion until 2040 and even then it was to be a peak time only diesel service where the rest of RTD rail is electrified. Amtrak came to the rescue and decided that the B line will become part of the Front Range Regional Rail project and should be completed before the end of the decade, though will still be diesel service, but should be reasonably frequent.

[@weekendrailroader]

"Slough" is pronounced the same as it's homonym "slew". It's basically a river that moves so slowly its almost a swamp.

[@andrew_ray]

Unless it's the verb, which rhymes with "rough," or the city outside of London, which rhymes with "plough."

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Yup, the Costco brand Kirkland is named after the Kirkland outside Seattle! The first Costco in the US opened in 1983 in Seattle, and then it expanded to Portland and Spokane that same year. Their first headquarters was in Seattle but opted to move to Kirkland in 1987, hence their Kirkland products, and then they moved to Issaquah in 1996. In North America, Costco is pretty much a suburbia thing, but there ARE great transit-accessible urban locations like on Expo Blvd in Vancouver, Rego Park in Queens, 10th Street in San Francisco, and East 117th Street in Manhattan. Besides North American locations in Mexico, Canada, and the US, they've also opened warehouses in countries like the UK, South Korea, Spain, Japan, China, New Zealand, and Australia! And I'm glad you mentioned that Wilburton station serves the Overlake Hospital Medical Center, because a key reason Duke University stated for not wanting a light-rail system in Durham, NC was that an elevated rail line would "impact" the operations of Duke University Hospital due to vibrations, which is a completely wild thing to say when the Pink Line in Chicago goes through the Rush University Medical Center, and that doesn't impact operations! Montefiore Medical Center's main campus is by Moshulu Parkway on the IRT Jerome Avenue Line, and that line doesn't impact the medical center's operations either! It's very much a GREAT thing for hospitals to be served by light-rail or rapid transit, it benefits patients by getting them to appointments, and also helps to hold down the healthcare costs by not having patients delay care until they are much sicker!

[@williamerazo3921]

There’s a bus stop right off Q103- Q104 on Vernon Blvd Queens

[@UncommonElevators]

Your point about the urban costco is so true. There is also one location that "accidentally" became urban in the DC area since it was built in an empty industrial building that later had lots of TOD around it. Now it is a barrier between the Amazon HQ2 and Pentagon City Metro that is not very pleasant to walk around. There are plans to redevelop but they are a long way off because Costco has a long-term lease.

[@robk7266]

Costco is one of the few places that doesn't need to be transit accessible. I can't bring 100 pounds of bulk Doritos on the bus

[@abbylynn8872]

​@@robk7266 uhhhmmm disagree you as some one that has been shopping at all the Costcos in the Seattle corridor since they opened... by bus. You just need to learn how to pack your collapisble rolling cart and backpack.🌸💕💕

[@robk7266]

@@abbylynn8872 first of all, people who bring those folding carts on the bus are assholes. They take up the space of two seats and I and other have tripped on those things. Second of all, the stuff I buy at Costco won't fit in the cart. I buy a lot of stuff. This is a zipcar job, especially when it's time to buy a new TV

[@MassbyTrain]

Miles will not stand for the attack on his elevator reviews

[@shreychaudhary4477]

doesnt miles do bridge reviews??

[@DanPackard]

It stopped raining in Seattle for you! :) Btw, slough is pronounced Sloo, as in who. ;) Happy riding!

[@CyanideCarrot]

All locals learn very quickly not to trust the departure times on the screens. The "next train this platform" is reliable, but ignore the times

[@stra2g]

I'd say 2Line is insanely accurate right now but possibly due to it being such a short line

[@realquadmoo]

Yea and the 2 Line is extremely consistent with trains arriving exactly 10 minutes apart, who even needs a departure screen!! (hi, gonna ride this on the 24th again, wanna come?)

[@stra2g]

@realquadmoo honestly ideal. It's why I love the Japanese train system in cities. Just walk down and wait max 10min for a train. No planning needed.

[@swedneck]

what i don't get is how they can display inaccurate times, i get the trains themselves arriving whenever they feel like but surely they can just.. update the times? here in sweden i can see almost 100% precise schedules for all train (and usually even bus and tram) arrivals which are constantly updated, so how is this difficult for seattle's tiny light rail network?

[@realquadmoo]

@@swedneck yeah I’m not sure why it’s so hard but they’re tryin

[@WildWuff]

It's so strange to see the stations mostly empty after the opening day events that felt like 1000s of people were there when I was visiting. Great shots as always!

[@bradlenseigne4086]

I went yesterday evening around 7:30pm, I was the only person at the Spring District station besides one security officer there. It was a ghost town

[@mrvwbug4423]

show up during peak commute times, it will be full of Microsoft people. Remember transit vloggers usually ride during off peak times to avoid the crowds.

[@Steve-je1wx]

These electric soap boxes will remain empty just like the transit buses! They will also become drug infested nesting containers just like the transit buses. Transit has not come close to recovering ridership levels from the lockdowns of COVID. The light rail system is not about transportation and moving people effectively and efficiently it’s about greedy power-hungry politicians Who waste their lives building large budgets and spending your tax dollars only to bathe in self-promoting narcissism. They know ridership is down and these electric sock boxes will never be full, but rather than revising plans and spending your money on more important and more useful programs, they stay on track just to justify their existence. This is your Washington state government and the department leaches who thrive on ignorance and intentional waste.

[@xNamsu]

@@bradlenseigne4086 Until they connect it to downtown + finish the 2 line all the way up to Lynnwood, its going to remain empty. I work in the Spring District and live literally NEXT to the Microsoft Campus/Redmond Technology Station and I don't take the light rail because it doesn't offer me much convenience at this point. Its easier to drive. Once they connect it to downtown then yea I'm definitely taking it to go hang out downtown on the weekends. Once they've finished the 2 line its going to allow people to live further away and still work in Bellevue/Redmond. So over time you'll see people move further out and depend on the light rail, likely increasing ridership. Its just going to take a while.

[@himbourbanist]

The 2 line is pretty cool, the stations look really nice. But 1500 parking spaces for a light-rail station is absolutely baffling to me. Same with the NIMBY wall in Surrey Downs. Like they don't even want to see it or their feelings will get hurt. If I lived right there I would be excited for the new line and to use it! Way better than sitting in traffic.

[@kevadu]

I live in the Seattle area (though not the city itself). I have heard people unironically complaining about the light rail plans because it would allow...let's just say 'undesirables' to access areas they live. I don't know what else to say, they're just bigots. They see connectivity as a negative. Don't forget that these are some wealthy neighborhoods and the people who live there aren't even thinking about taking public transportation themselves...

[@randcarlson2296]

My assumption is it’s there for people coming from Issaquah to park and get on the light rail since it’s going to be another 20 years before that line opens. I’d much rather park at the park n ride than drive into downtown Seattle but that’s me personally

[@jeffersonclippership2588]

​@kevadu which makes you wonder why the line even exists when it only goes to a place where people hate everything outside their suburb

[@kevadu]

@@jeffersonclippership2588 Because it doesn't. While the sentiment I described does exist it's important to remember that it's not universal. All these expansion plans were voted on and approved by pretty good margins. There are plenty of commuters who will welcome an alternative to driving. Not to mention there are a lot of reverse commuters too. People who live in Seattle and work in Bellevue or Redmond. There are some major job centers out there, it's not all suburban residential stuff.

[@realquadmoo]

It's difficult to develop around South Bellevue Station due to the geography and conservation areas, but it remains a vital bus connection point and it's where people should be parking (if for some reason they choose to drive 🙄) Right now most people don't ride to South Bellevue, but that's going to be changing.

[@mrxman581]

Great to see more public rail transit infrastructure being built in the USA. 2025 will be a huge year for public rail transit infrastructure in Los Angeles. 4 different projects will completed and operational. Very exciting.

[@XeroBritt]

FYI: as a Seattle-born ex-pat I can affirm the pronunciation of "slough" to be "slew." as in "stew" 'Jew" and "new"

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Definitely not a fan of those gates like at 4:54! They think they're earning brownie points for accessibility but they're not, the accessible thing to do is to remove them! Agencies have to remember there are different disabilities, and so limiting people from using exits/entrances because of these gates is dehumanizing! And yes as your uncle said, birds sitting on a wire don't touch the ground, so electricity stays in the power line. However, if a bird touches a power line and equipment or other metal that is grounded, it gives electricity a path to the ground, and the bird could be shocked! Wood poles that wires are buried deep in the ground, so it would be dangerous for a bird to sit on a wood pole and touch a wire. When a bird is perched on a single wire, its two feet are at the same electrical potential, so the electrons in the wires have no motivation to travel through the bird’s body. No moving electrons, no electric current. But if that bird stretches out a wing or a leg and touches a second wire, especially one with a different electrical potential, it will open a path for the electrons. That swamp at South Bellevue is the Mercer Slough Nature Park! In 1869, the first homesteaders that arrived in the Bellevue area were Aaron Mercer and William Meydenbauer. Meydenbauer was a baker from Seattle and set up his homestead along the sheltered bay which now bears his name, while Mercer took a different approach and started to farm the land along the area which is now known as Mercer Slough! Aaron's father Thomas Mercer arrived in Seattle in 1852, where he filed a donation claim east of Lake Union, then called "Tenas Chuck" (Chinook Jargon for "little waters"). Mercer Street in Seattle was the boundary between his claim and that of David Denny. On July 4th 1854 during a picnic, he suggested Tenas Chuck be named Lake Union, and the larger lake to the east be named Lake Washington (Mercer Island in Lake Washington would be named after him since he visited it often). This was the first vague proposal for the union of Lake Washington with Puget Sound via ship canals, eventually realized decades later in the form of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.

[@Lopezflies888]

As a disabled individual I fully agree!

[@CityLifeinAmerica]

Those gates are for blind people to be able to delineate the train tracks and the sidewalk. Unfortunately they’re terrible for mobility impairments or even just someone carrying a bunch of stuff.

[@Lopezflies888]

@@CityLifeinAmerica I just tried the train yesterday. I was at the overlake village station. Can you believe in order to get on the other side going to Bellevue you literally have to lift the bar up and cross both train tracks to get over? it felt very unsafe

[@UncommonElevators]

Also, the bottom wire and the top wire are equally energized in this catenary system, the top wire is just there to keep the bottom wire aligned properly. You can see the little support wires between them. So no hazard to the birds!

[@SkywardShoe]

Those two stops to the north will both be really nice to have. The first north of Redmond Technology will have good access to Marymoor Park, which is a massive park area with nature trails, ball fields, community gardens, and a huge off-leash dog park. The final stop will be right in the heart of downtown Redmond, which while not as big or as busy as Bellevue is still a pretty major area with a lot of fantastic pedestrian access and amenities. The ability to go from Downtown Redmond to Bellevue to Seattle is the real point of the 2 Line, so I can see it feeling a little odd right now since just the middle portion of the line is open.

[@MelissaAndAlex]

People in Bellevue and Mercer island are so disgustingly stuck up. Imagine living NEXT DOOR to a train and wanting a wall blocking access.

[@IVR02]

NIMBYs really are something else. I don't get it.

[@shuttlecrossing1433]

Mercer Island isn't as bad since building a rail link to the south end of the island doesn't do much and goes a long distance out of the way. The northern section is nice and has some TOD. The Surrey Downs residents are out of their minds, though. Nothing, not even a bridge in. They're *that* scared of train riders, I guess.

[@Lopezflies888]

I noticed that! Well we will bring some warmth and personality to their world❤

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

It's understandable that the people in Surrey Downs are feeling a little resentful. It is a tiny quiet neighborhood that has survived freeway development and downtown bellevue's constant expansion. Earlier plans would have bulldozed a whole lot more of that neighborhood than what ultimately got built. My guess when they rallied for that wall is that it still seemed like they were going to have trains basically going right past their windows. Because they ended up with the tunnel option, the wall really is n't providing as much benefit as it would have with most or all of the alternative alignment options. All that being said, I suspect when floating bridge portion is repaired and open, they will be grateful to have a station right down the street where they can get a train to the airport for a couple dollars instead of paying a whole lot more for an airport shuttle. Well, at least I would be.

[@sirpieman300]

Sure i can understand the wall for sigh/ noise r reasons at Surrey Downs neighborhood but they didn't even put a gate or anything to get through it to access the station, which seems pretty dumb to me, if i could have a rail station just outside my neighborhood i would be so thrilled!

[@sammymarrco2]

5:00 as a young able bodied person I never would have thought about this, interesting!

[@MikeDunphy]

I love the small channel transit content. Thanks for reviewing the 2 line!

[@PeteLorimer]

As to the awkwardness of the name 2Line: if it was anything other than a number it wouldn’t feel so foreign. Think of London’s Central line, Piccadilly line, etc. Or if it was something other than Line it would sound fine. Think of NYC’s A Train. 7 Train, etc.

[@Geotpf]

Los Angeles' rail lines are all now a letter followed by "Line". But I can't think of anybody else who uses a number followed by "Line".

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

Sound Transit originally was going to refer to the lines by color names like red line or Blue line. I believe the reason for ultimately switching to numbers is it's more accessible, perhaps people who have trouble discerning colors? But also digits are the same in most languages, whereas spelling out the names of colors is not so universal. When they ultimately decided to change to numbers, they should have swapped it so the number came after the word line.

[@mrvwbug4423]

RTD light rail in Denver originally started with color line names then switched to letter line names after they expanded and also added in commuter rail. I remember when LA Metro used color line names, with the Red and Gold lines being the subway metro, orange line being BRT and the rest being light rail.

[@NickCBax]

@@user-pz6ph1hj2u The reason for the change was what is now the 1 Line was going to be called the Red Line. And that line goes through historically redlined neighborhoods, so there were complaints about not being culturally sensitive. Instead of changing the color they switched to numbers.

[@oregonsenior4204]

Minority opinion: A good thing about Surrey Downs' NIMBY wall is that it'll cut down on the road noise from the tracks. That noise is nothing near as bad as living in an apartment next to a freeway (and I have a whole big bone to pick about building apartments where kids will live right next to a freeway throwing off fumes & lead & rubber dust) but there will be noise. I haven't seen the NIMBY wall yet so I don't know if there are doorways in it.

[@MilesinTransit]

7:15 That is, apparently, one of just THREE Gillig Phantoms left on Sound Transit! (I know this video is about the light rail but I'm a bus foamer at heart)

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

You’re a foamer of everything transit at heart!

[@CyanideCarrot]

They were supposed to be retired last service change, and all the foamers out here said goodbye on what was supposed to be their final day, but as you can see that didnt happen

[@Leonard_Wilson]

Hey! Stick to your own channel.

[@SounderBruce]

The temperate-ish climate does help buses run way past their normal lifespans around here. Everett Transit has several Orion Vs from 2001 still running on weekdays, if you ever happen to make it out here to foam.

[@GimmeASitrep]

They still occasionally run routes between King County and Tacoma

[@peterdibble]

Nice work! It's great to see the Link finally getting some much-needed expansion.

[@MassbyTrain]

Love having others on the videos

[@cityforall]

The system looks quite interesting, thanks for showing it

[@realquadmoo]

6:17 That's definitely a bug since the trains after the next one haven't gotten to the end yet so the estimation is way off, they haven't dropped a single trip so far! (Sound Transit doesn't really drop any light rail trips)

[@chickennuggetcentral576]

The title alone already makes me raise an eyebrow (Seattle local here) Edit: Alright not as negative as I thought it was gonna be. But you did Mercer Island dirty on The Map™️ (Eh screw them they deserve it)

[@ClassyWhale]

That's called ✨ c l i c k b a i t ✨

[@chickennuggetcentral576]

@@ClassyWhale😨

[@jc626]

Same thought. He could have at least put "Seattle-area" instead of just "Seattle". Makes me less inclined to take everything after that (in the video) as being correct/serious.

[@Noxonomus]

The Mercer island thing wouldn't bother me as much it it didn't mean that one stop got left out of the video.

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

@@jc626it’s all Seattle to people not living in the area

[@SeattleTrain]

Went on opening day, great experience!

[@MassbyTrain]

This should be a great line when they extend it over lake Washington as there’s so many jobs near the train glad Seattle is getting a better train system

[@mrvwbug4423]

It desperately needs it, Seattle is a nightmare to drive in, or even through. And I say this as someone who lives in a city also notorious for traffic (Denver).

[@dimanimatedtakes]

Very good video! I don't know much about WA or Seattle but I did visit a friend there a few years ago and he knew the light rail and bus systems better than I could ever hope to understand. Been meaning to come back for some time. A lot of people say it rains a lot but the weather looks pretty clear in this video lol (it also didn't rain when I visited, so no idea where they got that from). Can't wait for the next video, whatever that may be!

[@bloatedblitz]

Gonna love seeing this when i go in July! Buenos Aires has been dry since 2019 so im super exited to see something new!

[@IVR02]

I'm glad they've at least got solid plans and infrastructure to bring the line into Seattle proper. As it stands I feel the line has a lot of value in giving people more choice in how they commute to work. Also, to answer your question at 5:16, I know of exactly one crossing with that style of sign. It's at Plauderville station along NJ Transit's Bergen County Line. The station opened in 2011, and the signs were added in 2012 after an incident where a teenager was hit and killed by a train because he ducked under the crossing gate, not realizing there were two trains passing. Tragedy aside, the crossing itself is pretty interesting, in that it not only has the lights, but also features speakers that play a verbal warning. I think NJT was planning to install similar signs at other crossings, but as far as I know, they never got around to it. I also share your frustrations about some of the quirks of the station designs. Like that parking garage - how hard would it have been to put in a skybridge instead of making people go down and back up to get to the platforms? And those hand-operated crossing gates are ridiculous!

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

This wasn't super clear in the video but it's not just plans or even just infrastructure for connecting to Seattle. They completely constructed that portion of the line at the same time as building the part that is now open. The problem is that the plinths under the tracks on the floating bridge turned out to be inadequate or somehow defective so they are replacing them. When I drove across the bridge a few days ago, there was a crew of at least 50 people working In an area roughly the length between two of the arches that hold up the catenary. The bridge is 1¼ miles long, so this is a bigger project to redo than it may sound like. Instead of delaying opening the entire line, they opened as much as they could service reliably without the connection to Seattle. Between the current southern end of the line and the bridge, i-90 crosses Mercer Island and there is a park and ride there with a light rail station. As far as I know, there are no issues with the tracks to that station but I think it was a combination of the fact that transferring to bus service to Seattle there versus South Bellevue wouldn't have shortened the total travel time and I'm guessing there are some pocket tracks or other infrastructure at South Bellevue that make it easier to operate that station as a terminal for now. Sound Transit did the same thing when they opened the first light rail line from downtown Seattle to the airport. They were not quite ready to go all the way to the airport so the temporary southern terminus was at Tukwila International Boulevard station with about a 5-minute bus bridge to the airport itself. Again, this allowed the line to open sooner and provide substantially complete service. It also allowed the bus service modifications to happen sooner, so Metro could focus more on servicing areas not also serviced by light rail at the time.

[@cameron.t]

I know how dumb this sounds, but sometimes an organization will do something just because it can. In this case, being able to develop infrastructure for light rail is complex and usually requires some re-zoning, moving streets around, and so on. With Sound Transit, proving that they can simply DO this is a boon in the right direction for doing what they NEED to do to have a fully sensible network. The light rail project is itself one of two projects that are... a deep part of Seattle history. The Seattle Monorail was the "other half." They were not able to "DO" anything--mostly because of the route they proposed, would have required continued public support (there was a lot of support initially, but it quickly became mired in the 50/50 Seattle gridlock... for MANY reasons, of which I'm not making any statements about the validity of). As someone who worked in both Seattle and Bellevue, the route IS weird but I'm excited to see it in steady progress. This is probably one of the most Seattle sounding comments I've ever left... so I'm gonna head out now lol my RTD train might show up soon .... MIGHT.

[@teecefamilykent]

I've just watched RM transits video on this too...brilliant video tho sir!

[@nicolesgaming8917]

On r/eastside, there was a discussion about the at-grade section between the Spring District and Bel-Red, with some residents saying that it's baffling, considering the pedestrian collisions on the 1 Line. It's understandable, but I definitely feel that the Eastside is less transit-oriented than Seattle proper (that could just be that I remember when there was debate about the 2 Line going up through Kirkland, and not only was it just not feasible [the proposed route would've required building a new set of tracks in too little space], and residents living right up against the proposed route weren't in favor of it, but we've always had a very vocal contingent of anti-transit yuppies who didn't want ANY public transit in Kirkland [even up 405]).

[@brianhubert8418]

Thanks again for this excellent and informative review. I'm glad to see Seattle working to expand its transit and add more TOD throughout the metro area and it seems pretty high quality overall and with pretty decent frequencies. Hopefully they can find something better than those gates that look more something you'd find a theme park ride than on a major transit system.

[@Geotpf]

This strikes me as a very commuter oriented line. Lots of offices and not much else on the line. I didn't catch when you filmed this, but if it was outside rush hour on a weekday, low ridership would be expected, methinks.

[@mrvwbug4423]

Literally tailor made for Microsoft commuters.

[@ExzaktVid]

I still wish we were getting heavy rail, but it’s better than nothing…

[@lukehalmrast7366]

Why would you not want to have direct access to a train station that's right next to your house? It makes no sense to me.

[@sillymesilly]

Because it doesn’t provide adequate service for them.

[@centralillinoisrailpix453]

"Another Train Coming" signs are also at Normal. Illinois, on Amtrak at the grade level crossing from platform one to platform 2, with a mechanical disembodied killer robot voice repeating the same message over and over, "Danger, another train coming". Also, another Siemens system. Plans are for a tunnel beneath the tracks eventually

[@3dkidsartfairs]

SunRail has the same "DANGER: Another Train Coming" system apparently.

[@BensOnTheRadio]

I think New Jersey transit also has something similar at a few of their crossings.

[@CoolTransport]

great video!

[@jdillon8360]

Looks good and modern. Hope ridership improves with more TOD. But the manual gates to cross at some stations are unusable for someone in a wheelchair. Don't know who designed that. Also the NIMBY wall is terrible, as are the oceans of parking at many stations, with nothing else near the stations. North America really seems to like building transit but then putting up barriers to stop people actually using it.

[@mtkseattle]

Thanks for coming all that way to review the starter 2 line. I was trying to see if you'd done a review of the 1 line. Much of it is metro design and ridership is quite high. A 8 plus mile extension to Lynnwood open at the end of summer. Hope you've tried line 1 as well

[@JimA1818]

Locals pronounce it “Mercer Sloo”

[@davidsp5936]

What they need is to upgrade the Cascade Tunnel. Improved ventilation (like in a car tunnel) and/or reelectrification would allow for greater capacity. This would allow for extension of Sounder commuter service and the taking of more freight of highways. Also, more reliable Empire Builder service.

[@rollinwithunclepete824]

Very good video.

[@robk7266]

What is your source for the info about the crossing gates? I'm trying to find more info on that

[@yaush_]

The ENTIRE time I have lived in the US I have never once seen a slowy speedy uppy escalator so it’s pretty cool that the station has that. I would escalator foam that for that one reason

[@UncommonElevators]

Grand Central Madison has them too

[@joshbritton2364]

Stoked for the UJ cameo!

[@tipulsar85]

As someone that has to deal with all the stupidity that has caused this to be the THIRD ATTEMPT since King County Metro shuttered the last commuter rail system in the region, Google the Seattle Interurban lines sometime and get depressed, The current system is actually expanding. Yes, it is still not done, but the Bellevue to Redmond isn't the only section debuting this year, this fall it's the extension between Lynwood and Northgate. Northgate to Angle Lake is done. It will be another 2 decades for it to get back to Everett and Tacoma. Routing these has taken forever, as I voted for them in 2012.

[@mrvwbug4423]

It's almost like they're paralleling the Microsoft bus route haha. I know the MS bus goes all the way up to Everett. Linking to downtown would even give some tech bros the ability to commute from Bremerton haha

[@tipulsar85]

@@mrvwbug4423 Actually the old Metro bus line (Forgot which one specifically) went from Shoreline to the then still active Safeco campus as late as the mid 2000s. Had to walk dad home several summers.

[@technotion_]

".. and my Uncle John!" "hi :)"

[@matt2021_a]

the south bellevue parking lot structure was built when google moved into kirkland - they remodeled the P&R at that time and it was tagged for future development when the light rail was proposed.

[@matt2021_a]

from a regional development pov, that station is designed to support an expansion at google hq. however these plans were made pre-covid, and the remote work change, so now, the station and P&R are over-built for the current capacity, and why it feels so empty. the same is true for the entire line, its one of the key reasons for MS and Google wanting to return to office, as the local municipality offer incentives to bring commuters back in for the tax revenue.

[@AustinTierney]

There is "another train coming" sign in use on a few Metra stations/intersections in Chicago. It's also fairly common in Japan and Korea to have signage when another train is coming.

[@stickynorth]

Looks like you had a Slough of fun! It's what we call ponds here in Alberta too! ;-)

[@erik_griswold]

South Bellevue was always a parking lot at which you could board one of many buses crossing the Lacey Murrow bridge.

[@Lopezflies888]

Thank you for this video 😊 Do you mind sharing what app you used to navigate this? And what stops to get off to access Bellevue indoor malls? We just moved here and are disabled and dont drive. By the way thank you for pointing out all the ♿ accessibility issues! Renee

[@ClassyWhale]

I use the Transit App and google maps to navigate, plus the timetables on Sound Transit's web site. Bellevue Downtown is best for the malls, but it's about a six block walk. Hope that helps!

[@Lopezflies888]

@@ClassyWhale Yes it does, Thank you!

[@ExpressRailfan]

​@@ClassyWhaleOh my gosh, I'm also looking forward to the 3 Line.

[@sameoldcircus]

The bike bridge at Wilburton will connect with Eastrail which is also going to convert the Wilburton Train Trestle and go over I 90 on another converted train bridge. Some day the Eastrail will be 42 miles long and also connect to other regional trails which will be great to access when the 1 and 2 lines connect

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

Do you know anything about when that is expected to happen? It seems like there's been a lot of talk but very little action since the Spirit of Washington dinner train stopped running on that right of way, which I'm thinking must have about 20 years ago now.

[@sameoldcircus]

@@user-pz6ph1hj2u from King County Parks website NE 8th Bridge (Wilburton station) to open June 23, 2024 Wilburton Trestle construction to start May 2024 anticipated opening in summer 2026 This will be a big connection but other parts are open and really helpful like the Cross Kirkland Corridor, Totem Lake Connector, and even just the main stretch in Renton. It is a work in progress but getting there

[@jg-7780]

8:34 Yep. You could swing from the catenary like monkey bars and be totally fine as long as you never touch anything else

[@mrvwbug4423]

Yup, the train wheels and rail form the ground of the circuit. That's also why trolley buses need two wires instead of one.

[@scoldeddogproduction]

I suspect all these stations will stay clean and safe as opposed to Seattle's.

[@jeffmande4671]

Those train cars went through my town last summer. (Bend, Oregon) They were on a truck trailer going north from California.

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

Why would freight traffic from California to Seattle go through bend? That's implausible bordering on absurd.

[@jeffmande4671]

@@user-pz6ph1hj2u Right, it is not a direct route to Seattle.

[@blackwatchbandstudio]

I took a day trip up to Bellevue and Seattle last September. After a long series of complications trying to get an ORCA card, I finally made my way to South Bellevue Station only to be highly confused at the lack of a train to take (Google Maps had the little train icon and everything). I should really try to get back up there to ride the 2 Line, although I might end up waiting until at least the northern extension is completed (goodness knows I still have a bunch of transit stuff to check out in my area already)

[@NSaw1]

My dad and I where just out there to pick up a shipping container and some equipment we rented to SpaceX a bout a month ago, I saw the two lines and was wondering about them! Very cool video. Another note on the floating bridges, the tensioners? For the catinery is super cool! It's a pretty crazy engineering thing when you think about it. If the water level rises then the length of the catinery shortens. I want to know more about how that system works to keep the tension and position haha

[@obj_obj]

I was so hyped up and then I got on and realized it only went at 40mph 😭

[@nikaristov]

Lake Washington is also rather deep, about 200 feet, which is like 20 story building, thus floating bridge come to the rescue.

[@kiosk5595]

You are quite a trooper to fly to Seattle for a 17min train ride! I was a fan for sure. It’s not perfect yet in terms of usefulness but given a few years to get the TOD going and it’ll be a gem. Bellevue Downtown and Wilburton were my favorites (the latter solely for the views). I actually liked BelRed station, I think the fact that it’s the *only* at grade station shows how light rail flexibility is useful when done right. Also, Bellevue Downtown Park is gorgeous! Being in it and looking at the skyline makes you feel like you’re in Star Trek

[@peterelvery]

Thanks Caleb. I'm curious. Sydney Metro parking stations are free ONLY if you've used the train (you scan your travel card at the exit gate). Are the Seattle ones the same? Also, should you ever manage to leap high enough to grab onto the catenary wire, even if it sagged you'd have to end up less than a millimetre away from the ground to get zapped. Rule of thumb: 1mm per 1000v.

[@andrew_ray]

I don't know if Seattle is different, but most catenary systems operate at 25kV, way more than 1000V.

[@peterelvery]

@@andrew_ray Seattle and Sydney are both 1500v DC but whatever the voltage, the maths is easy.

[@cccaaa9034]

Looks like they did a cut and paste of BART stations, with a separate parking garage that makes you go down to the ticketing and turnstiles and then back up to the rail.

[@ethanchernicoff5750]

7:14 It's a Gillig Phantom, which is retired and now used as training coaches by Peirce Transit.

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

Wilburton station also connects to a trail going towards Kirkland

[@TheLIRRFrenchie...]

The bird isn't getting electrocuted because it needs to be touching the wire and the ground at the same time. Because it's solely on the wire, it's fine.

[@AtomicAerials]

I've been working in BellRed for nearly 8 years and I cannot remember ever seeing anyone on a bicycle. The East Side is all of the aspects of car-centric culture working at max power.

[@commercialcritic4676]

Sweet!

[@TheHungryTransitFan]

At the coffee shop, I first thought you said "meat latte", and...I had some questions.

[@NickCBax]

I do like the number before the line, this way when I get on the 1 Line and it announces “This is the one line to Angle Lake” I get to reply, “Oh I wanted the other line to Angle Lake.”

[@NickCBax]

09:54 you missed that King County Metro had two facilities in walking distance, as well as the OMF for the 2 Line.

[@SalmanMentos]

Nice

[@markstocker5121]

How long before one of the escalators is out of service? I like the Link but there seem to be problems keeping the stations in order. Oh and slough is pronounced slew..

[@CyanideCarrot]

that happened on day one

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

The original problematic escalators/elevators were the ones in the DSTT that were built by Metro, prior to King County taking it over. I'm certain that the problems they had with newer escalators such as the ones at the husky stadium station, whatever it's called, informed decisions about whatever they ultimately used for the new station. It seems that Sound Transit does learn from mistakes. The fact that they didn't use a tunnel boring machine for the Bellevue tunnel would seem to be another example of that. Although, to be fair, their machines never had the sort of problems that Bertha had.

[@markstocker5121]

@@user-pz6ph1hj2u The escalator I'm talking of is the one at Northgate. That was built by ST. I usually take the 512 bus then transfer there. Though yes I've seen out of service escalators in the DSTT.

[@NickCBax]

@@user-pz6ph1hj2uthe DSTT ones are also over thirty years old, which is at the end of their useful life. Also King County Metro neglected them for quite some time, since they were selling the DSTT to Sound Transit.

[@glowingfish]

I am wondering why it didnt seem to have many riders...was it the time of day and direction? Or is it that without the Seattle connection it doesn't go through residential areas?

[@oregonsenior4204]

I think the 2nd. Right now it goes from somewhere Eastside to somewhere Eastside. Which will not stop me from riding it the first chance I get for fun, but please, please, Sound Transit, get that part across Lake Washington to downtown finished.

[@andrewzheng4038]

I think the second. It’s also still missing the downtown Redmond section - there’s a lot of developments and people on that end that would take the light rail. I also imagine ridership will pick up as Bellevue upzones - you can see the start of high density development around areas like Bel-Red, so I imagine current ridership at some Bellevue stations doesn’t yet reflect what it will be for most of the line’s lifetime

[@westcoastseattleboy784]

Right now it mostly just runs through sprawl. Downtown Bellevue is the only dense-ish area along the line, but even there parking is pretty available. Taking this thing would be way slower than driving for the trips it serves today. BUT when it opens to Seattle there will be a decent number of cross-lake commuters using it to get around bridge traffic and eastside residents using it to avoid the headache of parking in the city for events. Until that connection is available it’s kind of pointless.

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

⁠@@westcoastseattleboy784it’s much faster than driving during rush hour. Driving from Redmond to Bellevue on the highways always has a bunch of congestion during peak times. I choose it over driving if I’m ever doing any shopping in Bellevue. I also use it to get to the office, but I don’t go in very often.

[@JerrellWoolford]

The new stations look really nice. To add to the bird question, they can perch on the power lines and be fine but if a train approaches and the same bird makes contact with the trains pantograph, that will zap em. I've seen my fair share of fried bird on station platforms 😬

[@ryan225360]

The “yes, that Kirkland” was PERFECT

[@brunhildevalkyrie]

Imagine being such a baby that you cry to get a border wall built between your neighborhood and a tram

[@danielkelly2210]

It's very American! 😆

[@mrvwbug4423]

NIMBYs gonna NIMBY haha

[@leonardbrinkman4410]

I think that's going to be a good idea for the both one and two lines because instead of me going from shoreline downtown Seattle I can go from shoreline through downtown Seattle all the way into Bellevue. That way I can connect to Bellevue square from shoreline! So I think this is a good idea to connect the one line with the two line between shoreline and Bellevue, however you're going to start seeing people moving from Seattle to Bellevue in a short period of time! That's a matter of fact both downtown Seattle and downtown Bellevue will see their share of people moving in between the west side and the east side, and that's just for starters.

[@kb470]

Just want to add to the Bellevue office - The pokemon company international's US office is in the key center building 👌👌 I will not stand for this major oversight 🤣

[@mrvwbug4423]

That line was clearly built with one thing in mind, Microsoft commuters. Most of the workforce at MS lives in Bellvue.

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

Putting the number before the word line is a result of Sound Transit waffling on how they were going to name the lines once there was to be more than one of them. They were initially not going to be numbered. So much like other systems such as MAX In Portland, it would sound weird to refer to a line red or line blue as opposed to red line and blue line. So when it switched over to numbers, I think they just didn't re-sequence the words. I don't remember the ultimate excuse for this change but I think it may have been something about being more accessible than colors.

[@NickCBax]

The reason for the change was what is now the 1 Line was going to be called the Red Line. And that line goes through historically redlined neighborhoods, so there were complaints about not being culturally sensitive. Instead of changing the color they switched to numbers.

[@heldscissors4132]

Coming back from Osaka has made me realize how much the US needs good, and affordable public transportation within their major cities... Me being able to get across the entire city just by walking and taking the JR line or the Osaka metro line or if need be, cycle. Most stations I had gone to were very accessible as despite all the stairs there were always elevators to get up to each platform, trains had level boarding, additionally staff would come lay down a small platform between the car and platform just in case. I think it's very unlikely that the US will ever achieve what the Japanese have done though since our culture needs to change, from having higher standards for customer service, having more respect for the people around us, to almost completely getting rid of car culture and its influence on our city design (zoning regarding minimum parking requirements, zoning not allowing densely populated areas, etc).

[@XinaCCPFreeTibet]

Extremely slow or completely missing connectivity to the train stops from rest of Bellevue. So if you don't have a car, good luck. Only people who live within reasonable walking distance can use them. Others have to drive to a park and ride if they want to use the train.

[@sdrx901]

slough is a weird word, but its pronounced "sloo"! mercer slough is a swamp though, its a misnomer; sloughs are saltwater marshes, usually at the deltas of rivers

[@randomtransitadventures]

I TRADEMARKED THE MAP CALEB

[@shreychaudhary4477]

regarding 16:38, idk about that. people say "1 trains" so I'd assume there'd be some other 1 lines

[@KelsR58]

Free parking for now. They're going to start charging soon, which means more commuters will take the hit and choose the privacy of their SOV over the light rail.

[@condrumnumberone9456]

According to Pat Cashman (a local hero), slough is pronounced slew, and Bellevue is pronounce belly view,

[@joughnut496]

I visited Seattle about a year ago, and the thing that I do not understand about the line is that there’s nothing blocking entry for people who don’t pay. We all bought our orca cards and payed, but saw so many people who just walked through without paying! We asked one of the station workers about it and they were just like “yep, people just ignore it all the time and hop on for free all the time” I felt like I was getting scammed every time I tapped my orca card to hop on. Won’t Seattle lose a bunch of money because of all this? Why don’t they make it so you have to tap your card to hop on the train since they already have buttons to open the doors?

[@TheTikeySauce]

Not really. The only purpose of the fares is the cover a portion of the system's operational costs (farebox recovery) - it's not there to make a profit, so Sound Transit will only care about fares up until a certain point. Because of the way Sound Transit's revenue structure is set up, they would benefit way more from people just simply moving into the region than chasing $3 fares (or less due to ORCA programs or transfers). Not to mention they are very much in the green right now, with a projected unrestricted cash balance of over $4 billion for their 2024 budget.

[@BalooUriza]

11:26 Looks like parking enforcement is slacking big-time given how many cars are parked in the painted bicycle gutters.

[@tysoncodes]

Oof all the prime parking and car drop off areas really bother me. People in America just don’t understand transit

[@mrvwbug4423]

I understand the park & ride in South Bellvue, that's likely the main station that will be used by Microsoft commuters

[@NickBurman]

Some time ago I saw a feature here on KZbin on why station "next train" boards can at times be so unreliable. The feature was specifically about London, UK, but apparently what it said applies to other systems. Turns out that most departure board systems (even the most modern ones) still rely on 2G internet/WiFi to work... and 2G internet is notoriously prone to interference. So it might pass that, because of interference or other issues, the system "forgets" that there are trains coming. And when it picks up again, it might be not the next train or the one after, but a train which is running way behind. That's why your departure board at Bellevue showed a train departing in 10min with the next in 40 min - ST didn't drop the runs (would be rather shameful to do on a brand-new transit system), but the info system "forgot" that they were coming. Then, through the input furnished by the signalling system, the system "remembered" that there were two "lost" trains and corrected itself.

[@jacktattersall9457]

Regarding your electrical qurestion, technically yes Caleb you could leap and grab the wire. Though it is not recommended.

[@damionswartz4823]

I lived in Seattle for 10 years and hated it. Seattle is just a Microsoft and Boeing nursing home now. The whole place closes at 10

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

17:58 Nope. There have been other rail lines on floating bridges long before this one

[@ClassyWhale]

Like what?

[@Gfynbcyiokbg8710]

@@ClassyWhale Like the Pile-Pontoon Railroad Bridge in Iowa and the third Tranebergsbro in Stockholm. There are probably even more.

[@jstring]

Great art and architecture for the ghost town stations and empty platforms. Good to know our $500 + car tabs in Pierce county help pay for art installations etc. let them eat cake right? 🎂

[@psalmy26]

You have a beautiful voice tone

[@simsfun4kids]

maybe the lobby at Spring District is for when the 4 line opens

[@ClassyWhale]

Line 4 won't serve that stop

[@simsfun4kids]

maybe I new line will be there

[@jonw999999]

Its for future development that will be integrated into the station headhouses, will take you to the future building's lobby

[@mariahamilton5305]

In the UK Slough is a poetically famous town and its pronunciation is as in the poem "Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough; It isn't fit for humans now"

[@user-pz6ph1hj2u]

And more recently famous for The Office (UK). But that's a town and this is a swampy wetland.

[@mrvwbug4423]

UK Slough is an outer suburb of London. The halfway point between Paddington and Reading on the GWML.