REDMOND, Wash. — After years of waiting and a big celebration on opening weekend, the first full month of Sound Transit's Eastside service has resulted in fewer than 4,000 daily boardings.
A spokesperson for Sound Transit said those numbers fall in line with the agency's projections.
"It's brand new. This is something people on the Eastside haven't had before. There's a learning curve, we think. People will find out it's there and how useful it is and ridership will continue to increase," said Rachelle Cunningham.
The 2 Line, which operates between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology, opened on April 27.
According to Sound Transit, there were 47,000 boardings on opening weekend.
In May, the line averaged 3,900 daily boardings during the week and 4,300 on Saturdays.
"It's not super crowded at this point, there aren't so many riders but it's a good way to leave your car somewhere and get across the Eastside to do what you need to do," Cunningham said.
By comparison, the Westlake Station in Seattle, the busiest along the 1 Line, averaged nearly 300,000 boardings each month.
Sound Transit projects when the East Link Extension expands across I-90 to connect with service in Seattle, monthly ridership could more than double to reach as many as 5 million boardings per month.
The exact date for when the two lines will be joined hasn't been set.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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