LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Lynnwood is a suburban town that is working towards becoming a transportation hub.
"This is a destination," Lynnwood community planning manager Karl Almgren said.
The link light rail extension to Lynnwood starts operations, on Friday.
The voter-approved measure has cost residents hundreds of dollars a year in property taxes and car tab fees since it was approved in 2008. Now comes the payoff. It opens a new door for people that live in Snohomish County.
"It'll be nice to not have to commute through downtown Seattle for a lot of things," Lynnwood resident Kay Flores said.
Developers are moving fast constructing new apartment complexes near the City Center station.
The city of Lynnwood plans to add 6,000 dwelling units near the station over the next 20 years. The plan is banking on the convenience of public transportation.
City planners are already seeing investment from private developers.
Northline Village is one of the major developments under construction. That site will include apartments, retail and office space.
"Some people may be using [the light rail] three days a week. Some people may be using it just to get downtown to get to a concert, Mariners game or Seahawks game,” Almgren said.
An early test of the new extension is this weekend. There’s a Metallica concert at Lumen Field Friday night and a University of Washington football game on Saturday.
"It's going to be very helpful to just be that close to it," Flores said. “I can just walk across the street."
Kay Flores lives in one of those new buildings built in the last few years near the transit station
“I can just walk across the street," Flores said.
She also works down the block from the light rail at the physical therapy and fitness wellness business Experience Momentum.
They believe the light rail could bring in new business and just make it easier for some of their clients that battle the traffic.
"They're talking about how excited they are that they can just hop off the light rail and come over for fitness services, nutrition, massage or therapy visits," physical therapist and general manager at Experience Momentum Megan Dalton said.
The transit station in Lynnwood includes a large parking structure. The four-story garage has more than 1,650 parking spots, according to Sound Transit.
"It's exciting to see everything happening here, but we're also looking at where we are going next," Almgren said.
Sound transit plans for the line to reach Everett between 2037 and 2041.