SEATTLE — Several changes are coming to Sound Transit's Link Light Rail beginning on Friday, including the opening of the new Lynnwood Extension, the new $3 flat fare and the renaming of a downtown station.
Here's what you should know.
$3 flat fares for 1, 2 Line
The regular adult fare for the Link light rail will be $3 starting Friday, Aug. 30. The flat $3 fare will replace Sound Transit's distance-based fares, which range from $2.25 to $3.50. However, one-way fares on the T Line in Tacoma will remain $2.
Meanwhile, Sound Transit said the price for an adult ORCA day pass will drop to $6 from the current price of $8 as part of a six-month promotional period. Under the ORCA promotion, the price for a reduced fare pass will drop from $4 to $2. According to Sound Transit, the ORCA LIFT program is unchanged, allowing youth under 18 to ride free.
The agency said the change to flat fares would simplify travel by eliminating the need for passengers using ORCA cards to tap off when they complete their trip.
Lynnwood Extension opens
Sound Transit's newest Link light rail extension opened Friday connecting the 1 Line to Lynnwood. Here's what you should know about the project.
The Lynnwood Link Extension was approved by voters in 2008 and began construction in 2019. The 8.5-mile-long extension includes four new stations with service expected every four to six minutes. The new stations will be Lynnwood City Center Station, Mountlake Terrace Station, Shoreline North - 185th Station and Shoreline South - 148th Station.
The projected travel time from Lynnwood City Center Station to Westlake Station in downtown Seattle is 28 minutes. The projected travel time to SeaTac from Mountlake Terrace is 56 minutes, according to Sound Transit.
Sound Transit, the Lynnwood Chamber of Commerce, Snohomish County Transportation Coalition and Asian Service Center will be going all-out for opening day. Celebrations kicked off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Beginning at 4 p.m., each new station will host a night market with live music, food trucks, bouncy houses, face painting, giveaways and more.
More information on the opening day celebrations can be found on soundtransit.org.
University Street Station renamed to Symphony Station
Beginning Aug. 30, the link light rail University Street Station is officially renamed to celebrate the Seattle Symphony and reduce rider confusion.
In 2019 Sound Transit asked residents to weigh in on renaming the station as riders would mix up University Street Station with University of Washington Station and U District Station.
According to Sound Transit, 14,000 responses were recorded with Symphony Station receiving the most votes, to celebrate the nearby Seattle Symphony.
Other renaming options included Benaroya Hall Station, Seneca Street Station, Midtown Station, Downtown Arts District Station, and Arts District Station.
The Sound Transit Board authorized the name change in 2021.
Three-digit codes replace pictograms
On Friday, Sound Transit is replacing station pictograms aboard trains with three-digit station codes. Sound Transit said the change brings the station identifiers in line with state law. The state law requires station identifiers not to be based on the Roman alphabet to better assist Limited English Proficiency (LEP) passengers.
Each light rail station name was accompanied by a pictogram representing neighborhood landmarks. Beginning Friday the pictograms will be replaced by three-digit codes. Sound Transit said the change will be better for LEP passengers and easier to update as the system expands. Sound Transit conducted a cultural review to avoid any negative associations or other number-related superstitions.
Sound Transit said the numbered codes will also help passengers identify how many stops to their destination in each direction.
For example, Sound Transit picked Westlake Station as the midpoint of the 1 Line and designated it as "1-50," with Capitol Hill Station being 1-49 and Symphony Station as 1-51.
Sound Transit said while many riders may not use the new system, it represents a leap in the light rail's rideability for LEP passengers and other riders.
KING 5's Quixem Ramirez contributed to this story.