1 Line (Sound Transit)
Template:Future public transportation
| Central Link | |
|---|---|
| File:Sound-Transit-logo.png | |
 The first trains on a test run in the tunnel. | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Under construction |
| Owner | Sound Transit |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 4 (9 under construction) |
| Service | |
| Type | Light rail |
| System | Link Light Rail |
| Operator(s) | Sound Transit |
| History | |
| Opened | July 18th, 2009[1] |
| Technical | |
| Line length | Template:Mi to km |
| Character | Underground, at grade, elevated |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Operating speed | Template:Auto mph |
Central Link is a 15.7-mile (25.3 km) light rail line running between downtown Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington. It is currently under construction, and represents the completion of the initial phase of Sound Transit's Link Light Rail system. The line will begin service between Westlake and Tukwila on July 18, 2009, with the extension to Seatac complete by December 2009, with trains composed of two cars,[2] each car having a capacity of 200 passengers — 74 seated and 126 standing.[3]
Routing
The northern terminus is at Westlake Station near the intersection of Pine Street and 5th Avenue. Central Link trains operate inside the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel sharing the right-of-way with diesel-electric hybrid buses. The route serves four of the five stations in the tunnel (The Convention Place Station's elevation is too high to be served by trains.[citation needed]) After exiting the southern end of the tunnel at International District Station, the route then joins the SoDo Busway (formerly 5th Avenue S) as a traffic-separated surface route, where it has priority for all intersections. The route serves two stations on the busway and then rises to an elevated section through the SoDo.
The route then enters a tunnel through Beacon Hill and makes one stop at the underground Beacon Hill Station. Exiting the tunnel, the route becomes grade separated on an elevated bridge. It serves Mount Baker Station near Franklin High School before it becomes an at-grade surface route on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and serves four stations in the Rainier Valley.
Continuing south on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, it again becomes grade separated on an elevated bridge and runs alongside Boeing Access Road, East Marginal Way South, Interurban Boulevard, SR 599, and Interstate 5. Just north of State Route 518, the route turns west and parallels State Route 518. It stops at the Tukwila/International Boulevard Station.
After Airport Link is complete near the end of 2009, it will then cross International Boulevard and parallel the North Airport Expressway. The southern terminus of Central Link will then be at the Sea-Tac/Airport station will be an elevated station lying northeast of the parking garage, immediately west of International Boulevard. The garage's return-to-terminal ramps have been demolished to make way for the light rail station. After the initial segment opens there will be free shuttles between Tukwila/International Boulevard Station and Sea-Tac/Airport station until Sea-Tac/Airport station officially opens.
Stations
| Name | Opening Year | City/Neighborhood | Location | Notes | Pictogram | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of line; future extension (University Link) | ||||||
| Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel | ||||||
 |
Westlake Station | 1989 | Downtown Seattle | under Pine St & 4th Ave | Connections to monorail and streetcar. | File:Westlake Seattle Symbol.svg |
 |
University Street | 1989 | Downtown Seattle | under 3rd Ave & University St | 
| |
 |
Pioneer Square | 1989 | Pioneer Square, Seattle | under 3rd Ave & Cherry St | 
| |
|
International District | 1989 | International District / Chinatown, Seattle |
under Union Station | 
| |
| Surface | ||||||
 |
Stadium | 2009 | SoDo, Seattle | SODO Busway & S Royal Brougham Way |
Larger platform to serve Safeco Field and Qwest Field | 
|
 |
SODO | 2009 | SoDo, Seattle | SODO Busway & S Lander St | 
| |
| Tunnel | ||||||
| Beacon Hill | 2009 | Beacon Hill, Seattle | under Beacon Ave S & S Lander St | 
| ||
| Elevated | ||||||
 |
Mount Baker | 2009 | Mount Baker, Seattle | MLK Jr. Way & Rainier Ave | 
| |
| Surface (Martin Luther King Jr. Way) | ||||||
 |
Columbia City | 2009 | Columbia City, Seattle | MLK Jr. Way between S Edmunds St & S Alaska St |
| |
 |
Othello | 2009 | New Holly, Seattle | MLK Jr. Way between S Othello St & S Myrtle St |
| |
 |
Rainier Beach | 2009 | Rainier Valley, Seattle | MLK Jr. Way & S Henderson St | 
| |
| Elevated | ||||||
| Tukwila Int'l Blvd | 2009 | Tukwila | SR 518 & Int'l Blvd | 600-space park & ride lot; free shuttles to/from the airport until Airport section is complete | 
| |
| Sea-Tac/Airport Station | 2009 | SeaTac | East of parking garage | Opens late in 2009, after other stations. Pedestrian bridges to main terminal and kiss-and-ride center at Int'l Blvd | 
| |
Fares
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Template:FixHTML The fares will be distance-based, with a flat rate starting at $1.75 plus 5 cents per mile, rounded to the nearest quarter. Riding in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will not be free, however the buses operating in the tunnel will remain free (inside the tunnel).[4] The maximum cost of a one-way ticket is $2.50 and allows a trip from Downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport--compared to the fare (as of February 2009) of $1.75 (off-peak) to $2.50 (peak) for the same route on Metro's Route 194. [5] Maintaining the ride-free area downtown for light rail would have resulted in fares 25 cents higher.
Fares will be as follows:[6][7]
| Westlake | University Street | Pioneer Square | Int'l Dist | Stadium | SODO | Beacon Hill | Mt. Baker | Columbia City | Othello | Rainier Beach | Tukwila | SeaTac/ Airport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westlake | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| University St | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Pioneer Sq | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Int'l Dist | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.50 | $2.50 |
| Stadium | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| SODO | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Beacon Hill | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Mt. Baker | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Columbia City | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Othello | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $1.75 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Rainier Beach | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $1.75 | $1.75 | -- | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Tukwila | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | -- | $1.75 |
| SeaTac/ Airport |
$2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.50 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.25 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $1.75 | -- |
Youth and Senior (65+ yr)/Disabled fares are fifty cents and one dollar less than the adult fares, respectively.
Transfers
Users of the ORCA Card will have their transfer fares calculated automatically. Users of cash and paper tickets can obtrain transfer credit as follows[6]:
Central Link to bus
A Central Link ticket purchased with cash can be used at face value on ST Express, as a one-zone fare on King County Metro and a local fare on Community Transit and Pierce Transit.
Bus to Central Link
Users that pay with cash or tickets on a Community Transit, King County Metro or Pierce Transit bus may ask for a paper transfer that can be used as $1.50 (fifty cents and one dollar less for youth and senior/disabled, respectively) towards the train fare. ST Express transfers can be used for the full value of the fare paid. If a transfer is worth less than the value of the trip, the user must pay the difference at a Ticket Vending Machine (TVM) in the form of an upgrade ticket.
Headways
Central Link will operate on the following schedule[8]:
| Time | Headway | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday through Friday |
5:00 am - 6:00 am | 15 |
| 6:00 am - 8:30 am | 7.5 | |
| 8:30 am - 3:00 pm | 10 | |
| 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm | 7.5 | |
| 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm - 1:00 am | 15 | |
| Saturday | 5:00 am - 8:00 am | 15 |
| 8:00 am - 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm - 1:00 am | 15 | |
| Sunday | 6:00 am - 8:00 am | 15 |
| 8:00 am - 10:00 pm | 10 | |
| 10:00 pm - 12:00 midnight | 15 |
Travel Times
The vehicles will operate at a maximum and cruising speed of Template:Auto mph, with an estimated end-to-end travel time of 36 minutes over the 15.7 mile route.[9] Travel times will be as follows[9]; all times measured in minutes.
| Westlake | University Street |
Pioneer Square |
Int'l Dist |
Stadium | SODO | Beacon Hill |
Mt. Baker |
Columbia City |
Othello | Rainier Beach |
Tukwila | SeaTac/ Airport | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westlake | -- | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 34 | 36 |
| University St | 2 | -- | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 32 | 34 |
| Pioneer Sq | 4 | 2 | -- | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 21 | 30 | 32 |
| Int'l Dist | 6 | 4 | 2 | -- | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 28 | 30 |
| Stadium | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | -- | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 26 | 28 |
| SODO | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 2 | -- | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 24 | 27 |
| Beacon Hill | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | -- | 2 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 24 |
| Mt. Baker | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | -- | 3 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 22 |
| Columbia City | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | -- | 5 | 8 | 17 | 19 |
| Othello | 22 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 5 | -- | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| Rainier Beach | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 4 | -- | 9 | 11 |
| Tukwila | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 9 | -- | 3 |
| SeaTac/ Airport |
36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 3 | -- |
The 36 minute travel time from Westlake Station to SeaTac/Aiport Station is similar to the 32 minute scheduled travel time of Metro bus route 194 from Convention Place Station to the airport.[10] Wait times will be shorter and access will be better, as light rail will run more frequently and during more hours of the day than Route 194, and will serve more stops between downtown and the airport. Since light rail operates on its own right of way, it is not subject to delays due to traffic congestion.[3]. The Link trip will cost 75 cents more than the bus during Metro's off peak periods (all hours other than 6-9 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. weekdays).
King County Metro will discontinue route 194 in February, 2010.[11] Riders who previously boarded route 194 at the Kent/Des Moines or Star Lake (272nd) park-and-ride whose destinations were north of the SeaTac Airport will need to board ST route 574 and then transfer to light rail at the Sea-Tac/Airport station.
Equipment
Kinkisharyo-Mitsui was chosen to design and manufacture low-floor light rail vehicles and provide additional equipment and support. Thirty-five light rail cars were delivered between November 2006 and September 2008. Each vehicle is 95 feet (30 m) long, accommodate 200 people each (74 seated), and double-ended to allow travel in either direction. Two-car trains will be used initially, but as ridership increases, trains can be up to four-cars long. Until University Link construction is completed, only three-car trains can be used[12] due to the length of the stub tracks at the north-end interlock. The maximum speed of the light rail vehicle is Template:Auto mph.
The current plan is for 180 total units for the system by 2030.[13]
See also
References
- ^ "Sound Transit: Countdown to a new era: all aboard Link light rail starting July 18". Sound Transit. www.soundtransit.org. 2009-04-20. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ "Draft 2009 Service Implementation Plan" (pdf). Sound Transit. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
- ^ a b "Link Light Rail Train Specifications". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ "Riding Link Light Rail: What it costs to ride". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2008-03-27.
- ^ "Sound Transit proposes fares for Link light rail, seeks public input". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ a b "Link Light Rail (Central Link) Fares - fare service begins July 20". Sound Transit. 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "Board adopts fares for Link light rail; adult trips will range from $1.75 to $2.50". Sound Transit. 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
- ^ "Link Light Rail (Central Link) Schedule - starting July 20, 2009". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
- ^ a b " "Link light rail". King County Metro. Retrieved 2009=06-09.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Metro Route 194". King County Metro. Retrieved 2009-01-14.
- ^ "Metro Schedule and Route Revisions September 2009 & February 2010". King County Metro. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^ Central Link Operations Plan - Westlake to SeaTac/Airport
- ^ Link LRT: Maintenance Bases, Vehicles and Operations for ST2 Expansion
External links
- System Map(Project) at soundtransit.org.
- Central Link ride along video at The Seattle Times.
- www.soundtransit.org
- Puget Sound Transportation Projects: Seattle Link
- Photos of Sound Transit Flickr group, includes photos of Central Link.
Mass transit in the Puget Sound region | |
|---|---|
| Local and express bus | |
| Light rail |
|
| Streetcar |
|
| Commuter rail | |
| Bus rapid transit | |
| Ferry | |
| Monorail |
|
| People mover | |
| Historic | |
| Other | |
Italics denote lines or services which are planned, under construction, defunct, or otherwise not operating at the present time. | |
