Update: Sound Transit Stride S3 construction in Kenmore

Stride 3 will run from I-405 to the Shoreline South light rail station

Construction for Stride S3 continues to progress in Kenmore. 

Crews are making progress on utility and roadway improvements that will support future rapid transit service along the SR 522 / Bothell Way corridor. 

Recent work has focused on preparing key intersections and station areas for upcoming infrastructure upgrades designed to improve transit reliability, safety, and mobility for all users. 

Travelers should expect temporary overnight traffic changes, including lane closures, detours, and restricted turning movements. 

For more information on Stride S3 bus service, visit the Stride webpage.

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Construction in Kenmore for Stride S3 rapid transit service along Bothell Way (SR 522)

First shelter footing pour at 73rd Avenue NE eastbound station.
Photo courtesy Sound Transit

Construction for Stride S3 continues to progress in Kenmore. Crews are making progress on utility and roadway improvements that will support future rapid transit service along the SR 522 corridor. Recent work has focused on preparing key intersections and station areas for upcoming infrastructure upgrades designed to improve transit reliability, safety, and mobility for all users.

Recent construction milestones include: 

• Installation of underground utilities at the 68th Avenue NE eastbound and 73rd Avenue NE eastbound station areas.
• Beginning utility trenching across SR 522 at the 68th Avenue NE and 73rd Avenue NE eastbound stations
• Pouring the first shelter foundation at the 73rd Avenue NE eastbound station.
• Continuing underground utility installation at the 61st Avenue NE eastbound and westbound stations and the 68th Avenue NE westbound station.

Looking ahead

In August, crews will continue building the Stride S3 Line with a focus on station construction, utility work, and roadway improvements along SR 522.

Here's a look at some key activities you'll see in the coming weeks:

• Continue installing underground utilities and infrastructure.
• Form and pour pylon, lighting, and shelter foundations at the 61st Avenue NE and 68th Avenue NE eastbound stations.
• Form and pour the first station platform at the 73rd Avenue NE eastbound station.

Travelers should expect temporary overnight traffic changes, including lane closures, detours, and restricted turning movements. There will not be any additional sidewalk closures, and the Burke-Gilman Trail is expected to remain open during this next phase of construction.

Upcoming traffic changes

Here's a look at upcoming traffic changes, including nighttime lane closures needed to support construction:

• 68th Ave NE nighttime closures: Several nighttime closures at 68th Ave NE south of SR 522 are anticipated from mid- to late-August. This closure will allow crews to trench across the roadway and install underground utilities. Additional details will be shared before work begins.
• SR 522 eastbound lane closures: In mid-September, crews will close the eastbound bus lane and one eastbound general-purpose lane for a weekend. After this, a weeklong 24/7 closure of the eastbound bus-only lane will follow. These closures are needed to install concrete bus lane panels and allow the concrete to cure before reopening to traffic. Additional details will be shared closer to construction.

For more information on Stride S3 bus service, visit the Stride webpage.

Thank you, Kenmore community

Sound Transit extends its appreciation to the Kenmore community for its patience, flexibility, and continued support as construction moves forward. We recognize that this work can create temporary impacts, and we are grateful for the community's partnership as we build a faster, more reliable transit connection for the region.

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Evening/nighttime lane closures on SR 522 in Bothell

Starting July 20, 2026 construction crews will close lanes on SR 522 (Bothell Way NE) between 96th Avenue NE and 98th Avenue NE for night work (see map). Crews will work from 6pm to 6am, Monday through Friday. This closure is in addition to the daytime lane closures in the same area. Nighttime work will last through September 2026.

Traffic patterns will change during construction. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians should follow posted signs and plan extra travel time.

During construction, these lane closures will mean:

• Left turns in and out of businesses and residences on SR-522 will be restricted at times.
• Left turns from Hall Road onto SR-522 will be restricted at times.

Nighttime construction will focus on utility investigations, new waterline installation, roadway patching, and steel plate installation. Crews will monitor noise levels.

During construction, SR 522 will stay open to traffic. All businesses will remain open and accessible. To help keep traffic flowing, an optional detour will be in place during work hours. This detour will send drivers around the work area via 91st Avenue NE and 180th Street. See the detour map.

This road work will ensure the Stride S3 buses can move through the route more quickly, allowing Sound Transit to deliver fast, frequent, and reliable bus rapid transit service along S3. For more information on Stride S3 bus service, visit the Stride webpage.

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Stride 3 BRT construction begins this month

Artist's rendering of the 61st Ave NE station in Kenmore

Sound Transit will begin construction for the Stride 3 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line later this month, and residents in Kenmore may see activity as early as February 16, 2026. 

The new Stride BRT line will provide faster, more reliable service along Bothell Way, with three new stations in Kenmore at 61st Ave NE, 68th Ave NE, and the Kenmore Park and Ride. 

To stay up to date on the latest construction news, be sure to subscribe to the Stride email list. For more information on the project visit the Stride Online Open House. 

If you have questions or concerns, contact the Stride team at brt@soundtransit.org.

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Stride through your city: Check out the final design plans

Sound Transit has shared that the Stride Program has reached the final design milestone for Stride S3 and Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility (formerly called Bus Base North). 

Final design plans for Stride S1 and S2 are currently expected to be completed later this year, though timelines may be adjusted based on project needs.

Visit our online open house to learn about the most recent milestones, upcoming construction, and the transportation improvements coming to cities and communities surrounding Lake Washington. 

You’ll also be able to learn about the Stride Program’s battery-electric buses, station elements, and more. 

The online open house is available in English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese.

Visit the online open house

What's next?

We’ve started to select contractors for Stride projects and will begin construction later this year.

Once individual contractors are selected, we will work with them to develop detailed construction schedules for each project area. 

We will engage nearby neighbors, businesses, and communities to minimize construction impacts. Stay tuned for more information later this year.

More project info here 

Contact us: brt@soundtransit.org or 206-553-3412

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Sound Transit launches online open house for Stride Bus Rapid Transit - major construction along NE 145th

Planned Stride routes

The online open house provides updates to the public on the current stage of each portion of the project. It will also help passengers and commuters navigate Sound Transit-led construction, which will begin in August at the Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility in Canyon Park and in late 2025 on the Stride 3 line on SR 522.

The open house, which opens July 22, 2025 will remain open through the beginning of construction.

The open house is available here.

Rendering of Stride’s 15th Ave NE Station along NE 145th in Shoreline/Seattle

Shoreline/Seattle Designs include three station locations from I-5 to Bothell Way

1. Shoreline South/148th Station.
2. 15th Ave NE Station (NE 145th St and 15th Ave NE).
3. 30th Ave NE Station (NE 145th St and 30th Ave NE).

The work will include:

• Improving roadway, driveway, and sidewalk/planting strips.
• Widening the roadway for bus lanes and new sidewalks westbound between 8th Ave NE and 6th Ave NE, in both directions between approximately 12th Ave NE and 17th Ave NE, and widening the intersection at NE 145th St and Bothell Way NE.
• Upgrading and relocating utilities.
• Creating stormwater management systems.
• Adding retaining walls along the north and south sides for sections of NE 145th St.

View the roll plots for detailed designs

The Stride program will feature three bus lines: S1, S2 and S3. These lines will replace three existing ST Express bus lines, which were originally planned to fill a transit gap until regional services like Stride could be built.

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Transit advocates rally in support of SR 522 Bus Rapid Transit

Lake Forest Park, WA—Transit advocates from Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Kenmore, and Bothell are coming together on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 10:30am to rally in support of the Stride bus rapid transit project in their community.

The Stride S3 bus rapid transit project will build new accessible sidewalks along SR 522 and Bothell Way and bring fast, frequent, and reliable transit to these growing communities.

“Lake Forest Park can't wait for bus rapid transit! We voted for it by a wider margin than any other community along this route, and the sooner it breaks ground, the sooner it can connect commuters and kids with our neighboring communities,” said Josh Rosenau, lead organizer for Lake Forest Park for Bus Rapid Transit,

“All over the world, Bus Rapid Transit is proven to reduce car trips and carbon emissions, while making communities more accessible.”

Stride S3 will bring:

• Frequent buses every 10 minutes connecting the Shoreline South light rail station to UW Bothell
• Quick, reliable service along dedicated bus lanes
• Reduced emissions from clean, quiet electric buses
• New sidewalks, street lights, storm sewers, and bus stops

Cecelia Black, Community Organizer, Disability Mobility Initiative, Disability Rights Washington pointed out that 

“Stride S3 will make our transportation system work better for the almost 30% of Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Kenmore, and Bothell residents who are non-drivers. This is our opportunity to address our transportation system that has left so many people behind. We cannot wait any longer for safe sidewalks and reliable transit.”

Rally for Stride S3

Saturday April 5, 10:30am

Northwest corner of NE 165th and Bothell Way NE

For more information about Lake Forest Park for Bus Rapid Transit, visit lfp4brt.org. For more information on Stride, visit SoundTransit.org

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Op-Ed: Setting the Record Straight on Stride S3 and Lake Forest Park

Paula Goode
Photo courtesy City of LFP

By Paula Goode

Oliver Moffat’s recent op-ed (Lake Forest Park's Climate Goals face roadblocks) misrepresents the efforts of Lake Forest Park, CORE, and me regarding the Stride S3 project. While I appreciate his enthusiasm for transit, his claims about the City’s position and my involvement are factually incorrect. 

I serve proudly on the Lake Forest Park City Council, a role I was voted into AFTER co-founding CORE. I serve ALL the constituents of the City of Lake Forest Park, the people that voted for me and the people that didn’t. 

Our residents are very impactful to the City and critical to all decisions that are made for all ordinances covering housing, density, sidewalks, etc. Unfortunately, Mr. Moffat never requested a conversation with me and I would always be happy to answer his questions should he want to discuss.

1. Lake Forest Park is Not Delaying Stride S3

Moffat asserts that Lake Forest Park has "sought to delay" the project. This is false. The City has actively engaged with Sound Transit to propose a cost-saving and time-efficient alternative that preserves 93% of the northbound/eastbound bus travel time savings while reducing exorbitant cost, construction and environmental impacts. The proposal, detailed in the City’s July 2024 letter (07-11-24 Letter to Sound Transit RE Stride S3 Line Project), modifies only 0.6 miles of an 8-mile corridor by:

• Retaining a new full BAT lane from 165th to 41st Streets
• Eliminating only a small section of BAT lane from 153rd to 165th, where congestion concerns are highest of the 47 driveways in this segment. A later design decision shifted the roadway to the west which substantially increased the project cost, while also causing significant environmental damage and requiring dozens of additional partial property acquisitions. CORE’s Google traffic analysis ( https://www.lfpcore.org/copy-of-docs2 ) confirms that not building the BAT lane in this 12 block-segment yields nearly all of the expected transit travel time benefit.
• Keeping the existing BAT lane at 165th to Kenmore
• Adding signalized queue jumps to maintain bus priority

This is a pragmatic adjustment, not an obstruction. If Sound Transit truly prioritizes efficiency and cost-effectiveness, they should be eager to consider this approach rather than dismiss it. After all, it would be cheaper, faster to implement, and achieve almost the same goals.

2. The Retaining Wall is a Necessary City Design Decision, Not an "Unvoted Expense"

Moffat claims Lake Forest Park passed regulations forcing Sound Transit to build “decorative retaining walls” as an unnecessary, voter-unapproved cost. This is misleading.

What’s actually happening:

• SR 522 runs through the heart of Lake Forest Park. Sound Transit’s plan calls for a blank, flat concrete wall up to 16 feet high for nearly a mile.
• A plain wall is prone to graffiti, increases noise pollution, and creates aesthetic and environmental concerns.
• The City worked with Sound Transit to design a wall with planting pockets to reduce noise, mitigate maintenance costs, and align with community input. The City also has to bear the future cost of wall maintenance.
• Residents demanded that the City improve the design, as seen in public meetings from May 2023—long before I was elected to the City Council (meeting minutes here https://lakeforestpark-wa.municodemeetings.com/bc-ccrmm/page/city-council-regular-meeting-21).

This was a responsive and responsible design choice, not an arbitrary expense. Moreover, neither the retaining wall nor the BAT lane itself were explicitly detailed in the 2016 ballot measure—Sound Transit made these decisions later.

3. Yes, This Project Will Deforest the Corridor—That’s a Fact

Moffat implies that claims of “deforestation” are unfounded. They are not.

• The project will remove almost 399 mature trees (6 inches or greater in diameter), plus additional smaller trees and vegetation.
• Trees play a critical role in water runoff management, noise reduction, and maintaining the aesthetic of the corridor-as well as the visual heart and soul of ‘Lake Forest Park’.
• Cities across the region, including Lake Forest Park—have climate action goals that this project contradicts and will place us behind in our required climate action goals set forth by Olympia.

Residents have repeatedly voiced concerns about the loss of tree canopy, wall height, wall visual, impact to the City visually, etc, and it is entirely reasonable for elected officials to advocate for mitigation efforts.

4. Concerns About Traffic Gridlock are Based on Real Data, Not Fearmongering

Moffat mocks CORE’s warnings about a "traffic armageddon," yet ignores the documented issues with cumulative traffic impacts as well as Fire and Emergency response. In fact, the Shoreline Fire Marshal spoke at a recent council meeting concerning the Sound Transit Project.

• Washington State law (WAC 197-11-060, 197-11-792, 365-196-640) requires that cumulative environmental and traffic impacts be studied when multiple projects overlap.
• The Stride S3 Environmental Impact Study (EIS) from 2021 failed to account for other upcoming major projects along the corridor, as did the updated SEPA dated Aug 2024 (https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/documents-reports/stride-s3-line-sr-522-ne-145th-brt-sepa-addendum-august-2024).
• When CORE invited Sound Transit’s Manon Garg in December 2024 to discuss the project and its impacts, he was unaware of these other impending projects—proving that necessary coordination has not happened.

This isn’t fearmongering—it’s following the law to ensure that regional construction projects don’t cause unnecessary chaos.

5. I am a Co-Founder of CORE, Not Its Sole Leader

Finally, while I appreciate Moffat’s belief in my influence, he misrepresents my role. I co-founded CORE before I was elected to the Council, but CORE is a community-led effort advocating for smarter transit solutions. This isn’t about personal interests—it’s about protecting local businesses, residents, and the environment while improving transit access.

Conclusion: A More Honest Discussion is Needed

Oliver Moffat’s op-ed pushes a false narrative that Lake Forest Park is trying to derail transit progress. The truth is that we are advocating for a smarter, better-designed project—one that balances transit efficiency, saving unnecessary expenditures (i.e. TAXPAYER funds), environmental responsibility, community needs as well as the personal devastation that imminent domain has caused for almost 100 residents in Lake Forest Park. No other City has impacts on RESIDENTS in the same manner our little 3 square mile City has.

Instead of distorting the conversation, we should be discussing how to make Stride S3 work for everyone.

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LFP creates webpage with information re the Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project

BRT route from Sound Transit

From the City of Lake Forest Park

Over the last several weeks, the Administration has received requests for a repository of information about the City’s interactions with Sound Transit during the Stride BRT project. We are happy to announce the new webpage is now live.

On the page, you will find links to related documents such as letters to the Sound Transit Board of Directors, permits filed with the City, plans and comments, and tech memos.

A helpful table is provided which links users with city council agenda documents and videos for meetings where the Stride BRT line has been a topic on the agenda.

Updates to the Sound Transit Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) page will be made as new information becomes available.

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Stride S3 Bus Rapid Transit is coming to north Lake Washington

The Stride S3 bus rapid transit line

Stride is Sound Transit’s upcoming Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program, providing fast, frequent and reliable high-capacity transit service.

The Stride S3 Line, or the SR 522/NE 145th BRT, will connect north Lake Washington communities to the regional transit system. Riders will be able to transfer between the SR 522/NE 145th Stride S3 Line, I-405 North Stride S2 Line, Link light rail and other transit service provided by Community Transit, King County Metro and Sound Transit.

The COVID-19 recession will likely affect Sound Transit’s expansion project plans and timelines. Learn more about how the Sound Transit Board is assessing potential project impacts.

Online open house now through Aug. 23

To see design updates and share your thoughts, visit Sound Transit’s online open house through August 23, 2020 HERE

The page has a lot of information about the STRIDE S3 line, as well as the opportunity to share your thoughts.

The online open house is available in English, Spanish and Simplified Chinese. Sound Transit will host virtual public meetings as more detailed designs become available throughout 2020–2021. Visit the online open house to sign up for email updates.

Updates in Lake Forest Park

Sound Transit is proposing Stride BRT stations on SR 522 at NE 153rd Street, NE 165th Street and the Lake Forest Park Town Center. The project also includes additional parking at the Lake Forest Park Town Center; the project team has developed an early design concept for a parking garage adjacent to City Hall.

To ensure buses are not caught in traffic, the project design includes adding a northbound Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane along SR 522 in Lake Forest Park. To minimize significant impacts to driveways on the east side of SR 522, the preferred design was recently updated to shift some of the roadway widening to the west between NE 155th Street and half a block south of 41st Avenue NE. This will allow more property owners to stay in their homes and reduce the overall change to the neighborhood.

Another measure included in the project design to limit property impacts is to replace the center two-way left-turn lane on SR 522 between NE 155th Street and 41st Avenue NE with a raised median. To allow people to access homes and businesses, the project is considering U-turns for the signalized intersections at NE 153rd Street, 39th Avenue NE and NE 165th Street.

Updates to NE 145th in Shoreline/Seattle

Sound Transit is proposing Stride BRT stations at the future Shoreline South/145th Link light rail station, and on NE 145th Street at 15th Avenue NE and 30th Avenue NE.

Design concept for roundabouts at 145th

The City of Shoreline is working with WSDOT, the City of Seattle, King County Metro and Sound Transit to construct two roundabouts to improve traffic flow to and from the future Shoreline South/145th light rail station and reduce the length of widening on NE 145th Street for the business access and transit lane. View the design concept and learn more on the City’s project website.

The online open house contains additional details on these and other updates, maps, information about station design, project background and opportunities for feedback.

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