Seattle’s New Light Rail Expansion

Seattleites rejoiced when the city’s light rail extension opened in March, effectively connecting Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with the thriving Capitol Hill neighborhood and the University of Washington to the north.

Before these stations opened, travelers leaving the airport could easily reach downtown Seattle, as well as several stops in neighborhoods to the south, on the area’s lone light rail line. The trip from the airport to downtown takes about 45 minutes.

Now, though, travelers can go just one stop from downtown to Capitol Hill, the city’s popular neighborhood with outstanding bars, restaurants and tons of independent shops. The new three-mile tunnel also has a new northern terminus at the University of Washington, where the station sits just across the street from UW Husky Stadium.

More light rail expansions are in the works. There’s going to be a new southern station in Angel Lake, near the airport, this fall, as well as other stations planned for the line in the coming years. The project won’t be able to keep pace with the area’s meteoric population growth thanks to companies like Microsoft and Amazon, but long-term plans do point to greater regional transit availability.