May 30–31 Link light rail shutdown impacts

Sound Transit said 1 Line service will be interrupted on Saturday, May 30, and Sunday, May 31, with trains no longer running straight through downtown Seattle that weekend. The agency said the shutdown is tied to planned maintenance on the Crosslake Connection and rail replacement work in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. During the closure, 1 Line trains will operate in two separate segments — Lynnwood City Center to Capitol Hill, and Stadium to Federal Way Downtown — while shuttle buses cover the closed stations. Riders heading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, downtown Seattle or Federal Way should expect longer trips, according to Sound Transit. ### Which part of the 1 Line will be shut down? Sound Transit said shuttle buses will replace 1 Line trains between Capitol Hill and Stadium on May 30 and May 31. That means the downtown tunnel segment will be closed for rail service during the full span of the disruption. The agency said trains will still run north of Capitol Hill to Lynnwood City Center and south of Stadium to Federal Way Downtown. Sound Transit’s May 15 service alert says shuttle buses will stop at all closed stations. ### How will service work if you are coming from Federal Way or the airport? Federal Way Downtown remains on the operating southern segment, so riders from Federal Way can still take the train north as far as Stadium before transferring to a shuttle bus. Sound Transit said the same pattern applies for airport trips because Angle Lake remains on the southern operating segment. Between Lynnwood City Center and Angle Lake, Sound Transit’s broader disruption page says 1 Line service will otherwise operate as scheduled. South of Angle Lake, that page says bus shuttles will replace 1 Line service between Angle Lake Station and Federal Way Downtown Station during the same May 30-31 period. ### Why are there two different service messages? (soundtransit.org) Sound Transit’s May 15 news release describes the 1 Line as operating from Stadium to Federal Way during the closure. A separate planned-disruptions page says bus shuttles will replace service between Angle Lake and Federal Way Downtown on May 30-31. (soundtransit.org) That means riders should check the station-specific alerts and Sound Transit’s latest trip-planning information before traveling. Capitol Hill Station, Stadium Station and other station pages carry the same warning that passengers should plan for a significant increase in travel time or use a trip planner filtered to “bus only” for alternate transit options. (soundtransit.org) ### What should downtown riders expect on the ground? Capitol Hill, Westlake, Symphony, Pioneer Square, International District/Chinatown and Stadium are the stations affected by the downtown closure. Sound Transit said shuttle buses will serve all impacted stations during the disruption. (soundtransit.org) Travel times will be longer because riders who normally stay on one train through downtown will need to transfer to buses. Sound Transit’s station alerts tell passengers to expect a “significant increase in travel time.” ### Are there alternatives besides the shuttle buses? King County Metro said its online trip planner can be used to find route options, schedules, stops and real-time information. (soundtransit.org) Sound Transit’s station alerts specifically tell riders to consider alternate transit options by filtering trip planning to “bus only.” For some riders, especially those traveling to or from the airport, downtown Seattle or south King County, Metro bus routes may provide a faster connection than transferring between trains and shuttle buses, depending on origin and destination. (soundtransit.org) That is an inference based on Sound Transit’s warning of longer travel times and its advice to use bus-only planning tools. (kingcounty.gov) ### What should riders check before the weekend starts? Sound Transit published the disruption notice on May 15 and says shuttle service will run for the full span of the May 30-31 closure. The agency’s service alert and station pages are the most direct places to confirm whether any operating details change before that weekend. (soundtransit.org) King County Metro’s trip planner and Sound Transit’s disruption page are already live, and both agencies direct riders there for updated routing information before travel begins on Saturday, May 30. (soundtransit.org) (soundtransit.org)