Sound Transit to break ground on Stride BRT and Bus Base North in Bothell after bids come in under estimate

Sound Transit told the Bothell City Council on May 13 that construction will begin this summer on major elements of the Stride bus rapid transit (BRT) program serving north King County, including a 12‑acre operations and maintenance facility in Canyon Park called Bus Base North.

The update from Sound Transit staff said Bus Base North will have capacity for up to 120 buses, will support Sound Transit’s new fully electric Stride fleet and some existing express buses, and that the agency has received three construction bids that were below its engineer’s estimate and within budget.

“we are about to break ground,” Ariel Taylor, Sound Transit government‑relations lead for East King County, said during the council presentation. “The Stride Bus Rapid Transit program, as of right now, is well funded, well underway, and we're about to break ground, which is very good news.”

Why it matters: Stride is a voter‑approved Sound Transit expansion that will add high‑frequency, limited‑stop BRT on I‑405 and SR‑522, and bring dedicated lanes, station amenities and charging infrastructure. Sound Transit said the S3 line will run along SR‑522 through Bothell, and that new stations and pedestrian improvements will accompany the service.

Key facts and schedule - Bus Base North will sit in Canyon Park near 20th Avenue SE and serve as Stride’s operations and maintenance hub; Sound Transit’s presentation said the facility will be completed by the end of 2027 and that revenue service on Stride lines is expected to start in 2028–29. - Sound Transit described Bus Base North as consisting of three main buildings: an administration/operations building, a parking and service structure with washing and charging capacity, and a maintenance building for repairs and preventive maintenance. - Rick Kapka, acting program executive for the Stride program, said the agency completed design late last year, received three bids last month and plans to ask the Sound Transit Board to award the contract this month, with construction beginning early this summer.

Funding and risk Sound Transit staff told council members most of the Stride capital budget does not rely heavily on federal funds, and that the portion of the program discussed for Bothell is funded. “A majority of that $2,350,000,000 budget is not coming from federal funds,” Kapka said, adding that the agency is making federal‑compliance checks on its contracts to avoid jeopardizing grants.

Local coordination Council members asked about electric charging infrastructure and coordination with local utilities. Kapka said Sound Transit has coordinated with Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) and Bothell staff to confirm near‑term grid capacity for initial charging demand and to plan for later capacity increases as the fleet grows.

Next steps Sound Transit said it will continue community outreach through the summer and expects to hold local groundbreaking events. The agency provided an email address for questions (BRT@soundtransit.org) and said it will share invitations with the city for ceremonies and outreach events.

Quotes in this story come from Sound Transit presenters at the Bothell City Council meeting on May 13.