Sound Transit schedules Downtown Redmond opening May 10; Marymoor Village station expected to serve Sammamish riders

Sound Transit officials told the Sammamish City Council on April 8 that the Downtown Redmond extension of the regional light-rail 2 Line will open to the public on May 10, with two new stations — Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond — and community events scheduled at both locations.

The presentation, given by Ariel Taylor of Sound Transit’s government relations team for East King County and Savannah Steele of Sound Transit’s government and community relations team, said Marymoor Village station includes a 1,400-stall parking facility that Sound Transit built to serve riders coming from points east, including Sammamish. Taylor said Sound Transit expects many Sammamish residents to drive or use connecting bus and trail routes to access Marymoor Village rather than continue onto congested SR 520.

Sound Transit highlighted service patterns and access. Taylor said the 2 Line currently runs every 10 minutes during the core operating window and that the Downtown Redmond segment will operate in two-car trains; she added that trains will expand to four cars once the line crosses Lake Washington later this year. Taylor said travel time between Downtown Redmond and Downtown Bellevue will be about 19 minutes on the 2 Line.

Why it matters: Marymoor Village’s large parking facility and regional trail connections are intended to intercept commuters before they drive onto the state highway network; Sound Transit officials urged local agencies and residents to prepare for increased transit and event-day activity on May 10.

Details from the presentation and council Q&A - Access and parking: Taylor said Downtown Redmond station will have no dedicated parking because of surrounding land uses; Marymoor Village station will offer 1,400 stalls. "We built that facility knowing it is within a mile of the northern border of the city of Sammamish," Taylor said. She added regional buses and trail connections — including the East Lake Sammamish Trail — will link Sammamish to the stations. - Bus coordination: Taylor said King County Metro planned near-term bus service changes to increase frequency to the new station; she said Sound Transit would follow up with specific schedule dates. Councilmember Sid Gupta asked about the timing of Metro changes; Taylor said Metro intends to make the service changes quickly and that she would follow up with the council. - Bike and micromobility: Taylor and Steele said both stations will include substantial bicycle parking, including large bike-locker facilities intended to accommodate e-bikes; Steele said riders needing secure bike storage will use ORCA cards to access lockers and that some lockers will carry a modest hourly fee. - Parking charges and demand management: Taylor explained Sound Transit’s policy to introduce paid parking only when utilization reaches high levels. "We do have a policy that if a parking facility is hitting 95% utilization and it's becoming difficult for riders to find a parking spot, we are going to institute a pay-for-parking program," she said. Taylor said Downtown Redmond will open without paid parking but that Marymoor Village could adopt modest fees if demand requires it. - Fare enforcement and safety: Steele described Sound Transit’s fare ambassadors as education-focused and said ambassadors connect riders to low-income fare programs when needed. Taylor said transit safety is a core priority and that Sound Transit deploys uniformed transit security officers and coordinates with the King County Sheriff for station and onboard presence. - Opening-day plans: Steele said a ribbon-cutting will begin at 10:30 a.m. on May 10 at Downtown Redmond Station and regular service will begin at noon; community programming is planned at both stations from noon to 4 p.m.

What the council asked: Council members raised questions about express bus options from Sammamish (Councilmember Amy Lam suggested fewer stops to shorten ride times), bike locker capacity for e-bikes, the possibility of paid parking altering travel behavior, fare enforcement, and transit police presence. Taylor and Steele answered that Metro determines local bus routing, said Sound Transit encourages multimodal access, confirmed fee structures are intended to prioritize transit riders and that there are uniformed transit security officers and sheriff support on the 2 Line.

Context and next steps: Sound Transit said the 2 Line is part of the voter-approved ST3 program. Taylor said the remaining cross-Lake Washington connection is on a later schedule and will increase operating hours and train length. Sound Transit staff said they will follow up with Sammamish staff on Metro service changes to coordinate bus connections to Marymoor Village.

Ending: The council did not take formal action on the presentation. Sound Transit asked the public and council members to share opening-day information with Sammamish residents and to follow Sound Transit announcements for parking and service updates.