Councilmembers raise Sound Transit service and operations concerns amid closures and OMF constraints

Councilmembers questioned Sound Transit service levels during recent highway closures and described technical and operational constraints that limit frequency. After an I-5 closure this past weekend, councilmembers said light-rail trains were crowded and riders waited 12 to 15 minutes between trains; Councilmember Rivera urged Sound Transit to run more trains during major roadway closures to accommodate displaced riders.

Councilmember Strauss, a Sound Transit board member, explained constraints on expanding frequency: until the agency can use a second operations-and-maintenance facility (OMF) base, Sound Transit must stage trains along pockets of track and cannot fully increase throughput. Strauss added that the Lake Washington crossing work is technically unprecedented because it will carry light rail across a floating bridge and involve land that includes tribal trust land, which introduces government-to-government negotiations. Strauss said, in part, that "nowhere in this world is rail on a floating bridge" and that the project requires unique equipment and testing to keep the rails aligned while the bridge moves with wind and waves.

Councilmembers suggested contingency options for major closures — for example, bringing back express shuttle routes or increasing temporary service — and asked Sound Transit to provide clearer advance notifications when large closures are planned. No formal actions were recorded during the briefing; councilmembers said they would pass their feedback on to Sound Transit leadership.