Redmond mayor highlights light rail, new bridges, senior center, budget and Redmond 2050 in New Year address

Mayor Angela Birney opened her New Year remarks by thanking residents and briefly listing the city’s accomplishments from the past year.

“She said two new bridges opened, the Overlake Village pedestrian bridge and the Redmond Technology Station bridge, which now provide essential connections for pedestrians and cyclists between key transit points in Redmond,” Birney said. She also noted that light rail has arrived, with a new segment connecting Bellevue and Overlake and two additional stations scheduled to open this spring. Birney said the connection to Seattle is expected in time for the 2026 World Cup.

Birney said the city celebrated the opening of the Redmond Senior and Community Center, describing the building as “state of the art” and saying it was designed “with the community, for the community.” She said the center earned recognition for sourcing wood from climate-resilient forestry.

The mayor said the city’s biennial budget was adopted and that it adds 43 new city employees. She also said the Redmond 2050 comprehensive plan update was adopted and described the plan as focusing “on shaping our future in accordance with our community values” and moving toward “more people centric community with vibrant centers and neighborhoods as well as more affordable housing options.”

All items Birney mentioned were presented as completed milestones or adopted actions; she summarized the accomplishments without providing vote counts, ordinance numbers or further implementation details during the brief address.

Birney closed by thanking city staff and residents for their participation and wishing the community health and safety for the coming year.