Seattle Meeting Plan Guide Fall/Winter 2008-2009 - (Page 107) 4 FACTS ABOUT SEATTLE’S NEW LIGHTRAIL SYSTEM PHOTOS: Seattle’s new light rail system will provide easier and more efficient transportation options. Courtesy of Sound Transit 1. CHANGING THE WAY SEATTLE MOVES In keeping with its commitment to mass transit and leaner, greener commutes, Seattle is speeding ahead with plans to bring an extensive light rail line to the city, with the majority of the line scheduled to open in 2009. Traveling on their own rights of way, airconditioned light rail trains will smoothly whisk riders around the city regardless of traffic and weather conditions. Trains will run frequently 20 hours a day and connect downtown with major population and employment hubs. www.soundtransit.org 3. MAKING THE CONNECTION Plans are in the works to extend the light rail line north from the Westlake Station through Capitol Hill to the University of Washington campus, a 3.15-mile extension that is scheduled to begin service in 2016. The Federal Transit Administration has given the University Link program its highest ranking in recognition of the massive benefits the line will bring to the University of Washington and Seattle. 2. NEXT STOP: SEA-TAC The first part of the light rail line to open in 2009 will run 14 miles from the Westlake Station in downtown Seattle to the Tukwila International Blvd. Station, where a shuttle bus will take riders the remaining 1.7 miles to Sea-Tac Airport. By the end of 2009, the light rail line will be extended to the airport terminal, offering an easy, 30-minute connection between the airport and the heart of downtown. 4. SPEEDING TOWARD THE FUTURE Seattle’s light rail system, combined with existing buses and monorail, will make getting around the city even easier than it is now. By 2020, the line from downtown to Sea-Tac Airport is expected to carry more than 45,000 riders every day, and by 2030, more than 70,000 riders a day are expected to take the seven-minute ride from downtown to the University of Washington campus. TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION 107
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