Light Rail Ridership Takes Off in Seattle After Expansion

Besting all expectations, ridership numbers have increased 83 percent since Seattle's Sound Transit light rail system added two new stations, connecting downtown to the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood and the University of Washington.

2 minute read

August 14, 2016, 1:00 PM PDT

By jwilliams @jwillia22


Seattle Transit

Jareed / Flickr

The opening of two new Sound Transit stations in March of this year has resulted in a significant bump in Seattle transit ridership, according to data released by the transit agency. Josh Cohn of Next Cityreports that Sound Transit data shows that ridership in May 2016 is almost double what ridership was one month prior to the station openings. While Sound Transit had expected the number of boardings to increase to 1.8 million by September, they were surprised to achieve that goal four months early. In response, Cohn reports that the agency has increased the number of three-car trains it is running at peak hours to meet the demand.

Sound Transit recently released its May ridership report. There were over 1.77 million boardings on light rail in May 2016, an 83 percent increase over May 2015’s ridership. Perhaps even more telling, light rail had 904,000 boardings in February (the last month before the expansion), which means ridership has nearly doubled with the new stations.

The good ridership news precedes the scheduled opening of four new stations through 2021, and the proposed 62-mile expansion of the system through a ballot measure dubbed Sound Transit 3 (ST3). ST3 will go before voters this November and, if approved, would raise $54 billion through "property, sales and motor vehicle excise taxes through 2041" and a mix of Federal grants, fares, and other revenue sources.

Thursday, July 28, 2016 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight