Sound Transit and WSDOT outline Stride BRT construction, announce Bothell closures and 2028 service start

Sound Transit and the Washington State Department of Transportation told the Bothell City Council on Feb. 3 that work to build Stride Bus Rapid Transit and related interchange improvements will begin in the coming weeks and continue through 2028.

Rick Kapka of Sound Transit described Stride as a 45‑mile BRT investment along I‑405 and SR 522 that includes 25 station locations, a new bus operations and maintenance facility in Bothell with capacity for about 120 buses, and a fully electric articulated fleet. He said Sound Transit has two construction contracts about to start — one with Atkinson Construction for work through Kenmore and Bothell and another with Pavetta Brothers for work on NE 145th Street — and that Stride service is planned to begin in 2028.

The presentation emphasized transit signal priority, center‑queue bypass lanes on SR 522 near 98th Avenue, and station designs that resemble light‑rail stops. Kapka said stations will include more robust amenities and that Orca card readers will be installed for tap‑on fare payment; he said the agency would follow up on whether mobile wallet or phone payments will be accepted.

WSDOT staff described a nearby I‑405/SR‑522 interchange project that adds multimodal connections, three BRT stations, fish‑passage work and several new signalized ramp intersections. The project team said demolition of an old northbound flyover ramp will require four consecutive weekend closures in February and March and that the initial start date has been postponed while engineers finalize the removal plan. WSDOT said such closures are necessary to protect worker and public safety and that outreach to nearby residents will increase as dates are set.

Council members pressed presenters on noise, night‑work notifications, pothole and pavement repair after traffic shifts, and whether corridor signals will be synchronized to improve overall flow. WSDOT said it is widening outreach to affected neighborhoods, shifting some work to daytime where possible and monitoring signal timing as traffic patterns evolve. Sound Transit confirmed that construction work includes pedestrian bridges at Canyon Park and a new Brickyard station and reiterated the agency's commitment to working with cities on safety and community impacts.

Next steps and local impacts: Sound Transit expects the two contracts to start later this month and plans a 2028 service launch for the Stride lines. WSDOT will finalize demolition timing and continue coordination with the City of Bothell on public notifications and detour plans.