Construction of the Overlake LINK extension is underway. As 2016 progresses, construction activity will become more visible proceeding toward a 2023 opening date.

Next up: extending LINK to downtown Redmond. This project is being consider as a portion of Sound Transit 3 (ST3) that the agency will bring before voters in the fall of 2016. Under currently discussed scenarios, that would have LINK arriving in downtown in 2030.

OneRedmond thinks that this time frame is unacceptable. We recently wrote to outgoing Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl urging her to accelerate construction of the Redmond extension and to start designing the project immediately.

The Redmond extension is low-hanging fruit and will make the Overlake extension more efficient. The route to downtown is straightforward, noncontroversial and most of the right-of-way is secured. The project is already a top priority for the ST3 package, so its inclusion should be considered a given unlike some other more marginal projects. Last, the project makes the Overlake extension function and connects Redmond’s growing population to regional employers. Funneling Eastside LINK riders to Overlake during the gap between 2023 and 2030 was always problematic. Accelerating the opening of the downtown extension would reduce the traffic congestion to a more manageable time frame.

For these reasons, OneRedmond is advocating that Sound Transit start the engineering for the Redmond extension now, in advance of ST3. Who knows, with the proper resources there could be the possibility of simultaneous construction of both projects. Redmond LINK is not a question of IF but WHEN; and the answer is NOW.

Bart Phillips

CEO of OneRedmond