On April 24, Transportation Coordinators and staff from Commute Seattle, Connect Bellevue, and Move Redmond gathered for Transportation Transformations, an annual event celebrating new investments in Seattle’s transportation landscape. The highlight of this year’s event was a tour of Sound Transit’s completed 2 Line, including a ride over the Crosslake Connection, which officially opened on March 28.
The event kicked off at the recently opened Judkins Park Station with a tour led by Arthur Bacchus, Community Engagement Specialist for Sound Transit. Bacchus highlighted the station’s bus connections, secure bike parking, passenger drop off area, and the mural of Jimi Hendrix created by Hank Willis Thomas.
The tour continued with a train ride across the world’s first and only light rail on a floating bridge. Attendees admired the views of Lake Washington, Mount Baker, and Mount Rainier.
At Bellevue Downtown Station, attendees heard from Patrick Bannon, President & CEO of the Bellevue Downtown Association. Bannon highlighted bus connections at the nearby Bellevue Transit Center and shared insights about planned bike connections. Additionally, attendees learned about BellHop, a free rideshare service which transports people from transit stations to destinations in the Downtown Bellevue vicinity.
After exploring Downtown Bellevue, the tour continued east to Marymoor Village Station. Michael Leach, Membership and Development Manager at Move Redmond, highlighted the new Marymoor Connector Trail and other nearby regional trails.
The tour concluded at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee, located a short 8-minute walk from Marymoor Village Station, where attendees heard from Qamaria Coffee owner, Ibrahim Mohiuddin and Washington State Representative Osman Salahuddin, who spoke about the importance of transit for communities. Attendees enjoyed networking, coffee, tea, and desserts.
Transit ride-alongs like these help Transportation Coordinators experience how easy it is to travel regionally without a car. Want to lead a ride-along at your worksite? Our team can help! Reach out at info@commuteseattle.com
