We don’t know what is in Pinehurst — but its new light rail station seems like a good sign

In an era when the Sound Transit Board is focused on cutbacks, deferrals, and slowdowns, the opening of the new Pinehurst Station this week is an outlier.

The station serving this area of North Seattle is slated to come online Tuesday — five years before originally planned.

Located near NE 130th, the facility is opening five years ahead of its original 2031 target date. Approved by voters under the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure in 2016, the project was fast-tracked when the agency moved to compress the construction timeline.

The station’s early opening was driven by the Sound Transit Board. In February 2020, the board voted to advance the station into final design ahead of schedule, followed in 2022 by authorized budget increases and contract changes to fund the accelerated timeline.

By scheduling construction before the Lynnwood Link extension began passenger service, crews were able to build the platform and track tie-ins along an inactive corridor without costly coordination with active service and shutdowns.

Pinehurst Station will bridge a transit gap in North Seattle, connecting local neighborhoods to both the 1 and 2 Lines. Trains will arrive every 4 to 5 minutes, serving an estimated 3,400 daily riders. Sound Transit officials said that the lessons learned from this accelerated build will guide upcoming projects at Graham Street and Boeing Access Road.

Unlike suburban stations such as Shoreline South/148th or Northgate, Pinehurst Station has no commuter parking garage or park-and-ride lot. It has been developed as a transit hub, with upgraded sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and greenways leading to the platform.

Bus connectivity is anchored by King County Metro’s new Route 77, which stops across from the station to connect Bitter Lake, Roosevelt, and the University District, with Route 75 running three blocks south.

While maybe not the most popular destination for Capitol Hill commuters, Pinehurst adds to the expanding options of connectivity served by light rail around the city and its nearby communities with the opening of the system’s expanded 2 Line service including service in the Central District at Judkins Park Station and across the I-90 bridge.

The future is cloudier. Earlier this year, the board approved a major package of deferrals and cuts to address a projected $34.5 billion shortfall. The new financial outlook would have Sound Transit on track for delayed expansion to West Seattle by 2032 and Ballard by 2042.

Meanwhile, big changes are ahead for riders at busy Capitol Hill Station where Sound Transit has announced it will add fare gates as part of a 14 station pilot. The installations are planned to be complete in either 2029 or 2030 after the completion of a design and rollout plan for the $87 million pilot program.