Link light rail to Sea-Tac Airport starts Dec. 19

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced a start date of Saturday, Dec. 19, for Link light rail service to Sea-Tac Airport - 36 days and counting! 

The extension of the
popular light rail service means holiday travelers will have a fast, reliable,
one-seat ride between downtown Seattle and the airport. The first 13.9 miles of
Link opened in July with service between downtown Seattle and Tukwila, where
riders could catch a free shuttle bus to and from the airport.

"With the opening of the
airport line in December, Sound Transit is giving a gift to holiday travelers
by providing a fast and easy connection to downtown Seattle," Senator Murray
said.  "We made history in July by opening the doors of light rail to the
public and since that time our region has enjoyed a new convenient,
environmentally-friendly, and low-cost way to get around. This new line will
continue to seamlessly connect our region’s transportation system like never
before." 

Link includes stops in
Downtown Seattle, SODO, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley neighborhoods and Tukwila. 

"With this milestone on
the calendar, we can begin to celebrate the completion of the first phase of
regional light rail, linking downtown Seattle with the airport and all the
communities in between," said Seattle Mayor and Sound Transit Board Chair Greg
Nickels. "Once again, Sound Transit delivers real benefits to the people of
Puget Sound."

Passenger service at Sea
Tac Airport Station begins at 10 a.m. on Dec. 19th. Normal Link operating hours
are from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to midnight on
Sundays. Sea Tac Airport Station connects to the airport garage via a
pedestrian walkway. Airport passengers will follow a separated guideway through
the garage to the main terminal. Luggage carts will be available at the
station.  

"Completing this project
with Sound Transit is a superb example of how public agencies can work
successfully together to meet the region’s needs," said Port of Seattle
Commissioner John Creighton. "With more than 30 million passengers through
Sea-Tac every year, and 15,000 airport employees, we anticipate light rail will
be a welcome ‘green’ alternative for travel to and from the airport."

The airport is home to
about 15,000 direct and indirect jobs. The station also features a "kiss-and-ride"
area to the east of International Boulevard for passenger drop-off and pick up.
A pedestrian bridge connects the station to the "kiss-and-ride." 

Construction of light rail
between downtown and the University of Washington is under way, with a
scheduled opening in 2016. With the passage of the Sound Transit 2 ballot
measure in November 2008, light rail is scheduled to reach all the way to
Lynnwood, Redmond’s Overlake area and the Star Lake/Redondo area near Federal
Way by 2023.