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NE 130th Infill Station

Welcome

The NE 130th Street Infill Station serving Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link Extension will provide additional service to North Seattle residents once complete. Explore this site for information about the construction of station finishes, streetscapes, and roadway improvements over the next two and a half years. Learn more about what to expect as we prepare for the station to open in mid-2026. The Lynnwood Link Extension, connecting light rail from Northgate to Lynnwood City Center Station, is scheduled to open for service in fall 2024.

An aerial view of the surrounding neighborhood with rendering of the future light rail station at NE 130th St

In 2016, voters approved the addition of a light rail station to the Lynnwood Link Extension at NE 130th St by 2031. In February 2020, the Sound Transit Board authorized staff to complete final design of the station, and in summer 2022 the Board approved additional budget and contract changes for the accelerated delivery of the NE 130th St. Infill Station. This decision advanced the opening of the new station to mid-2026, revised from the original 2031 opening date projected in ST3.

The infill station will serve a growing residential neighborhood between the Northgate and Shoreline South/148th stations and will be built along the existing Lynnwood Link Extension. Once complete in mid-2026, we estimate the NE 130th Street Infill Station will support approximately 3,400 daily boardings with access to Westlake Station in 15 minutes and SeaTac/Airport Station in 53 minutes.

More information about the NE 130th St. Infill Station and the overall Lynnwood Link Extension project background and history can be found on Sound Transit’s project page.

Additional information about other nearby projects led by our agency partners can be found at the City of Seattle NE 130th and NE 125th Mobility and Safety Project and the City of Shoreline 145th Street Projects websites.

Talk with us about construction in the neighborhood

NE 130th St Station Pre-Construction Open House

  • Tuesday, Oct. 24, 5 - 7 p.m.
  • Lake City Library Meeting Room
  • 12501 28th Ave NE
  • Seattle, WA 98125

The NE 130th St Station pre-construction open house event is for neighbors and community members to meet our team, learn about the project, understand the schedule, and ask questions. Learn more on this site about what to expect during construction, how to stay informed about the latest construction, and how to reach us. Can’t make it? Information on this site covers the major details. If you still have questions, please contact the construction team.

A map showing the location of the Lynnwood Link Extension light rail corridor and five stations, including the future NE 130th St Infill Station.

The NE 130th St Infill Station will be under construction through mid-2026, while the Lynnwood Link Extension is expected to begin service from Northgate to Lynnwood City Center in fall 2024.

Schedules for both the overall Lynnwood Link Extension project and the NE 130th St Infill Station. Lynnwood Link construction occurs between 2019 and late 2023, with testing happening in 2024. Revenue service begins in Fall 2024. For NE 130th St Station, preliminary engineering occured between 2019 and mid-2020; final design from mid-2020 to 2022; and construction of station structure and finishes between 2022 and mid-2025; testing will occur in 2025 through mid-2026 before the station opens.

The station design reflects the unique identity of this neighborhood as an urban oasis, the community’s desire for a modern design, and pride in the nearby natural resource of Thornton Creek. The design incorporates bright color and art, seating areas, native landscaping, and natural elements such as stormwater retention features and boulders. Renderings of the final station design are included at the top of this section.

The Sound Transit design team incorporated the feedback we received in fall 2020 to the final station design. Community members were asked to share their preferences for color, seating, and bollards. The blue color preferred by the community was used extensively throughout the station finishes, associated specifically with points of vertical circulation (stairs, elevators, and escalators). The seating elements include both weathered boulders that reflect the station design’s recognition of nearby Thornton Creek and shaped concrete benches located throughout the plaza areas. The bollards are made of stainless steel with sloped tops.


Seattle-based artist Romson Bustillo is developing designs for the station artwork. Bustillo was born on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. His layered works and immersive collaborations go back to his Philippine lineage, his South Seattle/Pacific Northwest upbringing, and numerous research travels. An artist selection panel made up of members from the community and of art/design professionals were drawn to the intricate detail in his prints and his inter-disciplinary studio work and chose Bustillo to create artwork for the NE 130th Station based on his previous work and his vision for the site.

The elevated station made Bustillo think of dwellings on stilts from his birth country, and this reference is one of many in his iconography of patterns that incorporate symbolic elements from his culture, the cultural context of the station and neighborhood, and the people who inhabit it, past and present. Bustillo’s intention is to create an inviting work that conveys an optimistic future, supports storytelling, encourages discovery, and contributes to wayfinding.

At the south entrance, where the majority of passengers will enter the station, painted artwork will turn the guideway column into a landmark that welcomes passengers as they approach the station. Bustillo’s artwork will guide passengers as they enter and exit the station and make their way to the ticket vending machines and the train platforms. His designs will be translated into richly colored porcelain-enamel panels that wrap around the entrances at both the north and south lobbies. The service building, in the center of the station, will also be covered on its east-facing side with a 100-foot-long mural of porcelain tiles, featuring another variation of patterns and colors.

Romson Bustillo will be presenting to the City of Seattle’s Public Art Advisory Committee on Oct. 24 to walk through some updated renderings of the artwork that will be installed over the station finishes at both the north and south entrances as well as the central plaza artwork. Additional updates on public art at the station will be shared this fall.

My approach is informed by research, the location of the station, its immediate environment and fauna, commuters, and community workshops held. I’ve considered how the monumental scale of this project allows for both intimate and communal visual experiences.

I’m working on creating a bank of “glyphs” and patterns that will allow commuters and neighbors to play with creating and finding narratives within the artwork. Visual cues will support wayfinding and draw pedestrians to the station entrances.

Romson Regarde Bustillo

 

Station construction

Construction of the NE 130th St Infill Station has occurred in phases as the Lynnwood Link Extension takes shape. Work on the station platform and canopy structural steel was completed, allowing operational testing prior to the Lynnwood Link Extension’s projected opening in fall 2024.

Work is now being handed off to a different contractor that will complete the final package, including construction of station finishes and plaza and roadway improvements. Construction and testing will occur between now and the opening of the station in mid-2026.

Image of station platform under construction, including steel supersructure.

What to expect during construction

Construction will ramp up at the site and you will see more activity starting this fall/winter as we continue station construction on the elevated track, at the ground-floor plaza level, and the surrounding roadways. Construction will be active through mid-2026, including testing the line at this location prior to opening this new station.

We strive to be good neighbors and acknowledge that construction can be disruptive. You can expect the following during construction:

  • Ongoing movement of crews and large equipment at the station site and surrounding area; typical work hours are 7 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
  • Noise, vibration, and dust associated with major construction.
  • Roadway closures or modifications to support construction, with traffic control and detours in place as needed. See below for additional detail about long-term closures.
  • Early-morning or late-night work outside of typical work hours at times for utility and road work to minimize effects on traffic or to sync with Lynnwood Link Extension testing and operations; nearby neighbors will be notified directly in these situations.
  • Direct communication from the Sound Transit outreach and construction teams where construction may have temporary effects on neighbors, including access to property, etc.
  • Regular construction notifications and updates provided through our email listserv. You can sign up for alerts here.

Roadway closures

Major roadway closures will be necessary so crews can access the site, stage equipment and materials, and make improvements.

  • In late 2024/early 2025, there will be more significant traffic control around the station at NE 130th St, on 5th Ave NE north and south of 130th, and at the NE 130th St off-ramp from I-5.
  • A full street closure will continue on 5th Ave NE between North Seattle Church of the Nazarene and NE 145th St. 5th Ave NE will remain closed for the duration of the project; upon reopening, 5th Ave NE will be northbound only and include a separated bike/pedestrian lane.
  • There will be a long-term closure of the NE 130th St I-5 off-ramp (15 days) and up to ten weekend off-ramp closures to prepare and reconstruct the roadway pavement. Additional information about the timing of these closures will be shared through project construction alerts.
Map highlighting long-term closures and intermittent closures and traffic control in the area of the future light rail station at NE 130th St and 5th Ave NE.

Frequently asked questions

Significant construction will begin in November 2023 and continue through early 2026.


Detours will be posted during road closures. This will include detours for major closures at NE 130th St, 5th Ave NE, and the I-5 NE 130th St off-ramp. Please tune in to our email alerts for traffic advisories and detour routes for each closure.


Yes, night work or early work outside of our typical 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. workday will be necessary at times to minimize effects on traffic or and to sync with Lynnwood Link Extension testing and operations; nearby neighbors will be directly notified in these situations.


Several other projects will be in active construction simultaneously:

  • Lynnwood Link Extension: Opening in fall 2024, the Lynnwood Link Extension will connect light rail from Northgate into Snohomish County, serving four stations: Shoreline South/148th, Shoreline North/185th, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood City Center. The NE 130th St Station will be serviced by this line starting in mid-2026.
  • City of Seattle NE 130th and NE 125th Mobility and Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation is leading work to provide better access to the new light rail station by making improvements along NE 130th St, Roosevelt Way NE, and NE 125th St between 1st Ave NE and Lake City Way NE. Sound Transit is providing ~$4M in non-motorized access funds for these improvements. Construction is expected to last from 2025 – 2026.
  • City of Shoreline I-5/SR523 Interchange Project: The City of Shoreline Public Works is making improvements along NE 145th St, including a roundabout at 5th Ave NE. Work is coordinated with WSDOT. Funding will be partially provided by Sound Transit’s System Access Fund grant. Construction is expected to last from 2024 – 2025.
  • City of Shoreline Non-Motorized Bridge: The City of Shoreline will build a new pedestrian and bike crossing over I-5 at N 148th Street. The bridge will provide a vital new pedestrian/bike connection over I-5, improve safety, reduce travel times, and improve access to regional transit at the future Shoreline South/148th Station. Construction is expected to last from 2024 – 2026.
  • ST Stride S3 BRT: The Stride S3 Line will serve the growing north Lake Washington communities connecting Shoreline and Seattle to Bothell. The project will connect riders to Link light rail at Shoreline South/148th at the corridor’s western end and to the S2 Line in Bothell, the area’s eastern end. The S2 and S3 lines will connect at the SR 522/I-405 Transit Hub with transit service provided by Sound Transit, Community Transit, and King County Metro. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with service starting in 2027.

 

Stay in touch

Thank you for visiting our online open house! We hope you will stay engaged with us. We will provide regular information about construction and progress. To receive construction alerts and periodic updates about the NE 130th Street Infill Station project, sign up for our email newsletter!

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For questions or more information on the NE 130th Street Infill Station, please contact:
 
Have an after-hours construction concern? Call our 24-hour hotline: 888-298-2395