Sound Transit recently released Ridership-Ridership 2026 boardings data for the 1 Line and 2 Line operation. Boardings for the four stations on the two lines for Lynnwood to Northgate extensions totaled 13,456 in April, with many due to Community Transit terminating 400 series bus routes at the stations. Far less than the 24,400 to 35,000 they’d predicted.
The 8.5-mile extension added 17 miles to the extension’s round trips, 68 vehicle miles for the 1 line four-car trains, 34 for 2 Line two-car trains. Sound Transit's operating schedule results in 125 four-car 1 Line trains and 125 two-car 2 Line trains, 8500 and 4250 vehicle miles,12,750 total. Assuming Sound Transit’s $30 typical vehicle mile costs results in the Northgate-to-Lynnwood adding $382,500 to weekday operating cost. Thus, for April, adding $28.425 for each extension boarding on the two lines.
Boardings for the 1 Line 7.8-mile Angle Lake-to-Federal Way extension’s three stations totaled 8499 in April, again, far less than Sound Transit predictions. The extension adds 15.6 miles to a 1 Line round trip to Angle Lake. The 125 four-car trains each weekday add 7800 vehicle revenue miles, $234,000 daily with $30 per mile cost, $27.532 per boarding.
The combination of high operating costs and limited ridership for the two extensions should raise cost/benefit concerns for further extensions. The 16-mile Everett extension adds nearly twice the miles to round trips to Lynnwood, adding more than $750,000 daily to train operating costs. The 8.5-mile Tacoma Dome Link “only” adds another $234,000 daily to operating cost. It's “unlikely” any rational ridership estimate for either link will justify the cost of maintaining the trains and their operation.
The bottom line is Sound Transit’s Enterprise Initiative may reduce the costs of implementing the Everett and Tacoma Links. They need to pay more attention to the costs of maintaining and operating the trains on the links and “likely” limited ridership.
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