Bellevue commuters who transfer at the city's central transit hub will share space with construction crews for the next seven months as Sound Transit retrofits the Bellevue Transit Center Bus Depot to handle a new fleet of double-decker battery-electric buses.
Construction began July 27, according to the City of Bellevue Transportation Department.
The work will prepare the transit center for the Stride S1 and S2 bus rapid transit lines, which Sound Transit says will be the first battery-electric double-decker bus service in the United States.
All bus bays will stay open throughout the project, Sound Transit said in its construction alert.
The work will not affect 2 Line light rail service.
What's being built
The retrofit includes painting, modifications to the existing canopy structure, lighting and signage upgrades, and sidewalk changes, according to Sound Transit's construction bulletin.
Work will proceed in phases and is expected to last through February 2027, with some stretches of little to no activity.
When finished, the Bellevue Transit Center will serve as the junction where the S1 and S2 Stride lines meet, connecting riders to local and regional transit.
The S1 line will run between Bellevue and Burien via Renton and Tukwila. The S2 line will connect Lynnwood and Bellevue.
Sound Transit plans to purchase 32 double-decker Enviro500EV buses from British manufacturer Alexander Dennis, according to The Urbanist.
Buses are planned to run every 10 to 15 minutes for more than 17 hours per day, according to Sound Transit.
Stride S1 service is targeted to begin in 2028, with S2 slipping to a 2029 opening, according to The Urbanist.
2 Line nightly closures July 28–30
In a separate disruption, the 2 Line will shut down nightly Tuesday, July 28, through Thursday, July 30, between International District/Chinatown and South Bellevue stations for monthly maintenance.
Free shuttle buses will replace trains along the affected route, running every 10 to 15 minutes and stopping at all stations, according to the City of Bellevue's traffic advisory page and Northwest Asian Weekly.
The 2 Line will continue running normally between South Bellevue and Downtown Redmond during the closures. Only the Crosslake Connection segment crossing Lake Washington is affected, according to Seattle Transit Blog.
A second round of late-evening closures is scheduled August 4 through August 6, between BelRed and Downtown Redmond for replacement of line surge arrestors, according to Seattle Transit Blog.
How to stay informed
Sound Transit advises affected riders to sign up for King County Metro and Sound Transit rider alerts. Residents with questions about the Stride construction can contact Sound Transit at [email protected] or 206-556-5277. The after-hours construction hotline is 888-298-2395.
