When you take light rail or any mode of public transit, you're helping to reduce pollution and make our communities healthier.
The theme of this year's Earth Day is 'Invest in Our Planet,' and that starts with investing in neighborhoods.
We're working on the largest transit expansion in the country to connect more people to more places - but our investment in sustainability goes beyond that.
Check out one example of how, partnering with Seattle Public Utilities, we transformed a floodplain into a thriving wetland:
Going big and going green
Our Downtown Redmond Link project recently earned an Envision Platinum Award for its emphasis on renewable energy sources, and the importance given to protecting the environment during construction.
It is the first transit project in the Pacific Northwest to receive verification by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI).
We're also proud to have played a role in helping restore Thornton Creek in Seattle's Northgate neighborhood as part of the Link light rail extension that opened in 2021.
This wetland project helped to reduce downstream flooding and improve habitat quality for salmon and trout.
Thornton Creek, Seattle’s largest urban stream, was “daylighted” in 2008 after decades of being buried.
The creek and its inhabitants (including the green darner dragonfly, the state insect of Washington) also inspired the art at the station.
The Roosevelt neighborhood also values its namesake (President Theodore Roosevelt) and his treasured cause of sustainability and conservation.
It's known as a great area for walking, biking and transit connections.
Speaking of biking, the new stations have plenty of options for parking and storage, including BikeLink on-demand lockers.
Go to www.soundtransit.org/bicycles for more information, or email bicycles@soundtransit.org.
Wind-powered trains
Our Link light rail system runs on 100 percent carbon-free electricity - the first major light rail system in the country to go completely green!
This was made possible through an innovative agreement with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to purchase wind energy directly from the utility's Green Direct program.
Here's how:
The Green Direct program supplies renewable energy to customers from the largest wind project in western Washington, the Skookumchuk Wind Facility.
Green Direct provides renewable energy directly to six Link Light Rail accounts that serve the Airport Station and Angle Lake Station. These six accounts alone account for just over 70 percent of the agency's greenhouse gas emissions from electricity.
Because the rest of the Link system is powered by Seattle City Light, the nation's first carbon neutral electric utility, all of Link light rail now runs on carbon-free and renewable energy.
Public transit is great for the environment, but we want to make it even better. And we have great partners in PSE, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and more.
More sustainability stories
Hopefully this isn't the first time you've run across our continuing coverage of the environmental mitigation work happening alongside transit expansion.
Check out our past stories for more action shots and information.
Restoring history and habitat in Shoreline
Inside Sound Transit: People, planet and prosperity
Restoring and creating new wildlife habitat along East Link
How are you celebrating Earth Day this year? Tag us on social media @SoundTransit and let us know!