South Sound residents are no strangers to the S Line. Sound Transit’s Sounder train service between Lakewood and Seattle has been serving riders for 24 years!
Before the pandemic, the S Line was often at capacity with nearly 16,000 riders per day, and ridership has been slowly but steadily recovering over the last couple of years.
And we have good news for folks taking Sounder – access improvements are coming up and down the line.
South Tacoma and Lakewood: Small changes to make a big difference
“Access improvements” is a wonky blanket term for a variety of projects that simply make it easier to get from your neighborhood to your local transit station.
These projects consider all kinds of access—whether you walk, use a rolling mobility device, bike, or connect from another transit mode, like a local bus. Think bike lanes to better serve cyclists, pedestrian crosswalks with pavement-embedded flashing signals, or tactile strips that help people with visual impairments navigate station areas.
Voters approved these investments near the South Tacoma and Lakewood Sounder stations as part of the ST2 ballot measure. And this spring, we reached a big milestone when the Sound Transit Board of Directors selected the projects we’ll build, in partnership with the cities of Tacoma and Lakewood.
Here are some highlights:
- New lighting, public address system, curb ramps, sidewalk improvements, wayfinding signage, and tactile pavers at/near the station
- About six miles of new bike lanes in the station vicinity
- Additional improvements (like more pedestrian connections and bike lanes elsewhere in the neighborhood), depending on funding remaining after priority projects are complete
- New PA system, curb ramps, sidewalk improvements, wayfinding signage, and tactile pavers
- About five miles of new bike lanes
- Transit connection improvements along Bridgeport Way and Pacific Hwy SW
- Additional improvements (like more pedestrian connections and bike lanes elsewhere in the neighborhood), depending on funding remaining after priority projects are complete
These improvements in South Tacoma and Lakewood will be complete by 2030.
Kent, Auburn, Sumner: New parking garages and more
Last year we opened a new garage and surface lot totaling more than 650 new parking spots at Puyallup Station—and that was just the first of four new facilities coming along the S Line.
This summer we broke ground on parking and access improvements in Sumner, and on Oct. 1 we celebrated a second groundbreaking in Kent. Not to be outdone, Auburn marked construction kick-off later that same week.
On Oct. 1, civic and agency leaders broke out the golden shovels to celebrate Kent Station’s parking and access improvements groundbreaking.
These three long-awaited facilities will add approximately 1,650 total parking stalls for transit riders at our stations. These projects also provide safety and convenience upgrades for riders who walk, roll, bike or take other transit to S Line stations.
In Sumner, the garage should be complete and open to the public in 2026. The Auburn and Kent facilities won’t be far behind, opening in 2027.
Sit back and enjoy the ride
Whether you’re traveling for work, school, appointments or fun, Sounder provides a great alternative to sitting in traffic. You can find the full Sounder schedule here. And be sure to check out the schedule for our special event trains on weekends.
Once onboard you’ll find a comfy seat, free WiFi, power outlets, tables and restrooms. And if you sit on the east side of the train on a clear day, you’ll also be treated to lovely views of Mt. Rainier!
Interested in keeping up on the progress at our S Line stations? Subscribe to project updates for Lakewood, South Tacoma, Sumner, Auburn, or Kent stations here.