New reserved permit parking options available for Edmonds and Mukilteo Sounder Stations

Starting April 1, riders using the parking lots at the Edmonds and Mukilteo Stations will be able to reserve a spot up to 8 a.m. by purchasing a Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) permit or signing up for a free carpool permit. The permits, which go on sale tomorrow, March 1, will be available for a standard monthly fee of $90, with a discounted rate of $30 per month for riders who are eligible for ORCA Lift reduced transit fares.

Depending on demand, up to 50 percent of the parking at each station will be reserved for exclusively for permit holders arriving during the morning rush hours. All other station parking will remain open on a first-come, first-serve basis, as will any unused permit spaces after 8 a.m., and on holidays and weekends.

On weekdays, parking lots at the Edmonds and Mukilteo stations are frequently full well before the last Sounder train departs for Seattle. This makes it difficult to access Sounder for those who can’t arrive before 7:00 a.m., including parents who must drop children off at school or daycare, and other potential riders who don’t work a conventional 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. schedule. These new permit options are intended to provide a reliable option for riders to find parking without arriving earlier than needed. 

SOV permit applicants must use a valid ORCA card at least 12 times per month to board Sounder or a bus from the same station operated by Community Transit or Everett Transit. Carpool parking permits will be available free of charge to groups of two or more riders who all commit to use transit and share a ride to the station at least 12 times per month. ORCA records will be checked to verify regular ridership. 

Riders can submit permit applications starting March 1. To apply online, or obtain more information about Sound Transit’s permit parking program, please visit www.soundtransit.org/permitparking. 

Sounder riders can also park free of charge at the Edmonds United Methodist Church, located at 828 Caspers St. This new park-and-ride lot is a 20-minute waterfront walk or a short bus ride (Community Transit Route 196) away from Edmonds Station. If enough riders express interest, vanpools to the station may be formed. For more information, or to express interest in a vanpool, visit www.communitytransit.org/vanpoolprogram.

Community Transit and Everett Transit also provide fast and direct access to Sounder Stations in Edmonds and Mukilteo. For routes, schedules and trip planning, visit www.communitytransit.org (serving both stations) and www.everetttransit.org (Mukilteo only).

In 2018, the Sound Transit board authorized permit parking options for all of the agency’s high demand park-and-rides, including those that regularly fill to or in excess of 90 percent of capacity.

Sound Transit plans to implement solo-driver parking permits at more lots in the coming months. Facilities under consideration for permit parking in 2019, include: 

• Tukwila, Kent, Auburn, Puyallup and Lakewood Sounder stations.
• The Federal Way Transit Center, Issaquah Transit Center and Mercer Island Park-and-Ride.
• Tukwila International Blvd and Angle Lake Link light rail stations.

Solo-driver and carpool permits are also currently available at the Northgate Station Garage, which opened in 2018.