Passengers can enjoy extra-fast service thanks to new bus rapid transit lanes now open in Bothell

At an event in Bothell today, elected officials, transit executives and community stakeholders joined together to celebrate the opening of Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, an important milestone for the Stride S3 bus rapid transit line project, currently scheduled to open in 2026. The dedicated lanes, which are now open for use by King County Metro and ST Express buses, will facilitate fast, frequent and reliable bus service connecting Bothell to the future Shoreline South Link light rail station. 

"Our community is thrilled for the completion of SR 522 Phase 3," said Bothell Mayor Mason Thompson. "Bus Rapid Transit helps us create a downtown Bothell that is walkable and vibrant while supporting more badly needed housing in the downtown core. It is essential to help us get around but also to achieve our housing and climate goals."

"The opening of these dedicated lanes is the first major milestone for our Stride program along the I-405 and SR 522 corridors," said Sound Transit Interim CEO Brooke Belman. "These lanes provide the framework for the speedy and reliable service that is the heart of the Stride program. Even before the S3 line opens, transit passengers are now able to enjoy the advantages that these lanes will offer."

The Stride S3 line will cover eight miles and serve 14 stations. Thanks in large part to the BAT lanes, the anticipated travel time between Bothell and the Shoreline South Link station will be just 22 minutes.

Stride S3 will connect light rail and communities north, east and south of Lake Washington. Similar to light rail service, bus rapid transit is designed for fast arrivals and departures, including off-board fare payment and multiple-door entry and exit. New bus lanes and transit priority improvements, including the BAT lanes, help riders avoid traffic and travel faster. 

Sound Transit’s Stride system will provide faster and more reliable bus service along a 37-mile corridor stretching from Lynnwood to Burien as well the corridor from Shoreline to Bothell. In the particularly congested stretch between Bellevue and Renton, S1 Line buses will operate mostly in express toll lanes developed in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, with additional routing on general purpose lanes of I-405 and SR 518 and local streets in Burien, Renton and Bellevue. 

The Stride S2 Line is scheduled to open in 2027 between Bellevue and Lynnwood. The S3 Line is scheduled to open in 2026 between Bothell and Shoreline. Stride passengers will be able to easily transfer to and from Sound Transit’s fast-expanding Link light rail system at Tukwila, Bellevue, Shoreline, and Lynnwood and an array of local bus routes. In Bothell, the S3 Line will connect riders with bus service to Woodinville. 

More information on the Stride S3 line project is available at https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/sr-522-ne-145th-brt