Sound Transit breaks ground on new Lakewood Station, providing new connections for Pierce County

Sound Transit today broke ground on Lakewood Station – setting the stage to deliver a new transit hub for Pierce County residents to connect with regional destinations. When complete in the fall of 2008, Lakewood Station will feature a 620-stall, four-level garage, bus bays and a Sounder train station platform. Bus service will begin serving the station when it opens and Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter rail service will start in 2010 - 2011.

“This station adds another major step toward transforming the City of Lakewood. This station will also be a catalyst for economic development and help us revitalize our front door to the city,” said Sound Transit Board member and Lakewood Mayor Claudia Thomas. “With new, frequent and fast connections to the region, Sound Transit delivers another good reason for people to get out of their cars and onto transit.”

The project has been supported by strong partnerships with the City of Lakewood, Pierce Transit and the federal government.

When the $32.5 million facility opens in 2008, the first buses will roll out before 3 a.m. every weekday to destinations throughout the region. Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Intercity Transit from Thurston County will all have routes serving the new facility. Riders get new connections south to Lacey and Olympia, east to Puyallup, Sumner and East Pierce County, west to Gig Harbor and the Peninsula area, and by bus and train north to Tacoma, Sea-Tac Airport and Seattle.

Sound Transit will also run a shuttle bus from Lakewood Station to Tacoma Dome Station that will be timed to meet Sounder trains in the morning and evenings until Sounder service reaches Lakewood in 2010 - 2011.

“We are pleased to bring Sounder services to a community that needs and deserves it,” said Sound Transit Board Chairman and Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg. “Today’s groundbreaking marks our ongoing commitment to help more people in the South Sound get where they want to go.”

In November the region’s residents will vote on major expansions of light rail, Sounder station and ST Regional Express bus services as part of the Roads & Transit ballot measure. The plan would expand light rail services across a regional system stretching more than 60 miles, adding fast, frequent and reliable service to the Bellevue, Redmond, Northgate, Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Des Moines, Federal Way and Tacoma areas. 
 

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Sound Transit’s regional network of express buses, commuter rail, light rail and transit facilities connects communities in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.