Getting Ready for Lightrail
Light Rail is arriving in Redmond soon! How are we preparing for its arrival?
Light rail will open soon! Ensuring everyone has safe access to light rail means connecting our neighborhoods, businesses, and schools to our stations with protected bike lanes, accessible sidewalks, and dignified transit. This year Move Redmond is working with our members, elected
leaders and community partners to ensure everyone walking, biking, or rolling to or from Redmond’s light rail stations has a stress free route
Watch our video to learn more about connecting to light rail.
How can we do this in 2022?
- Commit to Vision Zero: No one should risk their life going between stations and our schools, businesses, and neighborhoods. Move Redmond wants the City of Redmond to commit to zero deaths on its streets and to draft an action plan to ensure we are prioritizing safety as the most important outcome of each new transportation project.
- Fund a Protected Bike Lane Network: Redmond has a great trail network. It is time to fund connections between our trails and the places where people want to go, including light rail stations. Move Redmond launched the Redmond Protected Bike Lane Network campaign, calling for protected bike lanes on key streets to stations including Old Redmond Road, Bel-Red Road, 166th Avenue, Avondale Road, and funding the Redmond Central Connector Phase III
- Invest in Accessible Routes to Stations: Every street crossing to access light rail should include safety features including raised crosswalks, leading pedestrian intervals, and wide sidewalks for ADA access and easy transfers from the bus to light rail.
- Better Bus Stops: Redmond transit riders deserve dignified bus stops. To make taking the bus to light rail stress-free and safe, MoveRedmond wants commitments from King County Metro and the City of Redmond to invest in busy bus stops that have the basics covered: shelter, benches, bike racks, clear information, and bathrooms.
Why invest in safe routes to light rail?
Now is the time to design and build a protected bike lane network in Redmond!
Affordable: Constructing a parking stall in a garage costs nearly $100,000 per space. Even if everyone was able to drive a car to light rail, there just is not enough room for everyone to park at the station. Walking, biking, and taking the bus to reach the light rail is the most efficient use of space in our streets, neighborhoods, and our funds.
Safety: On average 10 people are killed or seriously injured on Redmond streets every year. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can design our streets to be forgiving and safe for all people.No one’s commute should be a cause for concern. Redmond needs a safe systems approach, designing the road for safety for people of all ages and abilities.
Equity: 9 out of 10 people who work in Redmond live outside the City. The people with the longest commutes are more likely to be low-income and people of color. People hit by cars while walking and biking are also more likely to be people of color. Making it safe to walk, bike, and bus to and from Redmond’slight rail stations makes our community more equitable and just.
Climate: 36% of King County’s emissions come from transportation. 77% of that from people driving alone in cars. For Redmond to achieve the commitments set out in the Climate Action Plan, walking, biking and transit need to be the easy choice over driving for more people.
How do we get ready for Light Rail?
We know that people riding the light rail will be walking, biking, and using public transit. Check out the following resources for community members and local businesses.
- ORCA Business Passport: Choose to subsidize your employees’ transit passes through ORCA Business Passport or Business Choice for the first time!
- Eastlink Bus Restructure: King County Metro and Sound Transit are going through some changes with their bus routes to get ready for Redmond’s new light rail stations. Stay up to date with the changes by using our Eastside Transit Map.
- Go Redmond Grants for Bike Racks: Apply for a grant from the City that would reimburse you for the cost of them, up to $5,000.
- Learn to Ride classes: We partner with Bicycle Teacher, Brian Watson, to offer beginner bicycle lessons. Stay up to date by signing up for Move Redmond Alerts!
Resources for getting Light Rail Ready
Learn More and Join Us for Events!
Let’s invest in Safe Routes to Light Rail! Join Move Redmond at our community events in 2022 to learn more about the need for safe routes to light rail and how our member organizations, people who live or work in Redmond, and community leaders can make it happen.
Check Out Our Other Events Pushing for Safe Routes to Light Rail!
