The Canyon Park area of Bothell has been selected as the site for Sound Transit’s bus rapid transit (BRT) maintenance base that will enable BRT operations on I-405 and SR-522.
This action moves the project into the final design phase. The facility is expected to open in 2025 to receive the new BRT vehicles prior to the start of service. Buses used for some ST Express service will also be stored and maintained at the base.
BRT will include three lines:
- 1-405 South (S1), from Burien to Bellevue, service scheduled to begin in 2026;
- I-405 North (S2), from Bellevue to Lynnwood, service scheduled to begin in 2027; and
- SR 522/145th from Shoreline to Bothell (S3), service scheduled to begin in 2026.
Each of these lines will serve destinations along the corridors and connect with each other, as well as the light-rail system at several locations.
Sound Transit staff evaluated more than 30 sites for the BRT maintenance base. The Bothell site was selected because it best met the selection criteria, which included size, proximity to I-405 and SR-522, zoning and others.
The BRT fleet will include 80 articulated buses with three doors and low floors to support faster boarding. Of these, 10 will be battery-electric buses, which will operate on SR522/145th line.
To help address the region’s long-term need for additional bus base capacity, the maintenance base will also house 40 double-decker buses, to be used for ST Express service.
The 12.5-acre BRT maintenance base will feature:
- Maintenance and operations building.
- Parking for 120 buses, including accommodation of ST Express buses.
- Parking for employee vehicles.
- Fueling facility.
- Bus wash facility.
- BRT Operations and Control Center.
- Infrastructure to support the battery electric buses for SR 522/145th BRT.
- Accommodations for future conversion of the entire BRT fleet to battery electric propulsion.
Sound Transit issued a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Determination of Non significance (DNS) for the BRT maintenance base project on Aug. 10, 2020. Sound Transit issued a SEPA Addendum to the DNS on Aug. 5, 2021, to share additional analysis with interested parties related to traffic and roadway conditions.
The Sound Transit Board is expected to consider the baseline schedule, scope and budget in late 2022 or early 2023. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2024.
