The City has been working with Sound Transit for several years to identify options for new commuter parking in the vicinity of the future East Link Light Rail station slated for Mercer Island.  During the course of those discussions, Sound Transit has also proposed creating a bus and light rail interconnection area or ‘Bus Integration,’ at which buses would turn around and deposit or collect light-rail passengers. By locating this activity on the Island, Sound Transit believes regional bus service would be better integrated with East Link rail when it opens in 2023.

According to Sound Transit, the implementation of the bus-intercept model would lead to about the same number of buses stopping on the Island as today: 350 currently vs. 340 under the future scenario.

The City Council has significant concerns about the concept and has concluded that unless Sound Transit provides dedicated parking for Mercer Island residents, the City would not even consider supporting the bus integration proposal.

Sound Transit is analyzing building additional parking (at its expense) at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.  The new parking would be available for all transit users while the South Bellevue Park and Ride lot is closed for construction.

That parking would then convert to City control, thereby allowing for resident-only parking, or other operational choices.

Sound Transit will be presenting its parking analysis in the near future.

For more information on future light rail, including the bus/rail interconnection concept, as well as future station design, visit www.mercergov.org/rail.