Counting down to ‘All Aboard!’ East Link: And it still has that new (light rail) car smell

It's been years in the making and finally, light rail is officially opening in Bellevue Saturday. KUOW’s Kim Malcolm went to the South Bellevue Station to get a closer look and talk to King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, who championed the project on the Eastside.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: The East Link extension was supposed to cross Lake Washington into Seattle. That's not where we're at right now. So why is opening just this section still a big deal?

Claudia Balducci: We will ultimately connect to Seattle. But there's been some rework needed on the I-90 bridge segments. That left this entire Eastside segment of eight stations over six and a half miles completed, ready to go, but unable to connect yet to (Seattle). It was really important to me that we put it to use.

The voters are investing in this system, it's ready to go. There are a lot of reasons people would travel this segment. There are big employment centers and activity centers, and frankly, it's better for Sound Transit. Mothballing stations for a year without use would be more expensive and more difficult than putting them to use for the public. So, this just made sense.

What have you been hearing from East-siders about the opening of this line?

When I first came out and said we should open the stations that are ready to go, it was the most popular thing I have ever proposed. People love the idea they are ready to ride. They've been waiting a long time, and it's very exciting for folks to come and ride it. I see smiles on people's faces, and they haven't even gotten on board yet.

Traffic is an issue everywhere. Talk a little bit about commuting, and what you think is going to happen here.

I've had a chance to ride it, and the thing you notice when you get on is it goes very smoothly and very quickly through a relatively congested part of the region. There's no way you could get from here to there as quickly by any other means, not by car, not on the freeway. This is the fastest way to get between these points.

The connection over the I-90 bridge has been pushed back for at least another year for a variety of reasons. Is there going to be accountability for that delay?

Yes. I'm a chair of the Sound Transit Board System Expansion Committee, which oversees our capital projects. We decided to stay with the current contractor to complete the bridge. That was the best, fastest, most reliable way to actually get the project done, in our view. When it's over, we are going to have to work through who's responsible for the workmanship problems, and who pays for which aspects. That will all have to be worked out in a negotiation or ultimately in court.

There are folks living in South King County looking at this fresh new line opening up here on the east side, and they're still waiting for their Federal Way extension. What would you say to them?

Federal Way is coming. After this opening, the next one will be to Lynwood, and then to Federal Way. So, Federal Way is coming next year as well. And I would be excited if I were them because it will be here before you know it.

The World Cup is going to be happening here in 2026. Nearly three-quarters of a million people are expected to visit the site. Is Sound Transit going to be ready for them?

We have got to be ready for 2026. Our goal is to open this entire line in 2025. But at the latest, we have to be ready for 2026. There are so many hotels in East King County that will be full of people coming from all over the world to see the World Cup. We need them to be able to use this amazing, fast, reliable transportation to get there and back. It'll just make that experience so much better.

I know you have in the past compared how long this project has taken to the age of your kid. It started when he was a toddler?

Three years old. I did the math and figured we would be open while our kid was in high school. Today, that child is an 18-year-old junior at Sammamish High School so, you know, mission accomplished! And I'm so gratified that our 18-year-old is still very excited to ride the line when it opens on Saturday. I thought maybe as a teenager it wouldn't be quite as exciting, but it is.

The East Link extension opens on Saturday, April 27. It will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Riders can hop on and off the 2 Line between the South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations and check out a range of community events at each of the eight new stops.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.