Transit riders celebrate new North Seattle light rail route

Light rail through North Seattle opened this weekend to a pretty rapturous reception.

Seattle’s University District was filled with pedestrians and festival performers on Saturday, as the U District, Roosevelt and Northgate light rail stations on Sound Transit's Link light rail line opened to the public for the first time.

The new route extends north from the existing University of Washington station by Husky Stadium.

Meanwhile, down on the platform in the new U District station, Acacia Davis was feeling transported.

“When I see this, I think of subways, I think of New York!" Davis said.

Erica Clawson was also on the platform, ready to catch the train back home to Northgate.

“Most of my doctors are here in this neighborhood, and I live across the interstate from Northgate. So it is literally going to be the fastest way for me to get to them," Clawson said.

And then there’s Zyna Bakari, who lives about four blocks from the new Roosevelt station and has been counting the days for the new line to open.

“I was so excited, last night felt like Christmas Eve and I didn’t want to sleep," Bakari said. "I just couldn’t wait for the morning to get on the light rail and see my friends who live in Capitol Hill. Ordinarily it would take two buses and like 50 minutes to get there and this morning it took me eight minutes!”

One of the escalators in the U District station was closed on Saturday, recalling the breakdowns that have plagued the escalators at the University of Washington station. But between stairs, elevators and remaining escalators people seemed to be able to avoid long lines.

Enthusiasm was high and some of the trains were packed full. A Sound Transit spokesperson said masks are required as a Covid precaution at least through January 2022, and there are mask dispensers on the light rail cars.