For the first time ever, light rail riders need to pay attention to the numbers on the front of the trains.
There has only been one line since service began in 2009. You hopped on, and there was no way to make a mistake. That changes on Saturday when the second line opens between Seattle and the Eastside. Riders will need to catch a 1-Line train or a 2-Line train, depending on their destination.
At its most basic, the 1-Line travels north and south, from Lynnwood to Federal Way. The 2-Line goes east, west, north, and south, but it does not go south of the Chinatown-International District. It runs from Lynnwood to Redmond but does not travel south of downtown Seattle.
Why does this matter?
Say you are heading to a Seattle Mariners game from Bellevue. You hop on the 2-Line, but you have to get off at the Chinatown-International District (CID) station. To continue on the light rail to the Stadium station, you must transfer to the 1-Line for that one-stop trip. You can also walk. It’s not that far…