Partners offer passengers choices at opening event in Lynnwood

The extension of Line 1 and the introduction of the Link light rail to Snohomish County represent another important milestone for the region.

Opening four stations in three cities was no easy task, but with the help of our community partners, we were able to celebrate and create an unforgettable experience to commemorate this historic occasion.

First steps with the golden scissors

At 11am on August 30th, the stage was set for the festivities to begin. HNTB, WSP, Sno-Isle Libraries, Experience Momentum, Jacobs, Mott Mac, Parametrix and STV had booths, welcomed attendees and handed out giveaways before the service began.

By the time these groups were lined up at 9:30 a.m., downtown Lynnwood was already bustling with activity as congregants waited patiently for the service to begin. After the performances and speeches, elected and civic leaders gathered for the ribbon cutting—a moment that had been years in the making.

Illuminating night atmosphere at Lynnwood City Center

While all four new stations featured activities such as bounce houses, food trucks, face painting and live music, our partners took center stage at Lynnwood City Center, ensuring the excitement of the morning continued into the evening at Sound Transit's first Night Market.

Sound Transit recognizes the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of night markets, which have their origins in Chinese communities dating back to the Tang Dynasty. These markets have long been a cornerstone of community life, providing vibrant spaces for socializing, commerce and celebration. We honor and pay respect to the Asian communities of the past and present who have maintained and continue to share these traditions.

Read Trainbow

Sno-Isle brought its bookmobile on opening day for passengers and families to explore. The bookmobile is essentially a library on wheels and provides library services to communities and patrons who may have barriers to library access.

Outside the bookmobile, there was a sort of classroom with comfortable chairs and a shaded tent with live readings and performances throughout the night market. They also had limited edition orca-themed library cards ready for people who stopped by on August 30th as a special souvenir gift.

A parent and child explore Sno-Isle's mobile library

Interactive Wellness

Experience Momentum is a locally owned and operated B Corp and a 1% for the Planet company. (A B Corp is a company verified by B Lab as having high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.) At the night market, they held a reaction time contest, got a massage from a licensed professional, and handed out free passes to fitness classes.

An Experience Momentum representative talks to a passenger at the opening ceremony in Lynnwood

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente came to the event with a farmers market-style cart packed with giveaways and freebies. Luckily, they had custom tote bags so people could “shop the market.” There were over 200 organizations at the Lynnwood station alone, and people needed them! Most importantly, they provided useful information to all attendees about how passengers can now access their services without a car.

Project participants

HNTB had an interactive table full of energy and information and also provided the incredibly popular 1 Line commemorative fishing hats to the event. They have worked with Sound Transit for over 24 years, starting with the Sounder Commuter Rail system and most recently completing the final design for the Lynnwood Link Extension. This is the second event we have celebrated alongside HNTB, as they were also prominently featured at the opening of the 2 Line in April.

A group of HNTB employees show their commemorative hats

Jacobs had an interactive table with a “Plinko” style activity with numerous giveaways. The day celebrated all of the efforts Jacobs was responsible for: engineering/design integration management, contract package management, production/design integration management, project control management and cost estimating; tracks, roads, site construction, utilities, drainage, MOT, lighting, structural design and environmental impact and approval of the project.

A Jacobs employee smiles at the passengers from their sales stand

Discover. Stamp. Win!

Our partners also agreed to donate great prizes for our Discover. Stamp. Win! campaign, which took place on opening day. By visiting all four stations and collecting a stamp from our ambassadors, passengers could win great prizes. The first 2,000 to explore the four stations and hand in their passport also received a commemorative hat, provided by HNTB and Skanska.

If you have entered, please wait; the winners will be contacted this week.

A passenger receives their Discover. Stamp. Win! card with a Sound Transit Ambassador stamp.

Seattle Reign FC provided suite tickets to all home games for the remainder of the 2024 season. The Oakview Group and Everett Silvertips provided four tickets to all home hockey games for the 2024-2025 season. Experience Momentum offered a holistic wellness package that included a 12-month membership, a bike fit or running assessment with a physical therapist, a one-hour massage and a one-hour nutrition consultation. Baguus provided a $500 gift card to its Montlake restaurant. Fogo de Chao provided a $500 gift card to its Lynnwood location. The Seattle Storm provided a gift bag with signed photos and four premium one-game tickets with meet-and-greet passes.

Other sponsors

We also had some partners who couldn't be there on Friday but still supported the community and our opening efforts in a big way. Skanska was an on-board partner and provided the 1 Line baseball caps for people to win in the Discover. Stamp. Win! activity.

PGH Wong, Hoffman Corp and Hatch also partnered with this event and supported the opening day activities.

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Partners offer passengers choices at opening event in Lynnwood

First steps with the golden scissors