Title: Line 2 (Sound Transit) - Wikipedia
Headings: Line 2 (Sound Transit)
Line 2 (Sound Transit)
Contents
History
Background and early proposals
Planning and ballot measures
Floating bridge engineering and litigation
Route refinement in Bellevue
Construction
Downtown Redmond Extension
Route
Stations
Service plans
References
External links

Content: Contents
1 History
1.1 Background and early proposals
1.2 Planning and ballot measures
1.3 Floating bridge engineering and litigation
1.4 Route refinement in Bellevue
1.5 Construction
1.6 Downtown Redmond Extension
2 Route
2.1 Stations
3 Service plans
4 References
5 External links
History
Background and early proposals
The Eastside suburbs underwent rapid development into bedroom communities after the 1940 opening of the first Lake Washington floating bridge, which replaced a cross-lake ferry system as the main connection to Seattle. While private bus operators ran routes over the Lake Washington Floating Bridge from Seattle to Eastside towns, the municipal Seattle Transit System opted not to extend its routes. The 1963 opening of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge fueled further growth, leading to traffic congestion on both bridges during peak periods. By 1965, more than 150,000 people lived on the Eastside; the King County government predicted in 1965 that up to 550,000 people would live in Eastside cities by 1990. In the 1960s, the construction of a rapid transit system for the Seattle metropolitan area was explored by municipal and regional governments. The initial system, serving the city of Seattle, would be extended east to Bellevue via Mercer Island and an additional floating bridge in a later phase, to be built by 1990. The state government amended its plans for a parallel floating bridge to Mercer Island to include exclusive right of way for rapid transit. The Eastside section of the rapid transit system was expanded to include branches to Eastgate and the Bel-Red area, with provisions to extend the system to Redmond. Intermediate stations would be located at Rainier Avenue in Seattle, on Mercer Island, and in Downtown Bellevue.