Sound Transit Celebrates Opening on Pinehurst Station

Sound Transit’s regional light rail system got one station larger with the opening of Pinehurst Station in North Seattle, the transportation agency announced on Sept. 30. Located at 130th Street and 5th Ave NE, Pinehurst Station will see trains as frequently as every 4 minutes, providing high frequency, high capacity rail connections to residents and businesses across North Seattle. 

Originally scheduled to open in 2031, Pinehurst Station was advanced by the Sound Transit Board in 2020 and 2022, enabling construction to proceed faster and with fewer disruptions to service and allowing the station to open five years ahead of projections. The station is served by the new Route 77 King County Metro bus and features a drop off loop, bike lockers, dedicated paratransit access, and art from Romson Bustillo.

HNTB served as final design prime and managing partner of the design joint venture. The firm’s responsibilities included structural design, site lighting, landscape and urban design, systems coordination, traffic control and traffic signals.

“Pinehurst Station reflects years of close coordination among Sound Transit, the design and construction teams and agency partners,” said Andrew Herten, HNTB design manager. “Together, we helped advance a design that responds to a constrained site, active transit operations and the needs of the surrounding community.”

Designing Pinehurst Station within a highly constrained site between Interstate 5 and 5th Avenue NE required careful coordination with existing light rail and roadway operations. HNTB worked with the Washington State Department of Transportation and the city of Seattle on traffic control, signals and roadway impacts while developing a structural approach suited to the narrow station footprint.

HNTB provided specialized structural and seismic design that integrated key station and trackway elements. This allowed portions of the station structure to be incorporated into the broader Lynnwood Link work and constructed before the trackway was energized, reducing construction complexity once light rail service began and helping support Sound Transit’s accelerated delivery schedule.

“Pinehurst Station brings a long-awaited light rail connection to North Seattle,” said Taylor Carroll, Sound Transit deputy executive project director. “Opening the agency’s first infill station five years ahead of its original schedule reflects the dedication and collaboration of the entire project team. We are proud to celebrate this achievement with the community and the many partners who helped make it possible.”

Located midway between the Lake City and Bitter Lake urban villages and connected by frequent King County Metro bus service, Pinehurst Station expands regional transit access for North Seattle communities. It builds on the Lynnwood Link Extension, which opened in 2024 and extended light rail north from Northgate through Shoreline and Mountlake Terrace to Lynnwood. The project team also coordinated with the Seattle Department of Transportation, city of Shoreline, King County and other partners to connect the station with surrounding transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements.