West Alderwood

Key features

All routes and stations would be elevated.
Station alternatives are located in or around Alderwood Mall.
Community Transit serves this area with local buses and Swift Orange Line service.
No new parking is planned here as part of this project.
Station ALD-D and route ALD-2 were identified as the preferred alternatives.

What has changed since 2023?

In coordination with WSDOT, the route south of the station area has moved closer to I-5 and we are studying a design option alternative along Alderwood Mall Boulevard. This helps minimize potential property acquisitions and use more public right-of-way along the highway. Station ALD-D and route ALD-2 were identified as the preferred alternatives by the Sound Transit Board.

The West Alderwood segment is elevated and stretches from Lynnwood City Center to just north of the Interstate 5 / Interstate 405 / State Route 525 interchange, where the Ash Way segment begins. The route and station options are distinguished using different colors, with the green indicating the preferred alternative. The preferred route alternative is labeled ALD-2 and it begins in the south running adjacent to Interstate 5, before turning left onto 33rd Avenue West along the west side of Alderwood Mall, and eventually turning right along 184th Street Southwest along the north side of Alderwood Mall until it meets Interstate 5 again. Route alternative ALD-1 is shown in pink and follows the same route as ALD-2 until the southwest corner of Alderwood Mall where it turns right along 188th Street Southwest, before turning left along Beech Road. The design option for the Alderwood Mall Boulevard is highlighted in yellow and labeled. It starts where the West Alderwood segment starts and follows along Interstate 5, with a slight jog to the north near the State Route 524 interchange. Station alternatives ALD-D (the preferred alternative) and ALD-F are located along ALD-2. Station option alternative ALD-B is located along ALD-1.

Along the ALD-1 and ALD-2 route alternatives, there are three potential station alternatives: ALD-D, ALD-F, and ALD-B. Station alternative ALD-D is the preferred station and is located along the ALD-2 route alternative, which runs north on 33rd Avenue West. The station is located west of the Alderwood Mall just north of the 33rd Avenue West and 188th Street Southwest intersection. The ALD-F station alternative is also located along the ALD-2 route alternative but the station is on the south side of 184th Street Southwest and north of Alderwood Mall. The ALD-B station alternative is located along the ALD-1 route alternative runs north on 33rd Avenue West and veers right south of the mall on 184th Street Southwest. The station is located near the southwest corner of Alderwood Mall.

Station design elements

Below you can find early station layouts to give you an idea of what the different station alternatives may look like. These layouts are a snapshot in time and are subject to change as the design advances. As these graphics show, stations are more than just tracks and platforms. The drawings include the following station elements:

Pickup/drop-off: Space for personal and shared vehicles to pick up or drop off transit riders.
Platform: The space next to the light rail tracks where passengers wait for and move on and off trains.
Station entrance(s): The place where people enter or exit the Link station.
Potential future use: During design, a full property may be acquired by Sound Transit in order to complete construction but may not be needed for the station layout. Once construction is finished, the space could be used by Sound Transit for other project infrastructure, like stormwater ponds or electrical equipment, or developed as affordable housing or transit-oriented development projects.

Paratransit and microtransit: Paratransit is a transit service that provides individualized rides for people with qualifying disabilities and is supplied in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Microtransit offers an on-demand option for riders via an app, and the service is provided by vehicles smaller than a typical bus.
Bus bays: Designated areas for public-transit bus stops to drop off and pick up riders, providing more local connections for riders.
ST Service parking: Designated parking area for Sound Transit staff such as security and maintenance professionals.
Plaza: A public space around the station platform that includes pedestrian and bike access, connections to local bus service, and landscaping.

ALD-B

ALD-B would be elevated about 40 feet above street level and located on the south side of Alderwood Mall within the current surface parking lot. The route (ALD-1) would connect from Lynnwood City Center station and travel along I-5, 33rd Avenue W, and turn into the mall area around 188th Street SW before heading back to I-5.

ALD-D

ALD-D would be elevated about 40 feet above street level and located on the west side of Alderwood Mall along 33rd Avenue W. The route (ALD-2) would connect from Lynnwood City Center station and travel along I-5, 33rd Avenue W, and turn east onto 184th Street SW. This station was identified as the preferred alternative by the Sound Transit Board.

ALD-F

ALD-F station would be elevated about 40 feet above street level and located on the north side of Alderwood Mall along 184th Street SW also using route ALD-2.