After Years of Investment, Murray Celebrates Historic Crosslake Connection at Grand Opening

Murray has fought to fund and secure Sound Transit's future since its inception; in its earliest years, Murray's role as the top democratic appropriator for transportation funds was critical to the establishment of Sound Transit and its earliest expansions

Today, Murray continues to be Sound Transit's chief advocate in Congress, delivering major federal investments year after year and beating back continued attempts to defund public transit at the federal level

Murray is the delegation's only member with direct jurisdiction over discretionary federal transportation funding

Murray: "After years of wondering: When is light rail coming to Bellevue? Families finally have their answer-about every 8 minutes!"

Former Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl in 2022: "Murray enabled the start of the light rail system in Puget Sound."

**Livestream from KING5 HERE**

***PHOTOS and B-roll HERE***

Seattle, WA - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, attended the grand opening of the Sound Transit Link Light Rail Crosslake Connection. The Crosslake Connection is the highly anticipated and long awaited unification of the 1 Line and 2 Line, finally connecting Bellevue and Redmond to Seattle, Lynnwood, Sea-Tac Airport, and Federal Way. A marvel of engineering, the Crosslake Connection is the first light rail line in the world that goes over a floating structure. New stations will open at Judkins Park and Mercer Island and existing stations in Bellevue and Redmond will see increased frequencies and connections to the region. Trains will run every 8-15 minutes, from 5 a.m. to midnight, with service as frequent as every 4 minutes where the 1 and 2 Lines overlap between Seattle and Lynnwood- the most frequent transit service in the state.

"After years of wondering: When is light rail coming to Bellevue? Families finally have their answer-about every 8 minutes!" said Senator Murray. "We are building the best light rail system in America and as a leader on the Appropriations Committee, I have been fighting for this project every step-and every dollar-of the way! I still remember some pretty tough times a couple decades ago fighting alongside Joni Earl to ensure there was a future for Sound Transit. That future is here. And it even came with some futuristic marvels of engineering! Folks, we are going to be able to ride the world's first train on a floating bridge-that is pretty cool. Sound Transit is delivering the most ambitious expansion of public transit in America-and I am going to keep fighting to make sure Congress funds it."

MURRAY LED EFFORTS TO DIRECTLY FUND THE EAST LINK EXTENSION: Since the project's inception, Murray has led the effort, as the delegation's only member with direct jurisdiction over discretionary federal transportation funding, to secure and protect resources for the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program and ensure the Link Extension's federal cost share is met. Murray also secured a $14 million TIGER Grant for the connection in 2013. The project has also received $74.7 million from FTA and the Federal Highway Administration, including: $17.6 million for right-of-way, $5 million for the pedestrian bridge at Redmond's Overlake Village Station, $52.1 million of FTA formula funds, and $3.8 million of Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant funds.

Murray, along with her colleagues, also helped deliver a $1.33 billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan in 2015.

MURRAY BEATS BACK DRASTIC HOUSE GOP CUTS TO PUBLIC TRANSIT, ONCE AGAIN PROTECTS THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT IN PUGET SOUND: This year, House Republicans wanted to defund federal public transit, Senator Murray pushed back and led efforts to safeguard critical federal funding that helps transit agencies like Sound Transit keep pushing forward with ambitious public transit expansion projects. In the government funding bill Trump signed into law on February 3, 2026, Senator Murray secured$1.7 billion for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program-rejecting House Republicans' proposal to slash CIG funding by 98 percent. The legislation includes new provisions to force the Administration to execute the CIG program, including a table detailing which projects to fund at what amount, and requires DOT to make allocations according to the table no later than 120 days after enactment. Murray's efforts to protect the CIG program will help ensure Sound Transit can continue to rely on federal funds to support its West Seattle, Ballard, Tacoma Community College, and Everett extensions. As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray helps author and negotiate all government funding bills.

SOUND TRANSIT'S LONGEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE SUPPORTER: Murray helped secure some of Sound Transit's very first federal funding. Most notably, Murray led the fight in Congress during Sound Transit's earliest and most challenging days to ensure the initial construction of light rail could become a reality, and she went on to secure billions for Sound Transit in the years to come. 2001 in particular was a time when a loud chorus of local leaders were pushing the community to pull the plug on Sound Transit, citing greatly increased costs and a scathingly critical report from the Bush administration's Department of Transportation, including a Seattle Times editorial urging Puget Sound to "Face reality; pull plug on light rail." Senator Murray never gave up on Sound Transit and fought to save light rail in Puget Sound. Former Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl wrote, "In 2001 Sound Transit had been identified for a $500 million federal grant to start light rail construction. At the same time, Sound Transit announced that the light rail project's cost and schedule were severely underestimated. Sen. Murray used her clout as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee to put a hold on the grant (so it didn't get reallocated to another property) while we righted the ship…Murray enabled the start of the light rail system in Puget Sound."

DURING PANDEMIC, MURRAY DELIVERED EMERGENCY RESOURCES TO KEEP TRAINS RUNNING: Murray championed a provision in the Fiscal Year 2023 spending bill to secure $115 million in additional funding for Sound Transit, as transit agencies like Sound Transit grappled with challenges due to the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and inflation. This language was authored by Murray and included in the FY23 omnibus appropriations bill, the culmination of nearly two years of Senator Murray's efforts to secure additional relief for transit agencies.

Murray was joined at the grand opening ceremony by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA); Katie Wilson, Seattle Mayor and Sound Transit Board Member; Girmay Zahilay, King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Member; Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair; Dow Constantine, Sound Transit CEO and former King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair; Claudia Balducci, King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Board Vice Chair; Teresa Hutson, Microsoft Vice President and Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Vice Chair; Greg Nickels, Former Sound Transit Board Member and Former Seattle Mayor; Monty Anderson, Seattle Building Trades Executive Secretary; and other local leaders.

Murray spoke at the grand opening of the East Link starter line in Bellevue in 2024, and attended the groundbreaking in 2016.

Senator Murray's full remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:

Thank you. I am so excited to be with you to celebrate the Crosslake Connection! And let me just say: we are building the best light rail system in America. As a leader on the Appropriations Committee, I have been fighting for this project every step-and every dollar-of the way!

It is always incredible to see just how far Washington state is making those federal dollars go, and in the case of Sound Transit-I mean that literally!

Because with the new connection you can now take the two line all the way from Redmond to Lynnwood! Today, when we open the doors to these new stations, we are also opening countless doors to families who can now travel around the Puget Sound region-and specifically across Lake Washington-easier than ever!

No traffic, and your hand never has to touch a steering wheel! You can actually look out and appreciate the lake-and that beautiful view of Mt. Rainier-as you cross it!

After years of wondering: When is light rail coming to Bellevue? Families finally have their answer-about every 8 minutes!

But there is a NEW question people are going to start asking: With so many options at their fingertips, where do they want to go next!?

Starting today, you can take light rail, from a dinner in downtown Bellevue, to an evening show across the lake at the Paramount or 5th Avenue Theatre. Workers in Redmond can take light rail from the office to the Chinatown International District to meet friends for hot pot or boba or to Lumen Field-to catch a hawks game! Families can head here to Judkins Park and enjoy the many parks in the area, or go to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens.

With this light rail extension, just about wherever you are, you can find just about whatever you're looking for only a couple stops away! No fuss, no traffic. Just tap your card or your phone and go.

This expansion connects students to their campuses, workers to their jobs, families to loved ones, and so much more. Investing in public transit is investing in opportunity and connection-it's worth it!

Let me just say, looking at this crowd, I see so many partners I've worked with to keep this project on track over the years. I still remember some pretty tough times a couple decades ago fighting alongside Joni Earl to ensure there was a future for Sound Transit. That future is here. And it even came with some futuristic marvels of engineering!

Folks, we are going to be able to ride the world's first train on a floating bridge-that is pretty cool.

So, I'll end by saying: Sound Transit is delivering the most ambitious expansion of public transit in America-and I am going to keep fighting to make sure Congress funds it.

Everyone knows, it's been a long road to get here today. But from now on-getting here will just be a short ride on the light rail!

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