City of Mercer Island - Construction & Commuter Information

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9611 SE 36th Street
Mercer Island, WA 98040
Phone: 206.275.7600
Fax: 206.276.7663

City of Mercer Island / City and Regional Projects / Light Rail (East Link) / Construction & Commuter Information

Helpful Information for Commuters

NOTE: On June 3, 2017, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) permanently closed the I-90 center roadway to all vehicles in order to allow construction of the East Link light rail line.

This closure also changed some I-90 access ramps on Mercer Island: the reversible ramp at
77th Avenue SE closed permanently, and the westbound on-ramp via the tunnel at Island Crest Way is now restricted to HOVs only -- this means that SOVs must use an alternative on-ramp.

Exploring new transportation alternatives will help commuters avoid traffic or parking hassles. The Park & Ride on North Mercer Way now fills by 7:00am on weekdays.

City of Mercer Island I-90 Light Rail Information Brochure
View a copy of the mailer sent to all Island households and businesses (May 2017)

Resources for Commuters

NEW (7/16/18)! The City has launched a 3-month summer bikeshare pilot with LimeBike
Visit this comprehensive central hub for commuter resources: www.justonetrip.org/Resources
Commuters may want to try the City's popular direct shuttle to Seattle: Route #630
Learn more about biking and walking routes on/off the Island
Learn about Sound Transit's temporary traffic control measures during rail construction
Ask your employer about telecommuting or flex-scheduling
Check this regional carpooling site to find neighbors with similar itineraries
Some large tech companies have added new MI stops to their shuttle programs (e.g. Amazon); ask HR!

Stay Connected

The City encourages you to subscribe to Sound Transit Updates at: www.soundtransit.org/subscribe
Monitor traffic on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/wsdot_traffic
View new traffic cameras on MI from the WSDOT online camera list (I-90 section)

Construction Info

Sound Transit's construction hotline is (206) 398-5465; the after-hours hotline: 1-888-298-2395
Sound Transit's intended construction hours in general will be 7:00am-5:30pm Mon-Sat
Sound Transit's Community Outreach Specialist is Zack Ambrose (Zack.Ambrose@soundtransit.org)

Additional Parking Options for Using Transit

NEW (4/23/18)! The City has launched a discounted ridesharing program with Lyft & Uber to/from the Park & Ride. Avoid parking hassles and leave your SOV at home.
The City's TripPool van partnership w/Metro - discontinued June 2018
Metro also has a new, off-site pilot paid parking program at the Aviara Building
The City has on-street commuter parking permits (Town Center) for residents only
As many bus riders already know, the existing Sound Transit Park & Ride now fills up by about 7:00am on most weekday mornings; the City is working on identifying other parking stalls in the area that may be available by lease.

Changes to Ramps (Starting June 3, 2017)

List of all ramp changes
Map of ramp changes in Town Center area

Changes to North Mercer Way

Map of new traffic control measures installed in May/June 2017