Bus station The Northgate Transit Center opened on June 6, 1992, at a cost of $15.8 million to construct. as part of
King County Metro's "MetroTRANSITion" program, becoming the last of eleven transit centers built under the plan. The Northgate area was historically served by the
Blue Streak express bus to downtown Seattle from 1970 onward; by the end of the decade, Metro Transit had made Northgate into a regional hub for buses using a park and ride on the north side of the mall (closed in 2008 and converted into
Hubbard Homestead Park). Construction began in 1990 with the demolition of a
Group Health clinic and relocation of a segment of
Thornton Creek. The transit center was sited adjacent to the mall and an access ramp to the Interstate 5
reversible express lanes. It consisted of six bus bays that served a reverse-direction street for buses with extra space for
layovers and passing lanes. The passenger waiting area was covered by large white canvases held aloft by steel towers, designed by
ZGF Architects. It featured several passenger amenities, including
public restrooms, pay phones, an
ORCA card vending machine, bicycle parking, and a baby changing station. The park and ride at the transit center initially consisted of 284 spaces in the west lot before it underwent two expansions. In 2001, the parking lot was expanded to 950 spaces after the $7.6 million purchase of from
Simon Property Group. The completion of the Thornton Creek development in April 2009 brought 350 additional parking spaces to be added to the transit center, mostly used to replace a 500-stall park and ride north of the mall.
Light rail planning and construction The Northgate area had been considered in several
rapid transit studies in the late 20th century as a suitable terminus or major station. The Northgate Link project was proposed as part of the "Sound Move" ballot measure in 1996, pending additional funding, but was deferred until the voter approval of the Sound Transit 2 package in 2008. Construction of the
Northgate extension began in 2012. On January 13, 2017, Sound Transit broke ground on the station, beginning construction with the demolition of two parking lots. By July, installation of the station's support columns and platform-level girders were underway. Construction on the station was declared substantially complete in February 2021, shortly after powered testing of light rail vehicles had begun. As part of the project, parking capacity at the transit center was reduced by spaces eliminated for the station and a new bus station to the west of the original one. A partially below-grade
parking garage with 450 spaces was opened in November 2018 on the southwest corner of the Northgate Mall parking lot. A larger garage with up to 900 vehicles was proposed but rejected after outcry from community and neighborhood groups. Northgate station and its adjoining pedestrian bridge to North Seattle College were opened on October 2, 2021, a day after the formal ribbon-cutting. Bus service was transferred to the new bus bays under the light rail station on the same day, including new routes serving
Snohomish County on
Sound Transit Express and
Community Transit that debuted on October 4. The public restrooms at the station's mezzanine level were closed in mid-2022 due to vandalism and security incidents; they were replaced by
portable toilets for a year while undergoing renovations. Beyond the station, a
pocket track was built to the north for train storage and reversal, as well as accommodating the
Lynnwood Link Extension. The extension beyond Northgate to
Lynnwood City Center station opened on August 30, 2024. The
2Line entered simulated service on February 14, 2026, with passengers able to board trains from Lynnwood to
International District/Chinatown station. Sound Transit estimates that Northgate station will have 15,000 daily boardings by 2030. ==Station layout==