As light rail expands, suburbs plan for density

Riders packed trains on Friday to see four new stations on the One Line, which now stops in Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, and Lynnwood. At the 148th Street Station, Shoreline celebrated the occasions with a marching band, speeches, and bubble machines. The suburb has been planning for this moment for years, that’s apparent when you step off the train.  Across I-5 from the light rail station, new apartment buildings are going up. Townhomes line a couple blocks near Meridian Avenue. There’s also road work to add larger sidewalks and traffic-calming roundabouts.  The city is encouraging density and building infrastructure to support more pedestrians, and this is an effort most every city in the state is struggling with. Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.  Guest: Mayor Chris Roberts, City of Shoreline Relevant Links: KUOW: Light rail is helping Mountlake Terrace find its heart The Urbanist: South Shoreline Light Rail Brings Suburban Retrofit with Thousands of Homes Seattle Times: Lynnwood light rail is opening. Here’s what you’ll find at 4 new stationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.