Metro Transit’s new five-story Eastgate Park-and-Ride garage opens on Saturday, June 5 with a total of 1,646 spaces for Eastside commuters. The new garage can accommodate 950 more cars than the old Eastgate lot – an addition that should ease the overloads at other park-and-rides along Interstate 90.

"The Eastgate Park-and-Ride has always been one of Metro’s most heavily used lots due to its convenient location near the junction of I-90 and Interstate 405," said Metro Deputy General Manager Jim Jacobson. "But, demand for park-and-ride spaces has increased dramatically in the past several years all along the I-90 corridor. We think adding spaces at Eastgate will also ease some of the overcrowding at other park-and-ride lots in Issaquah, Bellevue and Mercer Island."

Metro partnered with the Washington State Department of Transportation on the $27 million Eastgate project located at 14200 SE Eastgate Way in Bellevue. In addition to the five-story garage, the project includes:

• Covered waiting area for bus passengers;
• Bus loop with space for three coaches to load and five to layover;
• Passenger drop-off zone;
• Pedestrian overpass to 142^nd Avenue Southeast;
• Improved access for people with disabilities;
• Bike lockers;
• Three charging stations for electric cars;
• Extensive landscaping, with retention/detention ponds for site run-off;
• Two new traffic signals on Eastgate Way;
• Three separate auto entrances to the garage; and
• Will connect to future direct-access I-90 ramps to be built by Sound Transit.

Metro will also increase the number of bus trips on some routes serving Eastgate starting June 5. The park-and-ride is served by 16 Metro routes and two Sound Transit Regional Express routes providing connections to Seattle, Northgate, Renton, Kent, Issaquah, Mercer Island, downtown Bellevue, Overlake, Crossroads, Factoria, and the University of Washington.

During the construction of the park-and-ride garage, Metro has been operating an interim lot six blocks west at 13620 Eastgate Way. The interim lot will close at midnight on Friday, June 4, and all Eastgate passengers must use the new garage and its surrounding surface parking spaces starting June 5.

Visit Metro Online after June 4 for specific schedule and routing changes connected with the expanded Eastgate Park-and-Ride. Passengers can also visit Metro's online Trip Planner at to plan trips between specific points. Enter a travel date on or after June 5 for trip plans that incorporate any schedule changes. Or, call Metro’s Rider Information Office at (206) 553-3000.
 

Eastgate Park-and-Ride Garage
14200 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue WA

• Opening June 5, 2004