Renton is getting a serious transit glow-up. Sound Transit, the City of Renton and several partner agencies have officially broken ground on a new Renton Transit Center that will anchor the Stride S1 bus rapid transit line and bring Sound Transit’s first battery-electric double-decker buses to the region. The station is slated to open in 2028, tying Renton directly to Burien, Tukwila and Bellevue with connections to light rail. Crews are starting with utility and underground work this year, with major building work currently penciled in for next summer.
What the new Renton Transit Center will include
The transit center is moving to the corner of South Grady Way and Rainier Avenue South, where it will be built out with eight bus bays, covered waiting areas and a new four-way signalized intersection intended to keep buses moving instead of idling in traffic. Project activity this year will concentrate on underground utilities such as sewer, water, stormwater and electrical systems before the bulk of construction ramps up in summer 2027 and finishing work runs into early 2028, according to Sound Transit.
Double-deck battery-electric buses
The Stride S1 line is planned to run double-deck, battery-electric buses every 10-15 minutes for more than 17 hours a day, giving Renton something closer to rail-like frequency on rubber tires, as reported by KOMO. Procurement documents and industry notices indicate Sound Transit has ordered Enviro500EV double-deckers and plans to use on-route inductive wireless charging, a first for double-deck buses in North America, according to InductEV.
Routes and regional connections
The S1 line is designed to link Burien, Renton and Bellevue while offering direct transfers to Link light rail at Tukwila International Boulevard Station and Bellevue Transit Center, knitting together the Eastside and the South Sound, according to Sound Transit. Service is planned to operate mostly in HOV lanes and dedicated transit facilities along I-405 and SR-518, taking advantage of WSDOT corridor upgrades intended to speed up bus trips.
Local context and what riders can expect
Project backers say the new transit center should generate hundreds of construction jobs and help spur transit-oriented redevelopment along Renton's Rainier/Grady corridor. The timing lines up with King County Metro’s rollout of new GILLIG battery-electric buses, part of a broader regional push toward zero-emission transit, according to King County Metro and coverage from The Urbanist.
What’s next
For now, Sound Transit says crews will stay focused on underground utility work this year, with most of the visible construction activity scheduled for summer 2027. The agency notes those timelines are tentative and could shift with weather or site conditions, as reported by KOMO. Riders and nearby drivers are being urged to keep an eye on Sound Transit project updates for details on lane closures, detours and any temporary service changes as the new hub takes shape.
