After almost two years of construction, King County Metro Transit reopened the Overlake park-and-ride lot on Friday, March 1. The Overlake lot is located at 152nd Avenue Northeast and Northeast 26th Street in Redmond, near Eastside Group Health Hospital and underneath The Village at Overlake Station.

This is the latest in Metro's new transit improvements for the Eastside and is a first-of-its-kind project for transit oriented development. Besides the commuter parking, this project includes more than 300 units of affordable housing built over the park-and-ride lot.

Residents will receive one free bus pass per unit. Because of this unique setup, Metro expects three to five times more transit ridership from The Village at Overlake Station than seen at other suburban apartment complexes.

The first of those bus passes was presented to residents by King County Executive Ron Sims, Redmond Mayor Rosemarie Ives and Helen Knoll, the regional administrator for the Federal Transit Administration. Some of those receiving the passes do not own a car and are finding it is possible to live in the suburbs without a personal set of wheels.

Metro staff were at the park-and-ride lot at 6:45 a.m. to thank the commuters and the community for their patience during the renovation.

Now that the park-and-ride lot is reopened, the interim lot at the Overlake Park Presbyterian Church will close. The new lot includes covered parking and weather-protected waiting areas, and it provides increased capacity for vanpools and carpools. The new facility is expected to enhance both bus travel and transfers.

On March 1, Metro Route 222, Route 242, Route 247, Route 249, Route 250, Route 253 and Route 261 and Community Transit Route 441 will once again serve the Overlake park-and-ride lot directly.