Mukilteo Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Starting April 1, riders using the parking lots at the Mukilteo and Edmonds Sounder Stations will be able to reserve a spot up to 8 a.m. by purchasing a Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) permit or signing up for a free carpool permit. The permits, which went on sale March 1, will be available for a standard monthly fee of $90, with a discounted rate of $30 per month for riders who are eligible for ORCA Lift reduced transit fares.

Depending on demand, up to 50 percent of the parking at each station will be reserved for exclusively for permit holders arriving during the morning rush hours. All other station parking will remain open on a ?rst-come, ?rst-serve basis, as will any unused permit spaces after 8 a.m., and on holidays and weekends.

On weekdays, parking lots at the Mukilteo and Edmonds stations are frequently full well before the last Sounder train departs for Seattle. This makes it difficult to access Sounder for those who can’t arrive before 7 a.m., including parents who must drop children off at school or daycare, and other potential riders who don’t work a conventional 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule.

These new permit options are intended to provide a reliable option for riders to find parking without arriving earlier than needed.

SOV permit applicants must use a valid ORCA card at least 12 times per month to board Sounder or a bus from the same station operated by Community Transit or Everett Transit. Carpool parking permits will be available free of charge to groups of two or more riders who all commit to use transit and share a ride to the station at least 12 times per month. ORCA records will be checked to verify regular ridership.

To apply online, or obtain more information about Sound Transit’s permit parking program, visit soundtransit.org/permitparking.

Community Transit and Everett Transit also provide direct access to Sounder Stations in Mukilteo and Edmonds. For routes, schedules and trip planning, visit http://www.communitytransit.org (serving both stations) and http://www.everetttransit.org (Mukilteo only).