Northgate Transit Center

 

7/8/23 Northgate Transit Center

For more than a decade, I worked for the local government agency that ran both the region’s transit and wastewater treatment systems. In 1992 Metro built the Northgate Transit Center, which became the central transit hub for the northend. When I saw early architectural renderings of the new center, I was surprised by its distinctive design, which evoked circus tents. I was pleased, as it seemed too whimsical and innovative to come out of a government entity. (By contrast, the nearby Northgate Light Rail Station, which opened less than two years ago, looks plain, boxy and predictable.)

I caught a lot of buses there, including for my daily commute to that downtown Seattle job. Once the light rail opened, all the bus routes changed, and now it’s faster to take the light rail downtown.