The Route 550 bus, which has carried riders across Lake Washington between downtown Bellevue and downtown Seattle since 1999, will be discontinued on Saturday, Aug. 29, when Sound Transit’s fall service change takes effect. The agency is directing riders to the 2 Line light rail, which has provided a direct train connection across the lake since the Crosslake Connection opened on March 28.
Sound Transit notified riders of the change in a service alert this week. In its 2026 service plan, the agency said the route is being eliminated because the 2 Line now serves the same destinations between Bellevue and downtown Seattle, making the bus redundant.
Why the 550 Is Being Retired
The 2 Line’s seven-mile Crosslake segment carries trains across the Interstate 90 floating bridge — a world first for rail — with stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park before linking to the 1 Line at Seattle’s International District/Chinatown Station.
Trains run roughly 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, arriving every 8 minutes at peak times and every 10 to 15 minutes off-peak. Unlike the 550, which shared the road with traffic, 2 Line trains continue through downtown Seattle and north to Lynnwood, giving Bellevue riders a one-seat ride to Pioneer Square, Symphony and Westlake stations without a transfer.
Switching to the 2 Line
Riders who catch the 550 at Bellevue Transit Center can board trains at Bellevue Downtown Station, a short walk away at 110th Avenue NE and NE 6th Street. South-end commuters can use East Main Station or South Bellevue Station, where a park-and-ride garage connects directly to the platforms.
- Fares stay the same: Link costs a flat $3 for adults, identical to the ST Express fare. Riders 18 and under ride free, and reduced ORCA LIFT and senior fares are $1.
- ORCA cards, contactless credit and debit cards, and the Transit GO Ticket app all work on Link, and transfers within two hours are credited automatically.
- Riders who use the 550’s Bellevue Way stops can switch to the revamped Route 556.
- A free electric shuttle connects Bellevue Downtown Station with hotels and shops in the downtown core.
For station details, travel times and trip-planning tips, see our complete Bellevue to Seattle light rail rider’s guide.
Other Aug. 29 Changes Affecting Bellevue
The 550 is not the only cross-lake bus going away. Route 554, which connects Issaquah to downtown Seattle via I-90, will also be eliminated. In its place, Sound Transit is upgrading Route 556, which will run between Issaquah and Bellevue Transit Center with buses about every 15 minutes, longer all-day service hours and new stops in Issaquah. The revised route connects directly to the 2 Line at South Bellevue and Bellevue Downtown stations.
The End of a 27-Year Run
The 550 was one of the nine original ST Express routes when Sound Transit launched its regional bus network in 1999, predating the agency’s first light rail service by a decade. For years it served as the primary transit link between Bellevue and Seattle, running through the downtown Seattle transit tunnel until buses were moved to surface streets in 2019.
Its discontinuation completes a transition that has been in the works since voters approved East Link in 2008: the cross-lake corridor the 550 pioneered now belongs to the train. More details on the fall service change are available on Sound Transit’s service changes page.
