Are you ready? Big changes coming for Eastside commuters Monday

REDMOND, Wash.--  The commute for hundreds of people in Eastside communities like Redmond and Bellevue are about to change Monday as the first of two park-and-ride lots are closing for six years.

Sound Transit is making room for constructing the East Side Link Light Rail that will stretch from Seattle's International District to Redmond scheduled for opening in 2023.

Grace Yuan sits at the Overlake Transit Center. Her car sits in one of 222 parking spots that will disappear next week. She's still not sure how she'll get into Seattle starting Monday. "This one is closer to my house, that's why this has two routes that go to UW. I'm probably going to drive all the way."

At Overlake Transit Center, while the parking lots will close, riders can still use the transit center to change buses.

"It's going to be chaotic for us drivers," says Mark Hubble. He's drives a Microsoft Connector Bus and says the signage letting folks know about the upcoming changes have been helpful, but still thinks it will be a challenge for everyone.

On this Eastside map, the squares are the existing park-and-ride lots that Sound Transit has expanded. The five circles are the new lots that the transit agency has added. Officials with Sound Transit say it's actually a gain in overall parking spots available for commuters.

"There's going to be confusion because this is going to be a big change," says Hubble.

Light rail is coming to the Eastside, and the Overlake Park-and-Ride will be transformed into the Redmond Technology Center Light Rail Stop, with a 300-car parking garage and pedestrian bridge over SR 520.

"This is really exciting time with the changes that are coming," says Rachelle Cunningham with Sound Transit. "It's going to be make life so much easier for people on the Eastside and throughout the region. But, 2023 is still a ways away-- and riders will have to change their routines. "This is a big change," says Cunningham, "and we know it's going to be hard on a lot of people."

For Grace Yuan, she says if the car traffic gets too annoying-- she'll go back to the bus. "I think I'll probably use Kirkland, that's not convenient as this."

If you'd like to sort out your options-- you can check out this interactive map from Sound Transit. With warmer weather ahead as well, Sound Transit encourages folks to consider walking or cycling to your nearest transit center.