Sound Transit has closed the fifth and sixth floors of the Auburn garage when inspections showed the need for concrete deck repairs on the upper floor. Repairs are underway and the agency expects open more stalls for passengers in April.
At that time, the sixth floor will be open for passengers, and the fifth floor will be temporarily dedicated to use by the City of Auburn.
That’s because Sound Transit is displacing city employee parking from 1st Street NW and A Street NW where the new Sound Transit garage will be built. Construction should start this year, so city parking will temporarily be in the existing garage for the duration of construction. The new garage should open in early 2027.
The displaced parking has serviced city employees working at the annex just east of City Hall.
In the meantime, options for getting to a Sounder Station include:
• Park at Kent Station: There are 996 parking spaces at Kent Station, 301 Railroad Ave. N. In recent weeks, only about half are typically in use, according to Sound Transit.
• Take transit to Auburn Station: King County Metro route 181 serves the Outlet Collection, Green River College, and other areas. Metro route 184 serves southeast Auburn. Pierce Transit route 497 serves Lakeland Hills. Muckleshoot Tribal Transit is a free shuttle serving Muckleshoot Indian Reservation, Muckleshoot Casino, Auburn Safeway, and Auburn Outlet Collection Mall.
• Bike to the station: There are 32 BikeLink lockers available at Auburn Station for 5 cents per hour.
• Travel on Mondays or Fridays: Demand for parking spaces is typically highest mid-week. Consider switching your travel days to Mondays or Fridays when parking is typically available.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
