The Urbanist newsroom (Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm) discusses the big opening day for Sound Transit's crosslake 2 Line and what it means for the future of light rail expansion in the Seattle region. In a series of speeches from Sound Transit leaders, officials waxed poetic on the significance of the day and some argued it provided momentum as the agency heads into the next round of expansions, with several projects way overbudget.

More than 200,000 riders piled on Link light rail during the 2 Line's March 28 opening day, which led to some long lines, especially at Judkins Park Station, where they cut the ribbon. Even with lengthy wait times, it was still good enough for the second busiest day in Link's history.

This grand opening was a long time in the making. We discussed all the twists and turns over the region's history (from Forward Thrust to the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure to siting battles) to finally arrive at a light rail connection between Seattle and the Eastside.

We also discussed the variety of approaches to transit-oriented development that cities along the line took, with Mercer Island the most hesitant to add housing and even fought back against state housing rules – unsuccessfully. The area around Judkins Park, meanwhile, has seen about 3,000 homes either added or in the pipeline.

Finally, we discussed how the agency might solve its financial woes plaguing Sound Transit 3 projects so that the next new lines can open as soon as possible.