Sound Transit's light-rail ridership grew in 2Q

During the second quarter, Sound Transit's Central Link light-rail line served 6.3 million riders, marking a 6.2 percent increase over the same period last year.

In addition, average weekday boardings shot up 5.4 percent to 77,567, according to the agency's second-quarter ridership report.

Ridership and average weekday boardings on the Sounder commuter-rail system grew 5.1 percent and 5 percent, respectively. And on the Sounder's South line, average weekday boardings increased 5.8 percent mainly due to two new round trips added in a September 2017 service change.

Meanwhile, ridership on the 1.6-mile light-rail line in Tacoma, Washington, fell 9 percent to 233,926 boardings, and average weekday boardings declined 7.8 percent.

The dip in ridership on the Tacoma Link line "was related to fewer special events and the temporary closure of 200 parking stalls at Tacoma Dome Station for renovation work started in June," Sound Transit officials said in the ridership report.

Sound Transit's systemwide ridership increased 2.9 percent to 12,442,840, and its average weekday boardings grew 2.4 percent to 163,681.