Rainier Beach (Link station)

Rainier Beach
Link light rail station
A test train at Rainier Beach station prior to its opening
Location	9132 Martin Luther King Jr. Way South Seattle, Washington
Coordinates	47°31′21.4″N 122°16′45.7″W / 47.522611°N 122.279361°W / 47.522611; -122.279361Coordinates: 47°31′21.4″N 122°16′45.7″W / 47.522611°N 122.279361°W / 47.522611; -122.279361
Owned by	Sound Transit
Line(s)	Central Link
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Connections	King County Metro
Construction
Structure type	Surface
Parking	Paid parking nearby
Bicycle facilities	Bicycle lockers
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	July 18, 2009 (2009-07-18)
Traffic
Passengers	1,858 daily boardings (Q1 2017)
Services
Preceding station     Following station Tukwila International Boulevard toward Angle Lake Central Link Othello toward University of Washington

Rainier Beach is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Tukwila International Boulevard and Othello stations on the Central Link line. The line runs from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station consists of an at-grade island platform south of South Henderson Street in the median of Martin Luther King Jr. Way in the Rainier Beach neighborhood, part of Seattle's Rainier Valley.

The Rainier Beach area was first proposed for light rail service in 1995, and included in the final plan for Central Link approved in 1999. Construction on Rainier Beach station began in 2006, and regular train service began on July 18, 2009. Trains serve the station 20 hours a day on most days; the headway between trains is 6 minutes during peak periods, with less frequent service at other times. Rainier Beach station is also served by three King County Metro bus routes that connect it to Beacon Hill, Downtown Seattle, Georgetown, Mount Baker and Renton. The station also has six art installations that were funded by a systemwide art program.

Rainier Beach station is located in the median of Martin Luther King Jr. Way at an intersection with South Henderson Street. The station is ¹⁄₂ mile (0.80 km) west of the center of the Rainier Beach neighborhood, where Rainier Beach High School and Beer Sheva Park are both located. The Chief Sealth Trail crosses over Martin Luther King Jr. Way to the north of the station, continuing north to Beacon Hill and south to Kubota Garden.