В Бельвью запустили бесплатный электробус для решения проблемы «последней мили»

BELLEVUE, Wash. — People leaving the Bellevue Light Rail Station now have a new way to get through the city’s core. Last week, the Bellevue Light Rail Shuttle pilot program was launched, offering riders a free and convenient experience right outside Bellevue Downtown Station. The program is powered by Amazon, supported by the city of Bellevue, Visit Bellevue, Circuit, and Sound Transit. The shuttles include new Volkswagen ID Buzz vehicles, with room for 6 passengers in each van. “Essentially, when passengers disembark the light rail here at Bellevue’s downtown station, they’ll come up, and if they need a ride, they can hop in the van and get a free ride anywhere in the downtown service area,” said Brad Jones, the executive director at Visit Bellevue. “When light rail opened here on the east side and in Bellevue, it created more of an opportunity for that last mile connection with light rail. We want people using it, we want our workforce using it, and we want residents using it.” It’s all in an effort to make riding the light rail easier and bridge the last mile gap. It’s designed to make Bellevue more accessible for everyone. “We see a lot of workers come and get off the train, and they have to go maybe as much as a mile away, and they struggle with that,” Jones said. “We wanted to make that easier, and we wanted to make this a return to office easier for people as they come back to the office.” The service is an extension of the Bellhop Program, which has a six-square-mile service area and does app-delivered rides. The free electric shuttle vans are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. To 6 p.m. For the next five months. ©2026 Cox Media Group