Editing Kirkland, Washington (section)

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
{{see also|Eastside Rail Corridor}}

In 2006, Kirkland was the first city in Washington to adopt a [[Complete Streets]] ordinance,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/Assets/CMO/CMO+PDFs/Complete+Streets+Ordinance.pdf|title=Complete Streets Ordinance|date=October 13, 2006|access-date=February 17, 2009|publisher=City of Kirkland}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/Assets/CMO/CMO+PDFs/AL+Walkability.pdf |title=Walkability |access-date=February 17, 2009 |publisher=City of Kirkland }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.completestreets.org/documents/CompletetheStreetsNews-Oct2006.doc |title=Complete the Streets News |date=November 6, 2006 |access-date=February 18, 2009 |publisher=National Complete Streets Coalition }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> whereby pedestrian and bicycle facilities are addressed as a part of all road construction and improvement planning projects.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Kirkland passed an Active Transportation Plan in 2009 specifically targeting improvements to pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian facilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/Public_Works/Transportation___Streets/Non-Motorized_Transportation_Plan.htm |title=Active Transportation Plan |access-date=April 10, 2009 |publisher=City of Kirkland |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926134829/http://www.ci.kirkland.wa.us/depart/Public_Works/Transportation___Streets/Non-Motorized_Transportation_Plan.htm |archive-date=September 26, 2008 }}</ref>

Kirkland is served by [[King County Metro]] and [[Sound Transit Express]] buses that converge in Downtown Kirkland, the Totem Lake neighborhood, and [[South Kirkland Park and Ride|South Kirkland]]. The city also has several [[park and ride]] facilities along Interstate 405. Buses connect Kirkland to Bellevue, Seattle, Redmond, Bothell, Kenmore, and Woodinville.<ref>{{cite map |date=March 2020 |title=Metro Transit System: Northeast Area |url=https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/transportation/metro/maps/system/03212020/pdf/metro-system-map-ne |publisher=[[King County Metro]] |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101232205/https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/transportation/metro/maps/system/03212020/pdf/metro-system-map-ne |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of [[Sound Transit 3]], Kirkland is slated to receive a short [[Link light rail]] line from Issaquah and Downtown Bellevue that will terminate at South Kirkland Park and Ride. Originally scheduled to open in 2041,<ref>{{cite news |last=Kunkler |first=Aaron |date=July 1, 2016 |title=ST3 will include light rail to South Kirkland Park and Ride |url=http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/st3-will-include-light-rail-to-south-kirkland-park-and-ride/ |work=Kirkland Reporter |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907032432/http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/st3-will-include-light-rail-to-south-kirkland-park-and-ride/ |url-status=live }}</ref> due to projected revenue declines resulting from the [[COVID-19]] pandemic, the Sound Transit Board issued a Sound Transit 3 "realignment" plan on August 5, 2021, which delays the Issaquah to South Kirkland light rail line to 2044.<ref name=ST3Realignment>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Baruchman |first2=Michelle |publication-date=August 15, 2021 |title=Sound Transit faces a $6.5 billion shortfall. Here's what it might do |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-faces-a-6-5-billion-shortfall-heres-what-it-might-do/ |newspaper=Seattle Times |access-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815165305/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-faces-a-6-5-billion-shortfall-heres-what-it-might-do/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Sound Transit 3 program also includes a [[bus rapid transit]] line on Interstate 405, with stops at [[Northeast 85th Street station|NE 85th Street]] and the existing Totem Lake Freeway Station.<ref>{{cite web |title=I-405 Bus Rapid Transit: Representative project route |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/projects-and-plans/bus-rapid-transit-i-405/project-route |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907032630/https://www.soundtransit.org/projects-and-plans/bus-rapid-transit-i-405/project-route |url-status=live }}</ref> The NE 85th Street station is projected to cost $235–300 million, making it one of the most expensive bus projects under consideration by Sound Transit, due to the need to completely rebuild the cloverleaf interchange.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ryan |first=Dan |date=April 30, 2018 |title=Kirkland's NE 85th BRT Station |url=https://seattletransitblog.com/2018/04/30/kirklands-ne-85th-brt-station/ |work=Seattle Transit Blog |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625142107/https://seattletransitblog.com/2018/04/30/kirklands-ne-85th-brt-station/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=Metzger>{{cite news|title=Council weighs in on NE 85th Street BRT station|author=Katie Metzger|newspaper=Kirkland Reporter|date=May 8, 2018|url=http://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/council-weighs-in-on-ne-85th-street-brt-station/|access-date=June 5, 2018|archive-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509091459/https://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/council-weighs-in-on-ne-85th-street-brt-station/|url-status=live}}</ref> The city's existing transit center is about a mile away and about {{convert|200|ft|m}} lower in elevation. For a time the first [[aerial tramway]] in the Seattle area was discussed to connect the two.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Graham |date=June 1, 2018 |title=Kirkland eyes aerial tram to connect to new freeway bus station |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/eastside-news/kirkland-eyes-aerial-tram-to-connect-to-new-freeway-bus-station/761193595 |publisher=KIRO |access-date=June 5, 2018 |archive-date=September 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180907110237/https://www.kiro7.com/news/eastside-news/kirkland-eyes-aerial-tram-to-connect-to-new-freeway-bus-station/761193595 |url-status=live }}</ref> The station was originally planned to open in 2024 after three years of construction,<ref name=Metzger/> but Sound Transit is delaying opening to 2026 due to revenue declines as a result of the [[COVID-19]] pandemic.<ref name=ST3Realignmentb>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Baruchman |first2=Michelle |publication-date=August 15, 2021 |title=Sound Transit faces a $6.5 billion shortfall. Here's what it might do |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-faces-a-6-5-billion-shortfall-heres-what-it-might-do/ |newspaper=Seattle Times |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref>

===Health care===
Kirkland is served by [[EvergreenHealth]], a public healthcare system that operates a 318-bed hospital complex near Totem Lake. It was founded in 1967 and opened the first phase of Evergreen General Hospital in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=About EvergreenHealth |url=https://www.evergreenhealth.com/about-evergreenhealth |publisher=[[EvergreenHealth]] |access-date=September 30, 2019 |archive-date=October 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001032901/https://www.evergreenhealth.com/about-evergreenhealth |url-status=live }}</ref>

In March 2020, the city had the first reported fatalities in the United States during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], primarily related to the [[Life Care Centers of America]] [[nursing home]] in Kirkland.<ref>{{cite news |last=Read |first=Richard |date=March 2, 2020 |title=The death toll from coronavirus in Kirkland, Wash. — and the United States — rises to six |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-02/coronavirus-death-seattle |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-date=March 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303014016/https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-02/coronavirus-death-seattle |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shapiro |first=Nina |date=March 2, 2020 |title=6 people have now died from coronavirus disease in Washington state; King County buying a motel to house isolated patients |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/king-county-now-has-14-coronavirus-cases-including-5-deaths/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302201011/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/king-county-now-has-14-coronavirus-cases-including-5-deaths/ |url-status=live }}</ref>