On May 23rd the Sound Transit Board selected options to study for light rail to West Seattle and Ballard in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Sound Transit Board has regional membership from King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, and approves all projects and spending for Sound Transit.
The Board’s decision was in line with the recommendations made by the Elected Leadership Group (ELG) I served on.
The recommendations identify Preferred Alternative(s), and other alternatives for study. The Draft EIS will be published in late 2020, and the Final EIS in 2022. It will include significantly more fine-tuned cost estimates; current design is only in the 3-5% range.
For some areas, the Board adopted two preferred alternatives, in line with the ELG’s “current budget” options and the “additional resources” recommendations. The terms used by the Board are “Preferred alternative” and “Preferred alternative with third party funding.”
ALASKA JUNCTION
The Preferred Alternative with Third Party Funding calls for a tunnel station in the vicinity of SW Genesee St, SW Avalon Way and 35th Street SW, and a tunnel station in the vicinity of 41st and 42nd Ave SW.
The Preferred Alternative calls for the “representative alignment”, which has little support, due to impacts on residents and businesses. It includes an elevated Avalon station in the vicinity of SW Genesee St, SW Avalon Way and 35th Street SW, turns southwest onto Fauntleroy, with a station oriented north/south either on Fauntleroy, or in the vicinity of 41st/42nd SW.
An elevated alignment in an Urban Village would be unique in Seattle. Urban Villages are designated to accommodate growth in Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan, which implements the State Growth Management Act. The Seattle Design Commission recommended the “proposed alignment between Alaska Junction and Avalon Station should be located below grade to reduce the negative impacts within an established neighborhood with an existing commercial core.”
The Board also directed staff to evaluate potential cost savings opportunities and look for opportunities to minimize community impacts and create a high-quality transfer environment for both the Avalon and Alaska Junction station locations.
This action accepted the recommendation of the ELG and the SAG to eliminate the former “yellow” option that would have traveled through the heart of the East Alaska Junction residential community.
DELRIDGE
In Delridge there is one Preferred Alternative, the “blue” line with a station north of Genesee on a diagonal between Delridge Way SW and 26th Avenue SW north of Genesee Street.” This option has significant residential impacts. The Board also included an alternative for the EIS with a station south of Andover, further to the north. This station would be above Delridge Way (the “yellow”) option, and would have similar residential impacts.
The Board also directed staff to conduct an initial assessment of two alternatives, to establish whether further study is warranted.
The first is the “Pigeon Point Tunnel” option I proposed at the ELG meeting in April, to address residential impacts in Youngstown and Pigeon Point; it is a refinement of the former “Pigeon Ridge Tunnel” option; the line would travel in a tunnel through Pigeon Point, with a station at Genesee. It would minimize impacts to the Youngstown residential neighborhood, and has the best transfer environment for buses from the south, an important conclusion of the Race and Social Justice analysis. The motion notes that based on current information this alternative option would require third party funding.
The second option for additional study is the “Yancy/Andover alignment”, “along the Yancy/Andover corridor with a Delridge Station serving Youngtown.” These two options were requested by the Youngstown neighborhood.
The assessment of these options will be brought back to the Board for review and potential action.
The Board also directed staff to “explore refining the Delridge station location, prioritizing a further south location and looking for opportunities to minimize potential residential impacts, create a high- quality transfer environment, optimize transit-oriented development (TOD) potential and reduce costs.”
DUWAMISH RIVER CROSSING
For the Duwamish River crossing, the Board adopted a Preferred Alternative that crossed to the south of the West Seattle Bridge, and listed a North Crossing as an alternative to be studied in the EIS. The most recent cost estimate has the north option costing $300 million more; it would also impact the Port Terminal and Nucor. Staff have indicated it needs to be studied to have an alternative to potential impacts on Pigeon Point in the south crossing alternative.
The Board directed staff to conduct an initial assessment of the Pigeon Point Tunnel option I proposed and return to the board for review and potential action. This option would cross closer to the West Seattle Bridge than the earlier Pigeon Point option, to reduce potential impacts to fishing rights raised by tribal governments, and concerns raised by some industrial businesses.
Here’s a link to the motion adopted by the Board.
Thanks to all the West Seattle constituents who got involved and helped develop these options. They are better because you took the time to get involved!
While I served on the ELG, I’m not on the Sound Transit Board; for the City of Seattle, the Mayor and Councilmember Debora Juarez serve on that board. Thanks for their work on implementing the recommendations of the SAG and the ELG. Thanks also to Board Members King County Councilmember Joe McDermott and County Executive Dow Constantine, and to former City Councilmember Rob Johnson for his work as a board member.
The Board motion notes, regarding options with any additional costs, “After publication of the DEIS and receipt of public comment, the Board intends to reaffirm or change the preferred alternative. Board identification of the Preferred Alternative with Third Party Funding as the preferred alternative would be contingent on the identification of third-party funding to cover the gap between the cost of delivering the Preferred Alternative and the Preferred Alternative with Third Party Funding.”
So while there’s work to do moving forward, this action step keeps us on track for bringing light rail to West Seattle in 2030.
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