WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Junction Neighborhood Organization pitches a part-tunnel plan

(Sound Transit file photo, Capitol Hill)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The in-person open houses are over. The online open house continues. You have less than two weeks to get your opinion(s) into the wide-open “early scoping” period for West Seattle’s Sound Transit light-rail line.

Your comments can be small and simple, or big and complex. Toward that last description, members of the Junction Neighborhood Organization Land Use Committee has drafted a detailed proposal. They’ll be presenting it at tomorrow night’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting and offered us a preview. So we sat down with Rich Koehler of the JuNO LUC to take a look. The group says their goal is “to provide the community with information and thought-provoking ideas so that we can get the best possible set of ideas in to ST by the 3/5 deadline.”

Sound Transit, as you likely know, has put forth a “starting point” known as the “representative alignment” – a draft of how and where the route and stations would go. We’ve featured it in a variety of forms, from the very rough draft in this June story to, most recently, charts/maps and video shown at the three open houses held in the past week.

JuNO’s proposal would be an alternative covering what happens west of the suggested Delridge/Andover station. And the presentation they’ll give Thursday night at the WSTC meeting will “help people understand more about The Junction and provide context,” Koehler explained.

And in turn, the plan’s context includes the city’s Comprehensive Plan, Seattle 2035, as well as the West Seattle Junction’s Design Guidelines. “We think we need a community-based vision for what the Junction needs to be, that’s consistent with Seattle 2035.” JuNO has been asking the city “to fund a fresh neighborhood plan for the Junction,” Koehler continued, given how much has changed since the one from the ’90s, but since that is not expected to happen any time soon, “We’re at least trying to tie in the design standards that actually are on the record.”

While the slide deck to be shown Thursday night won’t be finalized until just before the meeting, so we don’t have a publishable version, we previewed a draft while talking with Koehler. The background and overview maps of the area include the envisioned “pedestrian connectivity” of the area and how this would fit in.

The JuNO vision proposes tunneling, beginning at some point west of the Delridge station, with four possible routes and three entrance possibilities. The shortest tunnel would start below Rotary Viewpoint Park (35th/Alaska), with two ways to get there. Another option could have an entrance in the West Seattle Golf Course area. And the longest potential tunnel could start somewhere in the industrial/maritime area along northeast West Seattle – Koehler explains that this one would address the potential “engineering challenge” that ST would face in getting around Pigeon Point from the planned elevated bridge south of the West Seattle Bridge, but would require having the new elevated across-the-Duwamish bridge go north of the existing bridge instead.

Whichever route a tunnel took, it could be more easily oriented to later extend the line south in an eventual Sound Transit 4, JuNO’s plan suggests.

Yes, tunneling is expensive, it’s often pointed out. To make it financially feasible, the JuNO plan would cut out the Avalon station – envisioned in the 35th/Fauntleroy/Avalon area – so the route would go from Delridge to The Junction. Going underground, JuNO believes, would also save many millions that would be spent to buy dozens of properties along the elevated route, as well as money that would be have to spent on related environmental and legal issues.

Other reasons the Avalon station could be omitted, in JuNO’s view: It has a small “walkshed”; it’s not designated as a “transit connector” in the ST3 plan; steep slopes; pedestrian access bisected by arterials; the Junction station would be less than half a mile away.

In JuNO’s proposal, The Junction would have an underground station and above-ground park on Alaska in the area where there are now single-story commercial buildings, between 40th and 41st. This, Koehler says, supports the design-guidelines vision for SW Alaska, to be an “extension of mixed use district with a continuous pedestrian scale and high level of comfort at the street level,” which that area certainly does not have now. They also see the potential park atop an underground station as helping address the Junction’s shortage of open space. SW Alaska could also be improved with trees and other features enhancing the pedestrian experience. This could also relieve some of the pressure that growth continues to place on the Fauntleroy/Alaska intersection, it’s suggested. There might even be the chance for multiple entrances to the underground station area, as is done with underground transit in other cities – maybe, Koehler suggests, an entrance as distant as what’s currently the Les Schwab corner of Fauntleroy/Alaska.

The station area also would need to connect to other transit, so it would include bus-pullout areas.

He says they see many potential benefits, including increasing the appeal of the area as a potential job center. Ideally, he notes, the light-rail line will be bringing people here in the morning too, not just making round trips to continue to carry people out. The Junction not only has less open space than envisioned by now, it has fewer jobs, while the residential development has gone beyond projections, JuNO points out.

Got questions? Be at the WSTC meeting. The date is not yet set for a JuNO meeting that also will feature the presentation, which will include a few of the renderings created by “Avalon Tom,” some of which were first published on WSB last month, based on the original “representative alignment” specs that were obtained from Sound Transit, although Koehler points out that ST has since changed that a bit to show the elevated Junction station “a little further east” (not as far east as where the JuNO LUC proposal would put it, though).

He says their draft proposal has already been shown to our area’s City Councilmember Lisa Herbold. She is a member of the Elected Leadership Group that is part of the process to shape the West Seattle (and Ballard) light rail “preferred alignment,” as is our area’s County Councilmember (and council president) Joe McDermott, who is also speaking at Thursday’s WSTC meeting. And JuNO will eventually officially submit it before the Sound Transit “early scoping” ends March 5th, so it’s on the record as a suggestion. “We want to be working together with them” in this intensive one-year-plus period during which the “preferred alignment” will be shaped, Koehler says.

ABOUT THE WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION MEETING: 6:30 pm Thursday (February 22nd) at Neighborhood House High Point (6400 Sylvan Way SW), all welcome.

56 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Junction Neighborhood Organization pitches a part-tunnel plan"

  • JeffK February 21, 2018 (12:35 pm)

    I support a partial tunnel, seems like a good compromise.

    On the Online Open House go to the Alternatives tab and zoom in to Like/Dislike comments or add your own.

    • Louis February 21, 2018 (4:48 pm)

      This is awesome.  If you look at many other cities where they allowed the tracks to be above ground on piers, the neighborhoods were devastated over time because retail and residential do not want to be under a noisy concrete barrier.  It separates communities and are unsightly over time.   Look at what BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) did to many of the outlying communities of San Francisco.  Those areas have still not recovered 40 years after it was constructed.

      • Mickymse February 22, 2018 (9:03 am)

        What are you talking about? In many areas BART purchased land around the stations for parking lots and now as population and demand has grown further they are selling that land off to developers to create dense in-fill immediately around the stations: https://www.bart.gov/about/business/tod

        • Mark B February 22, 2018 (9:51 am)

          Which is exactly the wrong approach.  Confiscate land under Eminent Domain,  then sell to developers later at large profits for all parties but the original owner.  Page right out of Trumps book…

          • Alonzo February 23, 2018 (1:37 am)

            Why is that a bad approach? Now BART has tons of money for more transit and better serve the SF Bay Area, and they’ve added tons of housing near transit to boot. 

  • dsa February 21, 2018 (1:02 pm)

    West Seattle deserves the same respect other parts of the city have gotten with a tunnel.

  • FridaK February 21, 2018 (1:06 pm)

    I really like this proposal. Thank you, JuNO. A partial tunnel and a station at 41st & Alaska is a great solution for keeping our Junction intact and pedestrian friendly.

  • D Del Rio February 21, 2018 (1:21 pm)

    Is it me, or was there nowhere to add a comment to their survey? I wanted to specifically say put a tunnel at least through the Junction Area. 

    • WSB February 21, 2018 (1:25 pm)

      You can cut to the comment section at https://wsblink.participate.online/ by choosing the “Alternatives” tab toward the top of the page. (You can also see what others have said by clicking the “pins” on the map.)

  • Scott A February 21, 2018 (2:02 pm)

    I like the deletion of the Avalon station in favor of trying to get some underground tracks for a Junction station that heads southbound (I assume on Fauntleroy).  I also like the  bus connection emphasis.  It’s going to be a long time before the line is extended and ST has done a terrible job of working with SDOT to create in-city bus areas at or near Link stations.  (See pretty much all Link stations to date but especially Mt. Baker and UW Stadium where there could have been really good bus pick-up, drop-off and waiting areas.)

    • AmandaK February 21, 2018 (3:31 pm)

      The best part of undergrounding light rail is that the turn south could make an alignment anywhere.  It could follow 35th Ave SW for instance, or hit Morgan Junction then High Point (thinking about the difficult topography).  It will be much easier to connect West Seattle with an underground system as opposed to a surface option. 

  • Ed Slope February 21, 2018 (3:32 pm)

    Fauntleroy/Alaska seems like a perfect station location to serve 35th/Avalon and California. Saving the expense of a second station makes sense. Tunnel not elevated rails! 

  • Duff Radke-Bogen February 21, 2018 (4:16 pm)

    A tunnel is an expensive hole in the ground- Bertha.

    The natural route for  “West Seattle” light rail would be south along Delridge and Ambaum to Sea Tac via Burien.

    The route from Delridge up to  the Junction is a natural route for an Aerial Tramway. (If you’re not old enough to remember the Sky Ride check out the funicular in Portland which goes up to the medical school.) A route along the north edge of the golf course could reach the Junction along Oregon or Alaska. Payments for this right of way could help maintain the golf course.

    The West Seattle Skyway would connect to mass transit via a station on Delridge without having an elevated train track built through the neighborhood. West Seattle would also gain  access to Sea Tac on a line through Burien instead of going downtown to go south.

    A hole in the ground is an expensive option which only benefit those who are paid as a percentage of the total job cost.

    • Jort February 21, 2018 (10:18 pm)

      Yes! The gondola! I knew this would make an appearance again! Truly, who among us does not love a gondola ride?

    • Michael February 22, 2018 (12:39 am)

      There are successful light rail tunnels all over the city.

      • sw February 22, 2018 (1:35 pm)

        YES.  “Bertha” is a completely different situation than the tunnels for Sound Transit, which have been completed with little to no issue.  Let’s please retire all of the “Bertha” comparisons.

        The partial tunnel plan is a good compromise and will be so much better than a fully elevated structure.  I’d request that JuNO continue to study adding a station at Avalon, as the density in that neighborhood continues to increase.  Perhaps if the tunnel exit point is in that vicinity, a modest platform could be integrated at the portal rather than building a large standalone structure.  

    • Melinda J-S February 22, 2018 (2:53 pm)

      Brilliant, out of the box thinking!

  • Fire Ball February 21, 2018 (5:01 pm)

    A tunnel would be really nice, as long is the people who live in 98106-98136 pay for it and If the tunnel station was at California and Alaska, Where’s the parking garage going to be built at?

    I’m getting tired of paying for something I’ll NEVER use.

    • Jort February 21, 2018 (10:17 pm)

      Unfortunately for you, the vast majority of your neighbors disagree with you and voted — overwhelmingly for light rail in Seattle.

      I don’t have kids and don’t drive much, but I still pay for schools and roads. And, you know, I learn to deal with it.

      • RossB February 22, 2018 (1:15 pm)

        Yes, they also voted  overwhelmingly for an elevated line to West Seattle. Now folks want to override what they voted for, and plug in something different. Maybe you should have suggested this in the first place, or come up with something different (e. g. expansion of the Spokane Street Viaduct so you could have bus only lanes from West Seattle to a new bus tunnel under downtown). It all sounds like bait and switch to me.

        • Alonzo February 23, 2018 (1:40 am)

          Why do you say that? If Avalon is sacrificed for tunneling money, I don’t see it as a huge issue. WS wouldn’t be asking for any more money than it had previously asked for. 

    • CMT February 22, 2018 (5:04 pm)

      I don’t recall the ballot being clear it would be 100 foot high (in some places) elevated line abutting  the historic junction.   

  • Karen White February 21, 2018 (5:16 pm)

    This plan makes such good sense.  Our household is in full support.

    Thank you, Rich Koehler and JUNO for the thought and countless hours you have dedicated to this proposal.

  • Peter February 21, 2018 (5:39 pm)

    Eliminating the proposed Avalon station is an absurd idea, it would force thousands of people a day to journey to the Junction to catch a train that the could catch much closer to home or take a direct bus (the 21 specifically) without backtracking. It will increase travel time and reduce ridership. We need a station at Avalon, and I think it’s extremely selfish to propose eliminating that station just because a tiny number of people don’t want to have to have to see light rail in the Junction. It would be a minor improvement for people in the Junction, but a major inconvenience to 35th, Avalon, Arbor Heights, High Point, and Westwood. Underground would be best in a perfect world, but not at the expense of permanently handicapping the system and ridership, and inconveniencing thousands of people every day. 

    • East Coast Cynic February 21, 2018 (7:29 pm)

      Peter, you beat me to making the same argument:).  There is a significant population (Highpoint, Arbor Heights, Westwood, much of Gatewood, 35th Ave residents) that would be severely handicapped by removal of the Avalon station.  It would be a steep time consuming walk to get from Avalon and 35th to Alaska Junction or an inefficient backtracking transfer to a Rapid Ride C to get the Junction to access light rail. 

      The selfish and dismissive attitude I’m reading toward the inconvenience that the elimination of a 35th and Avalon station would cause to a significant segment of the West Seattle population is quite disturbing.

      Rich and JUNO, what are those residents going to do to access light rail in a timely fashion if you eliminate the 35th and Avalon station??????

      • CAM February 21, 2018 (7:53 pm)

        My guess is that the people proposing these things or speaking in support of such proposals are either A) not daily users of transit or B) people who feel their own personal circumstances would be impacted by an elevated line and are not able to see past their own nose. Of course everyone would prefer a subway but a subway that causes delays or eliminates currently proposed elements of the system just isn’t workable and those familiar with commuting via transit on a regular basis currently know that. Please start arguing to expand the current proposal by more stations if you want to suggest things that will require more money. I’m also extremely confused by the people who keep asking where the parking garage is going to go. Heads up, there will be no parking allotted to any of these stations which is perfectly consistent with mass transit in every other major city. There are of course park and rides in the suburbs surrounding those other cities, so maybe you could drive to the suburbs and park and then take the train from there? I apologise for the snark but this is becoming more and more ridiculous and I’m seriously confused by who JuNO actually represents because they certainly aren’t advocating for anything that would benefit the majority of Junction residents. 

        • WSB February 21, 2018 (8:05 pm)

          Just to note, since my story won’t likely be up before tomorrow morning – a city representative (OPCD) is at Delridge Neighborhoods District Council right now and telling those here that the city is very interested in having ST explore some tunneling, because they too are concerned about the impact of some of the elevated track.

        • Santiago February 22, 2018 (5:43 pm)

          I would love to see a comparison between both proposals. I always see opinions on tunnel=bad due to price and delays. This assumes that elevated will be on time and that the cost is significantly lower. I like your snark Cam but please do provide some data to back up your opinion. 

      • Mickymse February 22, 2018 (9:08 am)

        According to the early planning, Sound Transit hasn’t designated this station for transit access, as it has for The Junction and Delridge stations. I would presume the intention is to ask for Metro to run buses like the 21 over to the Junction station and to provide NEW transit connectivity to the Junction area for residents.

        • East Coast Cynic February 22, 2018 (9:49 am)

          There isn’t direct transit access for a potential Avalon station, but one could potentially walk a few blocks to get to the station, unlike the Junction or Delridge stations which would be very long walks for commuters from Avalon after coming down 35th Ave SW via bus.

          It seems a bit counter intuitive to run the 21/21X westward on Alaska to the Junction? after coming up northbound.

        • RossB February 22, 2018 (1:44 pm)

          The 21 goes right by the proposed Avalon station. All you would need to do is add a bus stop — nothing could be simpler.

          If the bus made a turn to serve the Junction, it would have to turn on Alaska, leaving a pretty big hole north of there.  It would delay the bus, as it spent time waiting to turn left and cross Fauntleroy, instead of taking a right via the bus lane that already exists. Going to Delridge would be worse. You spend a lot of extra time going right by the train before you make your way over to Delridge. 

          Likewise, serving the north end of Alki is a lot easier. At that point you could go over to Delridge, but that takes a long time if there is traffic. It is much easier to just stay on Harbor Avenue until it becomes Avalon. That saves a lot of time (https://goo.gl/maps/NFEoCSs1FYA2 versus https://goo.gl/maps/wURpKpmZmV72). Likewise with a bus on Admiral Way.

          Avalon is an important bus intercept spot, whether Sound Transit bothered to document it or not.

        • Peter February 23, 2018 (1:20 pm)

          New transit connectivity to the Junction would be great; I am very much in favor of that and have given Metro that feedback numerous times. But a significant portion of 21 riders are going to areas in SODO that won’t be served by light rail, so the problem of sending thousands of people out of their way and increasing travel times remains in any situation without the Avalon station.

    • Misty Avalon February 22, 2018 (10:20 pm)

      I don’t want the Avalon station where it currently is, because I will be losing my home if the proposed route is constructed. So yes, I’d rather catch an extremely short bus ride elsewhere to connect to the light rail than move to another city altogether. One reason I moved to West Seattle — not the only one — is because frankly, I was priced out of other parts of the city. Now my home may disappear under eminent domain. I have a real stake in what happens, as this affects many dimensions of my life and well-being; that’s not failing to see past my nose. I don’t want to save my home only for someone else to lose theirs, which is why I support a partial tunnel option, deletion of the Avalon station, or moving a near-Avalon stop somewhere else (like maybe around the stadium?) 

      • Peter February 23, 2018 (1:17 pm)

        Where did you get such specific information about which properties will be taken by imminent domain?

        • Misty Avalon February 24, 2018 (1:11 am)

          From a ST representative at the open house who stated that if the plan were to go forward as presented, my building would be demolished.

          I also noticed some “official looking” person lurking about taking pictures of my building the day before the open house and frankly just assumed it was someone from ST taking pictures of properties likely to be demolished.

    • Alonzo February 23, 2018 (1:45 am)

      Look at the walkshed maps. Nowhere else in the city are the stations that close. The 5 minute walksheds area for Avalon nearly overlaps with junction. I agree Avalon would be kind of getting the shaft this goes through though

      • Misty Avalon February 23, 2018 (8:28 am)

        Also, for the concerns regarding Avalon serving as an important connection for people from other parts of W Seattle — I think there are a number of ways that an alternative location for Avalon or even deletion of Avalon can still serve residents coming from elsewhere. And again I’ll emphatically state that no, I don’t want to lose my home and also no, I don’t want to keep my home at the expense of hundreds of others losing out on important transit options. It seems to me that ST and KC Metro ought to be developing solutions together as early as now to ensure that there are functional connections from various parts of W Seattle to both the Alaska and Delridge stations. 

  • MJ February 21, 2018 (5:56 pm)

    This tunnel concept was also brought to attention at the WSTC open meeting regarding LR.  Not sure why its being called tunnel light?

  • TJ February 21, 2018 (9:01 pm)

    CAM, people will need to somehow get to the stations to take the train. What is someone on Alki supposed to do? Hop a bus up the hill to the station? It is unrealistic to expect people to do that, particurlaly people who currently drive downtown now. The truth is this will just move people from buses onto the trains. Not ideal for $54 billion. Where else are you going to take this thing besides downtown? And to those wanting a tunnel, how is that going to be funded? It is a likely guarantee that ST3, the most expensive local project in US history, will not even cover a elevated line here. Seeking votes, they added West Seattle without figuring out how to get it across the river yet. They have a ton of faith to be rebuilt before they can even think about any “ST4” when this is done in 2035

    • Cass February 21, 2018 (11:13 pm)

      I plan to hop a bus from Arbor Heights to get to the light rail, so I don’t see why people couldn’t take a bus from Alki (assuming bus routes adjusted once light rail opens). I plan to take it to SODO and downtown and Capital Hill and the airport and Ballard and maybe Northgate.  I currently take the bus to work in SODO, but I drive to the rest of those places.  And someday, I hope I’ll take the train from WW Village area, but in the meantime I think that even with the bus transfer the light rail will be a big improvement.

      • Santiago February 22, 2018 (5:48 pm)

        If you start a chronometer, from Alki to downtown and it takes you 48 minutes via bus or 43 minutes via bus + train… 

        The mass transit option is simply not a reasonable option for anything beyond a quarter of a mile from a station. That’s why they need to increase density around stations to justify the investment in mass transit. The investment is not for us today, it’s for the apartment complexes that will grow in size in 12 years. Maybe some of those will be condos and we’ll get to live near a station and own a house :) 

    • Mickymse February 22, 2018 (9:11 am)

      1) Someone on Alki could take the bus to the Junction station, and happily avoid all of the traffic on the Bridge and 99.

      2) While I have no idea what I’ll be doing by 2035 (retired?), I hope to take the bus from West Seattle DIRECTLY to the Stadiums, Downtown, Capitol Hill, UW, Northgate, or even points further north.

  • wakeflood February 22, 2018 (9:10 am)

    All of the yes.  All of it.  Don’t give away the Avalon station if you don’t need to.  It’s entirely possible that elevated won’t be easy or lots cheaper through this section than a short tunnel.   And the ST engineers/cost estimators might end up recommending a short tunnel at some point of their due diligence anyway.  They’ve cut 20+ tunnels and have it down to pretty much a science as this point.  I’m not saying it’s a sure thing by any stretch but logic suggests it’s a strong option.

    • Mickymse February 22, 2018 (9:16 am)

      I would ONLY advocate for deferring the Avalon Station until there is more growth in the area — and then only to redirect the $250 million + towards funding the tunnel.

      • West Seattle since 1979 February 22, 2018 (1:14 pm)

        We don’t really know how much density we’ll have in 17 years. There are some people who think that West Seattle isn’t dense enough to get light rail at all!

        • Alonzo February 23, 2018 (1:49 am)

          Frankly I do think that the density could still be improved upon. The development pressure is immense and we’re still crushing it artificially with zoning, and we’re not even permitting any large numbers of offices here which would help reduce train infrastructure crowding with additional reverse commutes. Additional upzones would be good for sustainability, and if we’re already this dense, what’s the harm in a few more stories? In fact, I think taller would be MORE livable since we can ask for some setbacks that would reduce new buildings from being too monolithic.

          I think the podium + spire style of vancouver is a great model we should be emulating!

      • sw February 22, 2018 (2:45 pm)

        This is a good approach.  I wonder if they could design a platform at the tunnel portal (assuming it’s near Avalon) that could be designed and engineered but built when needed at a later date.   Would presumably cost less than either a subterranean station or an elevated station.  

      • Alonzo February 23, 2018 (1:52 am)

        Good plan. We can put it into the next ST package as infill. 

  • West Seattle since 1979 February 22, 2018 (1:12 pm)

    There are a lot of apartment buildings on Avalon Way, with, I believe, more scheduled. There’s also the Aura on 35th close to Avalon. Other buildings are closer to Avalon than to he Junction. Not to mention people that come down the hill on 35th on the 21 who would transfer there—the 21 & 21X seem pretty crowded during rush hours, though I’m not sure about other times.  

    The 35th and Avalon bus stop always seems pretty busy. I don’t know the numbers though. 

    If they do eliminate the Avalon station, they need to provide adequate bus Service to the Junction and Delridge stations, and not expect people to walk almost a mile (more for some people). Or to walk up and down the hill to and from Delridge Station. Some people can’t; some won’t want to and will end up driving. 

  • Chris February 22, 2018 (2:31 pm)

    I don’t think you can just base a station on where people live all the time. How many people live by the SODO station? I live in WS and commute to the SODO station. So how to get to the station should be considered and yes in 17 yrs there will be more density everywhere.

    • West Seattle since 1979 February 22, 2018 (4:53 pm)

      A lot of people work near SODO Station though.  And it’s a transfer point to various buses.  

      As long as they have buses going from the Avalon area and up 35th to the Junction station (or even going to Delridge station).  it wouldn’t be so bad.  I think what I objected to was when comments I’ve heard saying that people in the 35th & Avalon area could just walk up to the Junction to catch their train, as if it was just a few blocks away. 

  • Trevor February 22, 2018 (6:33 pm)

    A large part of this discussion thread has centered around the important bus connections that the Avalon stop would provide to those who commute along 35th Ave SW. I’m curious if anyone else has considered the potential of ST purchasing the Taco Time/Sbux triangle to use for a sort of combined light rail/bus station. It could provide a terminus for NB buses to drop off passengers/turn around and a starting point for SB buses to wait for trains so people could walk straight off a train and onto a bus. Seems like it could save a lot of time for people transferring from buses to trains.

    • Misty Avalon February 23, 2018 (8:29 am)

      Yes, that’s exactly what I’ve been wondering, too — it seems like an area that could be used, though I would prefer that the Avalon station not run above ground through Genesee but instead find a more southward option.

    • West Seattle since 1979 February 23, 2018 (9:38 am)

      I’ve often thought that too. It’d be an excellent spot. 

  • JB February 22, 2018 (7:56 pm)

    That’s a good idea, a real transit center in West Seattle where there’s room for it, unlike the Junction.  

  • West Seattle since 1979 February 23, 2018 (5:23 pm)

    I hope all these people who want to eliminate the Avalon station are people who actually take light rail.  I can’t believe this.  They expect us to walk all the way from 35th and Avalon to the Junction? And people who live on Avalon will have to walk even farther.   that is too far for some people.  I bet they’re not even going to have buses to the light rail, or if they have them they will be infrequent.  Please think about this, people.  35th and Avalon is a much-used bus stop, and to eliminate service there would be a crime.

Sorry, comment time is over.