Light rail for West Seattle? Or? Next step toward ‘Sound Transit 3’: Take this survey!

Thanks to Brice for pointing this out – the next step as Sound Transit works toward its next money-raising ballot measure, dubbed “Sound Transit 3,” includes a survey just made public. If you’re interested in seeing Sound Transit prioritize light rail for West Seattle – or if you’d rather see something else – tell them! The survey starts here.

BACKSTORY: While ST designated West Seattle as a “potential light-rail corridor” when updating its Long-Range Plan last December (WSB coverage here), that didn’t come with any guarantees – the agency would have to settle on a plan and on funding to make it happen, and this is far from the only area it’s considering including in the 2016 ballot measure.

14 Replies to "Light rail for West Seattle? Or? Next step toward 'Sound Transit 3': Take this survey!"

  • Jeff June 5, 2015 (3:47 pm)

    Thanks, took the survey! Let’s get some grade separated rail up here!

  • West Seattle Seattle June 5, 2015 (4:07 pm)

    Agreed, let’s get more transportation options for West Seattle. We need light rail.

    .

    Let’s not fail our children like the Forward Thrust voters failed us.

  • Kate K June 5, 2015 (4:56 pm)

    Done! Everyone should make their voice heard.

  • Ron Swanson June 5, 2015 (5:00 pm)

    Suggestion: if grade separated rail for west Seattle is your #1 priority on the survey, new downtown transit tunnel should be #2. Getting a shuttle train requiring transfers at sodo station would be less than optimal. Especially for Bellevue/Redmond commuters who’d have to transfer twice.

  • Azimuth June 5, 2015 (5:04 pm)

    I took the survey too! The Seattle Subway folks are a great organization working hard on this too. http://www.seattlesubway.org

  • Prude June 5, 2015 (5:21 pm)

    Take that survey and tell your friends. West Seattle needs to rally with this one!

  • Evergreen June 5, 2015 (5:38 pm)

    Just wondering — would light rail bring even more crowds and crime?

  • M June 5, 2015 (6:15 pm)

    I feel like this is an important survey for everyone in WS to fill out

  • jno June 5, 2015 (8:33 pm)

    I took it – but I didn’t vote for any of the WS options. There are other projects that are far more important (and cost-effective) for the city and region.

  • Giffff June 6, 2015 (12:21 pm)

    Monorail

  • AIDM June 6, 2015 (1:20 pm)

    Please take this survey! Despite being among the most populated neighborhoods in Seattle, West Seattle is poorly represented in city and county government. West Seattle has the population and transit needs that should place a West Seattle Light rail project at the top of development lists.

  • AMA June 7, 2015 (7:22 am)

    Well folks, not to be the naysayer here , but after 40 years in Seattle and having seen them refuse federal funding that went to Atlanta for their mass transit and then watch them blow ten’s of millions on feasibility studies, focus groups, special elections , referendums, levees and property and gas tax increases to fund them, they still can’t even maintain bus routes that service to West Seattle. Now they want our wish list for light rail ? I wish they’d would stop pissing away our money on studies and build something!
    The current light rail system goes from nowhere to nowhere. Anybody ever take light rail or the bus to the Airport? I have and it sucks! Because of the route they chose for first mainline, it’s not being used and losing money. I mean, they have to have special security to compel people to pay. I see the light rail passing me constantly on my bike route & daily commute to South King Co, and it almost always empty! The Sounder (another stellar ST achievement) is in the same boat. They can only make 3 runs a day (in either direction) ridership was on the rise but is starting to decline because the only way to get to the Sounder is to drive your car and they’re running out of parking. There aren’t enough bus routes running to get you to the station on time. Not to mention it gets shut down several time a year, days at a time, because of landslides!

    So, another survey that will then turn into a feasibility study and then a focus group followed by a blue ribbon panel and then they have a special vote where we’ll decide what “we the people” want to do and it will go the same way the Monorail, New Stadium and every other publicly funded project has gone. We’ll tell them we want, they ignore it and do what they want.

    Meanwhile, I’ll still get there faster on my bicycle! Build more bike lanes!

  • Blake June 8, 2015 (5:47 pm)

    Lets build light rail to West Seattle so I have less traffic on my commute over the bridge! YAH!

  • ItsInTheMethods June 12, 2015 (3:22 pm)

    I couldn’t be more in favor of transit to and from West Seattle, and I will complete the survey accordingly. But the survey is jargony and not designed for lay people, which will limit the validity of the results. “At grade” is not an expression people use, they say “at street level.” Including imagery of what is meant by each term would also help people make choices that reflect their needs/desires.

Sorry, comment time is over.