By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
If you still haven’t told Sound Transit what you think about the draft ST3 plan – which includes a light-rail line to The Junction, in 2033 – today is your last chance: 5 pm tonight (Monday, May 2nd) is the (slightly extended) deadline.
Not sure what to say? Here’s what happened when Sound Transit reps talked with the West Seattle Transportation Coalition last Thursday night, two nights after their one-and-only draft-plan meeting in WS:
Two Sound Transit reps were at the WSTC meeting to recap the draft plan, including some of the same slides from Tuesday’s WSHS presentation. Val Batey said 30,000 responses to the online survey had come in so far. She stressed that the process has “many steps along the way … and each involves community involvement. … I don’t want people to think that everything is decided, set in stone …”
She mentioned the “early deliverables,” acknowledging the concern about the timelines. “Capital improvements for Rapid Ride C and D routes” is what’s in it for our area, though there are no specific commitments – some have a wish list with one big item, improvements to the ramp from the eastbound bridge onto Highway 99, which is a chokepoint for buses and other vehicles alike.
Then, there are the timelines: 2028 is the earliest light rail expansion in ST3, Redmond to downtown and Kent/Des Moines to Federal Way. West Seattle to downtown, five years later.
And she reiterated the “environmental and future investment study” of potential light rail (post-ST3) between West Seattle to Burien.
She offered more detail about the draft version of the line from SODO to West Seattle – that it would go over 99, then “a new fixed bridge next to the existing West Seattle Bridge, turning left onto Delridge still in an elevated structure there before heading west at about Genesee to the next station at Avalon and then continuing on an elevated structure to the final station at Alaska Junction.” But, she noted, that concept is a “representative project” – might not be the final version.
The board will talk about the funding in detail next month – and Val*** stressed again, the funding sources stem from what was OK’d by the Legislature – $16.8 billion sales tax, $6.9B license tabs, $3.9B property tax, total taxes $27.6 billion, $22.5B from other revenue.”
A special board meeting on June 2nd will consider potential amendments to the draft plan; then the final plan for the November ballot would be adopted a little later in June.
Then, to a big point of concern: The timeline. Batey said intense meetings are going on with attempts to see where they can save time and move it up “so I suspect that will definitely be discussed, what project schedules can be …”
As meetings continue, WSTC’s Michael Taylor-Judd said, he’s concerned that people who want certain changes will show up, maybe with signs and T-shirts, and people who are fine with the plan as it is might not. He pointed this out in the context of wondering about advance word of “amendments.”
WSTC’s Mark Jacobs suggested building the required-for-light-rail bridge over the Duwamish sooner rather than later, and that way there could be a backup for use in the times when the regular bridge is bollixed up.
WSTC’s Jon Wright said the C Line improvements are important – “if they are substantial enough they might be influential enough to people who are concerned (and saying they’re) ‘voting no because nothing’s happening in my lifetime’.” So he would like to see more specifics, “could be a big tool to sell (ST3) to the peninsula.”
Val says we’ll know an amount for the ballot measure.
WSTC’s Amanda Kay Helmick mentions the WSTC survey from earlier this year. “The one thing we kind of took away from it as a group, everything was kind of split 50-50, (including) elevated (vs. other options), there was a lot of questions about a short tunnel, that’s the one thing this group is curious about … so no one’s happy. What would we have to give up, how could we save costs somewhere, in order to get a short tunnel … we’re talking about changing the face of West Seattle (which the elevated would do).
Batey: “So the tunnel you’re talking about, going through the hill coming off the bridge – would be about half a billion dollars.”
Is it feasible?
Chris Arkills, King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s transportation adviser, said it’s probably feasible, but the legal requirements for ST is to come up with a plan that pencils out.
ST’s Trinity Parker threw cold water on it – for a tunnel, that would have to be in the financial plan going to voters, and it’s currently not. … “We have to be very clear with the voters about what they’re getting, what they’re buying.”
City Councilmember Lisa Herbold went back to the “early deliverable” C Line improvements: “Is there an opportunity for this group to make some of the recommendations?”
Concerns also were voiced regarding some Seattle City Councilmembers advocating on behalf of the north end, and wondering where the money for those changes would come. Money became a theme for the next section of the discussion – where the information can be found about costs of what made it into the draft plan and what didn’t. Taylor-Judd, for example, said, “… in order to do all the work that’s being done to come up with the draft plan, people have to look at alternatives – someone must have looked at West Seattle, could we do a tunnel into the hill and into the Alaska Junction, you must have all that data, and yet there is some stonewalling about putting that data out … you say you want feedback … But what about the cost of (various C and D improvements)?” If the money’s not there, they don’t want to waste their time lobbying for it. He also wondered if the elevated proposal would clash with the current city plan to turn Fauntleroy Way into a “green boulevard.”
The ST reps said the new bridge would be south of the current one – curving around to Delridge, there’s an aerial station at the first place we can get enough straight track to build an elevated station, then turns and going up Genesee and between Avalon and Fauntleroy up to the Triangle and the Avalon station would likely be right where the Taco Time is. From there, it gets over to Alaska and continues up Alaska to The Junction. That’s the line that’s on the map. They reiterated that it’s “a representative alignment for costing purposes … our best guess at what it would look like.”
Helmick asked about the amount of time spent studying Ballard, “they’ve had about four years of outreach and planning … I’ve heard a lot now about they didn’t even get what they wanted …” (etc.) “How far behind are we really in West Seattle?” Answer: Not at all, since this isn’t even to Environmental Impact Statement stage yet.
Again – TODAY (the day we’re publishing this story, Monday, May 2nd) is the deadline for getting your comment(s) on the draft plan. Go to soundtransit3.org to see how, including by taking the survey linked from that page.
ALSO DISCUSSED @ WSTC MEETING: The Metro Long-Range Plan, which also was touched on at the ST open house last week – you have more time to comment on this, until May 20th (including this survey), so go take a look at the bus network’s proposed future … Introduction of Joe Laubach, who is the only West Seattleite on the new Move Seattle Levy Oversight Committee … Another mention that the Port of Seattle’s draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Terminal 5 project is expected to go public May 16th …
The West Seattle Transportation Coalition meets fourth Thursdays, 6:20 pm, Neighborhood House’s High Point Center.
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