West Seattle light rail: Elected Leadership Group shoots down ‘Pigeon Ridge’ option

ORIGINAL REPORT, 4:04 PM FRIDAY: Nine days after the Stakeholder Advisory Group for West Seattle/Ballard light rail decided to recommend two options for the third and final stage of review, the next group up the ladder has thrown one of them out. We’ve obtained from Sound Transit the results of this morning’s Elected Leadership Group meeting:

That means the ELG did not accept one of the SAG’s recommendations, keeping the “Pigeon Ridge” alternative – which ST estimated would cost an extra $1.2 billion – in play. (The “Golf Course” etc. option is projected to cost $700 million extra.) Here are discussion points from the meeting:

Here’s the full set of ELG recommendations from todaySeattle Channel website eventually, as SC has recorded the ELG meetings because the group’s membership means the meetings technically also qualify as Seattle City Council Sustainability and Transportation Committee meetings.

WHAT’S NEXT: The third and final level of review now begins, with a “preferred alternative” for environmental study to be arrived at next spring. The next public meeting in the process isn’t until late November, when the Stakeholder Advisory Group is scheduled to meet again.

ADDED SATURDAY: Here’s the video of the meeting.

7 Replies to "West Seattle light rail: Elected Leadership Group shoots down 'Pigeon Ridge' option"

  • chemist October 5, 2018 (8:26 pm)

    I guess the “Golf Course + Alaskan Tunnel” route, now that it’s just along the N end of the golf course, accomplishes much of what I’d wanted if the station ends up at 41st. Digging a cut and cover tunnel station at 42nd would seriously choke off Jefferson Square.

  • Concerned October 7, 2018 (12:34 pm)

    I still want to know how they reconcile the 200 million they spent 18 years ago on the non-existent train they failed to get into West Seattle. Why should we have any faith they’ll get it done this time and at what cost? Are they going to drive people out of they’re property and sell it for a profit when it fails like they did then?

  • Alex October 7, 2018 (6:57 pm)

    Does anyone know what they are referring t owhen they say “explore junction station location at 41st/42nd”? Both of those streets seem pretty fully developed at Alaska. 42nd runs between Jefferson square and a bunch of brand new apartment towers, I assume nobody is seriously suggesting tearing them out? The only older/emptier spaces I see near there are the Bank of America parking lot, les Schwab, and maybe the Masonic lodge.

    • KM October 8, 2018 (4:01 pm)

      Bank of America is top of my mind, along with the bank and oil change center across the street. I assume anything that is currently low profile, minimal resident displacement, not the best use of space, and facing Alaska is in consideration. I really think that’s the block between 41st and 40th. Everywhere else is built up to some extent, and I think the Masonic Lodge is too “off the main drag” (and maybe too small, but if tunneled, could be a staircase/escalator at most.

    • CMT October 8, 2018 (4:12 pm)

      My understanding is that it would be an underground station that would not require removal of above-ground development.

  • Cranky Westie October 11, 2018 (4:28 pm)

    Does the sole remaining plan wipe out the North Delridge business district (Uptown, Subway, Delridge Mini Mart, Ounces, Mode Music and the Skylark) as well as an undetermined and large amount of houses and apartments? That would be an unfair trade for a Delridge station.

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