WEDNESDAY: Tell Sound Transit what you think about West Seattle light rail

| Sound Transit | Transportation | West Seattle news

One more semi-early reminder about a major event tomorrow night: Sound Transit‘s last big West Seattle event before its scheduled decision this spring on which light-rail routing and station locations will go through environmental studies. You are invited to the “open house” at the Masonic Center in The Junction (4736 40th SW), 6-8:30 pm Wednesday. As ST explains:

Those attending an open house will hear information and have the opportunity to provide feedback on the alternatives for expanding light rail to West Seattle and Ballard. Feedback from this comment period will be shared with the Stakeholder Advisory Group and Elected Leadership Group to inform their recommendations to the Sound Transit Board of Directors on alternatives to study during environmental review. In May, the Board will identify a preferred alternative and other alternatives to study in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

If you can’t be there in person, you can also comment until March 18 via this “online open house.”

Brian Hughes February 26, 2019 (6:14 pm)

I hear a lot of people talking about how expensive a subway option would be. But that’s exactly what they got in Capitol Hill and other neighborhoods. I’m concerned about the impact of whichever route and terminus they choose, but also about what happens after 2030… will they take out entire neighborhoods along 41st, 42nd, or 44th? This matters right now to those of us who live and have invested in these areas.

Pete February 26, 2019 (7:25 pm)

Then there is a meeting on March 11th at Pathfinder School hosted by the Pigeon Point Neighborhood Council beginning at 7 pm. This meeting will be focused on how either of the South of the bridge elevated options will impact this neighborhood at the north end of Delridge. Then the next night at 6:30 at YCAC there will be a Delridge Station Planning Workshop hosted by Sound Transit. Now is the time to let Sound Transit here your voice loud and clear. The actual construction is still a few years away but the decisions of how light rail will impact us are going to be made soon.

Railroaded February 26, 2019 (8:16 pm)

Of course it will take some buildings/houses out, but absolutely nothing like the swath leveled for Interstate 5 through Seattle.

Mike February 27, 2019 (6:17 am)

For people that don’t know the history of the Seattle Freeway (I-5 through Seattle) https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/11-vintage-photos-show-seattle-homes-saved-from-i-5-wrecking-ball/  It’s totally legal for the government to use eminent domain and take your land from you at “market value”. Anyone in the line of fire for the light rail project needs to lawyer up for a fight so you are compensated adequately.

Mike February 26, 2019 (8:29 pm)

The more everyone can speak up and get their voice heard the better. Today on the light rail, a group of transit employees and officials got on between the Beacon and Sodo stops. They made all sorts of fantastic comments… like how bad the driver was, how erratic the driver was, how they didn’t realize it was so packed (they didn’t even get on the one before I could’d fit on and the driver told people to NOT get on because it was full). Basically, they’re clueless and they’re the ones in charge. If they thought today was bad, they should see it when it’s actually packed. I’ve had a few light rail drivers that were smooth, very good, then others that have no ability to modulate the throttle and brake. Still smoother than Metro busses that are over their safe load limit bouncing up and down on blown shocks.

TiredofGovernmentGreed February 26, 2019 (8:36 pm)

Two questions that Sound Transit still refuses to answer: 1) what is the cost of the voter-approved ST3 option? (I think the answer is $1.5B, which makes the extra $700M for a tunnel alternative shocking); 2) how many single family residences are destroyed in each of the base or alternative options. Please insist that ST answer those questions tomorrow night.

CAM February 27, 2019 (12:34 pm)

They’ve released estimates of the numbers of properties they’d have to purchase for each of the three models being considered currently. Taking the highest estimate for the number of houses (for the gold line) against the lowest number of houses (for the tunnel) there is a maximum possible swing of 90 properties by current estimates. So that’s more then $7 million per property we would spend on the tunnel option to keep those houses.
- chemist February 27, 2019 (2:11 pm)
  
  I asked Herbold’s office about that and that’s displacement using the king county assessor data published now (so not with any projection of our urban village growth and any differences related to an underground vs elevated rail going through the urban village). Lisa’s published ST3 comparison summaries also would have a maximum possible swing of 0 (under 40 and under 30) to 159 (under 40 and up to 120) units of housing and additional lost business space.

Lola February 27, 2019 (11:34 am)

The begining of this headline says tomorrow night and at the end of the article it says tonight. Which date is it Feb. 26th or Feb. 27th?

WSB February 27, 2019 (11:55 am)

? I don’t know what you’re referring to but the information above is and has been consistent since the reminder was published on Tuesday. The event is Wednesday, February 27th, which at the time was “tomorrow,” as described in the references; the word “tonight” does not appear anywhere in the post.

Neighbor February 27, 2019 (4:11 pm)

Has ST demonstrated that they have listened to any feedback? It appears that they have always stuck to their preferred alternative, and then threw up alternatives they have no intention of pursuing just to quite those who think West Seattle is a nice place to live. They certainly went out of their way to tunnel below Cap Hill and the fancy neighborhoods. West Seattle is not fancy enough, with enough wealthy cronies to warrant a tunnel. Plus, Seattle Transit Blog is directing its readers to comment in opposition to the tunnel in West Seattle, and they have a vocal readership of tunnel opponents, and HALA-proposents. ST also inflates the tunnel cost to account for overages, but does not inflate the bridge costs to account for overages, to make the tunnel option look hideously more expensive.

KM February 27, 2019 (5:10 pm)

That’s one way to look at the difference between the neighborhoods. I consider it more of a cost issue. Although I would love a tunnel (assuming different funding circumstances), it’s hard to compare Capitol Hill, one of the most dense and expensive places to live, to West Seattle (I love living here, but it is neither as dense or as expensive as Capitol Hill) when it comes to eminent domain. Taking the land required on Capitol Hill (and Montlake, UW) would have been excessively more costly than doing so in West Seattle, and displaced thousands of residents. (Not sure the aspects of tearing up Volunteer Park and Interlake Park assuming the existing path?) I’m sure there was a cost analysis back during the scoping process of the link extension there. I’d love to see those numbers. Do you have information how ST inflates tunnel, but not bridge costs?

HMC Rich February 28, 2019 (7:55 pm)

I will be affected directly as soon as the results are decided if my street (41st) is picked. I will lose property value and my home. I did not vote for this and I will lose, unless they build the tunnel option. Try selling a home that might be demolished in 7 years. Nobody will want to buy my property except Sound Transit. My home was my retirement dwelling or a profit venture in sale. And now Sound Transit has just possibly doomed my future. I just found a possible buyer and now they will have no reason to buy the property. Anyone who disagrees please come purchase my home now. It is listed online at Zillow at about $735,000. It needs about $30,000 in upgrades so I would drop the price that much. Also, what structure long term is better for the region? Elevated rail is noisier. I don’t think elevated rail would last as long as a tunnel route and may need more maintenance but an engineer could tell us. Let’s face it, waiting for the train is drier with a tunnel. Tunnel option PLEASE.

JoAnne March 3, 2019 (4:33 pm)

It isn’t only homes directly in the swath of the elevated rail that will be affected. Anyone within a half mile or so will end up with unusable property. No one wants their lives disrupted with trains flying past their bedroom window. There is no reason for them to take out entire neighborhoods to accomplish what they need to do.

Firdaus March 7, 2019 (12:14 pm)

Bringing the light rail to West Seattle is an Orwellian imposition that West Seattle does not need. What’s being proposed irrespective of the options – Elevated, Street or Tunnel, and forcing them through neighborhoods that have some of the highest densities of single family homes that would be decimated if implemented is incredibly irresponsible.You have not considered an iota of the detrimental impact of this plan, that some of us are in favor of, on the West Seattle families and their homes that are directly and indirectly in the path; and the destruction of our neighborhoods because we want a choice of one more transportation option.As others have commented, not only does this affect homes directly in the wake of the elevated rail, but all of us that are within a half mile or so will end up with devalued if not unlivable properties. No one wants their lives disrupted with trains flying past their windows. There is no reason for you to take out entire neighborhoods to accomplish this.I would suggest all those in favor to go live in a neighborhood for a few years yards away from an elevated rail line to understand how much it can impact your well-being, your quality of life and your safety.Kindly do not bring light rail to West Seattle.I’ve expressed what I really feel about Light Rail in its various manifestations coming to West Seattle, but seeing that this Light Rail has left the station as far as West Seattle is concerned. …let me comment on the options.The Tunnel option which has been used in nearly all of the existing extensions of light rail around the city would be the least disruptive albeit the longest to implement. It has the greatest chance to be accepted seeing that its footprint will be mostly subterranean though it will still affect those neighborhoods where it surfaces for stations. Of the choices being considered this has the greatest potential to be the least impacting on those of us in its immediate vicinity and those living right above its path. Seeing that this is part of a very long term plan for our city (I’ve heard 100 year plan), let’s do it right and not cut corners because of expediency or a small savings on the overall cost of the project.

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