By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Though the Sound Transit Board won’t decide on the final West Seattle light-rail routing (“alignment”) before the middle of next year, the agency is proceeding with station design based on the “preferred alignment” that got preliminary board approval.
And as ST reps reiterated to the West Seattle Transportation Coalition last Thursday night, this is prime time to tell them what you think about how the design of West Seattle’s stations is shaping up. Your primary way to do that is to answer this survey – also pitched at ST’s recent meeting in The Junction (WSB coverage here and here) – if you haven’t already. That meeting did not include a briefing, just a chance to circulate and look at maps and sketches, so even if you attended, the materials from the WSTC meeting might provide a somewhat closer look.
Here’s the full slide deck from Thursday’s meeting. It includes three views of each planned station (Delridge, Avalon – still potentially on the table for omission, but design continues – and Junction). Below are the three major design views on which presenters focused:
First, the Delridge station (elevated) – some key points mentioned by ST’s Sloan Dawson included that the platform will be about 55′ above a reconfigured Charlestown Street. They’re working on pickup/dropoff/pedestrian zones to minimize having people crossing “a busy arterial.” The station itself eventually won’t front on Delridge – the street was shown as running alongside transit-oriented development projects that could be up to 85′ high (three stories higher than the platform). They don’t believe 26th/Andover will warrant a new signal but a new intersection at 23rd/Delridge will.
Next, the Avalon station (underground in what ST calls a “routine cut”):
This station will “straddle 35th SW,” underground, so entrances will be roughly where Taco Time and Pecos Pit (WSB sponsor) are now. Dawson also pointed out a plan to “reroute” part of SW Genesee in the area, as well as “a lot of new bike infrastructure” planned. He said they’re not currently envisioning any changes to the existing intersection signalization.
And next, the westernmost West Seattle station, in The Junction (tunneled):
Its entrances are envisioned on 40th and 42nd SW, and the platform would be 65′ below street level. There is new bicycle infrastructure here too, with protected bike lanes envisioned “all along the Alaska corridor.” Transit-oriented development in the area could go up to 75′.
Again, the full slide deck (here it is again) also has station-by-station looks at two other views – development near the station, and how you’ll get to the station (where buses and other vehicles will drop people off, for example).
In Q&A, ST reps were asked what happens if the board vote next year results in a different “alignment” than the ones these stations are on. The feedback provided now could be applied to other station locations, they said, but for the record, these are the only station locations getting some early design work now.
WHAT’S NEXT? The station-planning survey is open through December 20th.
WSTC’S NEXT MEETING: The group usually meets every other fourth Thursday, so that means the next meeting will be January 25, 2024 – watch westseattletc.org for info.
ADDED WEDNESDAY: Here’s video of the WSTC meeting, which the group just uploaded:
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