With light-rail decision nearing, two West Seattle organizations plan Transit Town Hall on July 23

Sometime in the next few months, Sound Transit is expected to release the Final Environmental Impact Report on West Seattle light rail, followed by a board vote on routing and station locations. With that looming, the 34th District Democrats and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce have just announced a “Transit Town Hall” for 7 pm Tuesday, July 23:

Presented by the 34th District Democrats and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, this forum with Sound Transit staff intends to educate West Seattle residents about the proposed Link extension project ahead of the vote to identify the project to be built.

As it stands, the project would include three light rail stations: Delridge (at Delridge and Andover), Avalon (at 35th and Avalon), and West Seattle Junction (at Alaska and 41st). The presentation and forum will provide background about ST3, review of the project plan and timeline, detail the alternatives proposed and the possible alignments, discuss the financial cost and community impacts, provide an overview of the entitlements for displaced residents and businesses, and end on a call to action.

The event will conclude with a question-and-answer segment. If you would like to submit your questions ahead of time, you may do so on this form. Pre-submitted questions will be asked at the beginning of the segment by our moderator.

Even if you don’t have a question, follow the form link to reply to a short survey. The venue is the Center for Active Living (ex-Senior Center), 4217 SW Oregon.

37 Replies to "With light-rail decision nearing, two West Seattle organizations plan Transit Town Hall on July 23"

  • Derek July 7, 2024 (11:14 pm)

    Man there’s just too much Seattle Process going on. Let’s get the digging going! We just had a meeting I don’t get why we have to keep meeting honestly. Other cities don’t seem to do this so much, heck I’m not even sure Judkins park neighborhood had to do this many meetings when I lived over there…

    • Peter July 7, 2024 (11:54 pm)

      What’s funny is that even after literally hundreds of meetings, forums, open houses, surveys, polls, route walks, etc., plus thousands of mailers, emails, phone calls, etc., the antis will still sob their crocodile tears about how “the community” (meaning their individual opinion) wasn’t listened to and there was no outreach. Mark my words, we’re going to start seeing tons of those comments once the final plans come out. 

    • Mellow Kitty July 8, 2024 (12:49 pm)

      Well, you know, they need a committee to chose the committee that will select the committee to vote on the committee that will have hundreds of committee meetings to find the right committee for the job of forming committees before anything gets done. We’re only at the 3rd committee level so far. 

  • Westseattle123 July 8, 2024 (3:22 am)

    Agreed! I get the need for an info session but that should take place after a vote to outline what to expect ahead. And Peter is right – it’ll continue to provide a forum for the loudest voices in the community who continue to think public transport is a means to get to and from downtown lol. Let’s move forward with digging and raise the bar on our public transport! 

  • CJ July 8, 2024 (9:56 am)

    Just to echo the other comments above, insane that another discussion is to be had about the light rail. This has got to be the most talked about, least implemented plan I’ve ever heard about. I’m all for an abundance of caution when government evicts businesses and people from their spots but this is (and has been) a no brainer from the start. 

  • D-Ridge July 8, 2024 (11:04 am)

    Is there a project that has been more Seattle-processed to death at this point? The much larger 99 tunnel project feels like it was a breeze compared to the amount of hand-wringing this project’s been allowed.

  • Al King July 8, 2024 (11:26 am)

    Reading all these comments it’s quite apparent none of you are impacted in the slightest by the routing of light rail and apparently don’t care about those who are. Am I not correct? 

    • K July 8, 2024 (7:25 pm)

      You are not correct. There are plenty of people who are impacted, and care about others who are impacted, who are still tired of endlessly discussing a public works project that will benefit the entire community. Those people have voiced that sentiment at many of the aforementioned 1,429 meetings.

    • KM July 8, 2024 (8:43 pm)

      You are not correct.

  • Scarlett July 8, 2024 (11:34 am)

    Light rail is just another dreamy bon-bon of fashionably progressive, gentrified neighborhoods which now includes West Seattle.  Meanwhile,  last year, bus transit moved near 80 million people around King County more efficiently and with routes that actually matched riders with actual destinations – not, the light rail mantra of,  “well we’ll get you fairly close but you’re on your own from there.”   

    • Thomas July 9, 2024 (10:44 am)

      While I’m glad for the road density of busses, the fact they are on-grade transit means they don’t have the capacity or reliability to make long trips across our region (and they never will)Additionally, between existing bus infrastructure, electric bikes/scooter services, and the decreasing price and portability of having your own powered transport, we now have a multitude of options for last mile transit that makes high capacity off-grade transit an extremely viable and desirable option.

    • Chuck July 23, 2024 (6:30 am)

      Bro, I gotta tell you about this thing called a transfer. It’s a very normal and expected part of navigating by transit, where you may have to switch from one fixed route to another fixed route to get to the precise destination you’re headed to.

  • Rob July 8, 2024 (11:45 am)

    All these meetings an forms are out there to make the public think they have some sort of impact . I’m pretty sure that they have the final plan in hand. These forms are just part of required process. 

    • WSB July 8, 2024 (6:03 pm)

      This meeting is NOT part of the official “process.” Two private local organizations (the chamber and the 34th DDs) are presenting it.

  • Don July 8, 2024 (11:52 am)

    please please please no you don’t understand light rail is going to ruin our beautiful single occupant car lifestyle I mean the environment

    just think of all the new suburban sprawl we could build instead with a billion dollars

  • Oakley34 July 8, 2024 (12:40 pm)

    Echo that…let’s get shovels in dirt and build this thing. It won’t be perfect but it will be good

  • Scarlett July 8, 2024 (12:53 pm)

    Never, ever underestimate the ability of a cool sounding concept to overwhelm critical thinking, even when it means subjecting neighbors to hardships. 

    • K July 8, 2024 (7:29 pm)

      I know, the gondola people really went all-in on that one, didn’t they?  Thank god that got shut down.

  • Admiral-2009 July 8, 2024 (1:00 pm)

    Time to get the back hoes working to build the Light Rail project, enough process already.  

    As a side item: the City overly restricts street parking by the stations.  Many nearby residents leave for the day, leaving street parking available during the day.  The City acknowledged this in conjunction with the approval of Alki Elementary School! I would think leaving half of the street parking open to all during the day could be a good compromise.

  • L July 8, 2024 (1:57 pm)

    Anyone who lives or owns a small business in the neighborhoods about to be negatively affected has a right to express their displeasure at the hardships to come. We will lose access to nearby vendors and services for years, for a project that doesn’t benefit us – it’s already a piece of cake for us to hop on the H or the 50 or the 125 and get to where we’re going – and which will bring noise and pollution and disruption for years. Some of us will lose our homes. A greenbelt and heron rookery will be destroyed.We know it’s supposed to be about serving the greater good but that doesn’t mean we have to like it.  If you don’t live in North Delridge or Pigeon Point, it’s easy for you to be gung ho. Be honest about how thrilled you would be if you knew this concrete mess might take over your neighborhood.

    • YT July 8, 2024 (6:47 pm)

      North Delridge resident here, very much looking forward to light rail in my neighborhood. 

    • WS Res July 8, 2024 (7:12 pm)

      It’s literally coming three blocks from my house. I’m thrilled. The self-pity commenters like you show is morbidly fascinating in the way a car wreck is fascinating, but I’m tired of it delaying this project.

      • CarDriver July 8, 2024 (8:10 pm)

        WS Res. Tell us why you’d be thrilled if it came over the top of your house or they had to bulldoze your house 

        • k July 9, 2024 (11:26 am)

          I would literally let them put a pillar in my front yard if it meant having mass transit in my neighborhood.  

  • Jay July 8, 2024 (3:26 pm)

    The problem is that NIMBYs generally have more free time than any of the rest of us could ever hope for. While they are obstructing and fighting progress, we’re working, cleaning, cooking, taking care of kids, etc. Just look at the people who show up to meetings like this.

    • CarDriver July 8, 2024 (6:54 pm)

      Jay. Please elaborate on why you(and others?)actually believe that “nimbys” somehow have “more time” than others.

      • Hoon July 8, 2024 (10:16 pm)

        Homeowning retirees

        • CarDriver July 9, 2024 (6:52 am)

          Hoon. So if you’re a homeowner and a retiree you’re automatically a “nimby”?? HUH??????

          • k July 9, 2024 (11:30 am)

            Not every retiree homeowner is a NIMBY, but most NIMBYs are homeowners and a majority of them do not work.  There’s a reason you don’t see the same level of nonsense Seattle Process and pushback against public works projects in neighborhoods that are predominantly renters, or economically challenged.

  • West Marge July 8, 2024 (4:19 pm)

    This is an outrageous waste of money. Millions of dollars to get people 1.5 miles to sodo. 10 years of construction and endless amounts of concrete to get only 100 cars off of the bridge during peak time. Where’s the no build option? hundreds of displaced humans and destruction of wildlife habitat on Duwamish treaty land. It’s just not worth it.

    • WS Res July 8, 2024 (7:12 pm)

      Ooh thanks West Marge, I think that’s the full BINGO and we  hadn’t had one yet in the comments.

    • Chuck July 23, 2024 (6:35 am)

      The no build option was when we voted on this in 2016.

  • Sona July 9, 2024 (8:39 pm)

    I remember when we only had the lower bridge in early 1980’s, and the boom that took place after the second bridge was built. The real estate market went crazy; West Seattle stopped being a sleepy small town. New restaurants and businesses opened. Suddenly, we became a desired place to live for all ages. The disruption to build the second bridge in comparison to suggested LR project is nothing. The project started in 1981 and delivered in 1984.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Seattle_BridgeThere is no such “happy ending” for LR project. It’s incredibly expensive with an estimated lead time of 6-8 years … and it’s only a starter project that will serve a very small sector of WS. During construction years, the real estate market will be flat, property values will be down and rental markets will suffer. In addition it’s hard to predict the impact of what AI will bring to our doorstep. I think some people are in fantasy land. This project has a very long lead time.and the disruption to our daily life is going to be painful. 

  • Holly Kemery July 18, 2024 (2:45 pm)

    I am not prepared for the financial impact at double what was initially projected at $2b now $4b and counting or the disruption to the bridge over a 6 to 8 year period of time for a link that connects to a bus. Where is the practical reasoning in that?

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