By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

With only two “no” votes, the Sound Transit Board officially approved the “preferred alternative” for West Seattle light rail as the routing and station-location plan for the extension currently planned to launch in 2032.

As with the System Expansion Committee earlier this month, the full board had very little discussion about the merits of any particular routing options. The overarching point of discussion was again the potential $7 billion price tag that surfaced with the Final Environmental Impact Statement. But ST staff assured them repeatedly that this vote isn’t committing them to actually building the project – just to moving into design.

Before the vote, there were two presentations. Project leader Jason Hampton (here’s the full slide deck) began with a recap of what’s led up to this, in the past few years:

He recapped that construction would not begin before 2027, and went through some other points presented at the System Expansion Committee, including what ST feels the project would accomplish, both for West Seattle (redundancy when the West Seattle Bridge is closed, for example) and for the entire system (providing a new connection to ST’s Operations Maintenance Facility, for example). Hampton said the preferred alternative minimizes displacements, compared to the others.

As explained, this decision would advance the West Seattle project toward the end of environmental review and allow the project to move into design in a timely manner.

In Q/A/comments, board chair Dow Constantine, King County Executive, observed that in essence, this would get the project to the “shovel-ready phase.” Board member Cassie Franklin, Everett Mayor, wondered why this is so high-priority compared to some other projects in queue, and Hampton recapped its importance. She then asked whether costs could be cut by, for example, reducing park protection – “I love parks but I really want to get the spine built.” Hampton responded, “We’re going to look at everything to try to reduce costs.” She pressed, “Is this the more expensive route?” Not in a big way, he said, and in some cases, like the Duwamish Crossing – the new bridge that’ll be built to get the line across the river – the not-chosen north alternative, would not affect parks at all, but would be much more costly.

Board member Girmay Zahilay, King County Councilmember, said he was surfacing some concerns/questions from his fellow councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (who’s not on the board), such as the West Seattle Health Club impacts. Has ST engaged with her and/or addressed her concerns? Constantine said he had spoken with her often. CEO Goran Sparrman also said they’d engaged in “multiple conversations” regarding mitigation, and turned it over to Mestas for details. She promised “more open houses and roundtables to get feedback.” She said they’re working with the health club “on different options.”

Board member Dan Strauss, Seattle City Councilmember, said he’d heard concerns about the alignment but “staff has assured me” they can work through it, so he supports the preferred alternative: “We can’t stop now.” Mestas again said they’re looking at “how businesses operate” and so they’re examining construction methods – modular, off-site, for example – to reduce direct impacts. Strauss said he’s more focused on longterm impacts such as sidewalks, trash pickups, for example. Board member Jim Kastama, Puyallup Mayor, was worried that advancing this project could cause harm to Pierce County projects further down the line. McCartan said, no, it won’t, because these are design dollars – construction dollars could be a different story but they’ll get there when they get there. “You can move forward this project without imperiling extensions to Everett or Tacoma.”

Board member Bruce Harrell, Seattle Mayor, said he wants to be certain that it be easy for people to get involved with Sound Transit and this “megaproject,” whether small businesses or residents, “to make sure their concerns are heard.”

Board member Nancy Backus, Auburn Mayor, also voiced concerns about “subarea equity,” being sure that folks in all areas paying into ST are getting something for their money.

Board member Christine Frizzell, Lynnwood Mayor, said she’s heard the most from constituents and community members about the “sticker shock,” so she’s wanting to be assured that this and other projects are being presented with the most accurate approach. Mestas said this and other projects would all be evaluated with the same methodology. Frizzell pressed further: “Where did we go so wrong” on estimates? Mestas recapped the factors that had been mentioned previously, from “market conditions,” such as lack of competition, to “scope evolution.”

Board member Claudia Balducci, King County Councilmember, said, as she had at the System Expansion Committee, that absolute clarity on the board’s “levers” is vital. In recapping her committee’s discussion before the vote, she reiterated that “time is money” and things will only get more expensive if they wait.

Board member Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive, said he’s excited about the budgetary discipline that the workplan (more on that later) will bring to this project and others – so he’s “cautiously optimistic.” But he said, “I still have concerns …” and he doesn’t see how even all the ideas for cost savings will cut the projected price tag by billions, so he is “very concerned that this project jeopardizes the ability to get to the spine.” So he said he would vote no, and he did.

Strauss added an amendment to the final resolution, summarized in Sound Transit’s post-meeting news release as follows:

The Board’s approved resolution included an amendment to move forward with the development and implementation of the workplan to improve the agency’s financial situation and move the West Seattle Link Extension through design. This amendment also directed the agency to continue working to reduce identified project impacts during the design phase and advancement of the workplan to achieve cost savings and to minimize community impacts in SODO and West Seattle, while continuing to provide enhanced transit integration and station access and engaging with impacted residents and businesses.

Before the final vote, Harrell reiterated that Seattle residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of ST3, and “we’ve done a lot of work to get to this point,” so “this is the right vote to take to support this project … at this point.”

And Constantine – who led the push to include West Seattle in ST3 almost a decade ago – recalled the board choosing a preferred alignment in 2022, making the project “a little more real.” Yes, he acknowledged, everyone is frustrated by the costs of delivering infrastructure projects. “We are seeing this EVERYWHERE,” he stressed. But “I really need us to keep our focus on moving projects forward even in times of financial volatility.” The design work and workplan will help them move beyond the only ways they’ve cut costs in the past, “scope reduction and delay. … If we become paralyzed, continuing that pattern of delay, and reducing what we’re willing to build, we’re going to (fail to) keep the promise we made to the voters.” He insisted that this isn’t just a stub, it builds capacity for the extension to Everett. “We’re going to learn how to deliver a capital program under these changed circumstances.” And he underscored that a vote to approve this action is not a final commitment to deliver the project at any cost. But he urged support for delivering light rail “to the 100,000 people who live on the Duwamish Peninsula.”

The resolution passed, 14-2, choosing the preferred alternative, as the “project to be built.” Dammeier and Kastama were the two “no” votes.

Earlier:

WEST SEATTLE WORKPLAN: As they had done at the System Expansion Committee two weeks ago, deputy CEO Terri Mestas and Hampton talked about the workplan that board chair Constantine had requested, including some toplines about ways they will look for cost savings. Here’s the full slide deck. Mestas noted that the next phase of this project will be “design validation” but many other milestones follow, including 80 percent design, when a key decision about going ahead with construction would be made.

A big part of the workplan also is setting up systems – such as dashboards – for “real-time monitoring” and reporting progress. Responding to some criticism at the committee meeting that the presentation was too generic, some details were added about touchstones for cost savings:

She also showed a funding timeline. Construction will take about 86 percent of the project funding.

The board also heard from Brian McCartan, a former ST CEO who has come on board as a consultant. He talked about four “buckets” for “financial opportunities,” and two later phases of financial focus. Mestas then showed three touchstones for next year, including board approval of a design-services contract, and “programmatic” planning such as reviewing lessons learned from ST2:

Right of way (ROW) acquisition had been mentioned a few times, so Mestas was asked at the end of the presentation about criteria for that. Hampton said that basically, it depends. Any way to prioritize properties that wish to be acquired? Hampton said there’s federal criteria for considering that, so it’s a possibility.

WHAT’S NEXT? A whole lot of activity – more intensive property acquisition talks, for one – and also an official step called the “record of decision.” Then, those touchstones – including “baselining” in the next few years to determine when and how much will be spent. See more details on the project website.

Two weeks after the Sound Transit Board‘s System Expansion Committee went on record in support of the “preferred alternative” for West Seattle light rail (WSB coverage here), a final board vote could come tomorrow. Deciding on West Seattle routing and station locations is on the agenda for the board’s monthly meeting, scheduled for an extended time period, 1:30-5 pm Thursday (October 24) in the board room at 401 S. Jackson on the south end of downtown. (The agenda also explains how to watch/participate online.) The meeting starts with a public-comment period, if you want to speak your mind on this one more time before the vote. What they won’t be resolving is how to cover the ever-rising cost, most recently estimated as high as $7 billion. The vote tomorrow would move the project further into design – it’s about 30 percent of the way now – and then funding decisions would come at other milestones in the process, particularly what’s known as “baselining.” Meantime, here’s the motion the board will consider Thursday.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though the motion approved by a Sound Transit Board committee today recommends the West Seattle light-rail “project to be built,” committee members needed to be amply reassured that their vote was not a commitment that it will be built.

They got that reassurance from Terri Mestas, ST’s deputy CEO of megaproject delivery. She told System Expansion Committee members the board would have other milestone votes before a commitment to construction, while stressing that moving the project further along the design path was the only way to resolve some of the concerns.

Committee chair King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci of Bellevue observed that there are “some big questions besides cost.” But it’s the potential $7 billion price tag, which emerged with the Final Environmental Impact Statement last month, that hung in the air throughout the discussion.

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By month’s end, the Sound Transit Board of Directors is expected to make its final decision on routing and station locations for West Seattle light rail. The first step is a vote at next Thursday’s System Expansion Committee meeting. The agenda for that meeting is out, and with it, the proposed resolution spelling out Sound Transit staff’s recommendation for the routing and station locations. The recommendation mirrors the “preferred alternative” from the Final Environmental Impact Statement – in short, the segments titled SODO 1c, DUW-1a, DEL-6b, and WSJ-5b (to find them more quickly, check the Executive Summary). The recommendation keeps all three proposed West Seattle stations (Delridge, Avalon, Junction). Here’s how the routing is described in words, without graphics, in the proposed board resolution:

The route, profile, and stations for the West Seattle Link Extension are identified in the following paragraphs (as generally described in the West Seattle Link Extension Final Environmental Impact Statement):

A. SODO Segment: The West Seattle Link Extension would begin just north of the existing SODO Station and travel at-grade west of and parallel to the existing Link light rail line replacing the SODO Busway. It would continue south at-grade under South Lander Street, which would be reconstructed as an overpass over the new and existing light rail. It would transition to an elevated guideway south of South Lander Street.

The new SODO Station would be at-grade, immediately west of the existing SODO Station. The existing at-grade pedestrian crossing of the light rail tracks at SODO Station would be closed, and a new pedestrian grade-separated crossing of both existing and new tracks would be used to access both stations. There would be a station access from the new South Lander Street bridge. Access to 4th Avenue South would occur via South Lander Street.

B. Duwamish Segment: Elevated route would continue along the west side of the existing light rail line, south from South Forest Street; continuing southwest to cross over to the south side of the Spokane Street Bridge and the West Seattle Bridge. The guideway would continue west and to the south side of the West Seattle Bridge, crossing over the Duwamish Waterway and Harbor Island on a new high-level fixed bridge. The height of the bridge could be adjusted through coordination with the United States Coast Guard. The guideway would then cross the northern edge of Pigeon Point in a combination of elevated guideway and retained cut-and-fill; turning southwest on an elevated structure that follows Delridge Way Southwest.

C. Delridge Segment: Elevated route would continue along the west side of Delridge Way Southwest, north of Southwest Andover Street. The elevated guideway would travel west along the north side of Southwest Yancy Street then cross Southwest Avalon Way, transitioning from elevated to at-grade in the vicinity of 32nd Avenue Southwest. The guideway would turn south to travel south along the east side of the West Seattle Bridge connection to Fauntleroy Way Southwest and transition into a retained cut.

The Delridge Station would be elevated north of Southwest Andover Street and west of Delridge Way Southwest in a northeast-southwest orientation.

D. West Seattle Junction Segment: Tunnel route would begin in a retained cut south of Southwest Yancy Street and follows the east side of the West Seattle Bridge/Fauntleroy Way Southwest to Southwest Genesee Street, entering into a tunnel at Southwest Genesee Street and 37th Avenue Southwest and curving southwest west of 37th Avenue Southwest to 41st Avenue Southwest to terminate at Southwest Hudson Street, with tail track in a north-south orientation under 41st Avenue Southwest. Preferred Option WSJ-5b is a refinement of Alternative WSJ-5 analyzed in the Draft EIS, and it was refined based on the Sound Transit Board’s direction to explore an option to shift a station entrance to 42nd Avenue Southwest at the Alaska Junction Station to improve access to the Alaska Junction.

The Avalon Station would be in a lidded retained cut south of Southwest Genesee Street, beneath 35th Avenue Southwest.

The Alaska Junction Station would be in a tunnel beneath 41st Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street. Station entrances would be on either side of Southwest Alaska Street. The entrance south of Southwest Alaska Street would be on the west side of 41st Avenue Southwest. The entrance north of Southwest Alaska Street would be on the east side of 41st Avenue Southwest.

The System Expansion Committee could vote on this resolution as-is, or could decide to amend it. Their meeting is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm Thursday (October 10) in the Santa Fe Room at Union Station downtown (401 S. Jackson); the meeting will also be streamed, as explained on the agenda, which also has information on how to comment. The next major step after this meeting is expected when the full board meets two weeks later.

ABOUT THE COST: As reported when the Final Environmental Impact Statement was published, the West Seattle extension’s cost projection has swollen, potentially past $7 billion. The decision on routing and station locations does not include an allotment of construction money; it moves the project further down the design road, which is expected to take three more years. Past the midway point in design is usually when a “baseline” budget will be set and approved, for example. At last month’s meeting, board members passed this motion “directing the (CEO) to develop a workplan on measures the agency will pursue to address rising project costs and inform future baselining decisions.”

Two notes related to the West Seattle Link Extension light-rail project:

BOARD MEETING: The routing/station-location decision is expected at next month’s Sound Transit Board meeting, but two related items are on the agenda for the board’s 1:30 pm meeting this afternoon. One is a presentation about the newly released Final Environmental Impact Statement. The other addresses its revelation that the projected cost is now as high as $7.1 billion; at last week’s Executive Committee meeting, board chair King County Executive Dow Constantine mentioned he’d be making a motion for a “workplan” to address that. The motion was available on the ST website yesterday but the list of documents for today’s board meeting seems to be temporarily unavailable, so we’re requesting the motion via email to link here in case that doesn’t get fixed quickly. (Update: Here it is.) The agenda explains how to attend this afternoon’s meeting, either in-person or online.

DROP-IN SESSION #1: We got to Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in the final half-hour of last night’s two-hour drop-in session offered for people with questions about the Final EIS. ST says next Tuesday’s session in The Junction will offer the same components, so we made note of those during our visit. First, of course, easels:

Of the ~20 boards on easels and tabletops, only a few focus on specific segments of the route. Most are more big-picture, such as showing the West Seattle spur’s place in the regional network, both when it opens in 2032 and when the Ballard extension opens in 2039:

You can browse a hard copy of the Final EIS:

And if you have questions about the property-acquisition process, there was a table for that:

Since the release of the Final EIS did not trigger the same type of formal comment period as the Draft EIS in 2022, this meeting isn’t geared toward commenting, although ST’s Rachelle Cunningham told us whatever’s received will be shown to the board. We saw scattered sticky notes:

The two remaining drop-in sessions – no presentations, just the opportunity to view materials like these and ask questions one-on-one – are set for Tuesday, Oct. 1, 4:30-6:30 pm at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW), with Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation available, and Wednesday, Oct. 2, 11 am-1 pm at Gallery B612 (1915 First Ave. S. in SODO).

Two notes as Sound Transit moves toward finalizing the plan for West Seattle’s light-rail route and station locations:

DROP-IN MEETINGS: With the official release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, Sound Transit announced three drop-in meetings, two in West Seattle. The first is tomorrow (Wednesday, September 25), 4:30-6:30 pm at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW); the second is next Tuesday (October 1), 4:30-6:30 pm at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW). We verified two things today with ST spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham: First, no presentation is planned for these meetings – they are 100 percent drop-in and circulate around the room. Second, both will feature exactly the same material (we had wondered if the Delridge meeting would be focused on the Delridge station/segment, for example). If you can’t get to either of those, there’s also a drop-in session in SODO 11 am-1 pm October 2 (Studio B612, 1915 First Ave. S.).

PRO-LIGHT RAIL NEIGHBOR’S VISION: The board has to decide – perhaps in just one month – which of multiple routes the line would travel. Some community members are getting in one more push for their preferences. In our report on last week’s ST Executive Committee meeting, we mentioned that a West Seattle property owner told the committee she favored Delridge 6A over 6B. We didn’t get into why. The property owner, Beth Boomgard-Zagrodnik, has since provided us with a written version of the vision behind what she voiced:

I did say that Del-6A option makes more sense than the currently “preferred” Del-6B from an impacts comparison perspective; but the more relevant dimension of the comment is that Del-6B leaves a parcel of 12 single family homes materially impacted, but not acquired in the dregs our current neighborhood (on 85K combined sqft) at Andover and 32nd SW [map].

Here is the rendering from the FEIS of the view south on 32nd from Andover. My driveways are shown on the right next to my neighbor’s mailbox. (Marilyn Kennell‘s (of Rethink the Link) house is also not acquired and is next to the Monkey Puzzle tree on the opposite side of the tracks for reference.) This proposal does not relate to that south side of the proposed track.

Here is the view of the 12 parcels from the FEIS. I have augmented the picture with triangles (red are the homes owned by my neighbors and the blue ones owned by Joe and I / our small business). These homes are in a 5-min walkshed of the Avalon Station and I believe it is worth exploring if there is a better use for this land than keeping it as single-family homes, low-density, car-centric – particularly given how dramatically the neighborhood will change with construction / operation.

Here is the image from the FEIS with pink homes being acquired and empty parcels mapping to above triangles.

I reached out to Homestead Community Land Trust for over a year to begin exploring how I might advocate for a better outcome for my neighborhood and a more pragmatic development vision for the Avalon Station – starting with the two lots we own. We continue to jointly explore avenues to both advocate to Sound Transit, City of Seattle, County, State and community housing organizations and paint a vision for what could be on these parcels.

Specifically, Joe and I are advocating for:

-the timely delivery of the light rail extension to West Seattle (a unique perspective in the verbal public comments [at the committee meeting])
-for Sound Transit to consider acquiring some or all of the triangle lots as a part of the acquisition process should the prefered alternative (Del-6b) proceed.

If acquired, we would encourage ST to then sell or transfer the combined parcels to the city / private affordable housing developers / community groups (like Homestead) as they have done with other parcels elsewhere in the system build out for transit-oriented affordable housing development.

OR

for the City to accelerate and increase the level of upzoning associated with these parcels to LR-2 and then working with a community land trust or similar organization to acquire some or all of the parcels to build transit-oriented affordable housing.

Should Sound Transit acquire the parcels, this land could be used for construction staging or immediately – instead of almost 20 years after the fact as was the case in the Rainier Valley – be transferred to transit-oriented affordable housing developers to redevelop the parcels, increasing the availability of affordable housing in the immediate walkshed of the Avalon Station in line with the construction timelines. This means Sound Transit would directly help increase the number of affordable housing units in the project vicinity – serving as a true development agency, not just one that provides transit. Moreover, should Mayor Harrell be bolder in the One Seattle Plan regarding zoning in the neighborhood, there is opportunity for tremendous transit-oriented, affordable density on this combined parcel.

Boomgard-Zagrodnik said her family and neighbors were scheduled to meet this week with Sound Transit. Time is running out to influence the board’s upcoming decision – a recommendation is expected to be presented to the System Expansion Committee on October 10, and the full board’s vote is penciled in for just two weeks after that, on October 24. Meantime, the board’s next meeting is 1:30-4:30 pm this Thursday (September 26), with a presentation on the West Seattle Final EIS, as well as a public comment periood; the agenda explains how to participate.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

In June 2016, the Sound Transit Board voted to go to the ballot with the ST3 plan, including light rail to West Seattle by 2030. At the time, the WS extension was bundled with the Ballard extension, and the cost of both was estimated to total $7.1 billion.

Eight years later, that’s the new high-end estimate for West Seattle light rail alone (Ballard is proceeding on a different track).

Revised cost estimates arrive as the board is on the verge of finalizing a route and station locations for the West Seattle extension. The Final Environmental Impact Statement is out, and the board’s Executive Committee was told today that a project recommendation is expected to emerge from the System Expansion Committee in just three weeks. But will it resemble the “preferred alternative” that’s been studied, given the new potential price tag?

ST’s new deputy CEO for megaproject delivery, Terri Mestas, spoke calmly about the “cost evolution” as she and West Seattle project leader Jason Hampton presented their update at the committee meeting. Mestas listed a wide variety of factors for the higher estimate, from the methodology used in estimating to the higher cost of materials such as concrete to “market conditions” such as a “limited labor and contractor pool.”

In addition, “process delays” and “pandemic impacts” figured into it too, Mestas said.

This was a briefing, not a prelude to a vote, so the committee members’ discussion was limited to some early takes. The committee’s chair, King County Executive Dow Constantine – observing that he’s the only board member who lives in West Seattle – said he’s “disappointed” by the new estimate. But, he stressed, it’s “important not to be paralyzed or overwhelmed” by the number, to get the project “designed and shovel-ready,” while moving ahead “in financially prudent ways.” He said he’s drafting a motion for next week’s full board meeting to “inform” their forthcoming financial decisions. Constantine opened his remarks with a defense of West Seattle light rail – which he led the fight to get into the ST3 ballot measure in 2016 – saying the peninsula needs “redundancy,” and citing a recent (unattributed) poll as showing that 72 percent of peninsula residents want light rail.

Committee member Claudia Balducci, a King County Councilmember from the eastside, invoked a modified version of the Serenity Prayer in her comments, saying it’s important to “understand what we can and can’t change … let’s get to work on what we can influence.”

Committee member Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive, called the estimate “very concerning … we should all be concerned about the impact on the rest of the system … there may be some very difficult decisions ahead of us.” He also urged that the focus stay on “delivering ridership” rather than “the nicest stations” and other discretionary elements.

Speaking of ridership, West Seattle project leader Hampton recapped those projections during his part of the briefing, which was meant to hit key points of the Final EIS, not just the cost estimates:

Hampton noted that the high-end Junction estimate is what they’d expect to see there if the Avalon station is dropped – which remains a possibility – and that the Delridge ridership would in large part be people transferring from buses. He also briefly recapped the routing/station-location alternatives studied for the Final EIS; you can see those pages in the full slide deck.

Two routing-specific comments were heard from community members at the start of the meeting. First, a business owner at Jefferson Square – currently expected to be demolished for construction of the Junction station – said a coalition had come together around proposing that the location be moved a short distance east to the Bank of America site instead. Next, a property owner in the Avalon area, Beth Boomgard-Zagrodnik, said the DEL6A option makes more sense than the currently “preferred” DEL6B. She was followed by John Niles of Smarter Transit – whose Sound Transit-skeptic group held a West Seattle event two months ago – saying the WS project’s metrics are “unsustainable.” The numbers are “screaming ‘do not build’,” he contended. Marilyn Kennell, whose home is in the project’s potential path, said terms of the original 2016 vote allowed for reconsideration, and repeated calls for a West Seattle town hall – “We need a conversation.” And two other West Seattleites, Kim Schwarzkopf and Lucy Barefoot, urged that the project simply not be built.

Earlier in the meeting, there was a glimmer of hope on the financial front, when interim CEO Goran Sparrman (whose time in that role has just been extended into next year) talked about “reforms” he said had been recommended by ST’s Technical Advisory Group. He said they hope to apply some of them to the West Seattle project “as part of a suite of cost-control measures.”

So here’s the timeline they’re working on for decisionmaking – a routing/station-location recommendation on October 10, a board vote as soon as October 24:

But, as clarified in response to a question from Dammeier during committee members’ discussion, voting on “the project to be built” isn’t the same thing as allocating money for it – that would happen about two years later, Constantine and Mestas clarified. How much money will be needed – that depends on those “difficult” decisions in the weeks ahead. In the big picture, here’s the expected timeline for design and construction:

In ST3, West Seattle light rail was projected for a 2030 launch; in 2020, that was pushed to 2031; it moved to 2032 one year later, when ST “realigned” its multi-project schedule because of dramatically increasing costs.

REMINDER: Though the Final EIS has been available since last week, its official publication date is tomorrow (Friday, September 20), and ST plans a series of informational meetings starting next Wednesday:

When: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, West Seattle
Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali interpretation will be provided.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Ave SW, West Seattle
Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation will be provided.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: Gallery B612, 1915 First Ave. S, SODO

As happened in 2022 with the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Sound Transit has published the Final EIS for West Seattle light rail ahead of its official release date (September 20). We’ve been watching the ST site for the likelihood this would happen (as explained in 2022, “early” publication relates to the Federal Register); thanks to Joe for the tip that it happened since our last check early today. We haven’t started reading it but are publishing links for those ready to dive right in. You can start here – that page has links to more than 50 chapters and appenndices. If you want to skip right to the key points, you can start with the 44-page Executive Summary, find that here. This is all a prelude to the Sound Transit Board making its final decision on routing and station locations; the date for that is not yet set.

ADDED 1:30 PM: If you’re interested in seeing more renderings (the one we featured atop this story was from the Executive Summary), tipster Joe reminds us that the 268-page Visual and Technical Aesthetics section is where you’ll find them – go here and scroll ahead to page 73 (titled Attachment N.2A: Key Observation Point Analysis). You’ll find dozens of images, such as this one showing what the light-rail line’s new dedicated bridge might look like:

More to come. Meantime, we also should remind you that ST has announced in-person informational sessions for September 25 and October 1 in West Seattle, October 2 in SODO – details here.

Earlier this week, we noted in this light-rail-related story that a Sound Transit meeting was penciled into the Alki Masonic Lodge calendar for October 1, observing that was perhaps a hint at the timeline for the long-awaited Final Environmental Impact Statement release. Now it’s official – the Final EIS will be out on September 20, and ST has three information sessions planned, including October 1 at the Masonic Center. Here’s the full announcement from ST:

We are excited to share that the West Seattle Link Extension (WSLE) Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be published on Sept. 20, 2024! We appreciate the years of engagement with the community that have gotten us to this point.

The Final EIS includes updates based on continued design and comments received on the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions (WSBLE) Draft EIS and responds to substantive public, agency, and Tribal comments (project-wide comments and comments specific to WSLE) submitted during the WSBLE Draft EIS comment period. The Final EIS will be available online on Sept. 20.

In the weeks following publication of the Final EIS, the Sound Transit Board will consider action to select the project to be built, based on years of technical analysis and community feedback, bringing us one step closer to providing fast, reliable new light rail connections to residential and job centers in the SODO, Delridge, and West Seattle neighborhoods. We will share more about Board meetings in future email updates. In the meantime, we will be hosting drop-in events to share information about the project and answer your questions. You can visit the drop-in sessions at any time to review materials and talk with staff.

When: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW, West Seattle
Spanish, Vietnamese, and Somali interpretation will be provided.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Where: Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Ave SW, West Seattle
Spanish and Vietnamese interpretation will be provided.

When: Wednesday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: Gallery B612, 1915 First Ave. S, SODO

The first ST Board meeting after the release will be 1:30 pm September 26 (board members regularly meet on fourth Thursdays); the agenda will be published here. The Draft EIS was published in January 2022.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

One notable achievement of Tuesday night’s Transit Town Hall: A few of the local business owners facing likely relocation because of light rail got a very public chance to put Sound Transit reps on the spot.

That happened during the live Q&A comprising almost half the two-hour event. As shown in our first report Tuesday night, the event – presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and 34th District Democrats – began with an ST recap of project planning, from 2016’s ST3 vote to the current status, awaiting the Final Environmental Impact Statement “in the late third quarter,” which will be followed by a final vote on routing/station locations.

Then it was time for Q&A – both pre-submitted and asked live. We’ll start with the latter. First, video of the in-person Q&A:

The most pointed exchanges were with business owners facing relocation, including Erin Rubin of Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and nonprofit Mode Music and Performing Arts, which serve hundreds of students.

(WSB photo: Mode’s Erin Rubin, with moderator Jordan Crawley)

Rubin recounted waiting for a promised reply from ST real-property director Faith Roland – one of the panelists – that never came, and made a request that she’s made to ST before: Why can’t she get an evaluation from ST now rather than having to wait for the official vote on the Delridge station location that will almost certainly displace her business? Starting the resource-providing conversation now, she said, would “make us feel more secure.”

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We counted about 60 people at the peak of tonight’s “Transit Town Hall” with four Sound Transit reps answering West Seattle light-rail questions in a forum organized by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and 34th District Democrats. We’re presenting our coverage in two reports, as the meeting served multiple purposes. First, Sound Transit made some news by offering an updated, narrower window estimating when the next milestone in the planning process, the Final Environmental Impact Statement, will arrive: “Toward the end of the third quarter,” said ST’s Leda Chahim. That suggests it’s about two months away. The FEIS is a necessary precursor to the Sound Transit Board finalizing a route and station locations. Meantime, the ST reps at the Town Hall began with a half-hour presentation recapping how the project got to its current point and what’s next – here’s our video:

The presentation was followed by moderator Jordan Crawley – active with both presenting organizations and with a business that may have to relocate, Alki Beach Academy – asking pre-submitted questions, and then opening the floor to attendees’ questions. We’ll cover all that in our second report tomorrow. But before we wrap up this short first report, we’re noting three rumors that were debunked during the Q&A period:

1) Will the early years of WS Link require a two- or three-seat for bus-to-light rail riders to get downtown? No, said Metro’s Chris Arkills, declaring that the West Seattle bus routes will NOT be restructured until the Ballard extension is complete too (currently projected for 2039, seven years after West Seattle), which will enable West Seattle light-rail riders to get downtown without transferring.

2) Will light-rail construction affect the West Seattle Bridge? One attendee asked this, saying he’d heard a rumor that the bridge could be closed for eight years by the project. Absolutely not, said the ST contingent; the project will build a separate light-rail-only bridge.

3) The same attendee said he’d also “heard” that Nucor is moving and if so, why isn’t light rail being routed through that site? The ST reps said that’s a false rumor too, that Nucor’s told them it’s staying put,

The most pointed moments of the Q&A came toward the end, when several owners of businesses likely to have to move confronted the ST reps about inadequate interaction regarding questions and requests, despite ST talking a good game about working with businesses. What they said, and how ST replied, will be part of our second report tomorrow. As for what’s next, besides the ST process continuing, Chamber board chair Lindsay Wolpa wrapped up the meeting by promising that her organization would coordinate more conversations about various aspects of the project.

(Sound Transit project map)

Two weeks ago, two local organizations – the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and 34th District Democrats – announced a Transit Town Hall for questions and answers about the Sound Transit light-rail project, as decision time draws near. Tomorrow’s the night – Tuesday (July 23), 7 pm, at the Center for Active Living (4217 SW Oregon). You can send a question in advance by using this form. That same form includes a short survey you’re invited to answer even if you don’t have a question. Meantime, next major step in the project is the release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement – no date yet but expected within the next few months.

4:55 PM: The Rally for Relocation is happening now, in support of businesses that are expected to have to move because they’re in the path of West Seattle light rail’s likely routing and station locations. Their message is not anti-light rail, but rather, they want better relocation compensation, and they want to ensure customers will keep coming even as all this results in a few years of uncertainty. They’re marching back and forth along Delridge, from Ounces to the Andover corner, intermittently – chanting “SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS” – with a rally/speeches planned at Ounces around 6 pm.

ADDED: We asked two of the business owners, Laurel Trujillo of Ounces and Jordan Crawley of Alki Beach Academy, about the message they hoped the demonstration would convey:

Crawley is also a member of the 34th District Democrats‘ board and is moderating the “Transit Town Hall” they’re co-presenting with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce on July 23.

Three notes about West Seattle’s planned light-rail extension:

MORE SOIL SAMPLING: Sound Transit continues work in various neighborhoods, and Debora sent that photo after the latest notice for geotechnical work on the south side of SW Genesee east of 35th SW, potentially lasting through the middle of next week.

RALLY FOR RELOCATION: Reminder that tomorrow is the day businesses in the project path are hoping to rally community support for better relocation compensation, as first announced last month. All this will be happening in the 3800 block of Delridge Way SW – home to Ounces, Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor), Mode Music and Performing Arts, and The Skylark, 4 pm to 7 pm Thursday. We mentioned it when it was first announced; here’s the reminder from organizers:

West Seattle Businesses and community members will rally together in support of the 60+ West Seattle Businesses that face relocation as a result of light rail extension to West Seattle.

A Rally for Relocation will take place on Thursday, July 11th from 4-7 pm at Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden in West Seattle. From 4:30-6 pm, supporters will walk on Delridge Way SW in front of the North Delridge Businesses Facing Relocation (from Skylark Cafe to Delridge Deli Mart, just off the ramp to the West Seattle Bridge), followed by a rally and community gathering at Ounces.

The rally aims to raise community awareness and advocate for adequate relocation support for affected businesses, ensuring their survival if the West Seattle light rail project is approved this summer.

Businesses and residents will urge the Sound Transit Board: Preserve West Seattle’s character and economy. Ensure local businesses have the resources to relocate and thrive alongside the new light rail.

The rally stems from a petition at displacedbylightrail.com, initiated by local businesses to highlight their precarious situation. With nearly 2,000 signatures and growing, it underscores concerns about insufficient relocation funding from Sound Transit. Many affected businesses fear closure without adequate financial support and assistance.

MEDIA BRIEFING: Organizers of the Rally for Relocation reiterate that they’re not trying to stop light rail. However, a different group that is – at least temporarily – plans a West Seattle media briefing earlier in the day. At 10:30 am at Jefferson Square, the organization Smarter Transit says it will discuss its demands for ST accountability:

-Present key data showing ST3 work will not solve our region’s transportation issues nor alleviate greenhouse gas emissions.
-Ask the Legislature to require Sound Transit to create a post-pandemic plan to increase ridership, decrease single car drivers and lower greenhouse gases.
-Discuss their petition local residents may sign demanding accountability and pausing ST3 planning until the agency shows voters transit alternatives that achieve less congestion, lower emissions and promote greater cost efficiency with taxpayer dollars.
-Promote passing legislation to make the ST Board directly elected by district via publicly funded campaigns to end the cost overruns and lack of oversight.

This group is not exclusively focused on West Seattle; its roots go back to the ’00s.

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.

(Across from potential Delridge station location)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Today’s West Seattle light-rail “route walk” organized by Rethink the Link wasn’t a rally or protest.

What we heard and saw, walking along, was more like a collection of conversations. The three-dozen-plus participants included not just the light-rail skeptics of Rethink the Link and curious residents but also light-rail supporters, including at least one member of the Transportation Choices Coalition, and an advocate who toted this sign throughout the hour-and-a-half event:

Other transit advocates, including writers for the Seattle Transit Blog, were there too. So there were many perspectives in play as participants talked one-on-one along most of the round-trip mile-long walk from West Seattle Health Club to the middle of the low bridge and back, between multiple stops along a potential path for the train. At those stops, whoever was in earshot heard from RTL’s Alan McMurray, a route-area resident described as someone who walks to work in SODO and is therefore quite familiar with the route: “For the last four years, as I walk, I wonder how they’re going to do it.” The group gathered in the parking lot of the health club, whose management has expressed concern about a potential path that could take out its pool.

From there, walkers headed over Longfellow Creek via the SW Yancy footbridge – where environmental concerns were noted – then to Andover and into the office park that’s in a potential Delridge-station footprint, home to Alki Beach Academy and other businesses, alongside the Nucor steel plant, and looked upslope at the back of Delridge-fronting businesses also facing displacement – Ounces, The Skylark, Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) and Mode Music and Performing Arts. Here’s the station rendering that’s been most recently shown:

Walking toward the low bridge, participants’ attention was directed toward Pigeon Point, along which the high bridge already runs, with West Seattle light rail requiring an additional new bridge to cross the Duwamish River.

The new bridge is expected to be at least as tall as the existing bridge, McMurray noted. How that’ll be built has yet to be finalized, but it’s expected to require some digging into Pigeon Point – “some kind of major cut” –
where herons nest. One took wing as walkers looked on, while birds’ coexistence with human-built infrastructure was on display too, as peregrine falcons’ nesting boxes on the underside of the high bridge were pointed out.

After trooping back along the path on the east side of Delridge, the group stopped for another perspective of the Skylark/Mode business building, when a person standing along the road shouted, “We don’t need no damn light rail!” A few participants responded “hear, hear”; he then said cheerfully, “OK, I’m done.”

Wrapping up shortly thereafter, McMurray explained the intent of the walk was “just meant to give you an idea of what it’s going to take” to build the West Seattle Link Extension through that area. A participant asked, “What can we do?” McMurray noted that the Final Environmental Impact Statement – precursor to a final vote on a route – is expected to be published this summer, and then there’s a “30-day window” before that final action can be taken. That’s the time to “be heard … make sure they hear you,” he said. Someone else pointed out that comments can be sent to Sound Transit now, too. (Contact info is on the project website.)

Whatever your view, McMurray concluded, “There is this common ground we all agree on – better transit.”

1:30 PM: “All opinions are welcome.” That declaration is part of the invitation on the flyer for Rethink the Link‘s “route walk” of the proposed Delridge light-rail station vicinity (and beyond) on Sunday. They’re looking ahead to a community forum requested by King County Executive and Sound Transit Board of Directors chair Dow Constantine (we checked with ST this week and there’s no date set for that yet). They’ll be gathering at the West Seattle Health Club (28th/Andover) at 10 am Sunday (June 9). The map is on the group’s website in case you can’t join the walk or prefer to explore on your own. The group in general contends there are better alternatives for moving more West Seattleites across the Duwamish River, such as improving existing transit service. The Sound Transit Board is on a track to finalize a light rail route later this year, but first the agency has to release the Final Environmental Impact Statement, expected in the next few months. This is the second major public “route walk” that Rethink the Link has offered since it formed last year.

3:04 PM: This afternoon, Sound Transit sent its email list a note reiterating what we noted above – no date yet for the West Seattle light-rail final EIS to be published. From that email:

… We expect to publish the Final EIS later this year, which will include responses to comments received on the Draft EIS. While we’re getting close, we do not have a date set for publication yet. We will share more information about specific timing for the availability of the Final EIS when we can.

After the Final EIS is published, the Sound Transit Board will select the project to be built. Their decision will consider the years of technical study and public engagement since 2018. In the past, we gathered your feedback through station planning and neighborhood forum events, scoping and Draft EIS comment periods, community briefings, and one-on-one meetings. Following the Board’s decision and the Record of Decision by the Federal Transit Administration, the project will move into the design phase.

What is the design phase? The design phase will focus on advancing detailed design of the guideway and stations and preparing for construction. This includes refining what the facilities will look like, how the stations fit within neighborhoods, and how people will move through the station. We look forward to engaging with you as the design advances. …

1:42 PM: Two weeks ago, we reported on West Seattle Health Club‘s request for member support in opposing a possible light-rail route that would among other things take out their pool, which in turn followed County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s plea to the Sound Transit Board to consider alternatives that would spare area businesses. Today, WSHC has sent a followup with word that the concerns are gaining traction. Thanks to those who forwarded us the email, which tells members, in part:

… Your support has made a difference. The Executive’s office has responded positively to our request, and questions are being raised about modifying route options. The original plan to finalize this location in June has been delayed. A summary of all the public comments they received on the gym/pool was read out loud into the record at yesterday’s Sound Transit Board meeting and the turnout was impressive. Executive Dow Constantine has requested that Sound Transit host a community forum. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

Our petition will remain available at the front desk and online at https://chng.it/VH4L96c6Dn . Additionally, we invite you to join members of our community for a “Walk the Route” event on Sunday, June 9th at 10 am, starting in our parking lot and ending at the West Seattle lower bridge. …

The next step before the ST Board can finalize the West Seattle routing will be the release of the final Environmental Impact Statement; for months, ST has said only that it’s expected to be out “midyear” (we’re checking on whether they’ve refined that timeline yet). Environmental studies are continuing (as noted here last week).

2:44 PM: ST spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham says “summer” is the only current timeline for the final EIS. She also says that since Executive Constantine just made the community-forum request yesterday, there’s nothing official on that yet, but we might hear more next week.