West Seattle, Washington
24 Saturday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The location of Sound Transit‘s future Delridge light-rail station – first stop after the future extension crosses the Duwamish River – won’t be finalized until 2022, but planning it starts now.
That’s what ST reps said as they convened another West Seattle “neighborhood forum” on Saturday, focused specifically on the Delridge station. But it wasn’t as much of a planning exercise as a chance for the ~40 participants to acquaint ST reps with where they go in the neighborhood and how they get there.
After an open-house-style chance to wander the Delridge Community Center gym, looking at maps and bullet points on easels, it was time for the update, via this slide deck projected onto the gym’s concrete-block wall:
four project-team reps tag-teamed the presentation, starting with Dennis Sandstrom recapping the process.
Stephen Mak reviewed the routing/station locations currently being studied, including the Yancy/Andover option recently added. Then Alisa Swank went into details of what the current environmental review is about, working first toward a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. That’s expected to be made public in early 2021 – pushed back from the original “late 2020,” as was warned in the recent round of adding alternatives to be studied.
With I-976-related funding uncertainty in the background, planning proceeds for West Seattle light rail. Two notes today:
(WSB photo from November forum)
DELRIDGE FORUM SATURDAY: 10 am-noon tomorrow at Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW), Sound Transit‘s next “neighborhood forum” will focus on Delridge station-area planning. As announced by ST, “This event focuses on the Delridge station and builds upon the community engagement and collaboration approach outlined in the Racial Equity Toolkit. Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be available.” (Here’s our coverage of last month’s West Seattle forum.)
MORE DRILLING: Meantime, as part of the environmental studies along the potential routing alternatives, drilling continues for soil testing. ST is circulating flyers for the next two locations, both along SW Genesee, near 30th SW for five days starting as soon as Monday (PDF flyer here), and near 31st SW, same duration/time frame (PDF flyer here).
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Neighbors and Sound Transit staff gathered Thursday night for a “neighborhood forum” at the Alki Masonic Center to talk about the West Seattle expansion of light rail, and what it means for the community.
It was a busy couple of days for light rail discussions. Earlier that same day, the ST Board gathered downtown for its regular meeting, focused on a discussion/briefing about the outcomes and effects of Initiative 976 (full WSB coverage here). The night before, ST held a neighborhood forum in downtown Seattle at the Central Library. Coming up the week after Thanksgiving, ST is holding additional forums in Chinatown-International District, Interbay/Ballard and right here in Delridge (info here).
The well-attended 2-hour forum began with an “open house” format, followed by a Sound Transit presentation and then an hour of individual table discussions. As attendees arrived, they were able to view informational materials and share input centered around two key questions: 1) What do you value about your community? and 2) How could a light rail station best serve your community?
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Just a few hours before tonight’s Sound Transit “neighborhood forum” in West Seattle (6 pm, Alki Masonic Center), the ST Board‘s regular meeting centered on a briefing/discussion about the effects of Initiative 976:
We were downtown for the meeting, which – after an occasionally raucous public-comment period – began with ST staffers briefing the board. First – “where we are” in terms of ST’s current timeline for expansion programs. If revenue were cut, the projects through 2024, the board was told, would be the “last places” they’d cut. But the projects starting with 2030 – projected opening date for the West Seattle extension – potentially different story.
General counsel Desmond Brown then opened with toplines on “what 976 says and does.” … “The provisions repealing our taxes do not take effect at this time,” but rather once $2.3 billion in outstanding bonds and debt are paid off – and it’s up to the board when those debts/bonds will be retired.
(Added – from the slide-deck printout, the relevant ballot-pamphlet language:)
The outstanding bond contracts provide for motor-vehicle-excise taxes and rental-car rates staying at the current rates until those are paid off. Brown said. He also noted that the initiative is now being challenged in court, and if it stands, there will probably be an ensuing lawsuit about when that debt has to be retired. Could ST be forced to retire it sooner? There’s legal precedent on that, Brown said.
CEO Peter Rogoff pointed out that other agencies “that feed passengers to Sound Transit” – such as Metro – are nonetheless facing “very serious” challenges because of 976. Other transit agencies face a “devastating” loss of revenue, and service to their users. “Sound Transit cares deeply about what happens to all our partners,” Rogoff said.
Chief Financial Officer Tracy Butler picked up from there. If the bonds were “defeased,” it would mean $7.2 billion less in revenue through 2041, and the agency could run out of “financial capacity as early as 2029” – which means ST could have to cancel or delay projects and/or reduce services.
But delaying wouldn’t be much of a solution, Butler said. Say, projects are delayed by five years – that could cost $6 billion more in capital costs, %16 billion in added interest through 2061, and could delay a “tax rollback” for 12 years, costing taxpayers $25 billion more in additional taxes through 2061 “to fund a delayed voter-approved program.”
Board chair John Marchione said the reason voters approved ST3 was a recognition that transit expansion was long overdue. “This is our region’s transportation catch-up plan” and the investments require a tax investment. “The only available sources are the sales tax, property tax, and MVET. Nobody loves writing a big check for (vehicle renewals)” but he believes voters spoke loudly with ST3 – and that was louder than the margin, in the ST district, spoke with 976:
After a closed-door executive session, the board emerged to discuss its “response to 976.” It was first announced that ST won’t take any of its own legal action right now – they have to keep reviewing the “legal issues” and monitoring the other litigation. So individual board members were invited to speak. Only two did, neither from Seattle/King County. The first warned that the board had best not just focus on its “district” but should pay attention to the “frustration” elsewhere in the region and state. And he said the valuation discrepancy that led to the taxation rate made that frustration worse. “We have got to get this resolved – people need to believe they’re paying car tabs based on an accurate valuation of their vehicle.” Another board member said it’s important to keep the pressure on the Legislature.
So bottom line remains “too soon to say” what happens next, but there’s a chance West Seattle light rail could be delayed or even canceled as part of a worst-case scenario.
Earlier in the meeting:
PUBLIC COMMENT: In this section of the meeting, before the 976 discussion, Youngstown property owner Dennis Noland spoke first, thanking the board for agreeing to include the Andover/Yancy alternative in environmental studies. He was followed by Tim Eyman, author of 976, who called his initiative an “overwhelming repudiation” of ST. “People outside Seattle have no voice any more.” Eyman then declared he was running for governor next year and at that point got booted from the microphone, with an explanation that “campaigning” isn’t allowed. Someone briefly chanted “let him talk” while someone counter-chanted “No campaigning.” … Other speakers were both pro and con 976. Two speakers in particular called out the effects that 976 could have on people with disabilities.
TONIGHT’S MEETING: Again, if you see this before 6 pm, that’s when ST’s West Seattle “neighborhood forum” begins – all welcome – Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th SW.
ADDED: Post-board meeting, ST published this statement from board chair Marchione.
Thanks to Paul for the photo and the tip. Sound Transit has moved westward for its next rounds of soil sampling as environmental studies for West Seattle light rail continue. We hadn’t received advance notice this time, unlike previous rounds of drilling in other areas, but subsequently requested and received them from Sound Transit. First, the drilling shown above, under way at 39th SW and SW Genesee:
After that concludes next week, as this notice shows, they’re scheduled to move on to 35th/Avalon:
If you have questions about this – or anything else about the process, next week’s West Seattle neighborhood forum is a good time to ask – it’s at 6 pm Thursday (November 21st) at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW). Earlier that day, the Sound Transit Board is scheduled to discuss I-976 (here’s the agenda).
The flyer from Sound Transit shows the next location their crew will be drilling for soil testing – 22nd SW on Pigeon Point. The flyer shows a map of the location, where work could start as soon as Wednesday. In the meantime, they’re working further east. Also a reminder that Sound Transit has a neighborhood-forum meeting coming up in West Seattle, 6 pm November 21st at the Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW).
(WSB photo, Pigeon Point, July 2018)
As Sound Transit‘s environmental studies for West Seattle light rail continue, it’s announced the next round of drilling for soii tests:
Starting as early as Thursday, Oct. 31, Sound Transit plans to begin drilling to collect soil samples for analysis near the 19th Ave SW and SW Charlestown St intersection … This work will inform our analysis of the alternatives along the north slope of Pigeon Point that we are studying in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Additional borings in this area will occur in the coming months; we will keep you informed as that work is scheduled.
See the full flyer here (PDF) or below:
Sound Transit has already done some testing on Pigeon Point.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The only tunneling possibility to be studied for Sound Transit light rail in West Seattle will be in The Junction, now that the possibility of also considering the Pigeon Point Tunnel alternative is dead.
That’s the result of a Sound Transit Board vote this afternoon. But the other alternative proposed for addition to environmental studies, Yancy/Andover Elevated, remains alive.
That one will be added to the route/station options already approved for studying.
Starting with the committee recommendation made October 10th to add the Yancy/Andover Elevated alternative to studies, board members also added a proposed SODO alternative. But they rejected King County Councilmember (and West Seattleite) Joe McDermott‘s proposal to add the ~$200 million-third-party-funding-required Pigeon Point Tunnel alternative, with 6 board members voting yes, 9 voting no.
In the face of one board member (Dave Earling of Edmonds) flatly declaring he’s against anything requiring third-party funding, McDermott countered that they’re just voting on studies now, no commitment beyond that. But board member Kent Keel of University Place pointed out that the Pigeon Point tunnel would likely have to connect to a ~$700 million Junction tunnel and “that makes my eyes roll up in my head.” Paul Roberts of Everett said the more is added to the studies, the more is added to the timeline. Claudia Balducci of Bellevue said she felt there were already enough alternatives being studied. Bruce Dammeier of Pierce County said that – using a “meal” analogy that others had deployed in discussion – the Pigeon Point Tunnel looked like “dessert” when other areas were just looking for “a basic meal.” McDermott disputed that, saying third-party funding would not be taking basic funding out of anybody else’s mouth.
ST staff noted that any required third-party funding “would have to be well-defined” by the end of next year, and “in hand” by 2022. (The Yancy/Andover Elevated alternative is not expected to carry additional cost, but Junction tunneling possibilities that are already planned for study would.)
Before the discussion and vote, executive corridor director Cathal Ridge recapped staff assessments and public comment, concluding with a reminder that adding alternatives means the draft EIS would be out in the first quarter of 2021 rather than at the end of 2020. Here’s the slide deck:
An hour-plus of public comment started the meeting. West Seattle-related comments included a resident supporting the Pigeon Point Tunnel. “A viaduct [-style guideway] slicing through our neighborhood and taking our park is a forever loss,” she said … A group from North Delridge’s Youngstown neighborhood spoke in favor of both – suggesting Yancy/Andover be redesignated as the preferred alternative – because “the two preferred alternatives end up decimating our neighborhood.” There are areas near their densely developed/redeveloped neighborhood that could be used. “It’s a neighborhood that should be served by light rail, not destroyed by light rail” …. Deb Barker, who served on the Stakeholder Advisory Group earlier in the process, said studying Pigeon Point would be doing “the right thing for West Seattle”… Marty Westerman of the West Seattle Transportation Coalition said the group supports studying both (and sent a letter to that effect earlier this week).
WHAT’S NEXT: Environmental studies continue. Once the draft report comes out, another round of public comment will ensue, then a final report, and the board would decide in 2022 the final route and station locations, with construction to start in 2025 in order to meet the target start date of 2030. Before all this, as announced earlier this week, two “neighborhood forums” with updates and station-location discussions are planned in West Seattle November 21st and December 7th.
While Sound Transit continues environmental work – including soil sampling on Harbor Island (thanks to those who have sent photos recently, including the one above) – they’re also continuing community conversation about West Seattle light rail. Next step: Two “neighborhood forums” just announced. ST says these are “to learn more about the alternatives we’ll be studying in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, what happens next in the environmental review process and how you can stay engaged” as well as “opportunities to participate in small group activities to discuss how the vision and values of your neighborhood relate to future light rail stations.” The dates/locations:
November 21
Station areas include Delridge, Avalon and Alaska Junction
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019 | 6 – 8 p.m.
Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Avenue SW****
December 7
Delridge station only
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019 | 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Delridge Community Center (Gym), 4501 Delridge Way SW, SeattleThis event focuses on the Delridge station and builds upon the community engagement and collaboration approach outlined in the Racial Equity Toolkit. Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be available.
Before these, the ST Board is due to decide this Thursday (1:30 pm October 24, downtown boardroom) whether the environmental studies will include either or both of two additional West Seattle alternatives, Yancy/Andover Elevated and Pigeon Point Tunnel. As reported here earlier this month, a board committee recommended including the former and leaving it up to the full board to discuss the latter.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Sound Transit Board’s System Expansion Committee gave its support this afternoon to adding one West Seattle alternative to environmental studies – but didn’t rule out the other one.
The Board recommended inclusion of the Yancy/Andover Elevated option, because, said committee chair Claudia Balducci of Bellevue, it would have a lesser impact on the Youngstown residential neighborhood, and is likely to be comparable in cost to the project’s originally roughed-out routing.(Here’s the motion they approved [PDF].)
Discussion of and a decision on whether to study the Pigeon Point Tunnel will be left to the full board. It would require an estimated $200 million third-party funding and would likely be paired wth a Junction tunnel costing $700 million additional third-party documents – and as we reported earlier this week, no one seems to be working yet on what that “third party funding” might be.
Here’s the slide deck (PDF) shown at the meeting. We have a bit more to add later, but first, highlights of the discussion:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“Who’s working on that?”
That’s one of the questions asked toward the end of the Junction Neighborhood Organization‘s meeting Monday night, a reference to the “third-party funding” that Sound Transit says would be required to build some of the options proposed for parts of the West Seattle to Ballard light-rail extension.
The question followed a briefing by reps of Sound Transit, whose System Extension Committee is likely to decide at a meeting tomorrow (Thursday, October 10th) whether to recommend adding certain alternatives to environmental studies for the route. Two West Seattle possibilities – Yancy/Andover Elevated and Pigeon Point Tunnel – are under consideration (in addition to what the ST Board has already decided to study.
The briefing itself went over the “initial assessments” of the alternatives, as first presented to that committee four weeks ago (WSB coverage here). Here’s the slide deck used Monday night by ST’s Leda Chahim, Stephen Mak, and Lauren Swift:
Some questions along the way included wondering why the Junction and Avalon stations are potentially so close together – answer, those general locations were outlined in the original ballot measure – and whether Seattle Public Schools still owns the Jefferson Square site (sort of).
The yellow dots on that map mark locations at the office/marina complex on the south end of Harbor Island [map] where soil sampling is about to start as Sound Transit continues studying potential routes for West Seattle light rail. The full flyer is here (PDF). It says that once sampling starts – as soon as tomorrow – “Work … will occur during nights, from 6:00 pm – 7:00 am. Each boring will take approximately 5-7 days and will be filled and patched with a flush-mounted monument surface when work is complete.” The drilling will all be done in parking lots/driveways, ST says.
SIDE NOTE: If you have questions about this or any other aspect of West Seattle light-rail planning, a reminder – ST reps are on the agenda at tonight’s Junction Neighborhood Organization meeting. And two upcoming ST board meetings will determine whether two West Seattle options are included in environmental studies – the System Expansion Committee this Thursday, and the full board on October 24th.
Got a question or comment about the latest information on West Seattle light-rail planning, the “initial assessments” of two more options that might be added to the first round of environmental studies? (Here’s our coverage from earlier this month.) You can talk with Sound Transit reps right now, as they are boothing at today’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market (until 2 pm). The ST Board will decide next month whether to study either or both, a required step toward any further consideration. Until next Friday (October 4th), you can review the alternatives and comment via this “online open house” – choose the tabs for Yancy/Andover Elevated and Pigeon Point Tunnel.
As we reported Thursday, Sound Transit has gone public with “assessments” of potential light-rail options, including two for the West Seattle extension. It’ll be up to the Sound Transit Board to decide whether to include either or both in studies for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the next of 3 more steps before they finalize the route “alignment” in 2022. Before that board vote in October, they’re also taking public comment – you can do that (and review the new info) by going here. Deadline: October 4th.
P.S. If you have questions, you can also talk to ST reps in person at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on September 29th.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Sound Transit Board‘s System Expansion Committee has just gotten its first briefing on the “initial assessment” of four more West Seattle-to-Ballard light-rail options that might be included in environmental studies.
The committee and full board won’t make their decisions until next month, and starting tomorrow, you’ll get to have your say via an “online open house.”
But first – here’s what’s on the table. Keep in mind, these are IN ADDITION TO what the ST Board already sent into environmental studies. Two of the additional options, Yancy-Andover Elevated and Pigeon Point Tunnel (which also would include a Junction tunnel), are at the start of the slide deck (here in PDF, and below):
We had a chance to ask questions at a pre-meeting media briefing at ST HQ downtown. Toplines from that briefing, led by executive corridor director Cathal Ridge and project development director Sandra Fann, who also briefed the board this afternoon:
These options were assessed with the same criteria applied to the other options in the final review period (“Level 3”) that ended back in May.
One notable point – both of these alternatives would largely spare the Youngstown-area homes in North Delridge that otherwise might be taken out. (The only West Seattleite to speak in the public comment period before this afternoon’s committee meeting was Youngstown-area homeowner Dennis Noland, who has been advocating for saving his neighborhood.)
The Yancy/Andover Elevated option would cross the Duwamish River south of the West Seattle Bridge, would have a Delridge station north of Andover – similar to the original ST proposal – and would connect to an elevated Avalon station. (That still could then connect to a Junction-bound tunnel, it was clarified at this afternoon’s meeting.)
Drawbacks include that the Delridge station location would be “harder for buses to get to.” While the overall effect on residential property would be less than what’s already going into studies, it would affect the Avalon area more.
Its cost would be similar to what’s already budgeted.
The Pigeon Point Tunnel option’s major drawback is the cost – estimated at $200 million, plus you have to factor in another $700 million for the Junction tunnel to which it would connect. The financial estimates, however, aren’t any more detailed than what was listed earlier in the process, ST reps say.
They also noted in today’s briefing that the Junction tunnel would add time to the process. “Years, not months,” Ridge replied to our request for clarification. So if a Junction tunnel is chosen, light rail will not be opening in 2030.
As for that extra money, a commitment would have to be nailed down from the unspecified “third party”(/ies) by mid-2022, when environmental studies end and the ST Board will have to decide what to build.
There’s also a chance that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement’s schedule – to be ready by the end o next year – will take longer if the board decides to add any or all of these extra possibilities to the environmental studies.
Again, the board committee just got briefed this afternoon; most of the public comment was about the SODO option that (along with another Ballard tunnel option) is also being reviewed for adding to studies.
WHAT’S NEXT: Watch for this info to go online in “open house” format for your comments tomorrow through October 4th. The full ST Board will be briefed at its September 26th meeting; the System Expansion Committee then gets to have its say October 10th, with the full board’s final decision “to study or not to study” any or all of these options October 24th.
It’s been 3 1/2 months since Sound Transit‘s West Seattle-to-Ballard light-rail planning entered a new phase, with the ST Board finalizing what the Draft Environmental Impact Statement should include. The board also told ST staff to look at some other options – and those assessments are about to go public, ST has announced, specifically these assessments of these possibilities:
*Elevating the new and existing light rail lines in SODO
*Refinement of the Pigeon Ridge Tunnel route with a refined Duwamish crossing, tunnel through Pigeon Point and further south Delridge station
*Route along Yancy/Andover corridor, with a Delridge station serving Youngstown
*Tunnel route with tunnel station at 20th Ave NW in Ballard
That description is from an ST message to former Stakeholder Advisory Group members, which adds:
We plan to have evaluation results for these initial assessment alternatives in mid-September and anticipate sharing those results with the Sound Transit Board at the Sept. 12th System Expansion Committee meeting and the public at that time. We are targeting October for Sound Transit Board review and potential action.
The committee meets 1:30-4 pm next Thursday at the ST boardroom downtown (401 S. Jackson) – here’s the agenda (PDF).
Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“We have a real opportunity here.”
With regard to light rail and community planning in the Alaska Junction (and in West Seattle as a whole), that was one of the key themes Thursday night at the Junction Neighborhood Organization (JuNO) meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle.
JuNO’s guest speaker was Lauren Flemister (pictured above), community planning manager from Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD), who gave an overview of the processes, how her office works with Sound Transit and how the public can get involved.
Flemister, along with leaders in attendance such as JuNO director Amanda Sawyer and Deb Barker (who was on the light-rail project Stakeholder Advisory Group and is on the West Seattle Transportation Coalition‘s board), agreed that with light rail coming to West Seattle in 2030, this will be a “long process” with many opportunities for public input. When Flemister was asked by Sawyer if the planning processes for the Alaska Junction and West Seattle are likely to be “typical” compared to other regional rail-expansion projects in the past, Flemister said no, because her office expects this latest process to be “much more robust.”
The junction has been a focal point for these light rail discussions — as we reported back in March, an overflow crowd gathered at the Senior Center to hear from Sound Transit officials, and back in November 2017 a top ST manager spoke at a JuNO meeting and promised “an interesting year and a half” ahead. (See our comprehensive light rail coverage here.)
Sawyer kicked off the Thursday meeting by putting in a plug for neighbors interested in serving as a JuNO officer to email juno@wsjuno.org or go to wsjuno.org. The group will be holding elections during their September meeting for the positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. With all of the development and growth in the area, Sawyer said, now is a great time to get involved to “help create a collaborative vision and future for the Alaska Junction.” Sawyer noted that it’s an intentional effort to have a slate of elected officers for JuNO, and that although she’s currently the leader of the group, she wasn’t “elected” officially. She added that the group needs strong voices, representing both longtime residents as well as new neighbors and renters and business owners, particularly as light rail will be bringing transit stations and added density to the neighborhood. “It’s a decade-plus of discussion,” she said, “we’ll have some decisions to make soon but for much of it we’ll be waiting until much later,”
Sawyer then turned things over to Flemister for the remainder of the meeting, to lead the discussion on neighborhood planning and light rail. Flemister acknowledged that she was relatively new to Seattle and that this was her first community presentation of this type in the city, but is no stranger to large regional transit projects in the area, having worked on projects in the Tacoma area and south sound (focusing partially on property value impacts). She stepped through a slide presentation (see below) and took questions from attendees.
(Added Friday morning: Sound Transit’s meeting video)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
After an intense year and a half of discussion – capped by a four-and-a-half-hour meeting – potential routing/station locations for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle-to-Ballard light rail are heading into the environmental-study process.
The Sound Transit Board finalized a list of “preferred alternatives” and other possibilities to study – after an extended debate that included two votes on whether to use the word “preferred” in describing the ones that would require third-party funding.
But first – from the motion that won final approval (PDF here) – the language that spells out what will be studied for the West Seattle end:
West Seattle (Avalon and Junction) Preferred Alternative
Elevated stations – Avalon station in vicinity of SW Genesee Street, SW Avalon Way and 35th Avenue SW. Turns southwest on Fauntleroy Way SW with both elevated Alaska Junction station options oriented north/south and staying east of the Alaska Junction on Fauntleroy and in the vicinity of 41st/42nd Avenue SW.
Preferred Alternative with Third Party Funding
Tunnel station – Avalon station in vicinity of SW Genesee Street, SW Avalon Way and 35th Avenue SW. Turns southwest with both tunnel Alaska Junction station options oriented north-south in the vicinity of 41st Avenue SW and 42nd Avenue SW. Based on current information, these alternatives would require additional third-party funding.
Additionally, the Board directs staff to evaluate potential cost savings opportunities and look for opportunities to minimize community impacts and create a high quality transfer environment for both the Avalon and Alaska Junction station locations.
West Seattle (Delridge) Preferred Alternative
N of Genesee station – Elevated guideway runs south adjacent to Delridge Way SW to an elevated Delridge station on a diagonal between Delridge Way SW and 26th Avenue SW north of SW Genesee Street. Continues west on an elevated guideway along SW Genesee Street.
Additionally, the Board directs staff to explore refining the Delridge station location, prioritizing a further south location and looking for opportunities to minimize potential residential impacts, create a high quality transfer environment, optimize transit-oriented development (TOD) potential and reduce costs.
Other DEIS alternatives
S of Andover station – Elevated guideway follows Delridge Way SW south to an elevated Delridge station south of SW Andover Street. Continues south along Delridge Way SW and then runs west along SW Genesee Street.
The Board directs staff to conduct an initial assessment of the following alternatives, which were suggested during the scoping period, to establish whether further detailed study in the Draft EIS is appropriate:
Yancy/Andover alignment – An alignment along the Yancy/Andover corridor with a Delridge Station serving Youngstown.
Pigeon Point Tunnel – A refinement of the Pigeon Ridge Tunnel alignment that was previously evaluated in Level 1 and Level 2 screening. This alignment would include a refined Duwamish crossing location that includes a tunnel through Pigeon Point with a further south Delridge station location. Based on current information, this alternative would require additional third-party funding.
The assessment and recommendation for further study shall be brought back to the Sound Transit Board for review and potential action.
Duwamish Crossing Preferred Alternative
South crossing – Elevated guideway crosses over the Spokane Street Viaduct, curves west and parallels the West Seattle Bridge on the south side. Crosses over the Duwamish Waterway on a high-level fixed bridge on the south side of the existing bridge, then rounds Pigeon Point and heads south along Delridge Way SW.
Other DEIS alternatives
North crossing – Elevated guideway curves west and parallels the existing West Seattle Bridge on the north side. Spans the Duwamish Waterway on a high-level, fixed bridge on the north side of the existing bridge, then crosses over the West Seattle bridge ramp, passes over the Nucor Steel property and runs south along Delridge Way SW.
The Board directs staff to conduct an initial assessment of the following alternative, which was suggested during the scoping period, to establish whether further detailed study in the Draft EIS is appropriate:
Pigeon Point Tunnel – A refinement of the Pigeon Ridge Tunnel alignment that was previously evaluated in Level 1 and Level 2 screening. This alignment would include a refined Duwamish crossing location that includes a tunnel through Pigeon Point with a further south Delridge station location. Based on current information, this alternative would require additional third-party funding.
The assessment and recommendation for further study shall be brought back to the Sound Transit Board for review and potential action.
Ahead, the rest of the story:
Earlier, we published a reminder that the Sound Transit Board meets tomorrow afternoon downtown to decide which West Seattle-to-Ballard light-rail routing/station-location proposals should go into environmental studies. As you might recall from our coverage of the board’s System Expansion Committee meeting two weeks ago, there was some disagreement about whether to designate “preferred alternatives” at all for parts of the line, including The Junction. Tonight, at least two proposals some board members are circulating would propose these “preferred alternative” (without and with extra $) for The Junction and vicinity:
West Seattle (Avalon / and Junction)
Preferred Alternative
Elevated stations – Avalon station in vicinity of SW Genesee Street, SW Avalon Way and 35th Avenue SW. Turns southwest on Fauntleroy Way SW with elevated Alaska Junction station options oriented north/south and staying east of the Alaska Junction on Fauntleroy and in the vicinity of 41st /42nd Avenue SW. (To be determined)Preferred Alternative with Third Party Funding
Tunnel station – Avalon station in vicinity of SW Genesee Street, SW Avalon Way and 35th Avenue SW. Turns southwest with tunnel Alaska Junction station options oriented north-south in the vicinity of 41st Avenue SW and 42nd Avenue SW. Based on current information, these alternatives would require additional third-party funding. (To be determined)
The proposals – all by board members from outside Seattle – include concern that waiting until after environmental studies to determine these (and some other) “preferred alternatives” could add a year and a half to the timeline. (They were forwarded to West Seattle community advocates by a representative from the office of Mayor Jenny Durkan, who is an ST board member.) Again, as detailed in our preview earlier, the meeting is 1:30-5 pm Thursday at the downtown board room (401 S. Jackson), with a public-comment period toward the start.
Just an early reminder in case you want to be there (or watch via streaming) – tomorrow’s the day the Sound Transit Board will cap the first year and a half of West Seattle-to-Ballard light-rail planning by deciding the potential routing/station locations that will go into environmental studies. Here’s the agenda for the meeting – which includes a public-comment period toward the start – 1:30-5 pm at ST’s board room downtown (401 S. Jackson). Here’s the ST document with the framework of the motion, recapping what the board’s System Expansion Committee recommended two weeks ago (WSB coverage here). If they follow the committee’s recommendations, the major undecided item is what – if anything – to identify as a “preferred alternative” for The Junction. Whatever the board decides, a year-plus of studies will follow before a Draft Environmental Impact Statement is released for public comment toward the end of next year. A final routing decision is a few steps beyond that.
(Sound Transit video of today’s entire committee meeting. WS-Ballard briefing/discussion starts at 1 hour, 50 minutes in)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Today brought the last stop for West Seattle to Ballard light-rail before a key Sound Transit Board vote to decide which routing/station locations will go into environmental studies.
But the board’s System Expansion Committee declined to recommend a complete “preferred alternative” routing/station-location plan, after hearing opposing opinions on whether to do so at all.
Before the committee’s vote late today – near the end of a 4-hour meeting with other major agenda items – it heard those opinions from two ST board members who are not committee members. Phoning in from an overseas trip, King County Councilmember Joe McDermott (a West Seattle resident) advocated for not identifying a preferred alternative, saying there’s just not enough information. Meantime, committee chair King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci read email from board member Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers insisting that a preferred alternative must be identified and that environmental studies should not include options discarded in the first two levels of advisory-group review – such as the so-called “purple line,” a two-tunnel West Seattle plan that the Stakeholder Advisory Group wanted to keep but the Elected Leadership Group did not. ST staff’s very preliminary estimates suggested it could require more than $1 billion “third-party funding,” but various meetings have included some suggestions that panicking over price tags should wait until more design/engineering work has been done.
Before we get into what preceded that, here’s what the committee gave its blessing to – the West Seattle language from the motion that members approved:
West Seattle (Avalon/Junction)
Preferred alternative (To be determined)
Potential preferred alternative (To be determined)
Other DEIS alternative (To be determined)West Seattle (Delridge)
Preferred alternative
N of Genesee station – Elevated guideway runs south adjacent to Delridge Way SW to an elevated Delridge station on a diagonal between Delridge Way SW and 26th Avenue SW north of SW Genesee Street. Continues west on an elevated guideway along SW Genesee Street.Additionally, the Board directs staff to explore refining the Delridge station location, prioritizing a further south location and looking for opportunities to minimize potential residential impacts, create a high quality transfer environment, optimize TOD potential and reduce costs.
Other DEIS alternatives
S of Andover station – Elevated guideway follows Delridge Way SW south to an elevated Delridge station south of SW Andover Street. Continues south along Delridge Way SW and then runs west along SW Genesee Street.The Board directs staff to conduct an initial assessment of the following alternatives, which were suggested during the scoping period, to establish whether further detailed study in the Draft EIS is appropriate:
Yancy/Andover alignment – An alignment along the Yancy/Andover corridor with a Delridge Station serving Youngstown.
Pigeon Point Tunnel – A refinement of the Pigeon Ridge Tunnel alignment that was previously evaluated in Level 1 and Level 2 screening. This alignment would include a refined Duwamish crossing location that includes a tunnel through Pigeon Point with a further south Delridge station location.
The assessment and recommendation for further study shall be brought back to the Sound Transit Board for review and potential action.
Duwamish Crossing
Preferred alternative
South crossing – Elevated guideway crosses over the Spokane Street Viaduct, curves west and parallels the West Seattle Bridge on the south side. Crosses over the Duwamish Waterway on a high-level fixed bridge on the south side of the existing bridge, then rounds Pigeon Point and heads south along Delridge Way SW.
Other DEIS alternatives
North crossing – Elevated guideway curves west and parallels the existing West Seattle Bridge on the north side. Spans the Duwamish Waterway on a high-level, fixed bridge on the north side of the existing bridge, then crosses over the West Seattle bridge ramp, passes over the Nucor Steel property and runs south along Delridge Way SW.The Board directs staff to conduct an initial assessment of the following alternative, which was suggested during the scoping period, to establish whether further detailed study in the Draft EIS is appropriate:
Pigeon Point Tunnel – A refinement of the Pigeon Ridge Tunnel alignment that was previously evaluated in Level 1 and Level 2 screening. This alignment would include a refined Duwamish crossing location that includes a tunnel through Pigeon Point with a further south Delridge station location.
The assessment and recommendation for further study shall be brought back to the Sound Transit Board for review and potential action.
Here’s the full motion (PDF), including other sections of the West Seattle to Ballard extension. Now, what preceded it:
Tomorrow afternoon (Thursday, May 9th) is the next stop along the way to the >Sound Transit Board‘s decision on which potential routing/station locations to send to environmental studies for the West Seattle to Ballard extension. This follows the advisory Elected Leadership Group‘s recommendations two weeks ago:
Tomorrow’s 1:30-5 pm meeting of the ST System Expansion Committee is at the ST board room downtown (401 S. Jackson). As shown on the agenda, this is just one of 10 items going before the committee tomorrow. But the meeting does have a public-comment period toward the start, if there’s something you’d like committee members (here’s the roster) to know. Whatever they recommend, the full ST Board (here’s the roster) has the final say in two weeks (May 23rd).
(Added Monday: ST-created slide summarizing what ELG recommends – from this PDF doc)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Though County Councilmember Joe McDermott reiterated “This is just the beginning” of the West Seattle to Ballard Sound Transit light-rail planning process, Friday’s meeting of the Elected Leadership Group that he co-chaired was part of the end of the opening act of that process.
It comes after almost a year and a half of meetings, including the one on Friday, as well as a variety of public engagement and feedback that all wraps up with two meetings next month that are to result in the Sound Transit Board officially deciding what routing/station possibilities should be studied for the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Five of the 11 ELG members (roster here) are also on the ST Board (roster here) – McDermott, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, plus Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez (replacing recently resigned CM Rob Johnson). Before the board makes a final “what to study” decision at its May 23rd meeting (1:30 pm, ST board room downtown), its System Expansion Committee – which has no ELG membership overlap – will talk about the project at its May 9th (1:30 pm, ST board room)
On Friday, co-chair City Councilmember Mike O’Brien remarked that “it seems like yesterday” when the ELG first met 16 months ago (WSB coverage here).
ST CEO Peter Rogoff reiterated that the ELG decisions, and those to be made by the ST Board next month, are not decisions about what to be built, but “alternatives to be studied.”
In the 2-plus hours that followed, one other major issue came up repeatedly – money. But first, the ELG’s final meeting began with public comment, which ran for about half an hour and starts at nine minutes into our first clip (following introductory discussion):
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