April 29

OP-ED: Councilmembers’ statement on ST3 Light Rail options

Local News, Planning & Construction

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Below is an op-ed from Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw and King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, where they advocate for the “West is Best” option for light rail through Interbay. This proposal is for a light rail running 4 blocks parallel to 15th Ave West, crossing the ship canal via a tunnel.

There are other options, and it’s up to you to decide on what you prefer. The Councilmembers are seeking input and feedback, which you can provide via an ST3 survey or by contacting the Seattle City Council (click on Councilmembers to access their individual pages, where email addresses are provided) and King County Council.

Here’s the map of the ST3 section referenced in the Op-Ed below.

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Light Rail to Serve Our Northwest Seattle Communities
Joint Op-Ed by Sally Bagshaw and Jeanne Kohl-Welles

Northwest Seattle voters will soon have an exciting opportunity to consider a ballot measure asking whether we will support a light rail line connecting Downtown to Ballard, with stops at South Lake Union, Seattle Center, and Interbay. The most recent openings of the Capitol Hill and University District light rail stations have brought Seattle into the 21st century of transit, and the coming wave of transit investments contained in Sound Transit’s next package, known as ST3, will revolutionize how we live and get around our region. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity we must not take lightly.

The ST3 package, as it stands, proposes a second downtown tunnel, stretching from Royal Brougham Way to Elliott Avenue before the tracks move to street-level along 15th Avenue West, posing challenges to a critical freight, transit, and commuter arterial. As any of us who have attempted to commute on 15th from 4 to 7pm can attest, the traffic conditions are already untenable. We can only imagine conditions if two lanes are fully dedicated for rail. But what if the light rail route didn’t need its own lane on 15th Ave West? What if we could place it farther west, saving everyone who uses the corridor from ever-increasing gridlock?

Currently, the ST3 proposal suggests the line be at-grade, but that’s what this package is at the moment – a proposal. The Sound Transit Board of Directors, consisting of elected leaders from around the region, are currently accepting feedback before they make changes and ultimately send a final for voters to consider at the ballot this November.

The communities in our Northwest Seattle districts are deeply invested in shaping this plan, and have begun to speak with a united voice about how this plan can best serve our neighborhoods. The Northwest Seattle Coalition for Sound Transit 3 formed not months ago, and is composed of community leaders and more than a dozen organizations from Ballard, Interbay, Magnolia, Queen Anne, and Uptown. This group is gaining traction to advocate for the fastest and most reliable alignment.

The Coalition is advocating for an alignment we like to call the “West is Best” option. This proposal would run light rail parallel to 15th Avenue West (the equivalent of four blocks to the west) and cross the ship canal via a tunnel. This plan will ensure speed and reliability, preserve the existing lanes on 15th, and create an underground station in Ballard that would be the best option for future northern and eastern expansion.

Why should we make this kind of investment in the Downtown-Ballard line? The expected ridership in the Downtown-Ballard corridor is projected to be roughly 140,000, the highest of any sub-area in the entire Sound Transit region. It is critical this corridor is done quickly and done right. The Downtown-Ballard line will be a regional corridor—that is a fact. Our communities deserve infrastructure investments to meet the demands of regional ridership.

We have voiced our support for the “West is Best” option, and the coalition of voices continues to grow. Before the Sound Transit Board closes the public outreach period this Friday, let’s ensure they’ve heard our voices. Go to soundtransit3.com, fill out the survey, attend a community meeting, or send an email with your thoughts.

Imagine a 15-minute commute from Ballard to Downtown at 5:30pm on a weekday. While less time in traffic may mean less time to listen to public radio, we think it’s worth it.


Tags

Jeanne Kohl-Welles, light rail, op-ed, Sally Bagshaw, Sound Transit, ST3, traffic


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