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Sound Transit: Link Light Rail
Imagine a commute during peak rush hours from the northern part of Seattle, near Northgate, down to the heart of the business district. Imagine it's a quick and comfortable commute while you sip your latte and skim the headlines from the paper. Imagine that will become a reality by 2030. Many southern commuters won't have to wait that long before hopping on a train to catch a quick ride home.
Its part of Sound Transit's Link Light Rail service that will run from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) to Northgate with southern sections of the Link Light Rail expected to be operational by 2009.
The initial main segment of the rail line will run 14 miles from Tukwila to the Westlake Center in downtown Seattle on elevated tracks, tunnels and on grade. Construction of the 1.7 mile line from Tukwila to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is also under way and is expected to be open shortly after the mainline.
While crews are busy working on the southern portion of the line, Sound Transit officials are working to expand the service north. In April they received the go-ahead for the $1.7 billion extension from Westlake Center to the University of Washington. Additional plans for that rail line include extensions north to Brooklyn, Roosevelt and Northgate.
Project costs:
In 2003, the Federal Transit Administration gave Sound Transit's Link Light Rail proposal a big boost when they ranked it the highest of their five ratings. Later that year the agency received a $500 million grant to get the light rail off the drawing board and onto Seattle streets.
Sound Transit officials estimate the project will cost around $2.4 billion. They plan on using the 0.3 percent motor vehicle excise tax which will generate around $125 million annually. Money from a 0.4 percent retail sales tax will also be used to finance the project. The agency plans on implementing their "Sub Area Equity" policy which only taxes residents in areas where the light rail is located.
Link Light Rail Route:
Work is already in progress at several parts of the initial rail line.
- Rainier Beach/South Henderson Street Station will be a street level station in the center of MLK Jr. Way South just south of Henderson Street. Improvements to the area will include new sidewalks, benches, bike racks and public art. There will be access to the Rainier neighborhoods.
- Othello/New Holly Station will be a street level station in the center of MLK Jr. Way South between South Myrtle and South Othello streets. Riders will access the rail line from plazas on the northeast corners of Myrtle and Othello which will feature benches, artwork, landscaping and bike racks.
- Columbia City/South Edmunds Station will be a street level station with side platforms along MLK Jr. Way South between South Alaska and South Edmunds streets. Street and pedestrian improvements in the area will give riders better access to the Columbia City neighborhoods.
- Mount Baker/South McClellan Station will be an elevated tunnel just west of Rainier Avenue South and MLK Jr. Way South, south of South McClellan Street. Escalators and elevators will allow passengers to access the rail line from the street level. A bus transfer facility will be on the east side of Rainier Avenue South.
- Beacon Hill Station will be 150 feet below the street surface of South Lander Street. Entrances will be located at the southeast corner of Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street. High speed escalators will quickly take passengers down to the station platform.
- SODO/South Lander Station will be a ground level station north of Lander Street. New bike and pedestrian paths will connect the area to the Mountain to Sound Greenway Trail.
- Stadium/South Royal Brougham Way Station the street level station will be south of Royal Brougham way, adjacent to the Metro bus base. The platform will be equipped to handle event sized crowds. A bike and pedestrian path will follow along the light rail route and connect with the Mountain to Sound Greenway Trail.
- International District/Chinatown Station is the only downtown station to be outside and will be located at the current station at South Jackson Street and Fifth Avenue South. The spirit of the International District will be incorporated into design elements of the station including symbols of the Chinese calendar and origami shapes.
- Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel reopened September 24, 2007 after two years of reconstruction. The construction was needed for Sound Transit to retrofit the tunnel for buses and light rail service. Trains should be running through the tunnel in 2009.
- Pioneer Square Station will be in the existing tunnel station under Third Avenue between Jefferson Street and Yesler Way. Entrances will be located in the Public Safety and Lyons buildings. The historic charm of Pioneer Square will be reflected in the design and materials used to update the tunnel.
- University Street Station will incorporate some of the high tech world that surrounds it in the business district. Animated light works will flash messages and symbols across granite and glass walls in the platform area. The station will be located at the existing tunnel under Third Avenue between Union and Seneca streets. Entrances will be located at Cobb building, the Washington Mutual building and Benaroya Hall.
- Westlake Station is expected to be the busiest of the light rail stations. Platforms will be wider to accommodate passengers from the downtown shopping area. The tunnel is in the same location under Pine Street between Third and Sixth avenues. Entrances are in the heart of the shopping district on the north and south sides of Pine Street near Nordstrom, Macy's, Coldwater Creek and Gap. Future plans call for additional entrances near Fifth and Sixth avenues.
- Pine Street Stub Tunnel is on the north end of the Downtown Transit Tunnel. It is a short extension to the existing transit tunnel under Pine Street and will allow light rail trains to stop and reverse direction and make the University Link extension possible without any interruption to bus and rail service in the transit tunnel. During construction, Pine Street between Seventh and Boren Avenues has been reduced to westbound travel. The construction method is "cut-and-cover", in which the stub tunnel has been excavated from the surface with the holes capped by a temporary concrete deck to allow traffic to pass over while construction continues 40-90 feet below. The restoration of Pine Street is will occur in spring 2007.
Plans for the north link of the Link Light Rail line calls for stops at:
- Capitol Hill
- University of Washington
- Brooklyn
- Roosevelt
- Northgate
The 3.15 mile route from downtown Seattle, through Capitol Hill to the University of Washington is expected to be the busiest segment of the Link Light Rail line. Once it's operational in 2030, Sound Transit leaders estimate nearly 40,000 riders daily will board the light rail both Capitol Hill and UW stops.
For a map of the Link Light Rail route, visit their Web site.
The latest news:
Bus Tunnel reopens
After two years of construction, traffic jams and bus reroutes, commuters are breathing a sigh of relief. The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel reopened Monday, September 24, just in time for the commute to work.
The tunnel received a multi-million dollar retrofit to accommodate Link Light Rail in 2009. Upgrades were also added to the tunnel including improved accessibility features for bus riders and signage. Now electronic reader boards will alert riders to bus time arrivals or potential delays.
During the closure, only buses were allowed on sections of Third Avenue. The "transit only" restrictions were made to keep traffic flowing in spite of the addition of dozens of buses. Other buses were rerouted to First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Avenues. Now that the tunnel is opened, many of those buses have resumed serviced in the tunnel, but Third Avenue remains "transit only" to ease traffic tension throughout downtown. Nearly 20 bus routes were moved from other streets onto Third Avenue.
Improvements for commuters
With more commuters waiting for their bus along Third Avenue, the city is teaming up with King County Metro and the Downtown Seattle Association to make improvements to Third Avenue.
They are working to keep trash picked up, install better lighting and improve safety. Seattle police patrols are visible along the busy roadway either on foot, bikes or horseback. They city has also hired a design team to work on visually improving the area.
The first part of the plan calls for these improvements from the Pike/Pine corridor through Blanchard Street in Belltown. But Council Members Jan Drago and Peter Steinbrueck both expressed concern that Third Avenue near Pioneer Square be cleaned up as well. The issue is expected to stay in the Transportation Committee for a few more weeks.
Learn more about the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
Can't find your downtown bus route? Check out the changes Metro made when the tunnel reopened.
Learn more about the Third Avenue Improvement plans.
Watch the September 25 Transportation Committee which discussed the Third Avenue improvements.
Previous updates
Third Avenue to remain transit only
With the priority of keeping traffic flowing in downtown, Mayor Greg Nickels announced a portion of Third Avenue will remain transit only during peak travel times after the bus tunnel reopens.
The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel has been closed for nearly two years to retrofit the tunnel for Link Light Rail. Bus routes were moved to surface streets and a section of Third Avenue was designated buses only to keep congestion down.
When the tunnel opens again on September 24, 18 routes will be moved to the tunnel. Metro plans on relocating stops for dozens of bus routes onto Third Avenue. Routes currently operating on First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Avenues will be moved to keep other traffic flowing through the downtown core.
A recent Metro report showed the restricted transit only hours of 6-9 a.m. and 3-6:30 p.m. helps traffic move through the city. Drivers will continue to have unlimited access to Third Avenue between 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. and on nights and weekends.
The light at the end of the light rail tunnel
The tunnel boring machine working on the Link Light Rail tunnel reached its destination: the other side of Beacon Hill.
The 300-foot long drill was used to bore through the hillside to create one of two tunnels for Seattle's new light rail line. Crews started the 4,300 foot long journey in January 2006. They excavated more than 50,000 cubic yards of dirt as the drill churned through the hillside. The tunnel was lined with more than 800 pre-cast concrete segments.
In June, the machine will be disassembles and transported back to the north side of the hill to start on the second tunnel. The fist tunnel is for the southbound light rail, the second will be for northbound trains. The tunnels will service the Beacon Hill Light Rail Station which will be 160 feet underground.
Construction of the light rail line began in 2003 and is more than 70 percent complete. Operators hope to have the route up and running by 2009. The route will begin at Westlake Plaza and run to Sea-Tac Airport. Stops will run through downtown, Beacon Hill, the Central District and Tukwila. Plans are in the works for an expansion of the line to Tacoma, as well as up to Capitol Hill, the University of Washington and Northgate.
To see the tunnel boring machine in action, watch the news segment of the 5/11/07 episode of City Inside/Out.
Light Rail link to head east and south of Seattle
Commuters crossing Lake Washington learned more about the proposed East Link Project from Sound Transit. Workshops held in late March and early April in Seattle and Eastside communities allowed participants to hear more about proposed stops and contribute ideas to make commuting in the Seattle area easier.
The proposed East Link Light Rail consists of 19 miles, connecting downtown Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Overlake, and Redmond via I-90. The project is an east-west extension of the Central Link Light Rail that ranges from Northgate to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Funding may also be available to extend the route south of Seattle to Tacoma. Original plans called the extension to run only to Fife.
Sound Transit receives surprise funding from President Bush
President George W. Bush's proposed Fiscal Year 2008 budget included an additional $10 million for Sound Transit's University Link Light Rail - money officials weren't expecting. The President's budget also included $70 million the agency was hoping to receive.
The University Link Light Rail extension is one of two national projects listed in the President's budget as "Proposed Full Funding Grant Agreements." Sound Transit officials plan to complete the grant application for the light rail route later this year. They expect to start construction on the route in 2009. The route would be an extension from downtown Seattle north through Capitol Hill to Husky Stadium.
The proposed $70 million would be used to help fund current light rail construction between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport. Sound Transit estimates to have that route open in 2009. The route includes stops in South Seattle and Tukwila.
UW Light Rail route gets key support
Good news for Seattle commuters: the planned Light Rail tunnel from Westlake Plaza to the University of Washington received key support from transportation officials.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said she'll recommend the link for $750 million from Congress. Peters made the announcement while touring Sound Transit's construction site in Seattle November 27.
Sound Transit officials will now spend about $35 million dollars to continue design work for the route and expansion. The federal funds will only cover a portion of the $1.7 billion dollar price tag.
Construction is expected to start on the three-mile route by 2009. The route will consist of a tunnel through Capitol Hill with one stop at Broadway and East John Street and an underground stop near Husky Stadium. A UW official says the University is supportive of the proposed stop at Husky Stadium and that they are finalizing the agreement with Sound Transit. The UW Light Rail route is expected to be open by 2016.
Officials estimate about 40,200 people will regularly use that route by 2030.
Additional Resources:
Share your thoughts:
What are your thoughts about Sound Transit's Link Light Rail plans? Share your thoughts using the links below, and be sure to check back soon with us at Seattle Channel to read more about the status of the project. Use the links below to share your thoughts with:
If you have any questions or comments on this article, or if you have an In-Depth story idea, contact Megan Erb at megan.erb@seattle.gov.
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