Tag Archives: sound transit

Sound Transit ‘realignment plan’ adjusts schedules for new Seattle light rail: West Seattle in 2032, Ballard in 2039

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Faced with a $6.5 billion shortfall from pandemic-shrunk tax and bond forecasts, the Sound Transit Board Thursday approved a “realignment plan” that will delay many of its transit projects for years while preserving a handful of new lines and stations.

The math will work out as major delays for the two biggest Seattle projects with light rail’s extension to Ballard now pushed back to 2039 from the 2035 goal while the line to West Seattle delayed by two years to 2032.

“The steep rise in real estate and construction costs in the region in combination with advancing environmental review and project designs have driven up cost estimates for future transit expansions, contributing to a $6.5 billion affordability gap for delivering projects on earlier schedules,” the board’s statement on the vote reads. “While projects already in construction are not affected, the adopted realignment plan will guide the delivery dates for the next generation of voter-approved projects.”

The plan will keep a handful of projects on track. The NE 130th light rail station is expected to be completed by 2025, and Rainier Valley’s Graham St station and a Boeing Access Road station are planned to open in 2031.

Meanwhile, other projects nearing completion continue including the Northgate Link light rail expansion that will open up the north of the city including the University District, Roosevelt, and Northgate when it opens in October.

Judkins Park Station— and its Hendrix inspired design —  is slated to open in 2023 along with the rest of the 10-stop, voter initiative-funded East Link light rail line that will dramatically expand Sound Transit rail service in the region. The Central District station, tucked into I-90 between Rainier Ave and 23rd Ave, will be the first stop on the line that will connect Bellevue, Redmond, and Seattle across the I-90 bridge.

In 2016, voters across the region approved the Sound Transit 3 package to dramatically expand light rail in the region. The then $53.8 billion package was planned to extend light rail lines to Redmond by 2024, Ballard by 2035, and West Seattle by 2030, with extensions into Everett and Tacoma will come in the following years. The expanded system will eventually require a second downtown tunnel.

 

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As riders return, Sound Transit bumps light rail service frequency back up

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To handle more riders as the city reopens after months of COVID-19 restrictions and as the system gears up for October’s Northgate expansion, Sound Transit is increasing the frequency of light rail service, providing more frequent rides to and from Capitol Hill Station and beyond. The result of responding to increased demand? Probably even more demand.

“The days are longer, the weather is warmer, the virus is retreating, and we are all venturing out more and more. In the coming months as more and more people return to normal routines, expanded Link service will help riders get back to enjoying fast and congestion-free trips,” Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said in the announcement of the restored service. “With traffic congestion worsening and already at pre-pandemic levels, the benefits of Link will only keep growing, especially with our Oct. 2 expansion of service northward to the U District, Roosevelt and Northgate.”

The restored service begins Saturday with light rail trains running every eight minutes during peak hours and every ten minutes during midday and weekends. Late evening service will run every 15 minutes. Continue reading →

Short billions for coming voter-approved projects, Sound Transit beginning ‘realignment’ process

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With news that new estimates show light rail to Ballard and West Seattle will cost billions more than expected, Sound Transit will hold a public workshop this week to bring its board of directors up to date on the cost challenges:

The Sound Transit Board of Directors will convene a workshop on Jan. 21 as part of work toward planned July decisions on long-range capital program adjustments in response to revenue impacts and cost pressures. The 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. workshop will take place as a videoconference due to ongoing COVID-19 precautions and can be watched at the below link. Information on the realignment process and the revenue and cost challenges is available at soundtransit.org

“Sound Transit is facing an unprecedented and extremely challenging financial environment caused by two major, simultaneous factors: (1) a pandemic-driven recession that has severely reduced consumer spending and government agency tax revenues; and (2) unrelenting pressures in the real estate and construction sectors of the economy that are continuing to drive costs to levels significantly beyond those foreseen in our plans,” the agency’s “Realignment Overview” reads.

“With greatly depleted revenues and higher construction costs, Sound Transit will not be able to deliver many expansion projects on their original timelines unless we receive alternative revenue from federal or state sources,” the overview says. Continue reading →

Sound Transit dropping color plan so you can take the 1 Line to Capitol Hill Station

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(Image: Sound Transit)

Sound Transit is transitioning to an alphanumeric system for naming its light rail lines and bus routes. The public transit agency announced the decision last week to adopt the new system of numbers and letters that will change the line currently connecting north and south through the city via Capitol Hill to the 1 Line.

In November, CHS reported on the agency’s ill-fated “Red Line” designation of the route serving Capitol Hill Station as Sound Transit was preparing for the launch of the Blue Line serving a new connection to the Eastside.

“As the term Red Line became more visible we heard concerns from members of our community, that this term carries unfortunate associations with the punitive practice by lenders of ‘redlining,'” Sound Transit said at the time. Continue reading →

Light rail service reduction and transfers to continue as Sound Transit needs one more ‘Connect 2020’ closure

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New tracks for Connect 2020 (Image: Sound Transit)

The past weekend was supposed to be the final in a series of closures in the push to complete Sound Transit’s Connect 2020 project to hook the coming East Link light rail expansion to the city’s existing underground transit tunnel running from downtown to Pioneer Square.

Looks like contractors will need some extra time after an issue was identified in some of the newly installed track: Continue reading →

Sound Transit fare enforcement reform recommendations get early 2020 deadline

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A roster of King County and Seattle officials are asking for Sound Transit to have answers about how it will reform its fare enforcement policies early in the new year.

A letter signed by Sound Transit Board officials including King County Council member, Joe McDermott, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Seattle City Council member Debora Juarez calls on Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff to have findings and recommendations for overhauling how the agency manages fare enforcement by February. Continue reading →

‘It’s good to remind folks how the system works’ — On first day of school, students get lesson in Sound Transit fare enforcement

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The start of the year for Seattle Public School students who rode Sound Transit light rail to school Wednesday included an important lesson. The fare enforcement process deployed by the transit agency is draconian.

And you can’t trust adults.

A photo posted by SPS educator Jesse Hagopian showing an enforcement employee reportedly requesting and photographing student IDs on light rail Wednesday morning sparked backlash about the practices and policies deployed by the agents. Continue reading →

Beep beep — There’s a new sound from riders tapping out at Capitol Hill Station

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If like CHS, you can’t hear a beep, chirp, bleep, toot toot, or other rhythmic sound sequence without immediately mimicking it like your aunt’s canary, you’re about to get a new song as you enter and exit Capitol Hill Station.

To help clear up confusion when using ORCA fare cards, Sound Transit is changing the way its sensor beep — beep beep:

Link and Sounder fares are based on how far you travel. So we ask you tap your card before boarding the train and again when you get off so we know the correct fare to charge you or your employer that’s paying for your ride. Based on rider feedback like the tweet below, the ORCA readers will now beep twice when you tap off and end your trip. One beep to ride, two beeps to end your ride
Continue reading →

Capitol Hill Station development not tall or affordable enough for you? Sound Transit approves deals for more

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The Sound Transit Board approved the nitty gritty business terms of two deals Thursday that will create hundreds of affordable housing units a short walk or a First Hill Streetcar ride away from its Capitol Hill Station light rail facility.

Terms approved Thursday in one deal are worthy of the most complicated baseball trade involving a four-way swap between Sound Transit, Seattle Central and the state community college system, and Capitol Hill Housing.

  • Sound Transit will convey Site D to the College Parties in exchange for the Atlas Site. Sound Transit will then convey the Atlas Site to CHH for a mixed-use, affordable housing development that meets the requirements of RCW 81.112.350. Continue reading →

Groups announce First Hill plan for Seattle’s ‘largest’ affordable housing building

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Nonprofit developers Bellwether Housing and Plymouth Housing Group announced Monday morning that they are moving forward on an affordable housing project on surplus Sound Transit land on First Hill. The project will be “the largest building constructed by any affordable housing provider in Seattle, with 12 to 15 floors of housing over a floor of retail, service, and community space.”

Sound Transit has agreed to transfer to the two organizations at “zero-cost” following a November decision on what to do with the land originally acquired for a never-built First Hill light rail station at the corner of Madison and Boylston. Continue reading →