Sound Transit accelerates schedule for NE 130th Street light rail station

On Thursday the Sound Transit Board approved acccelerating the schedule for the infill light rail station at NE 130th Street.

The original plan had the station opening in 2031, seven years after the Lynnwoood Link extension opens. Seattle City Council member Debora Juarez has stumped for the years for the station, first to get it added to the plans and then to move it up in the construction schedule.

The station design has not been completed yet, let alone the construction schedule, so Sound Transit officials are not yet able to be specific on when the station will open. But accelerating the schedule will hopefully allow more of it to be built before 2024, reducing disruptions that would otherise be caused by adding an infill station along an operating line. And of course it will be a boon to North Seattle residents commuting downtown.

Proposed Bus Route Changes in Greenwood

Greenwood Community Council February Meeting

Tuesday February 18, 7:00 pm

Greenwood Library, 8016 Greenwood Ave. N

We have two great transportation topics this month – great because (1) they are important, and (2) because they are at a point in their processes where your input can make a difference. 

Agenda:

7:00: Intro and Announcements

7:05: North Link Connections Mobility Project: Metro will present their preliminary proposals to reconfigure the north end bus network once Link light rail opens to Northgate in 2021. Routes 355 and 45 would be changed, and a new route would connect Greenwood to Northgate and Lake City. (More information on Metro’s website, which includes maps and route descriptions).

7:50: N 83rd St. Greenway and Safety Improvements: Seattle SDOT staff will describe work underway to design and construct a greenway on N 83rd St. connecting Greenwood to Green Lake by bicycle for those who prefer riding on streets with less traffic. A new crosswalk signal would be installed at 83rd and Greenwood. Safety improvements in the area will also be described. (More information on the SDOT website).

8:25: Next Steps?

8:30: Adjourn

More on Proposed Metro Changes:

Metro is using the introduction of light rail as a catalyst for major network changes throughout their service area to promote high frequency routes and relying on transferring to reach more destinations. Metro’s proposed changes affecting Greenwood include:

• Starting route 45 in Greenwood rather that in Loyal Heights, and using 80th instead of 85th east of Greenwood Ave. Route 45 buses would begin and end on 3rd W where the 5X ends now. Route 45 riders headed to Loyal Heights would need to transfer, and there are concerns about long waits to cross Aurora on 80th.
• Eliminating route 355 and route 5 express, replacing both with new route 16, that runs the current 5X route but extended north to N 130th St. The 355 would no longer serve 85th St. or Roosevelt Way in the University District; those riders would take route 45. Route 355 riders to Shoreline CC would take local route 5.
• Adding a new cross-town route 61 beginning in Loyal Heights and connecting to Northgate and Lake City. This route would follow the 45 route on 85th, but then turn north to serve North Seattle College, connect to Link at Northgate, then continue to Lake City – connecting Greenwood to new destinations across north Seattle. 

Please give some thought to whether you would use buses more frequently if they went to the places you need to go, and how these changes would affect you. Greenwood has chimed in previously hoping for direct connections to proximate destinations in Ballard and Fremont.

Our first vote on 130th is expected to be 2/13/20

We’re in a critical moment for 130th Street Station. The Sound Transit System Expansion Committee is expected to vote on the year in which the station opens (2024 to 2031) by late February/early March 2020. This vote, which we hope will be for an early, 2024, opening is expected to be close. 

How you can help advocate for a 2024 opening for 130th Street Station:

Send emails to the following Sound Transit board members (not to the whole board as we’ve previously done). Note that Councilmember Juarez and Mayor Durkan believe a 2024 opening is a “no-brainer” and are doing all they can to make that happen.

• Dow Constantine King County Executive, Constantine@kingcounty.gov
• Claudia Balducci King County Council Chair, Balducci@kingcounty.gov
• Jenny Durkan Seattle Mayor, Durkan@seattle.gov
• Debora Juarez Seattle Councilmember, Juarez@seattle.gov
• Joe McDermott King County Council Vice Chair, Mcdermott@kingcounty.gov
• Roger Millar Washington State Secretary of Transportation, millarr@wsdot.wa.gov
• Kim Roscoe Fife Mayor, kroscoe@cityoffife.org
• Dave Upthegrove King County Councilmember, Upthegrove@kingcounty.gov
• Peter von Reichbauer King County Councilmember, vonReichbauer@kingcounty.gov
• Victoria Woodards Tacoma Mayor, Woodards@cityoftacoma.org

Our messages should be positive and persuasive. Ask for a 2024 opening. If they can’t get there, ask for a full design. Here is a sample message to consider:

I am writing in regard to the upcoming decision that Sound Transit will be making regarding the timing of opening 130th Street Station. I respectfully ask that you consider supporting a 2024 opening of the station. If however, you do not support a 2024 opening of the station, I ask for you to support Sound Transit in getting the station to full design as soon as possible. 

130th Street Station will enable efficient access to light rail for communities that, relative to the rest of North Seattle, are more diverse, lower-income, and less likely to own vehicles. And, an opening of 130th along with the rest of the Lynnwood line will minimize negative impacts to riders north of Seattle.

Thank you so much for your consideration.

Thank you for all that you have done in support of 130th Street Station. We would not have gotten so far as a community without all of us working together on this!

Advocates for 130th Street Station
NE130th@gmail.com

+1-206-209-7204