Questions A Transit Board Should Ask

 

The March 23 Sound Transit Board meeting agenda included approving Motion No M2023-18 confirming Sound Transit's 2nd tunnel's Preferred Alternative Light Rail route for the Ballard Link extension and their North and South of CID stations. The result of the discussion was that the 4^th Ave CID location provided a “once in a lifetime opportunity to create a space for people to transfer from light rail to light rail, to Sounder and Amtrak". That more study was needed before the decision was made to give up that option, so a motion for an additional 2 months of study for the CID station was unanimously approved.

 

The May 1 release of the March “Agency Progress Report” included the following Sound Transit response:

 

    Board identifies alternative for Ballard Link Extension 

The preferred alternative includes stations South and North of the Chinatown-International District (CID) and shifts the Midtown Station to the location North of CID. The Board also directed that the CID 4th Avenue Shallower option be carried forward for additional environmental review. 

It raises the question as to whether a “once in a lifetime opportunity” should merit more than an “additional environmental review".  The other “news” in the progress report was the Ballard Link “target date” which had slid previously from 2035 to 2037 had slid to 2039. That raises the question as to why not terminate the Ballard Link at the existing Westlake Station with a far earlier “target date”. Especially since most of the Ballard Link riders would exit the 2^nd tunnel at its Westlake station to avoid having to go to North of CID station for egress and access. 

The Agency Progress Reports also continues Sound Transit plan to route East Link as part of Line 2 Link through DSTT to Northgate and beyond to Mariner P&R near Everett.  Why not terminate East Link at the existing CID and avoid diverting half of the DSTT trains across I-90 Bridge.  It would allow East Link operation to be matched with eastside demand and allow better access to Line 1 Link south.

The progress report also continues plan to route the West Seattle link to a 2^ndSODO station where it also initially shares Line 1 Link capacity into and out of Seattle.  Why not avoid the need to share Line 1 Link capacity and the need for a second SODO station by routing it alongside Line 1.  Terminating the Link at the CID station would allow its operation to be matched with West Seattle demand, not that of half the route to Everett.

Terminating East Link and West Seattle at existing CID would also provide the “once in a lifetime opportunity to create a space for people to transfer from light rail to light rail, to Sounder and Amtrak". It would do so at a fraction of the cost, delay, and disruption associated with implementing the 2^nd Tunnel.

The bottom line is rather than choosing were to locate 2^nd tunnel stations, the Board needs to ask Sound Transit why not terminate the Ballard Link at existing Westlake station, the East Link and West Seattle extensions at the existing CID station. Use the existing Line 1 Link on DSTT rather than  2nd tunnel for those needing to go further. (It’s something a Seattle Times Traffic Lab should “dig into” but hasn’t)

The recent delay could be used to terminate East Link at CID and terminating Ballard and West Seattle would allow earlier "target dates",  The question is “why not”.