More On No Need for 2nd Downtown Tunnel.

The August 29^th Seattle Times article “Light-rail ideas add years, cost to planning” detailing concerns with Sound Transit plan for a 2^nd light rain tunnel” continues the paper’s Traffic Lab approach to Sound Transit incompetence.    They continue to abide Sound Transit plans to spend $11.1B on a second tunnel, with their “Preferred Alternative” route and station locations North and South of existing CID station.

        

The Board has simply ignored “Public Comment” periods during meetings for nearly a year urging new station be located near CID. A March 23^rd Sound Transit Board meeting had concluded their “Preferred Alternative” was stations North and South of the existing CID station. However, they also concluded a new CID station was a “once in lifetime opportunity" to create a "space for people to transfer from light rail, to Sounder and Amtrak” and approved an additional 2 months of study of that option.    

 

The apparent result was Board Member Claudia Balducci' response in the August 29^th article that the near CID station (“Union Station Hub option) cost an additional $800 million due to need to demolish and rebuild the six-lane Fourth Avenue South viaduct. She questioned “Is there a way to make a cheaper and doable?” 

 

The answer is there “Is a way to make the “Near CID” station  "cheaper and doable”, Modify the current CID station to terminate both East Link and West Seattle Links there.  Riders on both links needing to go further can use existing Line 1 Link trains through DSTT.   On the north end, terminate Ballard Link at existing Westlake station, again using DSTT Line 1 Link for those needing to go further. 

 

The Sound Transit Board should recognize light rail trains primary goal should be to get people into and out of Seattle.  Again, those riding East Link or West Seattle trains to get to Everett or those riding Ballard Link trains to get to SeaTac can use existing DSTT.

 

Terminating the trains at the existing CID and Westlake stations will end the need for the $11.1B second tunnel.  The operating schedules for all three links could be adjusted to meet local demand.  Terminating East Link at existing CID would facilitate those going south to Boeing or SeaTac and end its operation diverting half of the DSTT train routes across I-90 Bridge.  

 

Routing West Seattle Link to existing CID rather than SODO would also end those trains taking DSTT capacity from routes to SeaTac and beyond until second tunnel is built. Terminating Ballard at existing Westlake could allow operation before the second tunnel debuts and end the need for riders to transfer from new Westlake Station to existing station for egress and access to downtown.

 

The bottom line is there is a way to have a “once in a lifetime” opportunity for a  "cheaper and doable" station location.  That doing so saves $11.1B. and avoids 5-10 years of disruption boring a tunnel and building 5 new stations.  

 

It should be an easy decision for even the Sound Transit Board and Seattle Times Traffic Lab.