ST Board’s Delusional West Seattle Decision

The YouTube video, “Sound Transit Board selects West Seattle extension route” finalizes its plan to spend up to $7.1B on a 4.1- mile light rail extension from Alaska Junction to SODO. That they’d okayed proceeding with final design and construction will begin in 2027 and take five years to complete.. Some caveats are the increase from the $2.3B in 2016 was attributed to costs based on increasing design from 10% to 30% of final. Thus, finalizing the design may require further costs increases. Also, the $7.1B was in 2024 dollars so nearly 8 years of inflation will see a substantial increase. 

 However, the real caveat is the West Seattle extension’s limited benefits. That spending whatever it takes to construct a second bridge over Duwamish waterway for a light rail connection between Alaska Junction and Sodo will do little to improve public transit.   

King County Metro already provides Rapid Ride C and Rapid Ride H, 24-hour service to the entire area.  During peak commute Rapid Ride C buses run every 15 minutes from Westwood Village, Fauntleroy Ferry to Alaska Junction, down Avalon Way, across West Seattle Bridge to Highway 99, 3^rd Ave in Seattle, and Westlake Ave to South Lake Union.  Schedules typically show 20 minutes from Alaska Junction to 3^rd Ave & Seneca.  Late night and early morning intervals stretch from 20 minutes to hourly.  

Rapid Ride H runs on a similar schedule from Burien T/C to White Center along Delridge Way to West Seattle Bridge to Highway 99 and 3^rd Ave, taking 18 minutes from Myrtle St on Delridge to Madison St on 3^rd Ave.  KCM also provides Route 21 along 35^th Ave in West Seattle, again down Avalon Way, across bridge to Sodo and 1^st Ave into Seattle.  It’s routed from 4:40 am to 12:42 am, again on similar intervals. All three routes provide multiple stops for access in West Seattle and egress on 3^rdAve in Seattle and beyond.  

By comparison West Seattle Link riders’ access will be limited to those withing walking distance of Alaska Junction, Avalon, and Delridge stations or those transferring from bus. It’s not clear what the extension’s schedule will be, but Sound Transit’s claim West Seattle Link extension Improves transit service frequency, reliability, and capacity is dubious at best.

That the “Preferred Alternative” benefits the passenger experience with “Direct and convenient bus/rail connections at all stations” apparently assumes commuters will want to transfer to and from light rail for the route to SODO. There they’ll have to transfer to get to CID and walk to desired destination and reverse the walk and transfers for their return.  The fact they’ll have “High quality transfer between Link Lines at SODO Station” does little to enhance the transfer.  That comments at the September board meeting indicated the SODO station will devastate the area's development prospects.

That benefits claimed for the extension, “Substantial eTOD & Joint Development opportunity in Alaska Junction” is hardly a benefit for the 63 businesses and 145 residents lost because of construction.  That it “minimizes residential displacements” is of little comfort for those losing their homes.  It’s also not clear why light rail from the Alaska Junction to Sodo “Enhances mobility and access”. Or the benefits of it saving 15 minutes for the commute to Westlake in 2042.

The bottom line is the Sound Transit Board continues their “field of dreams approach” that if we build light rail riders will come.  That commuters who currently have access to three KCM routes to multiple stops in Seattle will choose to transfer to a light rail route to SODO for the commute. That they are willing to spend up to $7,100 million in 2024 dollars and years devastating the area along entire route to do so.

That’s way beyond being merely "optimistic",  that’s delusional.