The West Seattle Transportation Coalition has issued a lettter of commentary regarding the Sound Transit 3 plans thus far for the Phase 1 light rail extension to West Seattle and Ballard. The letter was addressed to Seattle Mayor Durkan, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Rep. Joe McDermott and members of the Seattle City Council.

Dear Stakeholder Advisory Group, Elected Leadership Group, and Sound Transit Board Members:

The West Seattle Transportation Coalition (WSTC) is a peninsula-wide organization working to address transportation and mobility issues for Seattle’s largest constituency – the nearly 100,000 people living on the 10 square miles of the West Seattle Peninsula. WSTC’s top issue has always been ingress-egress and mobility issues between our Peninsula and points beyond.  The West Seattle Bridge Transportation Corridor (WSBTC), which connects us with major north-south arteries from SR 99 and E Marginal-Alaskan Way to Airport Way and I-5 is the city’s busiest transportation artery. It carries nearly 118,000 vehicles a day – 10,300 on the Spokane St Swing (low) Bridge, and 107,300 on the High Bridge (SDOT 2014). 

Since WSTC sponsored the first public Light Rail Planning Workshop in West Seattle in June 2017, our constituents have known that ST3 light rail to West Seattle may be the single biggest transportation project to affect our neighborhoods this century, and our supporters want to ensure we make significant improvements for the benefit of all our neighbors while limiting negative impacts wherever possible.

Comments presented here are based on input received and outreach conducted to-date and reflect WSTC suggestions for further refinement of the Phase 1 alternatives and concerns to consider in developing Phase 2. We seek to help reduce the number of alternatives eventually included for study in the ST3 West Seattle and Ballard Extension EIS process. We also seek to identify options that will best meet the needs of all communities affected by ST3 expansion – the West Seattle Peninsula, including White Center and further points south(west), and SODO – which includes not just those in the walkshed or living near the guideway and stations but also those arriving by bicycle, bus, and other modes.

WSTC also wishes to raise the following concerns regarding the alternatives refinement process: 

 1)         Why did the discussion and input of the Stakeholders Advisory Group occur prior to completion of all of ST3’s neighborhood forums? West Seattleites have expressed concern in public and in online social media forums that this makes it appear that SAG’s input is out of step with the citizen input provided by the significant numbers of people present at the May 5th West Seattle Neighborhood forum.

 2)         Why does the work progress of the Stakeholders Advisory Group suggest a significant reduction in the alternatives under consideration after only the first phase of a three-phase process, and well before alternatives have been selected for consideration in the project’s EIS process?

 The summary of the Group’s April 24th meeting suggests that only two of the alternatives in West Seattle are recommended to be carried forward to Phase 2 – which is in stark contrast to the recommendations in the Interbay / Ballard area where millions of dollars were spent on outreach and planning by SDOT in the years prior to Sound Transit’s preparation for the ST3 ballot initiative.

 Additionally, WS Blog coverage of this meeting reported that Group members “had barely seconds to discuss” some alternatives “when discussion was shut off” and “[c]oncerns were also voiced about whether SAG members had enough information to fully rule some options out or in.”  

 If Sound Transit staff are aware of specific details that would rule specific alternatives out, then those details should be shared publicly. Additionally, if staff have already ruled out some of these alternatives – and/or are looking to significantly narrow the alternatives which move forward for consideration – then this should have been made clear to the members of the public in attendance at the neighborhood forums, and in subsequent news coverage, and should be made public as soon as possible. 

 If only two alternatives are to move forward for Phase 2 consideration, there must be a viable elevated and tunnel option for continued comparison of the benefits and costs to both alternatives for grade separation. 

 The WSTC looks forward to working with all of you throughout Alternatives Development and beyond. Together, we are committed to helping Sound Transit deliver the elegant solution that will benefit all of the 100,000+ people living, working, and visiting the West Seattle Peninsula for many years to come.

 Thank you for the opportunity to comment. 

In Community,

Michael Taylor-Judd

Chair, West Seattle Transportation Coalition Board

info@westseattletc.org / www.westseattletc.org