Public comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the West Seattle and Ballard light rail Link Extensions was gathered during the last few months and is now available in summary form online. 

The project received nearly 5,200 comments from Tribes and Tribal organizations, businesses, community and arts organizations, individuals, government agencies and elected officials.

You can download the report here

Other reports including Appendix A Tribes and Tribal Organizations, Appendix B Agencies and Elected Officials

Appendix C1 Project wide Businesses and Business Organizations, Appendix C3 Ballard Link Businesses and Business Organizations Part 1, Appendix C3 Ballard Link Businesses and Business Organizations Part 2, Appendix D1 Project wide Community and Arts Organizations, Appendix D2 West Seattle Community and Arts Organizations, Appendix D3 Ballard Link Community and Arts Organizations, Appendix C2 West Seattle Businesses and Business Organizations and Appendix E DEIS Individual Public Comments are available as well.

Here's an excerpt from the report:

ES.2.2 Duwamish Segment

• Support from individuals for Alternative DUW-2 to avoid or minimize residential and employee displacements and impacts to the West Duwamish Greenbelt (including impacts to herons) from Preferred Alternative DUW-1a and Option DUW-1b.

• Support from Port of Seattle, Northwest Seaport Alliance, and most businesses and business organizations for Preferred Alternative DUW-1a or Option DUW-1b due to reduced impacts on port, marine, and industrial facilities along Alternative DUW-2.

• Concern about impacts to the West Duwamish Greenbelt from Preferred Alternative DUW-1a or Option DUW-1b and Terminal 25 planned restoration site from Alternative DUW-2.

• Concern about direct and indirect impacts on the maritime industrial sector from business displacements and freight movement.

• Concern about maintaining bike trail connections during construction.

ES.2.3 Delridge Segment

• General support for lower height alternatives that would lead to tunnels in the West Seattle Junction Segment to minimize neighborhood impacts.

• Opposition to tall guideway structures that feel out of character with the existing neighborhood context and would result in visual and noise impacts.

• Most support for Alternative DEL-6 to reduce residential displacements and visual impact to the Youngstown neighborhood.

• Opposition to Alternative DEL-5 and Alternative DEL-6, particularly due to displacement of one or more Transitional Resources facilities and Alki Beach Academy. Other reasons provided include residential displacements, access to residences after construction, neighborhood impacts, construction impacts, and impacts to greenbelts and wetlands.

• Concern about freight traffic and station access near Nucor Steel for Alternative DEL-5 and Alternative DEL-6.

• Opposition to residential displacements, especially on the north side of Southwest Genesee Street and along 32nd Avenue Southwest.

• Concern about overall loss of affordable housing in this area.

• Concern about impacts to the West Seattle Golf Course.

• Concern about impacts to Longfellow Creek.

• The need for efficient, easy transfers to/from buses, especially for low-income and minority populations connecting from the south.

• Support for equitable transit-oriented development (TOD) at the Delridge Station, regardless of alternative.         

ES.2.4 West Seattle Junction Segment

• General support for tunnel alternatives to minimize neighborhood impacts.

• Interest in station locations closer to Alaska Junction.

• Some support for removing Avalon Station to save cost.

• Concern about residential displacements, especially removal of new multi-family buildings with elevated alternatives.

• Concern about impacts to businesses and planned development during construction.

• Desire that designs consider future extensions to the south.

ES.3 Ballard Link Extension

Frequent common themes for the overall Ballard Link Extension included:

• Concern about property acquisitions, displacements, noise and vibration, and construction period roadway closures.

• Concern about station access and multi-modal connections.
  The following sections further summarize the major comment themes by project segment.