As Westside Seattle reported in April, Sound Transit came back from an Executive Retreat with some clear directional changes for the West Seattle Link Extension. They shared those in a community forum on April 1.

The board’s pivotal decision on May 28 addresses an estimated $34.5 billion long-term funding gap through a series of sweeping cost-saving updates.

Most notably, the updated plan eliminates the proposed Avalon Station. This controversial refinement allows more of the light rail alignment to be built via tunnel, reducing total project costs by over $2 billion and decreasing the count of private properties slated for acquisition. While the revised route now proceeds with only three primary stations—SODO, Delridge, and Alaska Junction—Sound Transit officials emphasize that the changes preserve the long-term light rail service promised to West Seattle.

The Pulse of the Community: Feedback from the April 1 Forum

The funding and design revisions come on the heels of that April  forum, where West Seattle residents submitted dozens of feedback sheets detailing their visions, hopes, and anxieties regarding the incoming transit line.

The newly released feedback highlights a neighborhood deeply divided over construction impacts, but largely united in demanding that the light rail stations serve as community hubs rather than empty concrete plazas.

A central theme from the forum was a powerful push for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). With Seattle facing ongoing housing pressures, multiple residents urged local leaders and Sound Transit to maximize density near the Delridge and Alaska Junction stations.

"We are in a housing crisis! This redevelopment offers a huge chance to build big! 6 stories should be the minimum anywhere north of the park," wrote one community member. Another participant agreed, noting that there is "so much potential for TOD on this unique neighborhood, need to have some of it ready and open for day one when the station opens!".

Beyond density, residents called for "social housing" and targeted City of Seattle zoning policies to keep the neighborhood affordable and protect families from displacement.

Concerns about rising costs were widespread, with one respondent asking: "How do you plan to avoid gentrification? Our neighbors are worried about being priced out of their homes".

Mixed Reactions over Avalon Station’s Demolition from the Map

The decision to completely remove Avalon Station from the plans has drawn starkly contrasting reactions from local stakeholders.

Sound Transit has justified the removal by pointing to the $2 billion in savings and noting that the change results in a net loss of only about 200 daily boardings, as most riders will transfer to Delridge or Alaska Junction instead.

For some residents, the deletion was a logical step: "Love the eliminate Avalon design. What took so long for this common sense design to surface? Stick to it for all the reasons described in the presentation," wrote one attendee.

However, others expressed deep frustration, arguing that thousands of voters who supported the original ST3 package will be underserved. "Taking away a station (Avalon) would detrimentally impact thousands who could use it," another feedback sheet read. "We've voted for and commented about station planning and were adamant about keeping it without any changes".

Demands for Local Retail, Fresh Food, and Pedestrian Plazas

Whether in Delridge or the Junction, residents were eager to see the station environments reflect active, walkable spaces rather than parking lots. Many requested space for local small businesses, micro-retail, coffee shops, and fresh food markets. .

One Delridge resident envisioned a space resembling a miniature East Coast hub: "I would love to have it be like NYC – musicians, kiosks, community space – maybe NYC subway – Seattle style? ... I would love to see local businesses selling fresh veggies & convenient foods". Others focused on pedestrianized public squares: "I'd like to see space for gathering car-free with space for corner stores and public spaces to gather".

Critical Concerns: Accessibility, Safety, and the Environment

Alongside hopes for vibrant development, community members raised critical questions about the daily mechanics of the future transit system. Accessibility was a major point of concern for residents navigating mobility or visual impairments. One commentator warned that "above ground station limits accessibility for people with mobility and visual issues" and demanded to know how escalators, elevators, and ongoing maintenance would be managed to prevent long-term disruptions.

Environmental protection also surfaced as a major concern. Activists and neighbors questioned the impact of the massive concrete guideways on fragile local ecosystems. One attendee raised concerns about "a potential disastrous loss of green space" in the Duwamish Greenbelt, asking: "what's being done to protect the Old Growth Trees & Heron Rookery in the North end of the Duwamish Greenbelt?". Others asked about mitigation plans for Longfellow Creek, describing it as a "degraded ecosystem" with "steep banks dominated by invasive species" and multiple barriers to fish passage.

Finally, the timeline itself remains a source of local anxiety. While some residents are desperate to see construction begin, with one 72-year-old attendee noting, "I want to ride to Tacoma before I get old"  and others are worried about the immediate disruptions to daily life. A resident near the Youngstown Cultural Center wrote, "My family & neighbors are concerned what the construction of the light rail will mean for us. Delridge already gets so backed up in the morning".

What Lies Ahead

Sound Transit says the project is now officially moving into the "final design" phase. The agency has promised to work closely with the City of Seattle, King County Metro, and neighborhood stakeholders to refine station designs, plan property acquisitions, and integrate local bus networks. Geotechnical testing is already underway on Harbor Island to lay the groundwork for the future Duwamish River crossing.

Reference Materials & Full Documents

For readers looking to explore the raw community feedback and the complete, page-by-page agency responses, the full PDFs of the April forum are available below:

• 📄 [Link to Full PDF: April 1 WS Light Rail Forum feedback.pdf]
  Contains the comprehensive, unedited compilation of feedback sheets submitted by West Seattle residents on April 1st.

• 📄 [Link to Full PDF: April 1 WS Light Rail Forum responses.pdf]
  Contains Sound Transit's detailed, topic-by-topic responses, project timelines, and FAQ regarding the updated ST3 plan.