County Councilman Upthegrove says light rail route should align with I-5

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove sees the future of light rail in the city of Des Moines along Interstate 5.

Upthegrove, a member of the Sound Transit Board and whose county District 5 includes Des Moines as well as parts of Kent, submitted public comments to Sound Transit voicing his support for an alignment along I-5 from Angle Lake to the Kent/Des Moines Station as the best choice for extending light rail south of SeaTac.

“It’s an option where everyone benefits,” said Upthegrove, of Des Moines, in a media release. “The I-5 alignment is cheaper than running the tracks down Highway 99 (Pacific Highway) and travel times would essentially be the same.”

The Federal Way Link Extension project will extend light rail from the future Angle Lake Station at South 200th Street in SeaTac, which is under construction, to Kent/Des Moines by 2023.

In his comments, Upthegrove points out that an alignment along I-5 through the city of Des Moines is cost effective and respects the city of Des Moines long-term economic development plans.

Upthegrove also states that using the I-5 alignment would maintain estimated ridership levels while still encouraging economic and transit oriented development along the light rail line.

Here is a copy of the letter:

Dear Sound Transit Boardmembers,

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Federal Way Link Extension Project outlines several options for extending light rail south.  One key decision we face is the location of the tracks between the Angle Lake and the Kent/Des Moines stations.

I believe an I-5 alignment from Angle Lake to the Kent/Des Moines station is the clear choice in balancing all of the public interests. We all share in the challenge of finding a preferred alternative that will:

• Respect Local Communities – Leaders in the affected cities support an I-5 alignment as the preferred alternative. The City of Des Moines is particularly adamant and resolute in their strong opposition to a Highway 99 alignment through their community.

• Control Costs – Costs of an I-5 alignment are comparable to the options along Highway 99.

• Maximize Ridership – The EIS identifies daily ridership for this alignment at 2,000 daily boardings which is on par with the Highway 99 alignment depending on the location of the Kent/Des Moines Station.

• Support Transit Oriented Development – Depending on station location, the potential for transit oriented development is comparable between the two major alignment choices.

Running the tracks along Highway 99 through the city of Des Moines would unnecessarily disrupt the economic development of a growing South County community. All of our regional objectives can be met by running the tracks along I-5.

I recognize the value of locating stations near planned population centers. In this case, the question is not where to locate stations, but simply the track alignment between two stations. The Angle Lake Station and the proposed Kent/Des Moines station are only 2.5 miles apart in a corridor served by King County Metro Rapid Ride. This proximity and existing connectivity of these stations, as well as the financial constraints and regional demands on the system as a whole, makes it extremely unlikely that a future station would be developed between the Angle Lake and Highline Community College stations.

Furthermore, I-5 and Highway 99 are reasonably close to each other along this stretch of the corridor. Thus, should a future generation wish to add a station, it will still be located in a developed area with potential density, transit oriented development, and other transit connections.

For the reasons listed above, I ask for your support for an I-5 alignment from Angle Lake to the Kent/Des Moines Station.

Sincerely,

Dave Upthegrove