Oh where, oh where should light rail go?
Dozens of people let Sound Transit leaders know during a public hearing last week at Highline College in Des Moines where they would like to see tracks and stations built when the agency extends light rail from SeaTac to Kent and eventually to Federal Way.
The opinions of residents, city leaders and Highline College students and instructors bounced back and forth between picking a route along Pacific Highway south (State Route Highway 99) or Interstate 5 for the more than $1 billion project. Sound Transit plans to expand light rail from the Angle Lake Station at South 200th in SeaTac, which opens in 2016, to Kent/Des Moines at South 240th Street by 2023 and then the full 7.6 miles to Federal Way near South 320th Street when more funding is secured.
“The city of Kent supports the I-5 alignment as the most practical approach with the station located between Highway 99 on the east side and west of 30th, somewhere within that vicinity so it’s still within practical walking distance to Highline students,” Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke said at the hearing. “We feel it’s (also) very important to have an elevated station for safety reasons and an elevated walkway across Highway 99 to the campus, a walkway that needs to be covered.”
Sound Transit last month released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) that examines route alternatives and multiple station options. The potential routes are along Pacific Highway South, the west side of Interstate 5 or a hybrid system that uses Highway 99 and I-5.
Dennis Steussy, a Highline College academic advisor and a Des Moines resident, prefers a Highway 99 route.
“I think the SR 99 alternative will serve not only the students, staff and faculty members at Highline but I think it has an opportunity in the short term and long term to help the whole community,” Steussy said. “In the short term we will lose some businesses but as we create new things we also have new opportunities.”
But an owner of the La Plaza shopping center at the southwest corner of Highway 99 and the Kent Des Moines Road, prefers to keep light rail away from the mall businesses.
“We’d like to see the I-5 alignment and we’d like the transit stop coming down to 30th (Avenue) just north of South 240th,” Travis Farrell said. “A lot of our tenants and other businesses along Highway 99 are still recovering from the (economic) downturn and are finally starting to get somewhere. If the alignment comes down 99 it would severely impact their ability to continue that growth.”
Several Highline students testified that they want a station close to campus for easy light rail access. They also suggested a name for the station.
“On behalf of the 17,000 students at Highline College, we endorse a new station called Highline College station,” said Laura Yanez, student body president. “We have been here 50 years and will be here another 50 years or more. We support a station on Pacific Highway South as close to our campus as possible.”
Highline College President Jack Bermingham told Sound Transit about the importance of building a station near the campus.
“My board met this morning (May 7) but we are not ready to state a full position but we want to be clear in terms of locating the station we are very adamant about the need to have the station very close to the college, ideally on the west side of 99 but if not, certainly on the east side of 99 and no further away,” Bermingham said.
Sound Transit gets the majority of its funding through sales taxes, vehicle licensing fees, federal grants and fare box revenue. Voters initially approved funding light rail in 1996 and approved a sales tax increase in 2008 to fund expansion projects through 2023 to Southwest King County, Overlake and Lynnwood.
The agency’s board plans to pick a preferred route this summer for the Kent/Federal Way extension. Staff will then prepare a final EIS for the preferred route.
People can comment online about which route they prefer through May 26. For more information, go to federalwaylink.org.
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