Funding for Sound Transit’s downtown link still up in the air

Sound Transit held the first of five open houses and public hearings regarding East Link light rail options on Wednesday evening at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center.

By Mary Stevens Decker • January 22, 2009 11:15 pm
Sigrid Wilken
Sigrid Wilken

Eastsiders show some concern with light rail options

Sound Transit held the first of five open houses and public hearings regarding East Link light rail options on Wednesday evening at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center.

East Link is Sound Transit’s voter-approved project to expand light rail service from downtown Seattle to the Eastside with stations in Mercer Island, south Bellevue, downtown Bellevue, the Bel-Red corridor and Redmond’s Overlake area.

The East Link line is expected to serve up to 48,000 daily riders in one of the region’s most congested travel corridors. East Link is scheduled to open in downtown Bellevue in 2020 with service to Overlake by 2021.

While most attendees at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse seemed pleased at the prospect of a new, fast and frequent means of public transportation, some homeowners were worried about the close proximity of certain proposed routes to their residences.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published in December and outlines 19 route alternatives with up to 13 stations. Input is being gathered at public meetings and through other means such as letters and e-mails through Feb. 25. Public comments will help to inform the Sound Transit Board, of whom Redmond Mayor John Marchione is a member, of community preferences.

CONCERNS ABOUT “SEGMENT E”

“Segment E” of the Draft EIS shows how light rail could eventually be extended to Redmond Town Center and the Redmond Tranist Center. Among citizens who voiced concerns at Wednesday’s public hearing, most own condominiums or townhomes along Old Redmond Road in the Segment E area of the Draft EIS.

They believe that the light rail system, including elevated tracks, will impact their views, create constant noise and vibrations and ultimately, decrease their property values.

Within Segment E, three different routes are under consideration:

• The Redmond Way Alternative (E1) would follow State Route 520 to West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast, where it would head north to Redmond Way, turn northeast on the south side of Redmond Way and cross the Sammamish River. E1 would continue along Redmond Way and turn southeast into the BNSF Railway right-of-way to the Redmond Town Center Station, then travel over Bear Creek and the SR 520/SR 202 interchange to the terminus at the Southeast Redmond Station.

With an estimated cost of $680 million, this route forecasts ridership of 3,000 daily boardings at the stations in this alternative in 2030.

• The Marymoor Alternative (E2) would remain elevated on the south side of SR 520 with a new bridge structure over the Sammamish River, then descend down to the south side of SR 520 along Marymoor Park. After the Southeast Redmond Station, E2 would turn west and go under the SR 520/SR 202 interchange before entering the BNSF Railway right-of-way. E2 would then continue past the Redmond Town Center Station to Northeast 161st Street, where it would head north, with a terminus station at the Redmond Transit Center. Sound Transit is also considering ending Alternative E2 at the Redmond Town Center Station.

With an estimated cost of $570-790 million, E2 is also predicted to have 3,000 daily boardings.

• The Leary Way Alternative (E4) would follow SR 520 to West Lake Sammamish Parkway Northeast, where it would turn north before heading east on Leary Way and entering downtown Redmond. From Leary Way, E4 would turn southeast in to the BNSF Railway right-of-way and continue over Bear Creek and under SR 520 to the Southeast Redmond terminus station, which would be at-grade. This would be the shortest Segment E alternative.

Estimated cost for the E4 alternative is $580 million, also providing 3,000 daily boardings.

No funding is yet in place for Segment E, to extend East Link to downtown Redmond, but Sound Transit is examining its options to do so at some point in the future, said Don Billen, East Link project manager.

“The city is working on right-of-way preservation for that extension, to put into place a right-of-way to avoid development conflicts,” he noted.

FEEDBACK TIME

Additional open houses and public hearings were scheduled for Jan. 22 in Seattle, Jan. 27 in Mercer Island, and at two locations in Bellevue on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

At Bellevue High School, 10416 Wolverine Way, the open house will run between 5:30-8:30 p.m. and public hearing will start at 6 p.m.

At Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Ave. NE, the open house is from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and the public hearing starts at 4:30 p.m.

Draft EIS documents are available at local public libraries, including Redmond Regional Library and Bellevue Regional Library, as well as online.

To view the Executive Summary for the East Link Project Draft EIS go to:

http://www.soundtransit.org/Documents/pdf/projects/eastlink/deis/ExecSummary.pdf.

To view the East Link Project Draft EIS complete document in .pdf format, go to:

http://www.soundtransit.org/x9959.xml.

The public comment period runs through Feb. 25. For more information, visit www.soundtransit.org.