NE 130th Street station

NE 130th Street is a proposed station on Sound Transit's Lynnwood Link Extension, part of the Link Light Rail system, to be located in Seattle, Washington. The station, which would have served the Haller Lake and Pinehurst neighborhoods of northern Seattle, was deferred from the plans for Lynnwood Link during the Sound Transit Board's selection of the final route for the line on April 23, 2015. Instead, a provision for future accommodation for construction of a station at NE 130th Street without impacting service was included in the board's resolution, at a cost of $10 million.^[1][2][3]

The station is favored by surrounding neighborhoods, including Bitter Lake to the west and Lake City to the east, through the use of neighborhood groups. The Seattle City Council passed a resolution in October 2013 recommending the inclusion of a station at NE 130th Street in the final environmental impact statement for the Lynnwood Link project.^[4] In March 2016, City Councilmember Debora Juarez of the 5th district, which encompasses most of north Seattle that would be served by the station, has criticized its exclusion and lack of priority when compared to other proposals in the Sound Transit 3 plan. She called the station "the focal point of a powerful east-west transit connection", citing a population of 90,000 residents who could benefit from feeder bus service to the station.^[5][6] The City Council also recommends the formation of an urban area at the site of the proposed station, allowing for increased mixed-use development under the city's comprehensive plan;^[7] a 2013 Sound Transit report determined that the NE 130th Street station area held limited potential for transit-oriented development, citing existing single-family homes, the presence of Jackson Park and other undevelopable areas, and the low desirability for retail to develop at the site when considering proximity to Northgate Mall.^[8]

Sound Transit expressed concerns over the inclusion of NE 130th Street station before the Lynnwood Link Extension is completed and opened, citing a possible loss of federal funding proposed for the project after the record of decision was published without the station.^[6]

The draft plan for Sound Transit 3, an upcoming ballot measure for light rail expansion, was revised in May 2016 to include $80 million for an infill station at NE 130th Street that could open in 2031. Earlier plans had listed the station as provisional, deferred until additional funding could be found, but lobbying to the Sound Transit Board by Seattle councilmembers allowed for the amendment to pass unanimously.^[9][10] By 2040, the station is expected to serve less than 1,000 daily riders.^[11][12]

References

1. Lindblom, Mike (April 23, 2015). "4 North End light-rail stations get Sound Transit's green light". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
2. "Sound Transit Resolution No. 2015-05" (PDF). Sound Transit. April 23, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
3. "Next stop: Lynnwood" (Press release). Seattle, Washington: Sound Transit. April 23, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
4. "Council Voices Support for Future Light Rail station at 130th Street" (Press release). Seattle City Council. October 9, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
5. Juarez, Debora (April 18, 2016). "Sound Transit must add North Seattle light-rail station". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
6. Green, Josh (March 30, 2016). "Councilmember calls light rail plan 'unacceptable'". KING 5 News. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
7. "3.1.1: Preferred Alternative". Seattle 2035: Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Seattle Comprehensive Plan Update (PDF) (Report). City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. May 5, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
8. "Chapter 6: NE 130th Street Station TOD Potential". Station Area Transit-oriented Development Potential Report (PDF) (Report). Sound Transit. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
9. Jaywork, Casey (June 2, 2016). "Light Rail Is Coming to North Seattle". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
10. Kroman, David (June 6, 2016). "Debora Juarez plays chicken with transit leaders — and wins". Crosscut.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
11. "Infill Light Rail Station: 130th Street (Provisional)" (PDF). Sound Transit 3 Candidate Projects List. Sound Transit. March 29, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 2, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
12. Lindblom, Mike (May 26, 2016). "Light-rail stations could open years earlier under new Sound Transit plan". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 6, 2016.

External links

• Lynnwood Link Extension

Coordinates: 47°43′23″N 122°19′26″W / 47.723128°N 122.323910°W