Template revised April 12, 2018.

COMMISSION

AGENDA MEMORANDUM

Item No.

BRIEFING ITEM

Date of Meeting

September 25, 2018

DATE: August 27, 2018

TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director

FROM: Geri Poor, Regional Transportation Manager

Lindsay Wolpa, Regional Government Affairs Manager

SUBJECT: Update on Sound Transit 3 (ST3) West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Sound Transit staff will provide an update on the ST3 West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions

planning and the preferred alternatives stakeholder process. Commissioners and their Port of

Tacoma colleagues received an initial briefing on the project at their April 3 Northwest Seaport

Alliance (NWSA) Managing Members meeting. During this briefing, commissioners and

executives will have the opportunity to ask questions about related development processes

from staff coordinating Port of Seattle and NWSA engagement on the project, in advance of

decision making on October 5, 2018.

OVERVIEW

In early 2018, Sound Transit launched its extensive stakeholder process related to the ST3 West

Seattle and Ballard Extensions project. Using “representative” alignments presented in the 2016

voter-approved ballot measure, Sound Transit is seeking consensus around “preferred”

alignments for the project before launching the project’s environmental review in early 2019.

The nexus between Port of Seattle and Northwest Seaport Alliance operations and the project’s

corridors is significant. Through construction and subsequent operations, this project has the

potential of impacting many port facilities:

 Fishermen’s Terminal

 Salmon Bay Marina (adjacent to Fishermen’s Terminal)

 Interbay/Magnolia cruise terminal, and industrial and seafood product operations

(Terminals 90 and 91)

 Terminal 18 (Harbor Island)

 Terminal 5 (adjacent to West Seattle)

 Terminal 25 (south of T-46 and north of Spokane St.)

 Terminals 102, 104, and 106

An analysis of potential port impacts can be reviewed in greater detail through the attached

early scoping comments submitted on March 5, 2018. Sound Transit provided an overview of

the West Seattle and Ballard Extensions at the Managing Members’ April 3 meeting and has

COMMISSION AGENDA – Briefing Item No. ____ Page 2 of 3

Meeting Date: September 25, 2018

Template revised September 22, 2016.

been working closely with Port and NWSA staff throughout the preferred alternative

stakeholder process to identify and minimize port effects in the alternatives.

On September 5, Sound Transit presented the results of their Level 2 screening analysis to the

appointed Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) in a public meeting and to several other groups

throughout the month. On September 26, the SAG will provide recommendations on

alternatives to move forward. On October 5, the Elected Leadership Group will consider the

SAG and other inputs and provide its recommendations to pursue into Level 3 analysis. After

this additional screening through winter 2019, the Sound Transit board will vote on a preferred

alternative for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions in April 2019.

BACKGROUND

Sound Transit’s mission is to plan, build and operate mass transit service throughout central

Puget Sound. The initial phase of the regional mass transit system, called Sound Move, was

approved by voters in 1996. The second phase, Sound Transit 2 (ST2), was approved in 2008.

Under ST2, the regional light rail system will more than double in length from just over 20 miles

today to over 50 miles by 2023. Service is also increasing on the 83-mile Sounder commuter rail

line between Everett and Lakewood, and Sound Transit express buses continue to serve major

highways in the region.

On November 8, 2016, voters of the Central Puget Sound region approved the Sound Transit 3

(ST3) ballot measure. The plan builds 62 new miles of light rail to form a 116-mile system. ST3

extends the Sounder south rail line by two stations at Tillicum and DuPont while extending

station platforms and making other capacity improvements to the south. Bus rapid transit is

built to serve communities north, east, and south of Lake Washington and station area parking

and access improvements are made region wide. These West Seattle and Ballard Extensions

were also approved in the 2016 ballot measure.

The ballot measure included a “representative project alignment,” essentially acting as a

baseline for further development of the link extensions. The “representative” project for the

West Seattle Link Extension builds light rail from West Seattle's Alaska Junction neighborhood

to downtown Seattle primarily on an elevated guideway with a new rail-only fixed span crossing

of the Duwamish River. The West Seattle Link Extension will connect to existing Link service,

continuing north to Lynnwood and Everett. The “representative” projects for the Ballard Link

Extension and downtown Seattle Light Rail Tunnel build light rail from Ballard's Market Street

area through downtown Seattle with both tunneled and elevated sections and a rail-only

movable bridge over Salmon Bay. These connect to Link service, continuing south to Tacoma.

Sound Transit launched a broad stakeholder process in early 2018 with the goal of building

consensus around a “preferred project alignment” for the West Seattle and Ballard Extensions

in advance of starting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2019. That process includes

the formation of an Elected Leadership Group (ELG), interagency staff group and a Stakeholder

Advisory Group (SAG).

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Meeting Date: September 25, 2018

Template revised September 22, 2016.

Commissioner Stephanie Bowman is representing NWSA and Port of Seattle interests on the

ELG. She sits on the group along with six Seattle councilmembers, King County Executive Dow

Constantine, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and King

County Council Chair Joe McDermott. Port staff is represented on the interagency group and is

also closely monitoring the SAG and other Sound Transit outreach efforts.

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING

(1) Presentation slides

(2) Sound Transit Alternative Evaluation Criteria

(3) Port of Seattle and Northwest Seaport Alliance ST3 WSBLink Early Scoping Comments

PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS

April 3, 2018 – The Managing Members were briefed on the ST3 West Seattle and Ballard

Link Extensions and related stakeholder process.