Seattle Bike Blog is not where people usually go to read about light rail station placement debates. But as a Seattle resident who cheers for both an affordable and thriving International District as well as the best transit service we can create, it’s been tough to watch the conversation about station planning for the second downtown light rail line splinter the way it has. And the concerns raise questions that go beyond just this one station, calling into question people’s trust in our region’s government agencies’ abilities to deliver on their promises and lofty equity language.
First off, here’s a very high-level and over-simplified summary of the options. Until very recently a shallow or perhaps an even-shallower 4th Ave alignment has been the leading option for a station on the new light rail line through downtown headed to Ballard. New downtown stations would be at 4th/Jackson and 5th/Marion.
From a perspective that prioritizes transit system functionality above all else, a 4th/Jackson station makes a lot of sense. It connects to King Street Station, the Sounder Platform, many buses on Jackson Street and the existing Chinatown-International District light rail station. It even connects to the streetcar if that ever becomes an important transit service worth its investment and headache (foreboding).
But in recent weeks, momentum has quickly grown for an option that would place new stations on the south end of the ID on 6th Avenue South near Seattle Boulevard and at 5th Avenue near James Street utilizing King County property. This option would use Pioneer Square Station for light rail transfers, but would not directly connect to King Street Station or Sounder service. Deleting Midtown Station at 5th and Marion also has significant implications for station access on First Hill and the retail core of downtown. The 5th and James Station would directly serve Seattle City Hall, which is nice, it would also require walking a couple very steep blocks to reach bus service on either 3rd Avenue, Jackson Street or Madison Street (including the under-construction RapidRide G bus). The idea of a 6th and Seattle station is intriguing because there is a lot of potential for change there, but there are also rail lines and freeway-style roads that may limit usability.
Commute Seattle dramatically expanded its annual analysis of work trip survey data, finding a wealth of interesting data about how the city’s commute patterns have changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The biggest change by far is that as of late 2022, remote work was more than seven times higher than before the pandemic, making up 46% of “commutes” to Seattle center city workplaces on average and more than 50% on Mondays and Fridays.
The data for biking is most notable for being rock solid and consistent while other modes saw major changes. Biking was 3% of commute trips to the Seattle center city in 2019, 3% in 2021 and it’s still 3% now. This means that biking has increased its share of non-remote work trips from about 3% in 2019 to about 6% in late 2022.
In one of the most fascinating charts in the whole 81-page document, you can see how commute habits shifted. It’s one of those charts that keeps being more interesting the more you look at it.
Bob Svercl’s latest video is a bike ride around North Beacon Hill focused on some history highlights of the area. He even included a route map if you are inspired to ride to the featured areas yourself.
This is the second history ride video Bob has created recently. Two months ago, he featured Queen Anne. So definitely subscribe to his bobco85 channel on YouTube for more.
There’s a very interesting piece buried deep within a major roadway rebuild project on Rainier Avenue in Renton: 1,000 feet of trail on the east side of the street that will someday be part of the Lake Washington Loop connecting Airport Way to Seattle.
The City of Renton is staring construction work on a massive $34.5 million rebuild of Rainier Ave that will add a center median, business access transit lanes and new sidewalks to the busy and dangerous street while also repaving the roadway. But the part that caught my eye (thanks for the tip Bob Svercl!) is the one block of trail included between Airport Way and the north end of the project boundary at NW 3rd Place. It is not even noted on the Rainier Ave Phase 4 project map, but it is mentioned in the description: “A pedestrian and bike path will also be built on the east side of Rainier Ave N, between Airport Way and NW 3rd Pl.”
This trail will be on the east side of the street and connect to the recently-completed trail along Airport Way and is part of the city’s plan to fill in a major gap in the regional Lake Washington Loop bike route. (more…)
Councilmember Dan Strauss sent a letter (PDF) to Mayor Bruce Harrell asking him to shift SDOT’s Missing Link efforts to focus on designing and building a Burke-Gilman Trail connection on Market Street and Leary Way in Ballard.
“I see a lot of positive attributes to bringing this trail into our businesses and multi-use core,” said Strauss in an interview. “The trail on Shilshole requires people to cross Shilshole.”
His letter comes as new legal losses have put the city’s plans for a Shilshole Avenue trail back on ice. The state’s Shorelines Hearings Board issued a “courtesy” letter (PDF) to the city and Cascade Bicycle Club letting them know that they sided with the Ballard business coalition suing to stop the trail. The letter did not specify reasons or the options for appeal, but it’s bad news for the city’s plan to build a scaled-back version of the trail connection. With the Move Seattle Levy expiring at the end of 2024, there is a sense of urgency to invest the public’s money in a timely manor rather than continue to hold the funds for an unknown period of time. So even if the Board’s decision could be successfully appealed, it would mean further delay and further court battles. It’s not clear how long the city’s elected leaders would be willing to hold that funding for the trail when there are so many other uses for it.
This is the biggest development in the Missing Link saga in years. If Strauss’s request gathers enough political momentum and favor from Mayor Harrell’s office, it could mean a brand new design process for a legitimately exciting biking and safe streets project through the commercial core of Ballard. But it may also spell doom for a trail connection on Shilshole, which is the most direct and by far the most preferred route according to feedback collected in the city’s environmental megastudy back in 2017.
Strauss’s letter essentially calls for an extension of the trail design already on Market Street (though not technically open as a trail yet) between 24th Ave NW and the Locks. That 12-foot walking and biking trail would continue on Market, then turn down Leary and 17th Ave NW to meet back up with the Burke-Gilman Trial.
The letter itself does not officially change anything. One councilmember does not have such power. But it has a lot going for it in terms of timing and public benefit. Leary absolutely needs a safe streets update because it is a very wide and fast street through what has become a dense neighborhood. Market also needs safety improvements. In a vacuum, there is no question that this project would be great for biking and bike access to these homes and businesses. So with the city’s Shilshole trail plan somehow still not having a legal path forward, the Strauss route presents a chance for a reset. But it would be a bitter pill to swallow for many people who have fought for the Shilshole route for decades.
Cascade Bicycle Club is currently in a somewhat awkward spot. Because the Shorelines Hearings Board has yet to make their final decision, it’s not yet clear what sort of appeal options there are in that case and what the chances are of winning. It doesn’t make sense to abandon that effort unless it’s a clear loser, especially when that final decision should be coming soon. But they are generally positive on Dan Strauss’s plan, with some hesitancy.
“We’re not opposed to this option so long as it doesn’t cause any unnecessary delay to the Missing Link Shilshole route,” said Cascade Executive Director Lee Lambert.
Even if the Strauss plan does gain favor with the mayor and SDOT, there are still a ton of questions and challenges ahead. Will any business owners sue to stop it as was done on Shilshole? The city has been double-crossed on this project before, so this is a legitimate concern. Because the Leary/Market option was studied and ruled out during the environmental megastudy, does that have an impact on the city being able to build it now? And even if the trail is completed on Leary and Market, Shilshole will still be dangerous to the public and in need to safety improvements.
Former Councilmember Mike O’Brien, a longtime trail supporter, and Warren Aakervik, the retired owner of Ballard Oil, shook hands during a 2017 press conference announcing a compromise deal.
Many Seattle politicians have tried to be the one who finally brings people together to solve the Missing Link. Mayor Ed Murray was able to get trail opponents together to shake hands and smile back in 2017, but then the opponents went back on the deal and sued anyway. At this point, I think anything that is genuinely good and has momentum is worth considering. I think it makes sense for city leaders and bike advocates to wait for ongoing legal decisions to be finalized, assess the feasibility of the options, then move forward with something that can actually get done.
Trail connections to the under-construction Judkins Park light rail station will get lighting as the city and Sound Transit work to improve station access conditions before it opens in … uh … well, at some point.
Judkins Park Station is the only new Seattle station on the East Link line, and it could be one of the most bike-friendly with the Mountains-to-Sound Trail passing directly in front of its 23rd Avenue entrance. Trails already connect to Judkins Park, Dearborn/Hiawatha, through Sam Smith Park bound for the I-90 Bridge, and the northern edge of Beacon Hill. These trails act as collectors for many bike routes in the Central District, Beacon Hill, Atlantic, and the North Rainier areas. It will be fascinating to see what kinds of new bike-and-transit combos will be possible and popular once this station opens.
These trails already get all-hours use, but the light rail station is sure to increase the number of people using them after dark. The lighting is funded by a $2.1 million Sound Transit station access grant and $520,000 in Move Seattle Levy funds.
Markings are already on the ground, and construction will take 7–8 months. Be prepared for “limited trail closures” while crews are working.
From a perspective that prioritizes transit system functionality above all else, a 4th/Jackson station makes a lot of sense. It connects to King Street Station, the Sounder Platform, many buses on Jackson Street and the existing Chinatown-International District light rail station. It even connects to the streetcar if that ever becomes an important transit service worth its investment and headache (foreboding).
