West Seattle and Ballard

Links Extensions
Transportation and Utilities Committee
April 19, 2022
 Presentation

1. Project overview

2. Draft EIS alternatives recap

3. Cost saving and refinement concepts

2
Project overview
 PLANNING DES
2016 2017–2019 2019–2023
Alternatives Environmental review
development
Early 2022: Publish Draft EIS
Feb–March 2018:
Public comment period
Early scoping
Board confirms or modifies
Feb–April 2019: preferred alternatives
Scoping
2023: Publish Final EIS
May–Oct 2019: Board
Board selects projects
identified preferred
to be built
alternatives and other
DEIS alternatives Federal Record of Decision

4 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
 Draft EIS alternatives

What we’re studying in this phase

Preferred Alternatives
Preferred Alternatives with
Third-Party Funding
Other Draft EIS alternatives

*Dates reflect an affordable schedule based on current financial

projections and cost estimates, and a target schedule.

35
Community engagement and collaboration
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
2021 2022
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL

Draft EIS
Public Meetings 1 virtual hearing and 3 virtual
1 in-person meeting hearings

Community
Advisory Groups Process Station Draft EIS Draft EIS results Draft EIS, cost Consolidating
overview Planning results overview deep dive savings & refinements feedback

Sound Transit
System Expansion Draft EIS and Public comment Confirm/modify
Committee cost savings summary preferred alternative

Draft EIS Confirm/modify

results overview preferred alternative
Sound Transit
Board

PUBLIC COM M ENT PERIOD

6 Updated February 2022. Meeting dates/topics subject to change.

External Engagement Snapshot (1/28-4/8)
featured on 26 unique radio, digital
820+ Draft EIS comments Ads and print publications

5 Draft EIS Public Meetings 30

on social media platforms,
posts with 140K+ impressions
online engaging more than
1 open house 10,551 online visitors 13 Community Drop-in events
community briefings and
48 workshops 5 email updates
and Platform
blog posts
engaging more than
10,900 subscribers
38 property owner webinars
delivered along
and meetings
1,200+ posters the corridor

10 Community Advisory Group meetings Community engaging more than

10 liaisons 150 businesses
Draft EIS alternatives recap
9 Travel Times and Reliability (2042) Project Corridor
 What is typically studied in an EIS?
Transportation Built environment
• Regional transportation • Acquisitions, displacements and relocations
• Transit services • Noise and vibration
• Arterial and local street systems • Economic effect
• Parking • Visual resources
• Non-motorized facilities • Parks and recreation
• Navigation • Land use
• Freight • Energy
• Hazardous materials
Natural environment • Public services
• Air quality and greenhouse • Historic and archaeological resources
gas emissions • Social resources, community facilities and
• Ecosystems neighborhoods
• Water resources • Electromagnetic fields
• Geology and soils • Utilities

10
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
11
12
Draft EIS alternatives Interbay/Ballard
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
13
14
Draft EIS alternatives South Interbay
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
15
16
Draft EIS alternatives Downtown
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
17
18
Draft EIS alternatives Chinatown/ID
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
19
 At-Grade At-Grade South Station Option

At-Grade Staggered Configuration Mixed Profile

20
Draft EIS alternatives SODO
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
21
322 Draft EIS alternatives Duwamish
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle
Junction

Delridge
South Interbay/Ballard
Interbay
SODO
Downtown

Duwamish

Chinatown/ID
23
 West Seattle Junction

Delridge

324 Draft EIS alternatives West Seattle

Cost saving and refinement
concepts
 Context for looking at cost savings

• In response to steep rise in real estate and

construction costs, Board adopted a realignment
plan in August 2021

26
 Realignment plan
• Board identified affordable program schedule, as well as
affordability gaps to target schedules
• WSBLE has an estimated project-level affordability gap of
$1.8B, based on current financial projections and cost
estimates
• Smith Cove to Ballard: Target delivery 2037; affordable
delivery 2039
• Includes Board direction to intensively pursue additional
financial capacity and identify opportunities to reduce cost

27
 Work purpose and limitations

• Initial assessment of feasibility and potential

cost savings
• Based on limited engineering design
• Would require further study of environmental,
passenger experience and other implications

28
 Concepts we’ll discuss today

Cost savings
• Potentially help address affordability gap

Other refinements
• Potentially address other risks or opportunities

29
 Desired feedback

• Seeking Board direction on whether to study any

of these ideas further

• Not seeking Board direction to adopt these ideas

now

30
 Concepts we’ll discuss today

Cost savings
• Potentially help address affordability gap

Other refinements
• Potentially address other risks or opportunities

31
 Cost savings concepts summary
2
Eliminate Avalon Station
1 And shift Elevated Fauntleroy Station: - $325M
Shift (With Medium Tunnel 41st: - $60M)
Elevated
Fauntleroy
Station 5
- $200M Shift Tunnel 14th Ave
3 alignment
Consolidate Denny - $140M
and South Lake
Union stations
- $575M

4
Potential station
entrance refinements
- $265M

32
West Seattle Junction
segment
Cost savings concepts West Seattle Junction

1
Shift Elevated
Fauntleroy
Station

34
 1 Shift Elevated Fauntleroy Station
Cost savings: -$200M

Alaska Junction Station shifted east

Avoids multi-family
development; approx.
300 fewer displacements

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

335
Cost savings concepts West Seattle Junction
2
Eliminate
Avalon Station

36
 2a Eliminate Avalon Station (and shift Elevated Fauntleroy Station)

Cost savings: - $325M*

*includes $200M savings from

Eliminating station
allows lower height shifting Elevated Fauntleroy Station
guideway and
Delridge station

Daily Trips on Project

Avoids multi-family
development; approx.
300 fewer displacements
27,000 27,000

Similar overall
ridership

DEIS Alternative Refinement

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

337
 2b Eliminate Avalon Station (with Medium Tunnel 41st)

Cost savings: - $60M

Eliminating station
reduces property
effects and
displacements Daily Trips on Project

27,000 27,000

Similar overall DEIS Alternative Refinement

ridership

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

338
Downtown segment
 Cost savings concepts Downtown

3
Consolidate Denny
and South Lake
Union stations

Diagrams are not to scale and all measurements are approximate for illustration purposes only.

40
 3 Consolidate Denny and South Lake Union stations
Cost savings: - $575M

Daily Trips on Project

154,000 144,000

DEIS Preferred Refinement

Lower overall Alternative
ridership
Connects to
either Seattle
Center station
Avoids
streetcar

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

41
 3 Consolidate Denny and South Lake Union stations
To Seattle Center via
Thomas St Greenway

To Belltown via Preserves north-

Battery St
south, east-west
transit integration
Bike network
integration

Denny
Tr i a n g l e Platform below
Dexter Ave

S o u t h La k e

Thomas St
John St
Union
Denny Way

Denny Park
To Westlake Ave/
Cascade via John St
To Amazon HQ hillclimb
N

42
 Cost savings concepts Downtown

4
Potential station
entrance
refinements

Diagrams are not to scale and all measurements are approximate for illustration purposes only.

43
 4a Midtown Station entrance refinement
Cost savings: -$20M
5th Avenue

Marion Street
Avoid property

Madison Street
acquisition

4th Avenue
Entrance in
sidewalk

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

344
 4b Westlake Station entrance refinement
Cost savings: - $190M
Eliminate
entrance

Eliminate
entrance

Consolidate
entrance into single
headhouse with
multiple entry points

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

345
 4c Denny Station entrance refinement
Avoid property Cost savings: - $55M
acquisition

Entrance in Lenora Street

(requires permanent full
street closure)

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

346
Interbay/Ballard segment
 Cost savings concepts Interbay/Ballard

5
Shift Tunnel 14th Ave
alignment

348
 5 Shift Tunnel 14 th Avenue alignment
Cost savings: - $140M

Shift alignment
out of roadway

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

49
 5 Shift Tunnel 14 th Avenue alignment
Cost savings: - $140M

Eliminate
entrance

Shift alignment
out of roadway

Estimates shown in 2019 dollars, based on conceptual

design, and subject to change.

50
 Concepts we’ll discuss today

Cost savings
• Potentially help address affordability gap

Other refinements
• Potentially address other risks or opportunities

51
Other refinement concepts summary
f
Consolidate Smith
Cove and
Interbay stations
a
Provide access
north and south of
Andover Street

c
Shift Seattle Center e Shift tunnel portal
Republican station
west south (Mercer)

d
Connect South
b Lake Union
Midtown station Harrison to
entrance Seattle Center
refinement Mercer

52
Delridge segment
 Other refinement concepts Delridge

a Provide access
north and south of
Andover Street

54
 a.1 Provide access north and south of Andover Street

Consider pedestrian
bridge across
Andover Street

55
 a.2 Provide access north and south of Andover Street

Facilitates lower
height of station
and guideway

Shift station and

alignment south

Potential closure
or reroute of 32nd
Avenue SW

56
Downtown segment
 Other refinement concepts Downtown

b
Midtown station
entrance
refinement

Diagrams are not to scale and all measurements are approximate for illustration purposes only.

58
 b Midtown station entrance refinement

6th Avenue

Reduce
property risk

Entrance in
sidewalk

5th Avenue

Columbia Street
Marion Street

Cherry Street
59
 Other refinement concepts Downtown
c
Shift Seattle Center
Republican station
to the west

Diagrams are not to scale and all measurements are approximate for illustration purposes only.

60
 c Shift Seattle Center Republican station west

Shift station
west

61
 Other refinement concepts Downtown

d Connect South Lake

Union Harrison to Seattle
Center Mercer

Diagrams are not to scale and all measurements are approximate for illustration purposes only.

62
 d Connect South Lake Union Harrison station to
Seattle Center Mercer station

Mix and
match

63
South Interbay segment
 Other refinement concepts South Interbay

e
Shift tunnel portal
south (Mercer)

365
 e Shift tunnel portal south (Mercer)

66
 e Shift tunnel portal south (Mercer)

Shift station
north

Lessens
steep slope
effects
Shift portal
south

Connects to
Seattle Center
Mercer

67
 Other refinement concepts South Interbay

f
Consolidate Smith
Cove and
Interbay stations

368
 f Consolidate Smith Cove and Interbay stations

369
 f Consolidate Smith Cove and Interbay stations

Daily Trips on Project

Avoids former Avoids railroad
Minor reduction landfill and Interbay
in overall properties
Avoids traffic ridership 154,000 152,000
effects on Elliott

DEIS Preferred Refinement

Alternative

Avoids
steep slopes

Avoids parks,
greenbelt

370
 f Consolidate Smith Cove and Interbay stations

W Dravus St
Elliott Bay
Directly serves Armory Magnolia
site and areas with
substantial development Terminal 91 Uplands
potential
Cruise Terminal at Potential to connect trail
Terminal 91 network in Interbay

Potential and existing Fisherman’s

Interbay Golf Course Terminal
connections to
and Athletic Complex
Expedia Salmon Bay
15th Ave W
Expedia
Ballard
Direct connections to Compatible with key
Queen Anne via recommendations from Connects to either
Howe St, Greenbelt bridge studies and BIRT Ballard tunnel station
trails study

to Downtown

Connects to Seattle Queen Anne

Center Mercer
to Sand Point via
UW
to Uptown / to Queen Anne Seattle Pacific N
South Lake Union Center University

371
Community engagement and collaboration
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
2021 2022
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL

Draft EIS
Public Meetings 1 virtual hearing and 3 virtual
1 in-person meeting hearings

Community
Advisory Groups Process Station Draft EIS Draft EIS results Draft EIS, cost Consolidating
overview Planning results overview deep dive savings & refinements feedback

Sound Transit
System Expansion Draft EIS and Public comment Confirm/modify
Committee cost savings summary preferred alternative

Draft EIS Confirm/modify

results overview preferred alternative
Sound Transit
Board

PUBLIC COM M ENT PERIOD

72 Updated February 2022. Meeting dates/topics subject to change.

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