Take the Sound Transit Survey and Weigh in on Critical Downtown Light Rail Station Locations

Sound Transit will soon make major decisions on where to locate two new downtown light rail locations — Denny and South Lake Union. Where Sound Transit chooses to site the new stations will have significant impacts on our center city’s economy and progress on revitalization. The agency is currently taking public comment prior to a board decision on May 23.

We encourage you to fill out the survey by May 7 and tell the Sound Transit Board:

• As home to 336,000 jobs, a thriving downtown Seattle is essential for the economic health of the entire region.
• In addition to the impacts on Westlake, the cumulative economic impacts of prolonged construction disruptions in downtown, including South Lake Union, must be considered.
• Specifically, the Denny Station North alternative (which would close two lanes on both Westlake and Denny to vehicles and transit for three years) without substantial mitigation will pose significant challenges to downtown’s ongoing revitalization. The better alternative is the idea of shifting the Denny Station west, outside of the Westlake Avenue right of way.
• The best location for the South Lake Union Station would be near Fifth Avenue North and Harrison Street, roughly two blocks west of the current preferred alternative.
• These Denny Station West and Fifth and Harrison alternatives have the potential to best address near-term construction impacts while connecting the region with high-quality transit in the future.
• We need light rail to be built faster. We urge the city of Seattle and Sound Transit to work together with urgency and creativity to reduce any potential delays to the entire project and minimize any impacts on Fifth Avenue North (if the South Lake Union Station at Fifth and Harrison is selected as the preferred alternative).

If you have questions, please contact DSA’s VP of Advocacy & Economic Development Kylie Rolf, at kylier@downtownseattle.org.