West Seattle

and Ballard
Link Extensions

Pigeon Point
Neighborhood Council
2/10/2020
 System expansion

Sound Transit’s system expansion

means every few years new light rail,
bus rapid transit and commuter rail
stations open throughout the region,
providing fast, reliable alternatives to
congested roads

soundtransit.org/system

32
 West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions
Project timeline

WE ARE HERE

PLANNING DESIGN CONSTRUCTION START OF

SERVICE
2017–2022 2022–2026* 2025–2035*
2016 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT West Seattle: 2030
Ballard: 2035

3 *West Seattle Design: 2022–2025 // Construction: 2025–2030

*Ballard Design: 2023–2026 // Construction: 2027–2035
 PLANNING DES
2016 2017–2019 2019–2022
Alternatives Environmental review
development
Early 2021: Publish Draft EIS
Feb–March 2018:
Early scoping Board confirms or modifies
preferred alternatives
Feb–April 2019:
2022: Publish Final EIS
Scoping
May–Oct 2019: Board Board selects projects
identifies preferred to be built
alternatives and other Federal Record of Decision
DEIS alternatives

4 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
 West Seattle and Ballard
Link Extensions
What we’re studying in this phase

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

35
 Draft EIS alternatives
West Seattle

6
 Draft EIS
alternatives
West Seattle

7
Environmental review
 So, what’s an
Environmental Impact
Statement?
Or, “EIS” for short.

Provides agencies and the public

an understanding of environmental
consequences and assists
in decision-making.

9
 What is typically
studied in an EIS? Transportation
How a project affects…

Natural Built
Environment Environment

10
 EIS studies:
Transportation
impacts

11
 EIS studies:
Natural environment
impacts

12
 EIS studies:
Built environment
impacts

13
 EIS studies:
Built environment
impacts

14
 Equity and inclusion
Transportation

Environmental justice
focus within each
area of the EIS

Natural Built
Environment Environment

15
 EIS studies:
Environmental
justice

16
Station planning
Stations serving communities

18
 Core responsibilities

Routes and Community planning

station locations and station access
Light rail guideway Land use and zoning
and station design
Street and
Environmental review right-of-way use

19
 Core responsibilities

Routes and Community planning

station locations and station access
Co-planning
Light rail guideway Land use and zoning
and station design stations with
Street and
communities
Environmental review right-of-way use

20
 Partnership focus

Station Station context Station area

21
 Station context framework

22 Example: Downtown Redmond Station

 Community outreach and collaboration
2019 2020 2021
Environmental review SUMMER FALL WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER

EIS kickoff
DEIS development
Conceptual engineering and
Design development
Station planning activities
Publish DEIS / comment period
ST Board confirms or modifies
Preferred Alternatives

Community outreach SUMMER FALL WINTER SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER

Initial assessment alternatives results

Neighborhood forums
Station community workshops
Property owner engagement
DEIS public comment / open houses
Briefings, festivals and other events

23
wsblink@soundtransit.org
(206) 903-7229

soundtransit.org/wsblink