In a tunnel to West Seattle, a light rail could get people from West Seattle to downtown in less than 30 minutes, maybe even less than 20 minutes.
The Sound Transit board has finalized the routes and stations that will make up the West Seattle line of light rail.
A station could be located at or near the current SODO Lander St Station, another possible stop would be at SW Delridge and SW Andover St, and then SW Genesee and SW 35th ST, with the final stop at SW Alaska and 41st.
“I think it will alleviate a lot of the traffic congestion,” said Matt Clark, who says he has lived near Delridge and SW Andover for almost 30 years.
During that time, he says, it has become increasingly busy. If light rail comes, he sees good and bad consequences: “I worry about additional damage to homes and some businesses.”
Rachelle Cunningham, spokesperson for Sound Transit, acknowledges that the project could involve an acquisition of a number of properties along the route to West Seattle: “This is a difficult matter, we want people to know that we are listening to them and addressing their concerns understand. We have people in our rail real estate department who are ready to work with them every step of the process.”
The Sound Transit board has finalized the route for the West Seattle Link, which gives the project permission to move forward with the final design phase.
For any part of West Seattle where a station could land, light rail could be transformative and controversial. Cunningham says the route was chosen for several reasons, including a crucial one: “This route also had less impact on homes.”
At a recent Sound Transit meeting, public comments included warnings about the impact of the West Seattle Link construction, with several West Seattle residents and SODO business leaders expressing concerns about Sound Transit’s project.
The project’s price tag is between $6.7 and $7.1 billion.
In 2020, the closure of the West Seattle Bridge caused traffic chaos. The pandemic reduced traffic volumes, but boarding and disembarking in West Seattle could take as long as 30 minutes, and as long as 40 minutes on alternate routes.
The light rail would give residents an alternative to cars, buses and even bicycles.
Construction of the new 6.5 kilometer long light rail could start in 2027, while the light rail would start running in 2032.
