Sound Transit moves up expansion of light rail to South 200th Street

 

The Sound Transit board unanimously approved on Thursday a major agreement that green-lights expansion of light rail from the Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th Street in SeaTac four years ahead of schedule.

The agreement will also bring transportation upgrades to the surrounding community, according to a King County press release from the office of Sound Transit vice chair Julia Patterson.

“This is a great day for the residents of South King County,” said  Patterson, who is also a King County Council member.

“Bringing light rail into the heart of SeaTac is going to provide critical connections to jobs, encourage economic development, and help the environment by getting people out of their cars," she said.

A 700-stall park-and-ride garage and up to 400 interim spaces will provide parking for commuters using the South 200th station. The additional parking capacity will provide an alternative to parking at the Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station and accommodate parking south of the airport while the South 200th Station serves as an interim southern terminus.

The board approved a development and transitway agreement between Sound Transit and the City of SeaTac that details the terms and conditions for development of the South Link light rail extension, which is now scheduled to open with University Link in 2016.

The $3.4 million agreement, which defines the development standards, permitting conditions, and certain mitigation measures that will govern review and construction of the South Link light rail extension project in city boundaries, includes construction of pedestrian and bicycle pathways, as well as street, signal and other station area improvements.

The improvements defined in the development agreement are:

• New pedestrian and bicycle pathways along South 200th Street that will connect International Boulevard with the trailhead of the Des Moines Creek Trail. Pedestrian crossing signs and warning devices will be installed at the trailhead driveway on South 200th Street.

• Rebuilding 28th Avenue South from the south end of the station platform down to South 204th Street, including restructuring traffic control at the intersection of South 204th Street and 28th Avenue South. This will connect the South 204th Street pedestrian crossing at International Boulevard with a sidewalk/plaza abutting the easternmost edge of the station.

• Infill of missing segments of sidewalk along the south side of South 204th Street between 30th Avenue South and 32nd Place South, establishing a continuous pedestrian route from several multi-family residential developments.

• Improvements on 28th Avenue South between South 200th Street and the intersection of 28th and 26th Avenues South.

• Improvements on 28th Avenue South between South 200th Street and the south end of the station platform.

• Improvements on South 200th Street from International Boulevard to 26th Avenue South.

• Improvements will include paved car lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalk, storm drainage, and lighting, street trees and landscaping.

The Sound Transit South 200th Link project includes a 1.6-mile, elevated guideway and station with a planned opening in September, 2016—four years earlier than envisioned in the voter-approved Sound Transit 2 plan, and at the same time University Link service will begin.

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