A new Link light-rail station at the Boeing Access Road near Boeing Field, which a Tukwila coalition lobbied for in recent months, is part of the draft list of projects in Sound Transit’s ST3 ballot measure.
Sound Transit wants to spend about $50 billion in projects to extend and enhance light rail, bus and commuter rail service in a three-county region over 25 years.
The draft list was released Thursday by the Sound Transit Board of Directors.
“We are delighted that the agency recognizes the important need for transit options in the north Tukwila area, and the large ridership base that exists today around the proposed station,” said Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg in a statement.
A large coalition of residents, employers, cultural organizations and public agencies worked “very hard on this issue, and we want to recognize the great work of our partners who helped us achieve this great milestone,” he said.
The elevated station, which would accommodate four-car trains, is expected to cost between $124 million and $133 million to build, according to the Sound Transit website.
It’s considered an in-fill station on the Central Link light-rail line. It would serve major employers around Boeing Field and the Museum of Flight in Tukwila.
Passengers could transfer to and from buses; the station includes a 300-stall, park-and-ride lot.
Sound Transit will determine a final list of projects this summer that then could go to voters for approval in the fall.
Because the list is only a draft, the city of Tukwila is encouraging supporters to continue to contact Sound Transit about the importance of the light-rail station in north Tukwila to the region’s entire transportation system.
The agency will hold public meetings and accept comment on the draft plan through a number of channels, including SoundTransit3.org, a website set up specifically to support the public outreach effort.
