We’re a broad coalition advocating for a more reliable, safer, higher quality investment in our rapid transit network that the entire region will have to use for the next century.
Why do we need your help?
The Ballard-to-Downtown light rail route crosses a busy commercial waterway and runs through varied topography with Northwest Seattle’s critical 15th Avenue West and Elliott Avenue West corridor carrying 60,000 vehicles on an average weekday, the fourth highest throughput corridor in the city. Sound Transit proposed a drawbridge and construction over this corridor to meet the needs of Northwest Seattle. That’s unacceptable. Sound Transit has already studied a better alternative: the Tunnel to Ballard. This coalition works to ensure the Tunnel to Ballard is selected as the ‘preferred alternative’ and constructed.
Potential Drawbridge over the Ship Canal
Drawbridges for 100-year infrastructure should be avoided at all costs. Sound Transit can’t expect the estimated 100k people to use light rail if they might have to deal with a stuck drawbridge.
Large elevated station structure over 14th Ave NW at Market St a long way from Ballard’s center
The biggest issue for Light Rail riders and the Ballard neighborhood is the lack of access provided by a 14th Ave NW station location. Ballard’s population and jobs are centered closer to 20th or even 22nd NW. We need a station that provides riders access to the west side of 15th Ave NW.
Not possible to expand to both Crown Hill and U District from the planned Ballard station
Having multiple stations and unintegrated lines from Ballard makes no sense. Sound Transit should build the station right the first time so we don’t have to live through further construction impacts and we can expand both to the north and to the east in the future.