Sound Transit idiocy in the light rail planning (Seattle, Bellevue: neighborhoods, purchase)

[MichaelinWA]

Actually, they expect to finish in late 2009 - but just barely...

Originally Posted by mmcguy

They will finish the line from Tukwilla to the airport in 2010.

[JesseJB]

The purpose of the light rail is to get people out of their cars that live near the stations (which is a lot of people) and encourage dense development near the stations. People who move here will look to be near subway entrances for the sheer convenience especially when U-Link opens. This is especially important with young people paying high rents who aren't as car-centric as the older generations.

Me and others who live in apartments near stations are a bit nervous about rent-jacking due to the increased DEMAND for apartments in close proximity to stations.

And with all those buses off the road, it should open up the highways and streets so our more seasoned residents can continue motoring and parking with ease.

[70Ford]

Originally Posted by MichaelinWA

That's a very narrow definition, but I'm glad it will work for you and others who live right on the line or are willing to make bus transfers or ride their bikes.

It will be interesting to see whether the 600 spots in Tukwila fill up quickly. The news report said that the new light rail systems in Phoenix and Denver had thousands of spaces. Seattle doesn't much open area, but I would have liked to have seen at least one lot in the city limits, somewhere toward the southern end of the line for downtown Seattle commuters. I would rather see cars parked there, rather than clogging the streets downtown.

Hrmm... they could build up...or down. Doesn't have to be sideways.

Just sayin'.

Originally Posted by JesseJB

The purpose of the light rail is to get people out of their cars that live near the stations (which is a lot of people) and encourage dense development near the stations. People who move here will look to be near subway entrances for the sheer convenience especially when U-Link opens. This is especially important with young people paying high rents who aren't as car-centric as the older generations.

Me and others who live in apartments near stations are a bit nervous about rent-jacking due to the increased DEMAND for apartments in close proximity to stations.

And with all those buses off the road, it should open up the highways and streets so our more seasoned residents can continue motoring and parking with ease.

It's weird you mention that. That's exactly what happens in Japan. Rents/prices are higher when the domicile is closer to the station. It's featured prominately in condo/apartment/home advertisements.

[pw72]

Originally Posted by eskercurve

Seattle's on this crusade to "promote development" in areas around the light rail or to reflect the fact that the Northgate - U district - Capitol Hill - Downtown - South Seattle route is one of the most crowded and congested areas of the city.

The theory is that people who want to take the rail will live nearby, thus removing people from the roads. It won't help I-5 at all but if you live in those areas, great! Also the last thing that they want to do is promote development in the suburbs. If they put in huge parking structures with thousands of spots it really wouldn't help much. People from the burbs will stay on the highway because who wants to drive out of their way to go to work? Though it would help the thousands of people who live within 2 miles, say, of a station. That would make more sense to me.

Yes, this is the concept. Try and build up areas around the stops. It works in some places, (Chicago suburbs have increased density around suburban hard rail stops), Portland less of a success and maybe a better comparison.
I think Seattle may need to do some re-zoning around some stops to increase density.

[JesseJB]

Maybe if you bribe the NIMBYs a new pair of Birkenstocks it'll work.

[Radnor]

Originally Posted by 70Ford

It's weird you mention that. That's exactly what happens in Japan. Rents/prices are higher when the domicile is closer to the station. It's featured prominately in condo/apartment/home advertisements.

My wife and I just signed a lease on a rental in Beacon Hill, partially chosen because it's a few minutes walk from a light rail station. It'll be even nicer once the airport is connected - visiting friends and family will be able to literally walk to our house without ever driving a car.

[JesseJB]

Originally Posted by Radnor

My wife and I just signed a lease on a rental in Beacon Hill, partially chosen because it's a few minutes walk from a light rail station. It'll be even nicer once the airport is connected - visiting friends and family will be able to literally walk to our house without ever driving a car.

Thats a HUGE plus. I have a Westlake Station entrance across the street from me. Itll be so easy to tell visiting friends/family how to get to me from the airport. It was always embarrassing to tell people to "Take the 194 bus" or "taxi it..Ill pay for it" or "theres a rumor that towncars and limos are the same price as a taxi from SeaTac but no one really knows for sure."

[drewba]

Originally Posted by mmcguy

They will finish the line from Tukwilla to the airport in 2010. The line to the Eastside is dependant on the new 520 bridge design (we know how long that will take, eh?). There is a line planned from Westlake station to UW and Northgate, but they are sill working on the route and rights of way. Estimate is to have a line done some time by 2020. I thnik they are also planning a line to Magnolia & Ballard from downtown, but that one is a ways off (after Northgate).

For now, what you see is what you get (downtown to Tukwilla and the airport).

The line to the Eastside is actually using I-90. An HOV lane is going to be added in each direction over the bridge and Mercer Island and then the center express lanes will be converted to rail.

The portion to UW is scheduled for completion in 2016, with the remaining projects coming online between 2020 and 2023.

While they would make sense, Magnolia, Ballard and West Seattle aren't part of any formal plan, so they are at least a couple of decades off.

A good summary of future lines is available here: Sound Transit: Expanding Link light rail

[motor80]

Originally Posted by BellevueGuy

I was watching King5 news and they ran a piece that NO light rail stations in Seattle city limit have parking lot built around them.

They also marked the neighbourhoods around each station to be limited-parking and will fine our @ss if people park in the neighbourhood to catch the train.

The official explanation is they encourage people to walk / take bus to the stations.

Is it me or this is the stupidest idea in the world? I dare those Lexus-driving executives to walk around Rainier Beach at 11pm or walk the hilly neighbourhoods on a summer / winter day.

This sounds like perfect sense for stops WITHIN the city. The idea is to relieve traffic and congestion, not to fill up the city with parking lots. But, at each terminus, way out in the "burbs", a multilevel parking garage would make total sense to me.

[70Ford]

SPeaking of parking....don't get too attached to that commute you got.....'cuz ya' never know!

HeraldNet: Mukilteo wants to pull parking from ferry commuters