![]() It is believed that numerous hospital employees live in Rainier Valley, where the initial light rail segment is under construction.įurther engineering work has shown the First Hill station to be a daunting challenge. But funding for that part of the line will almost certainly be part of Sound Transit's next phase of projects, which is likely to be submitted to voters next year.īoard members always knew that the First Hill station would be expensive, but they decided last year to include it because three major hospitals and Seattle University made it a major destination. The board still intends to go beyond Husky Stadium to another U District station, on Northeast 45th Street, then to a station in the Roosevelt District, and then to a station at Northgate. "This is not the U District promised in Sound Move. "I'm inclined not to believe it." Niles also complained that getting to Husky Stadium wasn't far enough to qualify as reaching the U District. ![]() "We've got to see the details," said John Niles, a longtime Sound Transit critic. The board will also have to decide how far north they can go without returning to voters.Ĭritics were skeptical of the agency's ability to get to Husky Stadium without more taxes. The board needs to allow staff time to meet a deadline to apply for a $500 million federal grant for extending the light rail line north from downtown. The agency's board will have to decide in the next several weeks whether to include the First Hill station in the extension north. ![]() In three weeks the board will be presented with options.Ĭonstruction has already begun on the southern part of the line, from downtown to just north of Sea-Tac Airport, which is scheduled to open in 2009. The public presentation of a "risk assessment" on the construction of the line is scheduled for a week from today. The board has been briefed on the money and risk issues. Agency consultants have completed 30 percent of the design for the northern part of the light rail line from downtown to Northgate, allowing Sound Transit to produce somewhat reliable cost estimates. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |