Joint neighborhood meeting to focus on proposed light rail station at N 185th and I-5

People sign in at a Sound Transit info meeting

Echo Lake, Meridian Park and North City Neighborhoods host Sound Transit and City of Shoreline on Tuesday, September 18, 7pm, Shoreline City Council Chambers, City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N.

By Dale Lydin, ELNA Board

Construction is currently underway on a light rail extension from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington, and is scheduled to open for service in 2016. The extension from the University to Northgate has already started and service is expected to start in 2021.

The final voter-approved extension north of downtown Seattle is the segment from Northgate to Lynnwood. Preliminary design work has started and construction is scheduled to start in 2018 with service starting in 2023.

Two stations are being proposed for Shoreline, including one at N 185th Street on the east side of I-5.

When this station is in operation, many hundreds of riders each day will pass through its turnstiles, coming and going by many different modes. The station will significantly increase the amount of bus, car, motorcycle, bicycle and foot traffic on all local streets, especially on NE 185th Street and 5th Avenue NE.

As has been seen in South Seattle, the character of the surrounding area will likely change with transit oriented development or TOD. Within the ¼ mile walking distance, there will likely be a push to redevelop existing properties into dense, often multi-story residential and commercial mixed use developments.

For the next year and a half, Sound Transit will be preparing Preliminary Engineering and Final Environmental Impact Statement documents and is seeking input from the neighborhood on what we want to see as part of the station development. Through this process, Sound Transit and the City of Shoreline will be working hard to plan for this change, and we, as neighbors, have an opportunity to help plan for it.

Attendees at a Sound Transit meeting

Please join us for this joint meeting with the Echo Lake, Meridian Park and North City Neighborhood Associations to hear from the Sound Transit’s Project Manager Nytasha Sowers and City of Shoreline Planning Director Rachael Markle speak and entertain questions about this station at 185th and the surrounding area. They will inform us about what has been done up to now and what needs to be done before construction starts in 2018.

Sound Transit and the City of Shoreline are seeking residents' input so come to help plan for the future of this neighborhood. Plan to attend this special joint meeting of three Shoreline neighborhoods on September 18, 2012, from 7 to 9pm at the City of Shoreline Council Chambers. City Hall is located at N. 175th St and Midvale Ave N near Aurora.

Change will happen whether you get involved or not but, but it may be change that you can’t live with. Come and help plan for the future of our neighborhoods.

Project benefits

• Northgate to Lynnwood with several new light rail stations
• Frequent, reliable service between south Snohomish County and the University of Washington, downtown Seattle and other regional destinations
• Increased mobility, access and transportation capacity for residents and workers 
• Targeted to open for service to public in 2023

Project schedule

• Alternatives Analysis, Conceptual Engineering & EIS Scoping: completed fall 2011
• Draft EIS & Advanced Conceptual Engineering: early 2012 to late 2013
• Preliminary Engineering & Final EIS: early 2014 to mid 2015
• Final Design: mid 2015 to mid 2018
• Construction & Testing: early 2018 to mid 2023
• Target Start of Service: late 2023