CEO Report: Parking and access to Sound Transit stations

How Sound Transit manages parking around its stations will be of vital interest to Shoreline neighborhoods in the impact zone around the new transit stations, to be located at two locations out of the three proposed (145th, 155th, 185th).

So it is good news that Sound Transit is working on parking and access policy and projects now.

CEO Joni Earl

From the CEO Report of January 25, 2013

By CEO Joni Earl

Parking and access to our stations, now and into the future, is the focus of an ongoing effort at Sound Transit. In fact, our 2013 Milestones include the Board adopting a parking and system access policy and the agency establishing parking and access pilot projects.

At a retreat last April, the Board directed staff to address immediate parking issues while also reviewing and updating the policy. An outcome of the retreat was the creation of a regional parking committee with the state Department of Transportation and staff from local transit agencies to coordinate and integrate information and options about our collective parking assets.

Since then the Board has already approved a five-year lease for an additional 103 badly-needed parking spaces next to the Edmonds Sounder station. The parking site needs some preparation, so the spaces aren’t available until May 1. In the meantime, we’re providing 53 nearby parking spaces until the 103 are available.

On Thursday, staff discussed a proposed system access policy with the Board. The proposal includes supporting access infrastructure improvements at the facilities and surrounding communities, working with local jurisdictions to manage parking demand, expanding options for parking enforcement, generally making parking available for transit users only and promoting efficient parking use through HOV stalls, parking permits and parking fees or validation.

In coming months, staff will return to the Board with proposals for a pilot program.