Senator Patty Murray tours the 148th Light Rail Station site and announces federal funding for 148th St Pedestrian Bridge

Sen. Patty Murray at podium. L-R Deputy Mayor Laura Mork, Shoreline Public Works Director Tricia Juhnke, Mayor Chris Roberts, King County Executive Dow Constantine, in the parking garage for the 148th Light Rail station. View to the west. Photo by Steven H. Robinson

By Oliver Moffat

On Valentine’s Day afternoon, Senator Patty Murray took some time to tour the construction site of the 148th Street light-rail station with King County Executive Dow Constantine, Shoreline Mayor Chris Roberts and Deputy Mayor Laura Mork.

Standing at a podium in the new 500-car parking garage with the roar of midday I-5 traffic behind her, Murray said, “a light rail station does no good if you’re stuck on the other side of a busy highway.”

A view from the city’s website of the light rail tracks, and future bridge, and east landing looking west across I-5.

Nearby, construction workers were busy drilling shafts into the ground that will hold the footings of the east-side landing of the 148th St bike and pedestrian bridge. Crews are working to complete construction of the 148th St bridge before WSDOT begins a project to daylight Thornton creek on the west side of I-5.

Deputy Mayor Mork, Mayor Roberts, Sen. Murray

The 148th St bridge will provide a safe path to the light rail station for the future residents of the 1,605 new homes coming soon in the south Parkwood neighborhood including 151 “missing middle” townhomes and 296 affordable apartments.

With an estimated price tag of $43.6M, the bridge will be funded with grants from the Washington Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, King County, Transportation Impact Fees, and (the reason why Murray came by to visit) a $20M federal RAISE grant.

Sen. Patty Murray with Sound Transit, city of Shoreline and King county electeds and staff in the under construction 148th Street parking garage for the Lynnwood Link light rail station. The pedestrian bridge will cross I-5 next to the cell phone tower in the background.
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Senator Murray, who has served in the Senate for over 30 years and is now president pro tem, established the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program in 2009. As every Shoreliner knows, Murray won her first election to the Shoreline school board in the 1980s and now chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The ripe smell of fresh mulch wafted in the air from crews who were busy planting some of the 864 new trees that will replace the 317 existing trees that have been removed to make way for the 145th street projects.

Mayor Chris Roberts presented Senator Murray with a
Valentine’s Day cookie reading “Shoreline ♥️ Patty”
Photo by Oliver Moffat

In remarks, Mayor Chris Roberts pointed out that (unlike some cities in North King County) Shoreline has embraced the task of building affordable housing to address the region’s housing crisis. 

He said he is proud that the new developments near Shoreline’s light-rail stations have mandatory affordability requirements.

In addition to the bicycle and pedestrian bridge across I-5, the money from the RAISE grant will be used to pay for new sidewalks and roundabouts on 145th and a network of bike lanes in the Parkwood neighborhood - safety improvements that are urgently needed for the dangerously outdated 145th street corridor.