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The proposed 7th Avenue/Harrison Street Sound Transit Light Rail Station is essential for the hundreds of thousands of people who use local and regional transit and must remain part of the voter-approved transportation plan, say Uptown stakeholders.
Uptown Alliance submitted to the Sound Transit Board last week a petition with more than 200 signatures representing individuals, businesses and organizations urging the Board to move forward with plans for the 7th Avenue/Harrison Street station in the new Ballard Link Extension DEIS. The petition and accompanying letter are in response to a Sound Transit staff proposal to consolidate stations along Ballard to Downtown to reduce construction impacts along Westlake Avenue – a major street that connects Downtown to South Lake Union, Westlake and Uptown neighborhoods.
The letter outlines how the staff strategy falls short of meeting long-established transit goals. Removing the 7th Avenue/Harrison Street station would upend established plans to create a mobility hub connecting regional and local bus and light rail services, greatly reducing accessibility to an area that features a regional employment center, cultural and arts destinations at Seattle Center, Climate Pledge Arena and dense housing, the letter and petition state.
“Eliminating the 7th/Harrison station to resolve Westlake Avenue construction concerns will adversely impact transit access to Uptown and neighboring communities for decades,” said Deborah Frausto of the Uptown Alliance. “Uptown and South Lake Union are among the fastest growing neighborhoods in the city. Seattle Center attracts millions of visitors outside of the Seattle each year and nearly 30% of Climate Pledge Arena visitors currently arrive by public transportation. At a time when we’re looking to reduce overall carbon emissions and support greater mobility, we need a transportation system that can support needs now and generations from now.”
The letter acknowledges that though construction impacts would prove challenging, potential traffic disruptions would be short-term. Supporters of the letter advocated for Sound Transit to apply alternative construction methods that would mitigate construction impacts along Westlake Avenue.
The Uptown Alliance is a nonprofit, all-volunteer community development organization that serves as the community council for the Uptown urban center and represents the needs and interests of the Uptown neighborhood. Founded in 1999, UA aims to promote a sustainable, civil, vibrant and enjoyable environment in Uptown for residents, businesses and visitors.