Sound Transit completes new Tukwila Sounder Station
Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
On Feb. 18, Sound Transit completed the permanent Tukwila rail station.
The new regional transit hub replaces a temporary structure and offers 390 parking spaces, improved bus access, storage for 80 bicycles and four electric vehicle charging stations. The facility serves 10 round-trip Sounder south line trains each weekday and four daily Amtrak Cascades round trips. The $46-million project was supported by $13.5 million in federal funding.
“Expanding our rail system is an important step toward building a strong foundation for long-term economic growth that will help families and businesses throughout Washington state,” said U.S. Sen. Patrick Murray. “I was proud to be a voice for this community and fight for the federal investments this project needed and the results are worth it. This station will continue to link communities throughout the region, support local businesses and help commuters every day.”
The Tukwila Station is one of nine Sounder stations on a popular commuter rail south line that serves more than 13,000 riders a day.
A temporary rather than permanent station was built in Tukwila to allow time for the city to establish its downtown development plan and the city of Renton to develop plans for reconfiguring the intersection of Southwest 27th Street and Strander Boulevard into a needed east-west connection. Sound Transit delayed final design of the permanent station to allow the cities to complete their work.
The new transit facility includes two 600-foot-long platforms, two new passenger shelters, improvements to the underpass connecting the two platforms, a plaza, improved walkways and lighting and stormwater facilities to help manage runoff
The project’s $13.5-million in federal funding includes $4.6 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, $1.5 million in FTA Fixed Guideway funds and $7.4 million in High Speed Rail grant monies.
