Sound Transit breaks ground on Northgate light-rail station

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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Sound Transit

Sound Transit, Seattle’s regional transit system, has started building its Northgate light-rail station.  

The station is one of three that are scheduled to begin service in 2021 in tandem with the Northgate Link Extension’s completion. The $1.9 billion Northgate Link project will expand light-rail service 4.3 miles north, beginning at the University of Washington and stretching to a station next to the King County Northgate Transit Center, officials say.

“The Northgate Station turns parking into affordable housing for low-income families, and creates a vibrant transit hub that serves people, and businesses large and small,” Sound Transit board member and Seattle City Council member Rob Johnson said. “This project is evidence of the amazing community-driven results from creative collaboration between many partners—Sound Transit, the city of Seattle, King County and neighborhoods.”

Sound Transit awarded Absher Construction Company a $174 million contract in August 2016 to build a station, guideway and parking facility for the extension. The contract includes building an elevated station at Northgate that will border on Northeast 103rd Street east of First Avenue Northeast.

“Within a few years this station will enable many thousands more riders each day to take advantage of fast and reliable travel through some of the most congestion-choked areas of our region,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff.

The work entails constructing a transit island that would be positioned below the south end of the station platform between Northeast 100th and Northeast 103rd streets to enable convenient light-rail and bus connections. Crews would also build a parking facility at the northeast corner of Northeast 103rd Street and First Avenue Northeast that will provide 450 spaces for customers.

Sound Transit also says plans outline the addition of ample bicycle parking at the station, which is also said to be designed for a future mezzanine connection from Seattle’s planned pedestrian and bike bridge across I-5. After its opening, the station is also expected to offer convenient access to the local mall.

Passengers using the Northgate Station will have access to 14-minute rides to downtown and 47-minute rides to Sea-Tac Airport.

According to Sound Transit, King County and the city of Seattle have outlined plans to invest $20 million in transit-oriented development (TOD), including the addition of affordable housing, on land owned by King County Metro Transit at the Northgate Transit Center next to the park-and-ride facility.

“The TOD will include 200 units of housing for low-income families, as well as retail, commercial and office development on a four-square-block parcel bounded by Northeast 103rd and Northeast 100th streets,” Sound Transit says.

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