Transit Briefs: Sound Transit, Santa Clara VTA

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor

Santa Clara VTA on June 8 held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector Project, extending light rail service from the existing Alum Rock Light Rail Station to the Eastridge Transit Center with an elevated guideway, located primarily in the center of Capital Expressway. (Santa Clara VTA Photograph)

At Seattle’s Sound Transit, testing is under way on the 8.5-mile Lynnwood Link Extension and a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been released for the Operations and Maintenance Facility South project. Also, Santa Clara Vally Transportation Authority (VTA) breaks ground for the Eastridge to BART Regional Connector project.

Sound Transit

Ahead of the Aug. 30 opening, Sound Transit has kicked off testing on the 8.5-mile Lynnwood Link Extension that will add four new stations north of the current 1 Line terminus at Northgate, and provide light rail service between south Snohomish County and the University of Washington, downtown Seattle, the Eastside, Sea-Tac Airport, and more (see map, left). According to Sound Transit, this phase includes training for operators and maintenance staff, plus testing to ensure that stations, tracks, utilities, and vehicles work together as expected.

“With the start of pre-revenue service, the countdown has begun toward opening day for the Lynnwood extension, connecting King and Snohomish counties,” Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine said.

“Thanks to the hard work of our construction teams and staff, the finish line for the Lynnwood extension is rapidly approaching,” Sound Transit Interim CEO Goran Sparrman added. “With this new phase, our partners at King County Rail will be playing an important role in ensuring that we are ready for full operations when we cut the ribbon on opening day.”

The next phase of testing—simulated service—is slated to begin next month when all trains will discharge passengers at Northgate and continue to Lynnwood, according to Sound Transit. When the Lynnwood extension opens, trains will run every eight minutes during peak hours.

Stacy & Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman JV and Skanska Constructors L300 JV are executing the civil construction on the Lynnwood Link Extension. The $3.26 billion project budget includes up to $1.17 billion from a Federal Transit Administration Full Funding Grant Agreement, according to Sounds Transit, which noted that the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau provided a $658 million low-interest loan supporting the project, including new LRVs (light rail vehicles) and support facilities.

The Lynnwood extension will serve the following stations, all of them with connections to multiple transit modes:

Shoreline South/148th Station: Located just northeast of I-5 at the NE 145th Street exit, this elevated station includes a parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces as part of the project.
Shoreline North/185th Station: Located on the east side of I-5, this station serves Shoreline Stadium, Shoreline Conference Center and the surrounding neighborhoods. Improved pedestrian pathways connect the station to the west side of I-5, according to Sound Transit. A parking garage with approximately 500 new spaces is part of the project.
Mountlake Terrace Station: Located east of I-5 at the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center just north of 236th Street Southwest, west of Veterans Memorial Park, this elevated station straddles 236th Street Southwest, and is a short walk from the Mountlake Terrace Library, new city hall, and future transit-oriented development. There are 890 existing parking spaces near the station.
Lynnwood City Center: Located at the Lynnwood Transit Center, this elevated station serves one of the busiest transit centers in the region, with extensive connections to local and regional service, according to Sound Transit. A new five-story, 1,670 parking-stall garage opened last year.

According to Sound Transit, voters in 2016 approved the addition of a light rail station to the Lynnwood Link Extension at NE 130th Street. That station is scheduled to open in 2026.

“The start of pre-revenue testing on the Lynnwood Link Extension marks a big milestone for the project,” said Ryan Clayton, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Skanska USA Civil. “For the Skanska team, this marks the official handover of our guideway, track, and stations work to Sound Transit to commence their operational testing process. We eagerly anticipate the positive impact this project will have on transportation infrastructure in this region, and we look forward to our next opportunity to serve Sound Transit and the Puget Sound communities on similar system expansions.”

Meanwhile, Sound Transit and the FTA on June 7 issued the Final EIS for the Operations and Maintenance Facility South, which the transit agency said will support the storage and maintenance of Link light rail trains for future expansion, including service to West Seattle and Tacoma, while providing some 610 “living-wage” jobs. Once completed, the facility will service approximately 144 LRVs.

Since the launch of the Operations and Maintenance Facility South project in 2018, Sound Transit has conducted multiple rounds of engagement including online and in-person open houses and community briefings. The Final EIS responds to comments on the 2021 and 2023 Draft EIS documents, and provides a detailed look at project benefits, and potential impacts and mitigation measures that would help inform the Sound Transit Board as it considers the final project.

“With the Final EIS released, staff anticipate providing a project update to the Sound Transit Board’s System Expansion Committee on June 13,” the transit agency said. “At that meeting, the committee will consider recommending a project to be built to the full Board of Directors. The full Board is expected to select the project to build at its June 27 meeting.”

The alternatives under consideration include:

The South 336th Street Alternative in Federal Way, the previously board-identified preferred alternative.
The South 344th Street Alternative in Federal Way.
The Midway Landfill Alternative in Kent.

Once the Board selects the final project, the project will advance to final design work and construction. The Board has identified a target in-service date of 2029, according to Sound Transit. The Final EIS indicates a completion date of 2032-37, depending on which alternative is selected; the transit agency said that “actions are being taken to reduce the schedule.”

Santa Clara VTA

(Santa Clara VTA Video)

When this project is complete in 2028, VTA said that light rail riders will be able to board at Eastridge Station and connect directly with San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) at Milpitas Station (see video, top).

EBRC_FactSheet_2024_English_1 Download

This project (formerly Capitol Expressway Light Rail Project) has been delivered in phases. The first phase was broken into two parts. In Phase 1A, VTA said it addressed pedestrian access and improved safety measures along the expressway between Quimby Road and Capitol Avenue. This was completed in Fall 2012 and included new sidewalks, street lighting, and a landscaping buffer. Phase 1B was the reconstruction of the Eastridge Transit Center. The improvements to the transit center included new shelters and amenities and support of Bus Rapid Transit. This was completed in 2015. The light rail extension is Phase 2.

According to Santa Clara VTA, total funding for the project is $652.9 million. Of that, $313.6 million comes from 2000 Measure A; $130 million from Regional Measure 3 (RM 3); $25.1 million from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017; $14.8 million from the Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP); $46.6 million from the state of California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP); $122.8 million from the VTA Local Funds Reserve.