December 19, 2014
Sound Transit Board c/o Board Administrator
Sound Transit
401 S Jackson St.
Seattle, WA 98104
Re: NORTHGATE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE BRIDGE 2015 DEADLINE Dear Members of the Sound Transit Board: As fellow members of the Sound Transit Board and regional elected leaders, we request the removal of the July 31, 2015 funding deadline for the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge that was previously agreed to by the Seattle City Council and Sound Transit Board. The Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge will provide a critical connection across I-5 from the
future Northgate Light Rail Station to North Seattle College and the University of Washington’s
Northwest Hospital. Because the bridge would shorten the distance from the future light rail station to North Seattle College by almost a mile, Sound Transit staff estimated that this bridge would increase its light rail ridership by 5 percent.
1
Ridership would likely increase for King County Metro as well and increase the transit-oriented development potential in the area. The bridge will cost about 1 percent of the construction cost for the Northgate Link Extension.
This project has been a high priority for the nearby neighborhoods and the region’s
advocates for at least two decades. The neighborhoods of Maple Leaf and Licton Springs have been divided by Interstate 5 since it opened in 1965. As a result, the 1993 Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan,
2
2004 Northgate Open Spaces & Pedestrian Connections Plan,
3
2006 Northgate Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan,
4
2007 North Seattle College Long Range Campus Plan,
5
2013 Northgate Urban Design Framework,
6
and 2014 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan
7
have each called for a pedestrian crossing of Interstate 5 at the proximate location of the future light rail station. The community councils of Licton Springs, Maple Leaf, and Pinehurst have each recently expressed support for the bridge.
1
“
Northgate Station Access Study
,” (Sound Transit, May 2013),
2
“
Northgate Area Comprehensive Plan,
”
3
“
Northgate Open Spaces & Pedestrian Connections Plan
,” (City of Seattle, Fall 2004),
4
“
Northgate Coordinated Transportation Investment Plan
,” (City
of Seattle, Sept. 2006), http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/nctipf_Cover-Executive%20Summary.pdf .
5
“
North Seattle Community College Long Range Campus Plan,
” (North Seattle College, 2007)
6
“Northgate Urban Design Framework,” (City of Seattle, Dec. 2013),
7
“Seattle Bicycle Master Plan,” (City of Seattle, April 2014),
Following a controversy over the construction and cost of a proposed 900-stall parking garage for the light rail station, the City of Seattle and Sound Transit mutually agreed to financial commitments toward bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the Northgate area. As part of this agreement, Sound Transit committed $5 million toward the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, provided full funding could be secured by July 31, 2015. The total project cost for the Bridge has been estimated to be between $15 and $25 million, with $10 million already committed to-date between Sound Transit and the City of Seattle. The agreement specifies that if the remaining funding is not secured by next July
, Sound Transit’s contribution
will be reallocated toward other pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects within the neighborhood. T
he City of Seattle’s
commitment would return to its general fund. We understand that the funding deadline was enacted to allow for engineering studies to be conducted so that the bridge could be built into the future light rail station. However, given that the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge preliminary engineering and environmental review will be completed by the end of this year (Q4, 2014), the deadline no longer has justification and should be removed. With the removal of the July 31, 2015 deadline, we can continue to stay committed and focused on
supporting the regional expansion of Sound Transit’s Link light rail system and improving
pedestrian and bicycle access to the light rail station for the Northgate Urban Center. With additional time and greater focus from city and regional leaders, we are confident we can find the remaining funding necessary to construct the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. Potential funding sources include new and greater commitments from Northgate stakeholders; cost-savings from a smaller parking garage; regional, state, and federal grant opportunities; and the cost-savings from the University Link Extension. For these reasons, we urge the Sound Transit Board to remove the July 31, 2015 funding deadline for the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,
Larry Phillips Sound Transit Board member King County Council Chair
Mike O’Brien
Sound Transit Board member Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen Seattle City Council member and Transportation Committee Chair Sally Bagshaw Seattle City Council member David Frockt State Senator, Legislative District 46 Jessyn Farrell State Representative, Legislative District 46 Gerry Pollet State Representative, Legislative District 46