Harrell Changes Course Again Backs 'Shifted North' Denny Station

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The Sound Transit Board approved Harrell’s motion to make Shifted North the preferred alternative.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell put his weight behind the “Shifted North” alternative for a planned light rail station in Denny Triangle via a Sound Transit Board motion making it the preferred alternative in the ongoing study. The new preference constitutes his third different stance in the space of a month, as the agency struggled to come to consensus over Ballard Link station options. While the station would still be underneath Westlake Avenue, the late-breaking alternative would shift the location of Denny Station from the “DT-1” alternative just south of Denny Way to just north of it. The motion removed the Terry Avenue alternative from the study largely in response to utility risks that emerged.

“I am recommending we continue to move forward with the two stations in South Lake Union and modify the preferred alternative and then in Westlake to the Shifted North alternative,” Harrell said at the board meeting Thursday. “Now what does that do? As we said, number one, that’s that’s our goal to make sure that we still have activity in this area. It never fully closes there will be times where it’s partially restricted but in terms of the impacts on small businesses, large businesses, just common sense to and from activity. We think this this is about as good as gonna get and we’ll look at all the alternatives so reduces the construction impacts by keeping the streets open during the construction during the duration of construction. And we’ve already talked the the loss of the 8,000 daily Link trips for future riders.”

Sound Transit estimates the unvetted option will cost an additional $170 million over the DT-1 alternative, but the agency is confident it could reopen Westlake Avenue to traffic much sooner by using decking over the station pit. The motion vaguely alludes to third-party funding that the City of Seattle and King County would provide, which hasn’t yet been laid out in detail. Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier sought assurances from Harrell that the City of Seattle would pony up the full amount of the added cost of Shifted North, but didn’t get them.

“If you’re asking me where the City of Seattle is going to write $170 million check? No, but we will do everything possibly to we realize that by moving it shifted north that is going to be a cost we will work in terms of surplus properties and tools available tools we work aggressively to to shore up that delta,” Harrell said. “And quite frankly, I am making the bold move to make a decision today. On the preferred alternative. And let me let me also say I appreciate the patience you’ve had. I don’t take that lightly. You will all have given us the time to explore shifted West. Thank you on behalf of 800,000 people that are that rely on the economic generation of this. Thank you. This is a tough decision.”

https://www.theurbanist.org/2023/07/27/harrell-changes-course-again-backs-shifted-north-denny-station/