Huskies to take light rail to classes and games, in 2016

Light rail could arrive on the UW campus in 2016, now that the UW Board of Regents and Sound Transit have agreed to a station site and steps that will mitigate the project’s impact on the campus.

The $1.6 billion project would build a 3.1-mile extension from downtown Seattle to the UW. Located entirely underground, the line travels east from Westlake Station to a Capitol Hill station located near Seattle Central Community College. From there the line continues north, crossing under the Montlake Cut to a station just west of Husky Stadium. Construction could begin in late 2008.

The agreement sets specific monitoring measures for magnetic field and vibration thresholds to protect UW research facilities during light rail operations. It also provides $30 million to the UW for property easements and the permanent loss of up to 100 parking spaces. The funds also cover the temporary use of approximately 600 parking stalls for construction staging. In addition, Sound Transit will pay the UW $5.2 million for design review, construction coordination and other costs.

“This agreement is critically important to the UW. It marks the beginning of a new era in transportation for the entire region,” says UW President Mark A. Emmert, ’75.

The extension is crucial to Sound Transit’s ridership goals. The line currently under construction between downtown Seattle and the airport should have about 45,000 daily riders by 2020. The University Link project should increase the regional light rail system’s ridership to more than 114,000 a day by 2030, say officials.

Sound Transit hopes to eventually extend the line to Northgate, depending on a November ballot measure.