Star Lake station

Last updated
Star Lake
Link light rail station
General information
Location Kent, Washington
United States
Coordinates 47°21′32″N122°17′51″W / 47.3588°N 122.2975°W / 47.3588; -122.2975
Owned by Sound Transit
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeElevated
History
Opening2026
Location
Star Lake station

Star Lake is a future light rail station in southwestern Kent, Washington, United States. It is part of the Link light rail system, operated by Sound Transit, and is being constructed for the Federal Way Link Extension. The station will be located at the existing Star Lake Park and Ride, adjacent to the intersection of Interstate 5 and South 272nd Street.

Contents

Construction of the station was originally approved by voters in the 2008 Sound Transit 2 ballot measure, but deferred two years later after a funding shortfall. [1] The Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, passed in 2016, re-instated funding and approval for the station, as well as an extension to Federal Way Transit Center. [2] The extension is scheduled to open in 2026. [3]

History

Star Lake station is planned to be a retained cut structure attached to a 1,240-stall parking garage near the intersection of Interstate 5 and South 272nd Street. [4] [5] [6] The existing park-and-ride at the site, opened in January 1981 by Metro Transit, [7] closed on March 22, 2020, to prepare for light rail construction on the site. [8]

An alternative option that was not chosen as the preferred route in July 2015 would have placed the station at the intersection of State Route 99 and South 272nd Street, closer to the Redondo neighborhood in Des Moines. [9]

The station's location was finalized in January 2017, after negotiations with Federal Way Public Schools over the impacts to an elementary school on the south side of South 272nd Street. The school district planned to construct a new elementary school at the Redondo Park and Ride on State Route 99, while the current site would be used for light rail construction. [10] [11] The plan was contingent on the passage of a bond measure in 2018, which was passed by voters.[ citation needed ]

In 2022, the station was officially named for Star Lake, replacing its working name of South 272nd Street. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Des Moines, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Des Moines is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 32,888 as of the 2020 census. The city is located on the east shore of Puget Sound, near the center of the Seattle metropolitan area. It is bordered by the suburbs of Federal Way to the south, Kent to the east, SeaTac to the northeast, Burien to the north, and Normandy Park to the northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound Transit</span> Regional transit government agency for the Seattle metropolitan area

Sound Transit (ST), officially the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, is a public transit agency serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It manages the Link light rail system in Seattle and Tacoma, regional Sounder commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express bus service. The agency also coordinates the regional ORCA fare card system, which is also used by local transit operators. In 2019, Sound Transit services carried a total of 48 million passengers and averaged over 161,000 riders on weekdays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1 Line (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail line serving Seattle, Washington

The 1 Line, formerly Central Link, is a light rail line in Seattle, Washington, United States, and part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. It serves 23 stations in King and Snohomish counties, traveling 33 miles (53 km) between Lynnwood City Center and Angle Lake stations. The line connects Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, the University District, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. The 1 Line carried over 26 million total passengers in 2023, with an average of nearly 80,000 daily passengers on weekdays. It runs for 20 hours per day on weekdays and Saturdays, with headways as low as six minutes during peak hours, and reduced 18-hour service on Sundays and holidays.

The Federal Way Link Extension is a planned Link light rail extension of the 1 Line that will travel 7.8 miles (12.6 km) south from Sea-Tac Airport to Federal Way, along the west side of Interstate 5. It was approved in 2008, but scaled back in 2010 to terminate at Kent Des Moines station. The Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown stations were re-instated in 2016, with the passing of Sound Transit 3. The project began construction in 2020 and is expected to open in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynnwood Transit Center</span> Bus station and light rail station in Lynnwood, Washington

Lynnwood Transit Center is a bus station and light rail station in Lynnwood, Washington. It is the largest transit hub in southwestern Snohomish County and is served by Community Transit and Sound Transit Express. The transit center also includes a parking garage with 1,670 spaces and bicycle facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2 Line (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail line in the Seattle metropolitan area

The 2 Line, also known as the East Link Extension, is a light rail line serving the Eastside region of the Seattle metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Washington. It is part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system and runs for 6.6 miles (10.6 km) in the cities of Bellevue and Redmond. The initial segment serves eight stations between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations and opened on April 27, 2024. The full line is scheduled to open in 2025 and is planned to include 18 miles (29 km) from west to east and serve twelve stations in Downtown Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond. The 2 Line will continue through the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and share stations with the 1 Line through to Lynnwood City Center station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Way Downtown station</span> Transit center in Federal Way, Washington


Federal Way Downtown is a future light rail station at the site of the Federal Way Transit Center, a bus station in Federal Way, Washington. The bus station opened in 2006 and has 1,190 parking spaces available in its parking garage and surface lots. It is served by King County Metro, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit Express buses and is the southern terminus of the RapidRide A Line. The transit center is located adjacent to The Commons at Federal Way shopping mall and Interstate 5, connected via a direct access ramp to its high-occupancy vehicle lanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SeaTac/Airport station</span> Light rail station in SeaTac, Washington

SeaTac/Airport station is a light rail station in SeaTac, Washington, serving Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. It is on the 1 Line between Angle Lake and Tukwila International Boulevard stations. The line, part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, runs north from SeaTac through the Rainier Valley to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington. The station consists of an elevated island platform east of the terminals and parking garage of the airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tukwila International Boulevard station</span> Light rail station in Tukwila, Washington

Tukwila International Boulevard station is a light rail station in Tukwila, Washington, United States. It is located between SeaTac/Airport and Rainier Beach stations on the 1 Line from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle. The station consists of two elevated side platforms enclosed within a structure northeast of the interchange of State Route 99 and State Route 518. As one of seven park and rides along the line, it includes 600 parking spaces in two lots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SODO station (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

SODO station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the Beacon Hill and Stadium stations on the 1 Line, which runs from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Downtown Seattle and the University of Washington as part of the Link light rail system. The station consists of two at-grade side platforms at the intersection of the SODO Busway and South Lander Street in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadium station (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Stadium station is a light rail station located in Seattle, Washington. It is situated between the SODO and International District/Chinatown stations on the 1 Line, part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system. The station consists of an at-grade island platform at the intersection of the SODO Busway and South Royal Brougham Way in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle, adjacent to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RapidRide</span> Brand of bus routes in King County, Washington

RapidRide is a network of limited-stop bus routes with some bus rapid transit features in King County, Washington, operated by King County Metro. The network consists of seven routes totaling 76 miles (122 km) that carried riders on approximately 64,860 trips on an average weekday in 2016, comprising about 17 percent of King County Metro's total daily ridership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U District station</span> Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

U District station is a light rail station on the 1 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail system in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is located in the University District neighborhood, near the University of Washington campus. The underground station has two entrances along Brooklyn Avenue Northeast at 43rd and 45th streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roosevelt station (Sound Transit)</span> Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Roosevelt station is a light rail station located in the Roosevelt neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. It is served by the 1 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, which continues north to Northgate station and south to Downtown Seattle and SeaTac. The underground station consists of a single island platform connected to the surface via a mezzanine and two entrances along 12th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 65th and 67th streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Hill Streetcar</span> Streetcar line in Seattle, Washington

The First Hill Streetcar, officially the First Hill Line, is a streetcar route in Seattle, Washington, United States, forming part of the modern Seattle Streetcar system. It travels 2.5 miles (4.0 km) between several neighborhoods in central Seattle, including the International District, First Hill, and Capitol Hill. The line has ten stops and runs primarily in mixed traffic on South Jackson Street and Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angle Lake station</span> Light rail station in SeaTac, Washington

Angle Lake station is a Link light rail station in SeaTac, Washington. The elevated station is the southern terminus of the 1 Line, which travels north to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, the Rainier Valley, Downtown Seattle, and North Seattle, including the University of Washington. It also includes a large parking garage for passengers.

Kent Des Moines station is a future station on Sound Transit's Federal Way Link Extension, part of the Link light rail system. It is to be located in western Kent, Washington near Highline College. It is scheduled to open in 2026 as part of the extension of the 1 Line to Federal Way Transit Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sound Transit 3</span> Transit referendum in the Seattle metropolitan area

Sound Transit 3, abbreviated as ST3, was a ballot measure during the November 2016 elections in Seattle, Washington, proposing an expansion of the regional public transit system. The measure was proposed by Sound Transit, which was established by a similar initiative passed in 1996 and expanded by the Sound Transit 2 vote in 2008, who have operated regional transit systems in the Seattle metropolitan area since 1999. On November 8, 2016, Sound Transit 3 was approved by over 54 percent of voters in the Puget Sound region; voters in Pierce County rejected the measure, but the measure passed in King and Snohomish counties, and had an overall majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westlake Avenue</span>

Westlake Avenue is a major street in Seattle, Washington, connecting Downtown Seattle to the neighborhoods of South Lake Union, Westlake and northeastern Queen Anne. The street runs north–south along the west side of Lake Union for 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from McGraw Square to the Fremont Bridge.

References

  1. "Sound Transit Motion No. M2010-102" (PDF). Sound Transit. December 16, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 4, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  2. Dawson, Rachel (January 30, 2017). "Officials reach agreement on Federal Way Link Extension's impact to Mark Twain Elementary". Federal Way Mirror. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  3. Lindblom, Mike (May 26, 2023). "Wetlands bridge adds delay and $72 million to light-rail project". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  4. "Kent/Des Moines to Federal Way Transit Center Light Rail" (PDF). Sound Transit 3 Draft Plan. Sound Transit. March 29, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  5. "Sound Transit Board identifies preferred alternative for light rail extension to Kent/Des Moines, Federal Way" (Press release). Sound Transit. July 23, 2015. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  6. Hunter, Steve (December 30, 2015). "Sound Transit proposals could benefit Kent". Kent Reporter . Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  7. "Metro Puts Service Expansion in Action". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . January 30, 1981. p. A3.
  8. Hunter, Steve (March 17, 2020). "Star Lake Park-and-Ride lot in Kent to close March 22". Kent Reporter. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  9. Lindblom, Mike (July 23, 2015). "Sound Transit board favors I-5 light-rail route from SeaTac to Federal Way". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  10. Dawson, Rachel (January 30, 2017). "Officials reach agreement on Federal Way Link Extension's impact to Mark Twain Elementary". Federal Way Mirror. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  11. Lynn, Adam (February 26, 2017). "School might have to jump out of the way for light rail". The News Tribune. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  12. Hunter, Steve (June 27, 2022). "Sound Transit approves light rail station names in Kent, Federal Way". Federal Way Mirror. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
Preceding station Sound Transit logo simplified.svg Sound Transit Following station
Sound Transit Link Light Rail logo.svg
Future service
Kent Des Moines 1 Line
(2026)
Federal Way Downtown
Terminus