PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FOR CENTRAL LINK LIGHT RAIL LINE: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, METROPOLITAN AREA

The Seattle metropolitan area has a long history of failed attempts to build an urban rail system, dating back nearly a century. With funding in place, environmental approvals in hand, design well underway, and construction scheduled to start in Tacoma in 2000 and Seattle in 2001, this long story appears at last to be headed for a happy ending. Getting to this point has not been easy in a region known for its high level of environmental concern and history of intensive public participation, fragmented decision making, and complex consensus-building processes. However, in a short couple of years, the fledgling Sound Transit regional transit authority has taken the Central Link light rail line from a general corridor concept through the majority of local and federal design and approval steps needed to start construction. Summarized are the 2 years of project development, environmental analysis, and design undertaken by Sound Transit in support of the selection of a locally preferred alternative (LPA) and issuance of a record of decision (ROD) on the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 32.4-km (20.1-mi.), $2 billion (1995 dollars) Central Link light rail line. This effort began in December 1997 with the scoping of the EIS and concluded with the adoption by the Sound Transit Board of an LPA in November 1999 and federal approval of the ROD in January 2000. The Central Link light rail project is both on the schedule and within the budget that were committed to the voters in 1996, and much of the detailed work completed during the project development and environmental review state has provided a leg up on the detailed design that is now substantially underway.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper is available on the CD-ROM, Light Rail: Investment for the Future, 8th Joint Conference on Light Rail Transit.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Public Transportation Association

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• Authors:
  • Bay, P
  • PARSONS, J
• Conference:
  • Light Rail: Investment for the Future. 8th Joint Conference on Light Rail Transit
  • Location: Dallas, Texas
  • Date: 2000-11-11 to 2000-11-15
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Budgeting; Decision making; Design; Environmental impact analysis; Environmental impact statements; Light rail transit; Metropolitan areas; Project management; Public participation; Schedules; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: Seattle (Washington)
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Finance; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00803592
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Dec 10 2001 12:00AM