Sound Transit Board Member and King County Council Chair Larry Phillips praised Sound Transit’s selection today of an alignment for the North Link extension of Central Link light rail, allowing for design work to begin on the North link route, including two possible alignments in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood.

“We’re connecting people with our region’s key commercial, residential, medical and academic centers, and Husky Stadium,” said Phillips. “We selected a route with light rail stops on First Hill, Capitol Hill, Montlake, South Brooklyn in the University District and Northgate. Now we can begin preliminary engineering on the northern route between downtown Seattle and Northgate. We’re one step closer to our goal of building a high-capacity transportation alternative through King County’s major urban corridor.”

Sound Transit Board members heard the solid endorsement of Roosevelt neighborhood groups for the 12th Avenue NE tunnel station and alignment. According to the draft environmental impact statement, the potentially less-expensive alternative, an elevated alignment and station along 8th Avenue NE, would impose more negative impacts on the Roosevelt community. The Board’s decision to carry both options through preliminary engineering allows delaying the selection until the Board has a fuller understanding of the costs and impacts.

“Sound Transit is planning a project that will serve and shape our communities 100 years into the future, so it is imperative that we make responsible choices,” said Phillips. “Sound Transit is playing a key role in reshaping both regional transportation and regional growth, but we have to make sure we make good decisions for our local neighborhoods as well – right now I think 12th Ave NE is the better option, and I hope that after further study my colleagues will agree.”

Sound Transit is a three-county regional transit authority that is bringing regional bus service, commuter rail and light rail to King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. Sound Transit is governed by an 18-member board, consisting of 17 local elected officials and the Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation.