Metropolitan King County Council Chair and Sound Transit Board Member Larry Phillips today asked Sound Transit staff to include a Sounder Commuter Rail Station in Ballard as a project to study for inclusion in Sound Transit’s next phase of transportation investments, referred to as ST2.

“Ballard needs high capacity transit and Sounder’s north line needs riders,” Councilmember Phillips said. “The Ballard commuter rail station was considered in Sound Move, but lost out to other priorities. It’s time to revisit the project to see if it makes sense this time around.”

The Sound Transit Board today considered a list of projects prioritized for further study for inclusion in ST2 by the transportation forums representing the five Sound Transit subareas. The SeaShore Transportation Forum, representing the North King subarea, prioritized light rail to Northgate, enhanced service connecting First Hill to the light rail spine, bus rapid transit improvements on State Routes 99 and 522, a transit direct access ramp at NE 185th Street on Interstate 5, and Sounder commuter rail stations in Richmond Beach and the North Seattle Central Business District.

“I commend SeaShore’s work identifying North King transportation priorities,” said Phillips. “And in most cases, I agree with their list. However, if we are going to look at adding commuter rail stations in North King, Ballard cannot be left off the list. It’s leaving potential riders stranded at a non-existent station.”

The three-county Sound Transit service area is expected to grow by 1.2 million people over the next twenty years. Sound Transit is the region’s high capacity transportation service provider and began implementing a first phase of transportation investments in 1997, including light rail, commuter rail, express buses, park and rides, and transit access projects. The potential ST2 projects advanced today will be evaluated by staff for cost and ridership benefit. The Sound Transit Board and the public will use that analysis to narrow the list into a plan to put before voters for consideration in 2006 or beyond.