For most of Maple Leaf, the 2020 arrival of the North Link Sound Transit light rail stations is just a blip on our radar. But how much do you really know about the project?
Learn more at one of the upcoming North Link spring open houses, including one about the Northgate Station from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, at Olympic View Elementary School, 504 N.E. 95th St.
There also will be meetings May 26 about the Roosevelt Station at Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center Gymnasium, 6535 Ravenna Ave. N.E.; and one about the Brooklyn Station on June 9 at the Hotel Deca Grand Ballroom, 4507 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. Both meetings also are from 6-8:30 p.m.
Speaking of public transportation, if you still want to comment on cuts to bus stops for routes 41 and 73, which both are oft-used lines for Maple Leaf residents, you now have until tomorrow, May 10, to do so. You can send an email to community.relations@kingcounty.gov with “Route 41, 73″ in the subject line; or call Metro’s message line at 206-296-4511, and record your message, including the location of your stop.
@Transit Supporter – I have been an advocate of no loss of affordable housing, but in this case I’m sharing the concerns of the Maple Leaf Community Council Executive Board.
I encourage folks to turn out for this meeting and ask lots of questions about changes to existing bus routes. Unfortunately, I’m in DC on business and cannot attend.
See David Miller’s comments here for an example: http://timothyburgess.typepad.com/tim_burgess_city_view_/2011/05/affordable-housing-distribution.html
Maple Leaf Bob – The King County project is workforce housing, not low income housing. Also, it is David Miller in Maple Leaf who is most vocally opposing development changes in Northgate unless replacement low income housing is provided.
” addresses the concerns about affordable housing in Northgate”
Unfortunately, having more than one friend on various city councils, affordable housing is government code for low income housing, which is NOT what Northgate needs to in order to try and shake its long time and still existent image of being trashy and higher in crime like Lake City.
Northgate needs to clean up its image and cleaning up the area around the light trail station will be a big help. Putting in place more low income housing around the light rail station will do the opposite and have a negative effect on the Northgate’s image.
I like the one at the mall because it is close to a library, Target, the mall and QFC Northgate so it makes it easy to run errands on the way home. Plus, the 16 which my son takes to school drops him off at Northgate at the same time. Thanks for the info though.
Susan – There is a Park and Ride in Lake City on NE 125th where you can board the 242. That is even closer to your home.
So it looks like they will be adding a P&R where the old Ernst used to be which is now an unused parking lot for the most part. I wish I could take the Microsoft buses but I don’t work there.
I hope they get a better route to the Seattle Center too. Right now, the only bus going there directly is the 16 and what a frustratingly long twisty route that is.
So there are no buses that go from my neighborhood to Northgate Mall so I drive my car everyday from Meadowbrook to the P&R and catch the 242 to Redmond. If this P&R goes away, what am I supposed to do with my car? The toll on 520 switched me from a 3 day a week bus rider to a 5 day a week bus rider, if the P&R goes away will I then have to drive around the top of the lake to get to work? Why are they making this more difficult?
See slide 20 here: http://psrc.org/assets/5760/General.GTC.Program.Overview.3.16.11.pdf It is a very exciting project, especially in that it addresses the concerns about affordable housing in Northgate.
King County is working on this project now. You can read a little about the project in the last paragraph at this link http://psrc.org/growth/sustainable-communities
Transit Supporter,
Can you give me a reference for your claim that the Park and Ride is going away? According to this map on Sound Transit’s website it is not.
http://projects.soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/North-Link/Northgate-Station.xml
I refer to the King County Park and ride surface lot located between Thornton Place and the transit center.
Susan – I am thinking it should be located on the mall property or closer to 5th Ave. You do know that the surface lot parking lot is going away, right. King County is hoping to build a large housing project there. Also, a lot of the bus service will change as part of the transit center opening. The 41 will go away. Other routes, like the UW routes, will change significantly as well.
I think it makes more sense to have the station at Northgate Mall. It is a destination and there are also ample park and rides. What we really need is more bus service to the transit center so people won’t have to take their cars. If you put the light rail station in a neighborhood, you will just have people parking on your streets and increased traffic.
Um, it’s not outrage over a tunnel per say, it is about our prioritization of funding relative to the value we receive. But you knew that of course.
I wonder how many residents in Seattle realize that there’s going to be a tunnel for the light rail from the International District all the way to about a mile south of Northgate? Where’s the tunnel outrage and demand for a vote to repeal the tunnel design?!? Just asking….
I would really like to see the station moved away from the freeway and toward the residential core of Northgate. Having it closer to where people live will decrease the need for parking near the station.