Expanding Tacoma LinkThe 1.6 mile Tacoma Link light rail line currently serves six stations from the Theater District to the Tacoma Dome Station. Trains run every 12 minutes during the day and served nearly a million riders in 2011. Voters in 2008 approved an expansion of Tacoma Link as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot measure. Sound Transit’s Tacoma Link Expansion Alternatives Analysis project will identify and study alternative travel corridors for expansion of the Tacoma Link light rail system.

Over the next 12 months, Sound Transit in cooperation with the City of Tacoma and Pierce Transit will engage the wider community to help identify a range of alternatives, study these alternatives, and determine a preferred corridor alternative for the expansion. The study will also produce a project financing plan that will identify committed and potential funding sources.

Tacoma Link Expansion Stakeholder Group Final Report 2011From July 2010 through January 2011 Sound Transit, the City of Tacoma and Pierce Transit convened a group of community stakeholders, including neighborhood and business leaders, to begin looking at possible routes and station locations to expand Tacoma Link. This document details the work of the Tacoma Link Expansion stakeholder group and its recommendations on potential corridor alternatives for expanding Tacoma Link. The group’s mission was to provide commentary and feedback on potential corridor alternatives using their expertise as representatives of diverse constituencies. This qualitative, community-focused report should help guide decision-makers during further technical planning.

Para  información  acerca  del  proyecto  llame  al:  1-‐800-‐823-‐9230  

1-‐800-‐823-‐9230    1-‐800-‐823-‐9230,  чтобы  получить  

информацию  о  проекте.  프로젝트에  관한  정보는  다음으로  연락하십시오:  1-‐800-‐823-‐9230  

Involving the Tacoma community•Sound Transit is committed to

communicating with Tacoma residents and businesses about the Tacoma Link Expansion and providing you with meaningful opportunities to get involved. Over the next year, you will have opportunities to:

•Receive advance notice about public meetings and opportunities to provide input on the Tacoma Link Expansion project through local newspapers, blogs, project mailings and the project website.

•Attend public meetings to hear project updates, learn how decisions will be made and provide input on the Tacoma Link Expansion.

•Meet Sound Transit staff in your community and talk to us about your questions, comments or concerns.

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Woodinville

Edmonds

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Lynnwood

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IssaquahHighlands

Overlake Transit Center

MercerIsland

Rainier

University ofWashington

Canyon Park

Ash Way

South Everett

Eastgate

SeaTac /Airport

DuPont

SODO

Stadium

Pioneer Square

Westlake

University Street

International District/Chinatown & King Street

S 200th

Kent/Des Moines

Totem Lake

SouthSammamish

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Union Station/ S 19thConvention Center/ S 15thCommerce Street/ S 11thTheater District/ S 9th

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S 272nd/Federal Way

Mountlake Terrace

U District

Roosevelt

Bellevue Transit Center

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Hospital

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Capitol Hill

Overlake Village

Shoreline

Burien

To Gig Harbor and Purdy

East Main

Beacon Hill

Mount Baker

Columbia City

Othello

Rainier Beach

Tukwila/International Blvd

Bonney Lake

SE Redmond

Link Light RailCentral Link (SeaTac/Airport–Westlake/Seattle)Tacoma Link (Tacoma Dome–Theater District)Under Construction (Opens 2016)In DesignIn Planning/ Planned

Sounder Commuter RailEverett–Seattle SounderLakewood–Tacoma–Seattle Sounder

ST Express Regional BusExpress Bus ServiceFuture Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

Supporting InvestmentsPark & Ride – Rail Station or Bus FacilityRail Station, Transit Center or Bus StopImprovementsFirst Hill Streetcar (Opens 2014)HOV/Transit ImprovementsHOV Direct Access Ramp, Freeway Station or Overpass

Ferry Terminal AmtrakSea-Tac Airport

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For information in alternative formats, call 1-800-201-4900/ TTY Relay: 711 or email accessibility@soundtransit.org.

AUG 2012

STAY INVOLVED!Find project information, updates and upcoming events on our website. Please visit www.soundtransit.org/TacomaLinkExpansion For additional information about Tacoma Link Expansion or to request a project briefing for your organization, Erin Hunter, South Corridor Outreach Lead, at 206-370-5511 or erin.hunter@soundtransit.org.

Sign up for email updates at www.soundtransit.org/subscribe.

CURRENT AND FUTURE SOUND TRANSIT SERVICE

Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.Sound Transit l 401 S. Jackson St. l Seattle, WA 98104-2826 l 1-800-201-4900 / TTY Relay: 711 l main@soundtransit.org l www.soundtransit.org

Tacoma Link Expansion

Tacoma Link Expansion Alternatives Analysis Identify and study alternative travel corridors for expansion of the Tacoma Link light rail system.

Alternatives Analysis Alternatives Evaluation

Public Comment

Alternatives ReportSummer 2012 Winter 2013 Spring 2013Fall

NOV DEC MARCHPublic Comment Public CommentPublic Comment AUG

PreferredCorridor Identified Early Scoping

Early Scoping MeetingsSound Transit holds meetings for the public to comment on:

Routes and station locations Sound Transit should consider

Screening criteria Sound Transit should use to evaluate and compare different routes and station locations

Alternatives ScreeningSound Transit revises the list of alternatives and screening criteria based on public comments. Sound Transit screens route and stations and narrows it down to a few alternatives.

Alternatives Screening Public MeetingsSound Transit explains the criteria used to screen alternatives, presents which alternatives will be studied further, and collects public comment.

Sound Transit continues to study the alternatives. Consultants complete conceptual engineering to begin estimating the risks and costs of each alternative.

Alternatives EvaluationPublic MeetingsSound Transit presents a Draft Alternatives Analysis Report summarizing alternatives evaluation and collects public comment.

Report Revisions and Board PreparationSound Transit revises the Alternatives Analysis Report based on public comments and prepares to present to the Sound Transit Board.

Identification of Preferred Corridor by the Sound Transit BoardUsing the Alternatives Analysis Report, the Sound Transit Board identifies a preferred corridor.

Pre Alternatives Analysis ReportConcurrent with the work conducted by the Tacoma Link Expansion Stakeholder Group, Sound Transit prepared a technical report providing an initial analysis of the alternative corridors identified by the Stakeholder Group and two additional alternatives. The purpose of this analysis was to determine if the alternative corridors could meet community and Sound Transit objectives.

Alternatives AnalysisBuilding an expansion of Tacoma Link will require substantial federal funding. The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) discretionary New Starts program is the federal government’s primary financial resource for supporting locally-planned, implemented, and operated transit “guideway” capital investments, such as Tacoma Link. New Starts funding is awarded nationwide on a competitive basis following a rigorous, objective review of potential projects. Sound Transit plans to request New Starts funds for the Tacoma Link expansion project.

To be eligible and competitive for these federal funds we are completing an alternatives analysis (AA) for the project. An AA is the local forum for evaluating the costs, benefits, and impacts of a range of alternatives designed to address mobility problems and other locally-identified objectives in a defined transportation corridor, and for determining which particular investment strategy should be advanced for more focused study

and development. The goal of an AA is to provide the public, local officials, and potential funding partners with sufficient information for the decision-at-hand: that is, “What is the best solution for addressing our problems? What are its benefits? How much is it going to cost? And how are we going to pay for it?”

Phase I (June 2012-September 2012):Develop a list of possible corridor alternatives for expanding Tacoma Link. This list will be built upon the corridors identified by the Tacoma Link Expansion Stakeholder Group and Sound Transit’s Pre-AA study as well as additional input from the community.

•Hold open houses to seek input from the public and agencies on corridor alternatives. (August 2012). This public process will be accomplished as a part of “early scoping” under NEPA and SEPA, in order to obtain public input on the potential alternatives prior to any formal environmental documentation.

•Develop a written statement that explains the project’s purpose, need, goals and objectives.

•Define the alternatives and prepare for initial screening of alternatives.

•Submit “AA Initiation Package” to Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

•Phase II (October 2012-April 2013)

•Initial screening of alternatives including public and agency input. Screen the alternatives based on their ability to meet the project’s purpose and need.

•Define evaluation methods and evaluate the alternatives that come out of the screening, including public and agency input.

•Hold public meetings to discuss findings of the alternatives evaluation process.

•Prepare draft Alternatives Analysis report summarizing the alternatives evaluation and public/agency involvement process.

•Hold public meetings to discuss and take comments on the draft Alternatives Analysis Report.

•Finalize the Alternatives Analysis report and present to the Sound Transit Board.

•Sound Transit Board selects a preferred alternative to enter into the environmental review process and a project funding plan.

•Determine type of environmental review documentation needed and next steps for the project. An additional formal environmental scoping process under NEPA and SEPA may be required.

•Submit application for FTA New Starts/ Small Starts grant funding.

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Theater District/ South 9th Street

Commerce Street/S 11th St

Convention Center/South 15th Street

Union Station/South 19th Street

Tacoma Dome

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McKinley Park

Rogers Park

McKinley Playfield

Foss Waterway Park

Lincoln/Eldridge

Sawyer Tot Lot

Sheridan Park

McCarver Playground

People's Community

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Peck Field

Ferry Park

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Irving Park

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Neighbors Park

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Lot For Tots

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