Everett light rail choices refined amid calls for in-road options

EVERETT — Sound Transit leaders last week narrowed their options for light rail between Everett and Lynnwood that’s eyed to arrive in 2037 amid calls to avoid bulldozing long-standing churches and community centers.

In a 9-0 vote with some members absent Thursday, the Sound Transit board approved which station and track alignment alternatives to evaluate further. A final vote on exact alignment and station locations is still years away.

The decision came almost a week after documents outlining potential displacements of businesses and homes for some of the options were mistakenly published online, as first reported by The Urbanist. The report assessed that currently proposed alternatives could run through existing buildings instead of rights of way, such as streets with light rail above them similar to Seattle’s monorail.

Board member Claudia Balducci, who is on the King County Council, asked the agency’s staff to see alternatives that are “cheaper, quicker” and don’t require as many “takings” for property. The hope is that placing an elevated track above or along streets or other rights of way can avert displacement near high-capacity transit hubs.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everett-light-rail-choices-refined-amid-calls-for-in-road-options/