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Agreement reached, light-rail project to advance

The UW recently reached an agreement in principle with Sound Transit to allow construction of light-rail stations on campus. The draft agreement has been submitted to the Federal Transit Administration for review as part of Sound Transit’s application for $450 to 500 million in federal funds. The Board of Regents and the Sound Transit Board must both take formal action to ratify the agreement.

Construction is scheduled to begin early in 2001 and last for five years with light-rail service to begin in the fall of 2006. The two on-campus stations will provide improved transit access for the University community and the University District.

“The agreement protects the University’s interests and its ability to grow, while delivering a new and much-needed transit alternative for the University community,” said Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig.

While disruptions in and around campus will be considerable, the result will be a light-rail system that, when the first phase is completed, will provide transportation from 45th Street to just beyond SeaTac Airport. The UW has participated in discussions of light rail for a decade, and University officials have acknowledged that good transportation to and from campus is necessary if the campus is to continue to grow.

Still, the University’s primary missions of education and research must not be compromised during construction or during the transit system’s operations. So negotiations between the UW and Sound Transit were long and complex. Indeed, Sound Transit obtained an extension on its federal funding application in order to complete negotiations with the UW.

The recently concluded agreement addresses the University’s major concerns about the impacts of construction and operation of the light-rail system. In addition, it provides mechanisms for dispute resolution after construction begins. The major components of the agreement are described below:

  • Northgate Extension: A major issue in negotiations was the possible termination of the system at 45th Street and 15th Avenue N.E. Initially, the University took the position that it would not sign an agreement unless funding for light rail to Northgate was guaranteed. It became clear, however, that Sound Transit could not offer such a guarantee at this time.

    Although no funding currently exists to extend the line to Northgate, Sound Transit is optimistic that a combination of state and federal funds and local taxes will permit the agency to begin service to Northgate in 2007. The Sound Transit Board is committing its best efforts to achieving this goal with political help from the UW, the city of Seattle and others.

  • Traffic Congestion: Sound Transit analysis shows that congestion at this major intersection will not be increased even if the line is temporarily terminated there. The agreement specifies that if there are increased traffic, parking and bus service impacts at this intersection and in the surrounding area, Sound Transit will mitigate those impacts. Specifically, Sound Transit and the city of Seattle will step up parking control and enforcement in the University District. In addition, if the UW is compelled to institute new controls on campus parking, Sound Transit will pay for those controls.

  • Construction and Mitigation Plans: Before any construction will begin on or near campus, the University will approve detailed construction and mitigation plans submitted by Sound Transit. These plans will include measures for mitigating issues such as noise, air pollution, traffic and vibration. The University will insist that noise not unduly affect regular UW operations. In areas that are affected by dust, Sound Transit will develop a schedule for regularly replacing all air filters and, in some cases, adding new filters to air quality systems.

    Vibration will be an issue during construction and also during operation of the trains; sensitive equipment in laboratories and in the Burke Museum can be affected by prolonged vibration. Sound Transit has agreed to put a 2,800-foot section of the rails on a floating slab. In addition, Sound Transit will provide for active isolation tables and benches in the labs and museum to further protect equipment and artifacts.

    Concern about electromagnetic interference has led Sound Transit to use a configuration proposed by the UW for its overhead wires. Researchers who have participated in these discussions believe the interference problem has been addressed.

  • Spoils Removal: Sensitive issues also surround the removal of “spoils” (dirt and other waste) from the transit tunnel. Sound Transit favors the use of an overhead conveyor system, which would be used to bring the dirt from the holes in the ground to barges in Portage Bay. The conveyor and barge method would result in fewer truck trips through the neighboring community. UW officials have reservations about this method of conveyance without adequate mitigation measures. Removal of spoils is expected to last at least two years. If construction extends beyond 45th Street, spoils removal may take an additional year if the UW were to enter into a second contract with Sound Transit to allow these spoils to be removed from property on campus.

  • Concrete: Massive amounts of concrete will be used to line the tunnels and vertical shafts. The tunnel liners will be trucked in as prefabricated pieces that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. In addition, a portable shotcrete (a special kind of concrete) mixing facility may be used in both the South Campus and 45th Street underground work sites. Use of these mixing facilities must be approved by the UW, once officials are satisfied with Sound Transit’s total construction mitigation plans. The UW wants to ensure that negative impacts such as health and safety concerns related to shotcrete facilities, as well as traffic impacts due to construction vehicles, are minimized.

  • Dispute Resolution: Throughout the construction process, the UW will employ an on-site field construction manager to assure that work is occurring according to plan. If disputes arise during the construction process, the memorandum defines a process for rapid resolution.

  • UW Construction: There are locations where Sound Transit’s construction will affect the construction of planned UW buildings. First, the ambulatory surgery facility’s planned construction staging area is being used by Sound Transit; therefore, Sound Transit must find the UW an alternate staging area and cover additional costs.

    There will be increases in design costs and added expansion costs for at least two buildings on campus. First, the station entrance near 43rd will force the new Law School to move slightly south and east of its planned location. Second, Sound Transit has decided it will not need the current Latter Day Saints Building on the west side of 15th Avenue N.E. for a transit station entrance. However, the N. Pacific Street station location will affect the planned expansion of UW’s Gould Hall.

    In the new plans, the garden outside of Gould Hall is protected and three-quarters of the Gould courtyard is preserved. Sound Transit has agreed to pay the additional costs associated with the future expansion of Gould Hall.

  • Program Relocation: Certain University programs and facilities will need to be relocated as a result of construction. The relocation plans will be approved by the UW before construction begins, and relocation into suitable new space will be at Sound Transit’s expense.

  • Station Design: Sound Transit is working with the community and the UW to design attractive and safe stations, and a public design review process by Sound Transit and the city of Seattle is already under way. As with all construction projects on campus, the designs will be approved by the Campus Landscape Advisory Committee, the Architectural Commission and the Board of Regents to ensure that the structures fit in with the UW campus design.

  • Security Concerns: Security concerns about transporting passengers solely by elevator are being addressed by a regionwide security task force of law enforcement officials, who will make recommendations to Sound Transit. A security plan will be submitted to the Regents in advance of operation.

    All of these elements have been incorporated into a Memorandum of Agreement, which will be presented to the Regents and the Sound Transit Board for formal approval. Sound Transit has forwarded its request for $500 million to the Federal Transit Administration, and expects the funding agreement to go to Congress in August 2000. If the federal funding agreement is not approved, the UW agreement with Sound Transit will be terminated.

    Protecting the University community from the prolonged impacts of construction is of paramount importance. As the UW continues to work with Sound Transit toward the successful planning and construction of light-rail stations, the University’s main objective continues to be protecting its mission of teaching, research and service.

    For further information, see http://www.washington.edu/community/sound_transit.html

    Bob Roseth, News and Information




    University Week
    The faculty and staff publication of the University of Washington
    uweek@u.washington.edu
    April 13, 2000