Sound Transit agreement on Regents’ list

The Board of Regents is expected to consider approval of a Memorandum of Agreement with Sound Transit at the board’s June 9 meeting

The agreement details the conditions under which Sound Transit will be permitted to use more than 4 acres of UW property to construct two light-rail stations on campus. It addresses the University’s concerns about construction and operating impacts and will provide a mechanism for dispute resolution after construction begins. A major purpose of the agreement is to permit the University to carry out its primary missions of education and research during the six-year construction project and once the light-rail system is operating.

The agreement, first reached on April 5, must be approved by both the Board of Regents and the Sound Transit Board. The Sound Transit Board has already voted its approval.

Sound Transit has proposed that one of the two campus stations be located at 45th Street with entrances at both 43rd and 45th Streets. A second station is planned at Pacific Street with entrances at 15th Ave. NE and Pacific Street and at 15th Ave. NE just south of Gould Hall.

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. Sound Transit’s 21-mile light-rail system will provide another transportation alternative for UW faculty, students and staff traveling south from the University District to Sea Tac.

After the agreement is approved, Sound Transit will begin implementation of important aspects of the agreement, such as relocation of campus building uses and parking that are located in the construction staging areas; developing detailed plans for mitigating construction noise and dust; and ensuring that the system, once operational, will not disturb vibration-sensitive research on campus.

Under the agreement, designs for all stations must be approved by the Campus Landscape Advisory Committee, the Architectural Commission and the Board of Regents.

While Sound Transit is expected to conduct soils tests over the summer around Pacific Street, this work should not disrupt any UW activities. No major construction is expected until early 2001; moreover, construction cannot begin until the relocation of campus building uses and parking has been completed. Sound Transit will be producing a preliminary construction management plan in the late fall, which will provide details about construction activities and impacts around campus.

Meanwhile, Congress is expected to vote in October on whether to award Sound Transit approximately $500 million needed to begin construction. If full funding does not come through, the agreement between Sound Transit and the UW will become null and void.

University Week will be providing the campus with periodic updates on Sound Transit. In addition, campus open houses will be held before construction begins, to let the campus community know what to expect and to provide an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to have their questions answered.

For detailed information about the project, including UW concerns and construction impacts on campus, visit the Regional Affairs Web site: http://www.washington.edu/community/sound_transit.html. This Web site will be updated regularly with Sound Transit-related news and construction activities. Sound Transit’s Web site is: http://www.soundtransit.org. A telephone information line, 221-7270, will provide updates on light rail-related construction activities and related meetings or events. If you have Sound Transit-related questions or concerns, you can e-mail soundt@u.washington.edu. ¶

Bob Roseth, News & Information