Members Belvedere Terrace Community Council Greater University Chamber of Commerce Hawthorne Hills Community Council Inverness Community Club Inverness Park Homeowners Association Laurelhurst Community Club Matthews Beach Community Club Montlake Community Club Portage Bay/Roanoke Park Community Council Ravenna Bryant Community Association Ravenna Springs Community Group Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce Roosevelt Neighborhood Association Roosevelt Neighbor's Alliance University District Community Council University Park Community Club View Ridge Community Council Wedgwood Community Council Windermere Corporation Windermere North Community Association

7 June 2001 Dave Earling, Chair Sound Transit Board Union Station 401 S. Jackson St. Seattle WA, 98104 RE: Northeast District Council Resolution on Link Light Rail Initial Segment Dear Chair Earling and Members of the Sound Transit Board: This Northeast District Council (NEDC) Resolution concerns the currently proposed Link Light Rail Segments being considered for first construction. Four Scenarios were presented in Central Link Board Workbook, May/June 2001. Scenario #1, University, goes from NE 45th St to S. Lander St. This segment is the Federally recognized Minimum Operating Segment (MOS). Scenarios #2 and #3 go from Convention Place Station in Seattle's transit tunnel to either S Henderson in Seattle or S 200th St in King County. Scenario #4 goes from the proposed Capitol Hill Station to S. Henderson St. Whereas growth strategies and transportation planning have been linked. In Oct 1990 the Puget Sound Regional Council adopted a regional policy in its Vision 2020 Plan, linking growth strategies and transportation planning. For over 10 years the Central Puget Sound Region has been planning around a central theme of LINKED Transportation and Growth: King County Countywide Planning Policies, 1992 (updated Aug 2000) state: LU-46: "Urban Centers shall form the land use foundation for a regional high-capacity transit system. Urban Center's should receive very high priority for the location of high-capacity transit stations... ." LU-42: "...Station areas shall be sited so that all portions of the Urban Center are within walking distance (one-half mile) of a station." Seattle Comprehensive Plan, 1994 (updated 2001) states: LG18: "Identify and reinforce concentrations of employment and housing in locations that would support and have direct access to the regional high capacity transit system." Neighborhood Plans of Northeast District Council members call for Light Rail to provide transportation support directly to the heart of dense Urban Centers and Urban Villages.

And Whereas the first half of these linked planning efforts -Increased Growth- has worked in the First Hill/Capitol Hill and University Urban Centers.
Population has been concentrated into already dense Urban Centers of First Hill/Capitol Hill and University. A comparison of year 2000 census data to 1990 shows:

1. Dense Populations - Census tract populations around First Hill/Capitol Hill and University light rail stations range from 15,000 to over 40,000 individuals per square mile. This is 2.5 to 7 times the City's average density of 6,000/sq.mi. These are the 3 densest neighborhoods in the State. The densest tracts equal the average residential densities of Rome or Mexico City.
2. High Growth - Ten year growth in the central census tracts of these Urban Centers ranged from 15% to 50%. This is 2 to 7 times Seattle's 8% growth rate and is even with to 3 times greater than King County's 15% growth rate.
3. Peaceful Coexistence - While these regional Urban Centers have taken considerable regional growth, surrounding Seattle neighborhoods have, as planned, taken modest growth or none at all e.g. Wallingford: 4.87%, Laurelhurst: 0.97%, Madison Park: -2.61%.

And Whereas the First Hill/Capitol Hill and University Urban Centers are also Regional Employment Centers.
The north Seattle light rail tunnel alignment was designed to connect not only the heavily populated neighborhoods with downtown Seattle and the suburbs, but also to serve major regional employment centers at University of Washington (UW), Seattle University, Seattle Central Community College, Harborview and Swedish Hospitals. With a Year 2000 daily population of 56,857, UW is the 12th largest "City" in the State, more populous than Kennewick, Shoreline, or Renton. The Urban Centers are not just City neighborhoods, but are regional destinations.

And Whereas the Foundation of Regional Land Use and Growth Management Planning rests on the Assumption of DIRECT Light Rail Service to these Urban Centers.
New development proceeds unabated in Seattle's Urban Centers. In the University Community Urban Center the pace appears to be increasing. UW plans to increase population by 9,000 from 1999-2012, a growth rate of 16.4%. Yet no increase in parking is planned for the campus. Such an optimistic plan must rely on a new, congestion-free transit alternative such as grade-separated light rail, not expansion of a bus system that sits in and contributes to auto congestion.

The Northeast District Council therefore reiterates its members' previous support for a tunnel connecting the densely populated Urban Centers of central and northeast Seattle for reasons of good planning, growth management, maximizing ridership, and minimizing costs per rider. NEDC makes the following points:

1. That ST proceed with construction of Scenario #1,"University", which is the Federally funded MOS 1.
2. That if for reasons of technical delay and/or Sound Transit Board consensus, the Board cannot proceed with Scenario #1, then ST should proceed with construction of Scenario #4, Capitol Hill to S. Henderson St.
3. That the ST Board proceed without delay in studying the feasibility of a tunnel crossing at the Montlake cut.
4. NEDC does not support Scenario #2 for reasons of low ridership and high cost per rider.
5. NEDC does not support Scenario #3 because Scenario #4 is superior to #3.
   • Scenario #3 has lower ridership and higher cost per rider than #4.
   • Scenario #4 is more closely aligned with the original MOS and therefore has a better chance of retaining Federal funding.
   • Environmental and routing decisions have not been completed for Scenario #3 in Tukwila.
   • Scenario #3 lacks a terminus at Sea-Tac Airport until 2012 or later while Scenario #4 projects completion in 2008.

Very truly yours,

Jim Simpkins, Co-Chair 2823 Broadway East Seattle, Washington 98102 206-860-0076 / fax 324-9339 jimsi@exmsft.com

Jeannie Hale, Co-Chair 3424 W Laurelhurst Dr NE Seattle, Washington 98105 206-525-5135 / fax 525-9631 jeannieh@serv.net

Hans Aschenbach, Vice Chair 4540 8th Ave NE Seattle, Washington 98105 206-632-5039 / fax 632-0252 hasch@qwest.net

cc:	Joni Earl, Executive Director, Sound Transit Seattle City Council members Honorable Paul Schell, Mayor of Seattle King County Executive Ron Sims King County Councilmember Larry Gossett King County Councilmember Cynthia Sullivan