Comments on: South Bellevue East Link workshop recap

By: Vision Line Comments and DT Bellevue Workshop Recap - Seattle Transit Blog

Vision Line Comments and DT Bellevue Workshop Recap - Seattle Transit Blog — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:21:18 +0000

[...] currently at the Downtown Bellevue workshop for East Link at Bellevue City Hall. Like the three neighborhood workshops that came before this one, public comment booths for each downtown alternative are out with strip [...]

By: Sound Transit to hold Downtown Bellevue Workshop - Seattle Transit Blog

Sound Transit to hold Downtown Bellevue Workshop - Seattle Transit Blog — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:32:13 +0000

[...] Sound Transit will have its fourth public neighborhood workshop for East Link on Wednesday, November 18th, from 4 – 7pm (presentation will begin at 5pm) at Bellevue City Hall. This workshop will be specific to the Downtown neighborhood and will likely be similar to the ones held last month for South Bellevue, Bel-Red, and Overlake (you can read our recap of the South Bellevue workshop here). [...]

By: News Roundup: Rail Moves Forward - Seattle Transit Blog

News Roundup: Rail Moves Forward - Seattle Transit Blog — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:11:54 +0000

[...] A dissenting view on the East Link Open Houses. Our coverage here. [...]

By: aw

aw — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:02:51 +0000

The downtown routing effectively serves the office towers along 108th Ave NE which is where the daily commuters will be.

By: Douglas Tooley

Douglas Tooley — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:18:53 +0000

Bellevue Retail core = Kemper

ST = BS Public Process, lots on the dog and pony show routine (and problems thereof) down here in Tacoma, on the Sounder expansion

By: Bernie

Bernie — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:50:19 +0000

Bellevue City Council was almost unanimous it telling the ST representatives at the last Study Session that they felt the East Main station should be dropped. Partly to save money for a tunnel, partly to mitigate impact to an area the City has planned as a linear park extending from Maydenbauer Bay, but mostly because the don’t see any demand for where it would be sighted on the new “tunnel light” alignment. I think there is some interest in looking at moving the Greenbaum Furniture Station north to better serve the hotel district and business parks in the area.

By: Sherwin Lee

Sherwin Lee — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:20:44 +0000

Justin is right. There would be so much displacement along Bellevue Way, it’s likely the City and the Board didn’t want to worry about mitigation. Consider also that a Bellevue Way alignment would scare the socks off Kemper, who’s such a dear stakeholder in Downtown. More money, more litigation.

I’m guessing the East Main Station is meaning to serve hotel guests that will want to use Link to get around.

By: alexjonlin

alexjonlin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 23:55:38 +0000

I’m all for an Downtown Bellevue elevated peoplemover!

By: justin

justin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:00:44 +0000

I like the b-way option much better, but to widen the street so much would displace many homes and business, that combined with not wanting to do a cut and cover tunnel on b-way made this option not attractive.

of course it would be the best option long term but you don’t get elected for that…

By: Eastsider

Eastsider — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:09:47 +0000

What is the reason that they prefer a 112th Ave SE alignment, which means East Link can’t service downtown Bellevue effectively, over one that can provide decent access to the densest community in all of Bellevue?

By: Bernie

Bernie — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:59:50 +0000

I went to the ST presentation at the City Council Study Session. I found it had much more meat than the dog and pony shows and covered all of the Bellevue segments. It should be rebroadcast on BTV within a week or two.

By: Transit guy

Transit guy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:30:37 +0000

Need SOMETHING that would serve the downtown retail core which is centered on Bellevue Way. Current station locations don’t cut it

By: Ben Schiendelman

Ben Schiendelman — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:44:00 +0000

I agree that Bellevue Way seems like a better choice, but I don’t think the city wants it.

By: Eastsider

Eastsider — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:49:01 +0000

I attended this workshop and felt ST was just going through the motions. Little new information was given, and little information is really needed.

From looking at the routing choices, however, it seems to me that R3 is not the best choice to really serve Bellevue. This route doesn’t serve downtown Bellevue very well, it has a really strange route behind the Bellevue Club and Hilton hotel, a stop south of Main Street where there doesn’t seem to be any real ridership (bordered by 405, Main St, the Hilton and 112th Ave).

Wouldn’t a much better routing be for East Link to follow Bellevue Way all the way into downtown Bellevue, perhaps going elevated at the fork with 112th Ave, with a stop near Main Street, which will serve the southwest part of downtown and Bellevue High School. Then perhaps entering a tunnel in the parking lot in front of the old Bartells/Safeway, following NE 6th St with a station under BTC, crossing 405 with a stop serving hosptial/autorow redevelopment area.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:40:26 +0000

Darn, forgot all about showing up!