Department of Transportation
The Department of Transportation at M Street and New Jersey Avenue in Washington, D.C. Photo by NCinDC

The US Department of Transportation has released its annual recommendation (12 MB pdf link) for Federal New Starts (transit capital projects over $250 million) and Small Starts (transit capital projects under $250 million) for the 2010 Federal Budget. The document recommends $1.83 billion in funding for New Starts and Small Starts, which would be about a 10% increase over the 2009 budget if Congress were to include that level of funding in the federal budget. Some highlights of the recommendation below the fold.

  • Bellevue-Redmond Bus Rapid Transit and Seattle Pacific Highway South Bus Rapid Transit are both being recommended for Small Starts. Both projects got money under the 2009 budget, and the recommendation would be for the entire balance of the federal funding agreement.
  • U Link is recommended to get $110 million, the most money for any New Start in 2010 other than the Second Ave Subway Project and the Long Island Rail Road East Side Access both in New York.
  • Central Link will get the final $3,144,294 to complete the federal funding agreement.

Good stuff! If Sound Transit can get the final engineering done soon, we could see North Link on this list in the next couple of years. H/T to Alex Jonlin

11 Replies to “2010 New Starts”

  1. Off-topic, but I know Ben would be interested in this:

    http://www.cnu.org/node/606

    It’s a report from Smart Mobility criticizing the WSDOT analysis of the Alaskan Way Viaduct surface replacement option. It contains some interesting insights into the assumptions and modeling that went into the original analysis. The public should be aware of these inaccuracies before shelling out billions for a tunnel.

    2. Great report. I wish the governor would read it before signing the bill to bore the tunnel. I’m afraid the tunnel is going to be a complete waste of $2 billion dollars (or more) that could instead be used for improved transit to replace the capacity that is lost when the viaduct is removed.

      Has anyone ever talked about the idea of removing the top level and reinforcing the lower level of the viaduct and putting elevated rail on it?

  3. Re North Link, does anyone have an idea how much more engineering is required before they can start construction? Are we talking several more years, or are we going to maybe see construction on North Link start by 2011?

      1. It’s bored the whole way to almost Northgate. The station at Brooklyn will be cut-and-cover from 43rd to 45th, as well the station at Roosevelt. The Roosevelt station will require demolishing the block where the QFC is on 67th and Roosevelt and be cut and cover (and staged) at that location.

      2. Interestingly, due to the slope profile of the hill above UW, the tunnel will actually be quite far below the surface when it gets to the 45th and Roosevelt (65th) stations. Plans are for the platform at 45th to be 80′ below street level, and the one at Roosevelt will be 90′ below ground.

        The tunnel will break the surface right near the Lake City Way exit from I-5, and will run along the surface or in a retained trench along the median of I-5 until it hits Northgate. The Northgate station will be elevated.

        There is some very detailed information in the final EIS documents, including the tunnel route and station designs. I’m pretty sure the station design included bike parking at all 3 stations.

  4. Another post regarding north link, would it be possible to simultaneously start tunneling and building the light rail tracks from Lynnwood within 2 years of tunneling so that light rail can open sooner? Or at least start acquiring land for the extensions now when the prices for land or low.

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