Boeing Access Road Station Project

Sound Transit plans to build an infill station at Boeing Access Road (BAR) in Tukwila, in addition to the Graham street infill station. To start the public engagement, Sound Transit opened an online open house and will host an in-person event on Wednesday, July 16th, nearby. Again, they suggested two locations: (A) next to the Sounder tracks along BAR or (B) a bit further south along East Marginal Way South.

Area of potential future BAR station facing north along E Marginal Way South. Photo: Martin Pagel.

Tukwila has been advocating for this station for a long time for local buses to transfer to Link. Some people have been pushing for a Sounder connection with Link, but Tukwila Sounder Station seems to be so close that another station doesn't make sense. Building the station along the busy Boeing Access Road would only make sense if it would allow for a Sounder transfer.

Area opposite of potential future BAR station facing west along BAR. Photo: Martin Pagel.

Otherwise, a station along East Marginal Way would allow for easier bus transfers. Buses could turn around along S 112th St. Cyclists could access the station from the Green River Trail. It may even allow for future TOD, currently it is surrounded by commercial warehouses.

Potential BAR station locations, from Sound Transit's Open House website.Station Area Potential

(This section written by Mike Orr.)

I rode the 124 down East Marginal Way to see the western station alternative, and took Link back to see the eastern alternative.

The western station area on East Marginal Way has some space for walkable development. Both sides of the street have large industrial buildings. The Duwamish River passes 1 1/2 blocks away on the west. That could allow a triangular row of housing to Tukwila International Blvd, and an expansion of the existing tiny riverfront park beyond it. The east side has space for one row of buildings and then ends in green space, highway ramps, and the railroad tracks. One of the existing lots has a small fleet of FedEx and other trucks parked in it. There's also a Tukwila Public Works building, and Seattle police recreational facilities. We'd have to evaluate how important it is to keep those businesses there, and how much pushback from the cities there might be to relocating the government facilities.

The eastern station alternative is in the middle of a highway overpass. Boeing Access Road turns into a viaduct connecting four stroads, I-5, all their cloverleaf ramps, the south end of King County airport, and the railroad tracks below. Any TOD is unimaginable. The station exit would be the elevated viaduct sidewalk. Walking west to East Marginal Way, you'd go a quarter mile past the airport and highway ramps.

Boeing Access Road is a highway viaduct connecting four stroads, I-5, all their cloverleaf ramps, and the railroad tracks, with no room for anything else. The eastern station alternative is in the middle of that no man's land. Any TOD there is unimaginable. It would have to come up to the viaduct, and its foundations would be where trees now stand.

I also checked Aviation High School and the new Tukwila Village at 144th, which would be involved in any bus restructures.

The high school is a mile north of the station, adjacent to the Museum of Flight's second building on the west side of East Marginal Way.

Tukwila Village is three miles south of the station. It has four large apartment buildings, one of which is senior apartments. Across the street is two drugstores, Walgreens and Bartells. I looked for a supermarket in that plaza but there doesn't seem to be one. The Tukwila Library is there too. East of the apartments is a high school, middle school, and pool. Beyond that is I-5.

Bus restructures

Metro's long-range plan has a few concepts for this area. In the 2050 network, route 1047 would be like the current RapidRide A from Federal Way but extended north to BAR and Rainier Beach Link stations. Route 1049 would replace the 150 from Kent and Southcenter to BAR and Rainier Beach stations, and would be a RapidRide candidate. (The RapidRide reprioritization report contradicts this, as the 1049 would continue to downtown. (page 60)) Route 1088 would replace the 124 and 107. It would start at International District Station, go south like the 124 to BAR Station, then go east/southeast like the 107 to Rainier View and Renton. Metro would not change the 101, which goes express from downtown Seattle to Sunset Way and Renton. Some STB commentators would like to truncate it at BAR or Rainer Beach Stations, but Metro has consistently said no, but in the long-range plan and in the 2014 recession cuts.

Please visit the website or the open house for details. The survey on the online open house will be open until July 28.