SDOT seeking feedback on WSLE station street concepts

The Seattle Department of Transportation is asking for feedback on draft design concepts it's created for West Seattle Link Extension stations, seemingly based on the assumed alignment of an aerial station at Delridge, a retained-cut station at Avalon, and an underground station at Alaska Junction.

Map of assumed station areas, courtesy of SDOT.

The designs and notable concepts featured in the survey are summarized below.

SW Alaska Street Design ConceptsConcepts for Alaska between California and 41st AveConcepts for Alaska between 41st Ave and Fauntleroy

The assumed Alaska Junction station is an underground station located underneath Alaska street between 40th and 42nd street, with station entrances indicated in orange. Potential transit improvements include potential bus-only lanes both ways on SW Alaska street, indicated by the (1), and pedestrian improvements includes raised intersections at 40th and 42nd (4), and raised east-west crossings at 41st (5). Reading the tea leaves: it seems likely that the bus lanes would end up as Bus + Freight (FAB) lanes, assuming SDOT's FAB lane pilot" on Westlake for the Route 40 TPMC project are determined to be successful.

42nd Avenue SW Design ConceptsConcepts for the west side of the station at Alaska and 42nd.

The most notable improvement in this concept is the closure of 42nd to through traffic, indicated by the (2). The station entrances associated with this plaza are indicated on the station box marked (1). SDOT is also asking for feedback on the visual design of the plaza. Presumably, the rest of the station area would be rebuilt as transit-oriented development.

SW Genesee Street & 36th Avenue SW Intersection Design Concepts

Here, SDOT is sharing two versions of a concept involving conversion of an unused triangle of land between Fauntleroy, Genesee, and 36th into a pedestrian plaza.

Concept #1: Outlet from Genesee & 36th in center of plaza.

Concept #2: Outlet from Genesee & 36th shifted north.

The assumed Avalon station location appears to be the retained-cut alternative, with the station located in a trench transitioning from above-ground to below-ground operations similar to the Bellevue Downtown station. Notable improvements in these concepts include significant reduction of access to Genesee and 36th Ave from Fauntleroy, with an eastbound one-way road through the raised plaza leading to a right-turn-only connection to Fauntleroy, and a nebulous crossing improvements" concept at the circled marked (11). However, the success of such a design is heavily dependent on whether SDOT can figure out how to avoid replicating the significant issues with the design of the raised intersection at Melrose/Minor/Pike (the southern end of the Melrose Promenade) in Capitol Hill.

Fauntleroy is practically a highway in this area, and station connectivity with the Genesee neighborhood could be much better achieved if the entire section of Fauntleroy adjacent to the station were closed to traffic. Through traffic could take the dog-leg of SW Avalon and 35th Ave SW to reconnect to Fauntleroy on the other side of the plaza. In the meantime, the entire northwest half of the station's walkshed could easily walk or roll down the hill to a large plaza, instead of waiting minutes to cross a congested Fauntleroy Way.

Delridge Station Area Design Concepts

The assumed Delridge Station location is an aerial station replacing the business park southeast of Nucor Steel at Delridge and Andover. Noteworthy proposed improvement concepts here include closure of 26th Ave SW to vehicle traffic at SW Andover Street (numbers 2 and 9 through 12), creation of a wide raised crossing at SW Andover (8), and installation of a traffic circle at the intersection with Charlestown (13) with a raised crosswalk (14). SDOT is also proposing a pick-up/drop-off zone along the south side of the station and just west of Charleston (15). Cyclists and pedestrians coming from 26th avenue and westward are given separated paths (items 7 and 6, respectively) weaving in parallel between aerial guideway pylons.

Delridge Way already features bus lanes adjacent to the proposed station location, but no additional crossing improvements are currently proposed for the intersection of Delridge and Andover.

Although it's not certain these will be the final station locations, surveys like this give us an idea of what SDOT thinks is feasible to change around future stations. Some changes are relatively radical, while others are modest. Even if station locations change, feedback here will inform SDOT on what would be palatable once the stations are nearing completion in 2032.

What do you think of these concepts?