SEATTLE— Completing King Street Station’s major public space renovation and seismic retrofit, the City of Seattle today officially reopened the station’s main waiting room. Mayor Mike McGinn and other distinguished guests officially reopened the waiting room to public use by ceremonially relighting its grand chandelier. 

Rescuing it from decades of neglect, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) performed a top to bottom rehabilitation of the station’s public spaces while also repairing and improving the main building, clock tower and all building systems. When Amtrak begins using the waiting room on April 25, rail passengers will now enjoy modern station amenities alongside historic beauty.

“King Street Station is a great example of how Seattle works hard to protect and make use of its historical buildings,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “I congratulate SDOT on reaching this important milestone in their work. And I invite everyone to come down and check out the beautiful waiting room.”

Over the past five years, the SDOT has completed the following station enhancements:

• Refurbished the clock tower, repaired its clock and removed the old microwave antenna mast
  
• Installed a new terracotta roof to replace the old, leaky roof
  
• Seismically strengthened the station and its tower
  
• Upgraded all mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection systems
  
• Created a new Jackson Street Plaza from an old parking lot
  
• Restored the grand staircase to use (open to the public in early May)
  
• Created a new ticketing area, baggage area and office space for Amtrak
  
• Installed an elevator to make the station ADA compliant
  
• Rehabilitated the main waiting room to feature its elegant plaster ceiling, marble walls, terrazzo tile floor and grand chandelier

Ongoing during the recent recession, the work on King Street Station also created more than 500 jobs, including ones for skilled trades like electricians, masons, carpenters and plasterers. 

“Even though the King Street Station had fallen on hard times, the City seized the opportunity to breathe new life into a beautiful building that has served travelers to and from Seattle since 1906,” said Councilmember Tom Rasmussen. “The City paid BNSF Railway $10 for the station and Seattle voters approved spending $10 million to help pay for restoration. The result is all that we had hoped for. Seattle is proud of the King Street Station, which is ready to welcome millions of visitors in its second century of service.”

King Street Station serves more than four million passengers a year using Amtrak trains, Amtrak Thruway Motorcoaches and Sounder commuter rail, and the station remained fully operational throughout construction. It also acts as one of three intermodal transportation hubs in downtown Seattle, alongside the Westlake Hub and the Coleman Ferry Dock. For the southern portion of the city, the station enhances transportation connections between long distance rail, commuter rail and intercity buses, along with convenient access to Link light rail, Metro buses and, in the future, the First Hill Streetcar line.  

Numerous sustainable features have been incorporated into the station to include ground source heat pumps for station heating and cooling, and solar panels on south facing canopies for generating renewable energy. The project also salvaged original building materials for reuse and recycled 98 percent of project waste. The station will receive LEED Platinum certification from the US Green Building Council later this year. 

“The King Street Station Rehabilitation Project is an excellent example of responsible development within an historic preservation district,” said Ryan L. Hester, chairman of the Pioneer Square Preservation Board. “The board applauds the efforts of SDOT’s Major Projects staff, all members of the design and construction team, and all the craftsmen on completion of this iconic development. Their outright obsession of every detail in this magnificent restoration will be appreciated by all who enjoy this space for the next 100 years.”

The multi-year project was financed with $10 million from the city’s Bridging the Gap transportation initiative as well as significant contributions from the Federal Railroad Administration ($16.7 million), Federal Transit Administration ($18.9 million), the State of Washington ($10.1 million), the South Downtown Foundation and 4Culture. The installation of seismic steel to strengthen the historic train station was a significant part of the project’s construction costs. Of the $55 million total project budget, 42 percent of it was spent on steel and its design and installation to protect the station during an earthquake. 

The station’s clock was stopped and disassembled to aid with seismic steel installation. The department plans to restart it in early May. For more information on King Street Station, please visit its web site at:  http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/kingstreet.htm. 

SEATTLE – This Wednesday, April 24, Mayor Mike McGinn and other distinguished guests will join the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) in a ceremony to officially reopen the main waiting room of King Street Station.

SDOT restored the waiting room to its original 1906 grandeur with an ornamental plaster ceiling, marble walls, glass mosaic tile wall band, terrazzo floors and a new grand chandelier. Featuring music performed by the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, the event will mark the official completion of the station’s public space renovation and seismic retrofit.

Date:    Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Time:    11:00 -11:45 a.m.
Place:   Main Waiting Room, King Street Station, 303 S. Jackson Street, Seattle (waiting room entrance located on the track level at the intersection of S King Street and Third Avenue S)

A media tour of the rehabilitated structure will occur at the end of the ceremony led by the Trevina Wang, King Street Station’s project manager. Included will be a visit to the top of the clock tower.

SEATTLE – This Wednesday, April 24, Mayor Mike McGinn and other distinguished guests will join the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) in a ceremony to officially reopen the main waiting room of King Street Station.

SDOT restored the waiting room to its original 1906 grandeur with an ornamental plaster ceiling, marble walls, glass mosaic tile wall band, terrazzo floors and a new grand chandelier. Featuring music performed by the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, the event will mark the official completion of the station’s public space renovation and seismic retrofit.

Date:    Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Time:    11:00 -11:45 a.m.
Place:   Main Waiting Room, King Street Station, 303 S. Jackson Street, Seattle (waiting room entrance located on the track level at the intersection of S King Street and Third Avenue S)

A media tour of the rehabilitated structure will occur at the end of the ceremony led by the Trevina Wang, King Street Station’s project manager. Included will be a visit to the top of the clock tower.

SEATTLE —The City of Seattle has secured funding to plan and design the “Broadway Extension”—the extension of the First Hill Streetcar Line championed by the Capitol Hill community—and is hosting an open house for the public to meet with the project’s designers and planners, view initial designs and to provide comments.

The open house will be held Thursday, December 13, 4 to 6 p.m., in the Silver Cloud Hotel’s Broadway Room. The open house will be an opportunity for the public to view early design concepts, and to learn about the proposed extension’s terminus options, and about how to keep apprised of the project’s design and engineering progress. The open house format will allow attendees to drop in at any time.  

The Silver Cloud Hotel is located at 1100 Broadway between East Madison Street and East Union Street. The location is transit accessible, and on- and off-street parking is available nearby. There is also limited free parking at the Silver Cloud Hotel. 

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is currently constructing the First Hill Streetcar Line with funding provided by Sound Transit from the Sound Transit 2 measure. From the project’s earliest planning stages, the Capitol Hill community has advocated for an extension of the line to the north end of Broadway instead of its current terminus at the future Capitol Hill Link light rail station.

On October 25, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) adopted its Regional Transportation Improvement Program, which included $850,000 of Federal Transit Administration funds for the first phase of design and preliminary engineering for the Broadway Extension. By securing the funds through this competitive process, SDOT can begin its design process for the extension in early 2013.

Additionally, PSRC's Regional Project Evaluation Committee has recommended that Seattle receive $900,000 in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funds to complete the design work. Final approval and award of these funds is scheduled to occur in early December.

With the extension's planning and design work expected to cost $3 million through final design, Seattle has potentially secured $1.75 million in federal funds via these two competitive grants. The remaining $1.25 million will be covered by the City of Seattle using local funds. When completed, the line currently under construction will allow riders to easily travel between neighborhoods on Capitol Hill, First Hill, Yesler Terrace, the Central Area, the Chinatown/International District and Pioneer Square, and better access Link light rail service.

The extension project would continue the at-grade double-track streetcar installation with two to three additional stops. The City also intends to extend the cycle track included in the current First Hill Streetcar project along with enhanced sidewalks, landscaping, wayfinding and signal/operational improvements. The extension's total project cost is estimated to be $25 million.

For further information, visit the project website at www.seattlestreetcar.org.

SEATTLE – With a ceremonial ribbon cutting, today the City of Seattle officially completed its Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project. The project ensures a safer and smoother flow of traffic along this vital corridor, allowing up to 70,000 vehicles daily to more easily access West Seattle and reach Port of Seattle terminals and SODO businesses. Originally projected to cost $164 million, the work is now expected to come in under budget by several million dollars.

"This project helps maintain our existing infrastructure for years to come, helping residents, businesses, and freight move more easily and safely to and from West Seattle," said Mayor Mike McGinn.

Undertaken by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the project doubled the width of the viaduct by building a new structure immediately adjacent to the old structure, which was also refurbished and seismically reinforced. The construction also added a new First Avenue S on/off-ramp and a new eastbound off-ramp to Fourth Avenue S. Ground level Spokane Street was completely reconstructed, and augmented with a sidewalk and multi-use trail. Finally, the project's artwork enlivens the area below the viaduct with color and images that recollect the natural and cultural history of the location.

Seattle City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as a West Seattle resident said, "As a resident of West Seattle I have already seen how the viaduct has improved travel between West Seattle and I-5 and into downtown Seattle. The widened viaduct is one of the many major road improvements that are key to the success of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project."

SDOT Director Peter Hahn reflected upon the length and effect of the construction on the citizens and businesses of West Seattle and SODO. He stated, "We realize that a project of this magnitude and length has had major impacts on those working or living in the area. SDOT would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding over these past few years." He added, "We are pleased and proud to return this much-improved structure back to the community."

Funding sources for the $164 million project include federal and state governments, the Port of Seattle, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and the Bridging the Gap (BTG) levy. The
voter-approved BTG transportation levy provided approximately 40 percent of the project's cost.

For more details about the project, please visit the project website at http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/spokanestreet.htm.

SEATTLE – Today the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Elliott Bay Seawall Project for public comment. This project milestone complies with the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and provides detailed information on the project purpose and need, seawall replacement alternatives, and their potential effects both during and after construction.

The Draft EIS evaluates a “No Build” alternative as well as three “build alternatives” to replace the seawall. The build alternatives provide a range of options for meeting the project’s purpose and need, with variations on the location of the face of the seawall, the structural solution, and the aquatic habitat features and public amenities included as part of the project. The document identifies a preferred alternative (“Alternative C”) for seawall replacement. Alternative C provides protection from coastal storms and seismic damages while minimizing environmental impacts. It combines the most beneficial features of the three alternatives (including shorter construction duration) and maximizes habitat restoration and upland improvements in a cost effective manner.

SDOT is seeking comments from the public on the Draft EIS during the 30-day comment period. The document can be accessed in a variety of ways including via the project website at
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/seawall.htm and at community reading room locations throughout the area (a full listing is available on the project website).

Comments will be accepted online, via email to seawallDEIS@seattle.gov, or in writing to Elliott Bay Seawall Project Draft EIS Comments, c/o Mark Mazzola, Seattle Department of Transportation, PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA 98124-4996. Comments can also be made in person at a public open house to be held December 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Bell Harbor Conference Center’s Maritime Events Center. Comments must be postmarked no later than December 13, 2012.

The Elliott Bay Seawall is a critical piece of infrastructure that supports the downtown Seattle waterfront and adjacent marine and upland structures, including major regional utilities, Alaskan Way, SR 99, Washington State Ferries’ Colman Dock, the BNSF railway, Port of Seattle operations, and various commercial and residential buildings. Replacing the seawall will protect the waterfront from coastal storm damage and seismic damage, and will set the stage for the future waterfront. The new seawall would also provide habitat restoration opportunities, transportation infrastructure and public amenities.

Last week Seattle voters approved a $290 million bond measure that provides $240 million in funding for Phase 1 (South Washington Street to Virginia Street) of the Elliott Bay Seawall Project. With funding secured, SDOT is moving forward to complete design and secure the environmental clearances and permits necessary to start construction in fall of 2013. On Friday, November 9, SDOT selected the highest ranked proposer, joint venture Mortenson/Manson, as the general contractor and construction manager (GC/CM) for the project.

What:  Public Meetings

Time:  5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Date and Location:   

November 7 – Seattle City Hall, Bertha Knight Landes Room, 600 Fourth Avenue

November 8 – New Holly Gathering Hall, 3815 S Othello Street

November 13 – UW Gould Hall, NE 40th Street between University Way NE and 15th Avenue NE

Purpose:

SDOT is sharing a draft citywide map of proposed bike facilities so that the public can provide feedback about riding bikes on the identified streets and if there are gaps. Different types of facilities such as Neighborhood Greenways and cycle tracks will be discussed, and staff will be on hand to discuss the overall policy direction of the plan update, trade-offs of adding bike improvements and the effectiveness of possible programs to encourage more bike riding.

People unable to attend a public meeting are invited to participate in an online Lunch and Learn on November 15 from 12 to 1 p.m. Individuals can register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/718370686. SDOT staff will provide an overview of material displayed the public meetings and the audience will be invited to submit questions. Space is limited.

All of the work completed to date is available online at www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaster.htm. Click on the Project Library to read all the presentations given to the SBAB, the State of the Seattle Bicycling Environment Report and the Phase One Public Engagement Summary Report.

SEATTLE – The West Thomas Street Pedestrian and Bicycle Overpass, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) project to improve safety and access between lower Queen Anne and Myrtle Edwards Park, is now open for public use.

Today SDOT and its contractor, MidMountain Contractors, Inc., completed the structure over Elliott Avenue West and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad tracks to Myrtle Edwards Park. While the structure is now open for use, punch list work by the contractor will continue on the project until mid November.  

The walkway structure provides a direct connection for pedestrians and cyclists travelling between lower Queen Anne and Myrtle Edwards Park. The new overpass also connects to the soon to be completed Lake to Bay Loop, a route linking the waterfront with South Lake Union and the Seattle Center.

The $10 million, grant and private donation funded project, is part of the Walk, Bike, Ride initiative. The multi-year initiative supports projects and programs that make walking, biking and riding transit the easiest ways to get around Seattle.

Additional information may be found at www.seattle.gov/transportation/thomasoverpass.htm.

SEATTLE – Today the Cascade Bicycle Club and the Seattle Department of Transportation unveiled the new bicycle counter totem now installed at the north end of the Fremont Bridge. The totem, which is more than seven feet tall, has a digital display of the number of bicyclists that have crossed that day, and a graphic indication of the number of cyclists since the beginning of the year.

Chuck Ayers, Executive Director of the Cascade Bicycle Club explained, “The location on the Fremont Bridge is ideal because this is the busiest bridge for bike traffic in the city and the state, and there is a good mix of commute and recreational trips through the area. We are delighted to help bring a bike counter to Seattle to show that bicycling counts here.”

The new device, called an Eco-Totem, will count bicyclists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This data will supplement the spot counts already being taken three times each quarter at 50 locations around the city. Analysis of the data from both sources will help identify with greater accuracy the various factors, such as weather, nearby construction projects, or holidays, that influence people’s decisions to make their trips by bicycle. The data will be downloaded once a day, so the first data will be available on the Web site on Friday morning, with a link provided from SDOT’s site: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bikecounter.htm.
 
Both the Cascade Bicycle Club and the City of Seattle are working to increase the number of trips made by bicycle for environmental and health benefits in addition to managing traffic congestion and parking as the city continues to grow.  SDOT Director Peter Hahn said, “Our goal as stated in the 2007 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan has been to triple the number of bicyclists between 2007 and 2017. This new bike counter will help promote bicycling and will let us better measure the progress we’re making.”

The Cascade Bicycle Club acquired the Eco-Totem and gave it to the city. The funding, $30,000 for purchase, installation, and first year’s maintenance was provided by the Mark and Susan Torrance Foundation.      

On September 29, King County Metro Transit’s RapidRide begins operating in Seattle with the RapidRide C Line serving West Seattle and the RapidRide D Line serving Ballard. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is implementing a number of traffic signal, street and sidewalk improvements to help keep RapidRide buses reliable and frequent. 

One change is to extend, by one hour, the hours of operation for the northbound Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane on Elliott and 15th avenues W between Fourth Avenue W and W Barrett Street. The lane restriction will be in effect from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. instead of the previous 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The change will take effect September 29. On-street parking will continue to be restricted during this time.

Signs are being updated during the week of September 24 and a variable message sign will be placed along the corridor to alert travelers to the change. Extending the BAT lane hours to 7:00 p.m. makes them consistent with evening peak bus lane restrictions along other major Seattle streets such as First Avenue and 15th Avenue NE. 

Making transit the efficient and affordable choice for a variety of trips is part of SDOT’s 2012 Action Agenda with the ultimate goal of increasing citywide bus ridership (average weekday boardings) from 282,000 to 303,000 by 2014. For more information on the Action Agenda visit www.seattle.gov/transportation/actionagenda.htm. To learn more about RapidRide, please visit www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/RapidRide.aspx.

SEATTLE – This evening the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced that two-way traffic has begun on Mercer Street. By rapidly completing needed tasks and opening the I-5 ramps early, the department placed both east- and westbound traffic on the road for the first time since the 1960s. In achieving this major milestone, the Mercer Corridor Project (East Phase) takes another step towards addressing the decades- long “Mercer Mess.”

“After decades of traffic winding through the neighborhood, a two-way Mercer creates a more direct route for the 80,000 trips taken daily through South Lake Union,” said SDOT Director Peter Hahn. “While we still face another year of work on this phase and additional construction for Mercer West, this is a tangible sign of progress on this important corridor.”

Two-way Mercer Street will now accommodate three lanes of westbound traffic that will travel straight off the I-5 off-ramps. Eastbound Mercer Street will maintain three lanes onto the I-5 on-ramps, in addition to a left turn lane onto northbound Fairview Avenue N as well as travel across Fairview Avenue N that allows eastbound access to Eastlake and Capitol Hill.

With the opening of two-way Mercer, Stage 3 construction begins and includes restrictions on Fairview Avenue N. Roadway users will see:

-One northbound travel lane on Fairview Avenue N between Harrison and Valley streets
-No access to Fairview Avenue N via Republican Street and no southbound access onto Fairview Avenue N at the I-5 off-ramps at Mercer Street
-One southbound lane on Fairview Avenue N from Aloha Street connecting to westbound Valley Street
-Valley Street closed to eastbound traffic east of Terry Avenue N
-Access maintained to Lake Union Park and businesses in Chandler’s Cove

This temporary configuration will be maintained during Stage 3 of construction as crews complete work on Fairview Avenue N and Valley Street in early 2013. For more information about the project and its benefits, to include maps illustrating the two-way flow and new restrictions, please visit its website at www.seattle.gov/Transportation/ppmp_mercer.htm.

SEATTLE— Today, the Seattle Department of Transportation is completing installation of a series of graphical information panels in Waterfront Park. The series highlights facts about the past, present, and future waterfront, including the historic construction of the seawall, fun facts about the current waterfront, and opportunities for the post-Viaduct future.

The panels aim to raise awareness of the waterfront’s many aspects for both visitors and native Seattleites. From a rich history in the maritime industry and blue-collar jobs to the current attractions and thousands of daily commuters and visitors, the Seattle waterfront has transformed dramatically over time and will continue to do so in the years to come. The panels are intended to breathe new life into Waterfront Park in both a whimsical and educational way, while simultaneously providing background information on the Elliott Bay Seawall Project and Waterfront Seattle.

The series has four “chapters:” Above (today), Below (underwater habitat and ecology), Ebb (our history and the construction of the seawall), and Flow (tomorrow’s waterfront). Waterfront businesses provided material to help build the “Above” panel about today’s iconic waterfront.

The panels are designed to remain in place through construction of the Elliott Bay Seawall Project (intended for completion in early 2016). The panels will raise awareness about the waterfront and ongoing projects as part of a broad public outreach program. Each panel has been fabricated to allow for updates and modifications as the Seawall Project and Waterfront Seattle move forward.

SEATTLE – In late July the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Benaroya Hall completed the installation of two real-time bus information displays at the busy southbound bus stop on Third Avenue between Union and University streets. The 40-inch LCD monitors show riders the estimated wait times for buses and are part of a pilot program that has installed a total of six real-time signs along Third Avenue.

Third Avenue is the most heavily used transit corridor in Washington. Fifteen routes serve the Third Avenue and Union Street bus stop in front of Benaroya Hall, attracting almost 4,000 boardings per average weekday.  This improvement is part of Seattle’s broader initiative to improve Third Avenue. Real-time displays have been shown to reduce stress and foster a stronger sense of safety and security, particularly for passengers waiting at night and during other times when buses do not arrive as often.

Installing real-time bus schedule technology at stops with high ridership bus routes is one of the actions in SDOT’s Action Agenda. Improving rider experience contributes to our goal of increasing citywide bus ridership (average weekday boardings) from 282,000 in 2010 to 303,000 by 2014. Read more about what SDOT is doing to make transit the efficient, affordable choice for a variety of trips at www.seattle.gov/transportation/actionagenda.htm .

All six of the signs in this program were installed in the windows of partnering businesses and organizations including Macy’s, Columbia Sportswear, the Fourth and Madison Building, and the King County Courthouse.

By working with partners to place real-time signs in storefront windows, SDOT was able to set up a large display capable of showing many arriving buses at a low cost. The large format of the display is important at these transit stops, due to the high number of buses and passengers. The signs provide information for all buses arriving in the next 30 to 40 minutes, which can include one or more buses per minute during rush hour.

The signs use the web site OneBusAway. OneBusAway was developed at the University of Washington and has become a popular service among transit users. To learn more about the variety of tools OneBusAway offers, visit www.onebusaway.org.

SEATTLE—Summer is the perfect time to try walking, biking and riding transit for more of your trips. The Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) July and August Walk Bike Ride Challenge may be just the incentive you need to get going. Switch at least two car trips a week, track your trips online and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a new electric bike from Electric Bikes Northwest, a one night stay for two at Seattle’s Pan Pacific Hotel, a Nordstrom $100 gift certificate courtesy of Commute Seattle, a $100 REI gift certificate, $100 Seattle Farmers Market gift certificate, and Zipcar membership and five+ hours of car use credit for a $150 value. People are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible at www.seattle.gov/waytogo/wbr_challenge.htm. The more weeks one enters trips during the two month period, the more chances there are to win one of the great prizes.

 “Physical activity doesn’t have to be hard or extreme to protect you from obesity, heart disease and diabetes,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director and Health Officer for Public Health—Seattle & King County. “Instead it can be fun. Adding walks and bikes to the way you travel is the right move this summer.”

In 2010, the Seattle Department of Transportation launched the Walk Bike Ride Challenge. The program runs in two month cycles and continues to gain in popularity. In 2011, 1,886 people registered to walk, bike and ride transit more. SDOT seeks to keep increasing that number and have over 2,100 new people take the challenge in 2014. The goal is part of the policies and actions included in SDOT’s Action Agenda to increase efficient and affordable access to jobs and education centers around the city.

For more information on the SDOT’s Action Agenda, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/actionagenda.htm.