University Link
Encyclopedia
University Link is a future 3.15 miles (5.1 km) light rail
extension of Sound Transit
's Link light rail
system in Seattle, Washington, USA
. The line will connect downtown Seattle with the University of Washington
via Capitol Hill. The line was approved by the Federal Transit Administration
in November 2006. Construction began in late 2008, and the line will begin operation in 2016.
and Senator
Patty Murray
, it was announced that the line had passed its third of four milestones to get the grant when it received federal approval to complete its final design. In January 2008, the Federal Transit Administration
announced that they would finance $830 million of the cost for the construction of the line after Sound Transit agreed to add $127 million in contingency amounts to cover unseen costs of the tunneling.
After years of negotiations, Sound Transit reached an agreement on disruption and construction
with the University of Washington in 2007. As part of the agreement, Sound Transit moved the preferred site of the first University station near Husky Stadium
and the University of Washington Medical Center
, instead of at 15th Ave NE and NE Pacific St. An additional station serving the university will be at NE 45th and Brooklyn as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) package approved by voters in November, 2008.
and continue northeast to its first stop beneath Capitol Hill at Cal Anderson Park
, near Seattle Central Community College
, before heading north to its final stop at the University of Washington near Husky Stadium
and the Burke-Gilman Trail
. The line originally included a station on First Hill
, but due to soil conditions that might increase costs and construction risks, as well as cost-effectiveness requirements, the station was dropped from the route. To make up for the cancelled First Hill light-rail station, a streetcar
will connect First Hill to the Pioneer Square and International District neighborhoods.
was chosen to design and manufacture low-floor light rail vehicles and provide additional equipment and support. 27 light rail vehicles will be purchased as part of this project, additional to the 35 already purchased for Central Link.
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
extension of Sound Transit
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
's Link light rail
Link Light Rail
Sound Transit Link Light Rail is a rapid transit project in the Greater Seattle region, originally approved by a ballot measure in November 1996. Two lines are currently operating as of 2009: Tacoma Link, which uses 3 vehicles built by Škoda, and Central Link, which uses 35 vehicles built by Kinki...
system in Seattle, Washington, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The line will connect downtown Seattle with the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
via Capitol Hill. The line was approved by the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
in November 2006. Construction began in late 2008, and the line will begin operation in 2016.
History
Sound Transit began the federal grant process in August 2005 for a US$750 million grant that would allow Sound Transit to build the $1.9 billion project to connect the University of Washington and Capitol Hill to Downtown Seattle without increasing local taxes. In November 2005, the line received the FTA's best rating of "High". During a visit in November 2006 by Transportation Secretary Mary PetersMary Peters (politician)
Mary E. Peters served as the United States Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. She is the second woman to hold the position.-Public service career:...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Patty Murray
Patty Murray
Patricia Lynn "Patty" Murray is the senior United States Senator from Washington and a member of the Democratic Party. Murray was first elected to the Senate in 1992, becoming Washington's first female senator...
, it was announced that the line had passed its third of four milestones to get the grant when it received federal approval to complete its final design. In January 2008, the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
announced that they would finance $830 million of the cost for the construction of the line after Sound Transit agreed to add $127 million in contingency amounts to cover unseen costs of the tunneling.
After years of negotiations, Sound Transit reached an agreement on disruption and construction
with the University of Washington in 2007. As part of the agreement, Sound Transit moved the preferred site of the first University station near Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
and the University of Washington Medical Center
University of Washington Medical Center
The University of Washington Medical Center is a nationally renowned hospital located along the Montlake Cut and Portage Bay in the University District of Seattle, Washington, USA. It is one of the teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Washington School of Medicine. UW Medical Center...
, instead of at 15th Ave NE and NE Pacific St. An additional station serving the university will be at NE 45th and Brooklyn as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) package approved by voters in November, 2008.
Route
University Link is underground for its entire route. It will start at the northernmost stop of Central Link underneath Westlake CenterWestlake Center
Westlake Center is a four-story shopping center and twenty-five story office tower in Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. The southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail, it is located across Pine Street from Westlake Park, between 4th and 5th Avenues. It is named for Westlake Avenue, which now...
and continue northeast to its first stop beneath Capitol Hill at Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park
Cal Anderson Park is a public park on Seattle, Washington's Capitol Hill that includes Lincoln Reservoir and Bobby Morris Playfield.-Features:...
, near Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
, before heading north to its final stop at the University of Washington near Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium
Husky Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home of the Washington Huskies...
and the Burke-Gilman Trail
Burke-Gilman Trail
The Burke-Gilman Sammamish Trail is a rail trail in King County, Washington. The multi-use recreational trail is part of the King County Regional Trail System and occupies an abandoned Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway corridor....
. The line originally included a station on First Hill
First Hill, Seattle, Washington
First Hill is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, named for the hill on which it is located. The hill, in turn, is so named for being the first hill one encounters traveling east from downtown Seattle toward Lake Washington....
, but due to soil conditions that might increase costs and construction risks, as well as cost-effectiveness requirements, the station was dropped from the route. To make up for the cancelled First Hill light-rail station, a streetcar
First Hill Streetcar
The Seattle Streetcar—First Hill Line, commonly called the First Hill Streetcar, is a proposed streetcar line connecting the Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District neighborhoods in central Seattle...
will connect First Hill to the Pioneer Square and International District neighborhoods.
Equipment
Kinkisharyo-MitsuiKinkisharyo-Mitsui
Kinkisharyo-Mitsui is a joint venture between Kinki Sharyo International LLC and Mitsui & Co. Inc. that specializes in manufacturing public transit vehicles....
was chosen to design and manufacture low-floor light rail vehicles and provide additional equipment and support. 27 light rail vehicles will be purchased as part of this project, additional to the 35 already purchased for Central Link.
