Intersecting Your Business with Transit

Sound Transit stations are coming to Shoreline. Are you interested in moving your business to be close to one of the stations? Do you already own property near one of the proposed locations? Now is the time to connect with the design process.

Sound Transit has already confirmed that one of the stations will be at NE 185th Street and the east side of I-5. A second station farther south is also planned but there is more than one option being considered..one at NE 145th and one at NE 155th and I-5. (See Sound Transit's Map)

Futurewise and the newly established 185th Station-Area Citizens Committee are working together "to educate and advocate for a complete community with access to opportunities for all people." A website has been set up where individuals can sign up for special notifications and see a calendar of upcoming events and meetings and read the latest blog.

A bottom up planning process has been started that includes a Forum on April 15th. The Forum speakers will be people from other transit developments sharing what they learned from the development of transit stations in their area. The hope is that Shoreline will be able to learn from the successes and mistakes of other communities.

Futurewise in partnership with the Transportation Choices Coalition and the architecture firm GGLO has also published  "Transit-Oriented Communities, a Blueprint for Washington State that is an information resource local jurisdictions can use for planning transit oriented development.

Other influencing factors:

• Puget Sound Regional Council is also offering their own agenda hoping to ensuring that 50% of all new housing built by the station will be "affordable."
• The City of Shoreline is currently interviewing applications for a consultant to help them in the design process.
• During June Sound Transit expects to release its Draft Environmental Impact Statement and start accepting formal public comment.

Success of the development will depend upon having a broad array of perspectives from local residents and business informing elected officials and Sound Transit. As Brock Howell of Futurewise said on the blog page:

"Together, we'll be going door-to-door, talking neighbor-to-neighbor, engaging with local schools and churches, holding community forums and workshops, setting policy objectives tied to local planning efforts, and advocating before city and regional decision-makers."

How would your business and employees benefit from being close to a transit station? How would your customers benefit? Ready to get involved? Go to the website, check the calendar and show up at the next 185th Street Station meeting.