We need your feedback in the process ahead

• Sound Transit collected public input last spring on possible route and station alternatives in South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma and Tacoma Dome. The Sound Transit Board then selected a preferred alternative and other alternatives to study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a process that gauges impacts to the natural and built environment for each alternative.
• This environmental review is now well underway, and we’ll continue to adjust our design based on community feedback, engineering feasibility, and collaboration with local tribes, agencies or jurisdictions. We’ll publish the results in a Draft EIS in 2021, and they’ll be available for public comment. Our Final EIS will respond to those comments in 2022.
• Need more information now? Visit our project website for a history of the project, additional background information and resources.

Designs for both South Federal Way Station alternatives include parking, bus connections, passenger pick-up and drop-off areas, and pedestrian and biking access improvements.

Key design updates include:

• Route design option: One route design option shifts the track westward through the Belmor Park neighborhood to provide gentler curves and faster train speeds into and out of the Federal Way Transit Center station.
• SF Enchanted Parkway station alternative concept and design options: This station would be located at South 352nd Street and Enchanted Parkway and include 500 parking stalls. The primary design places the station north of 352nd with a parking garage, but we’re also exploring two other design options. The first would shift the station south to span South 352nd Street and provide rider access from both sides of the street. The second option arranges the 500 parking stalls in a surface layout, offering greater long-term adaptability and potential for future re-use. (Compared to a parking garage, a surface lot can be more easily redeveloped to suit evolving travel or development patterns.)
• SF I-5 station alternative concept and design options: This station would be located along I-5 south of South 356th Street and would also include 500 parking stalls. The primary design assumes a parking garage. The second option arranges the 500 parking stalls in a surface layout, offering greater long-term adaptability and potential for future re-use. (Compared to a parking garage, a surface lot can be more easily redeveloped to suit evolving travel or development patterns.)

SF Enchanted Parkway alternative – site plan and visualization

SF Enchanted Parkway station is located on Enchanted Parkway at South 352nd Street and incorporates a bus facility and 500 parking spaces.

SF Enchanted Parkway station is elevated with plaza, mezzanine and platform levels.

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SF I-5 alternative – site plan and visualization

SF I-5 station is located east of Enchanted Parkway at I-5 and South 356th Street and incorporates a bus facility and 500 parking spaces.

SF I-5 station is elevated with a plaza and platform level and the concept allows for a non-motorized path south along the guideway to Enchanted Parkway.

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• Some existing power lines are too low to accommodate the light rail route in this area. We’re coordinating with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and the City of Federal Way to evaluate their height and any movement required.
• We’re also conducting environmental review on the Operations and Maintenance Facility South, which will store and service new trains and bring more than 300 living-wage jobs to the area. Earlier this year, the Board selected three sites for further study— two in Federal Way and one in Kent. Learn more about the potential sites and the project.
• Our Federal Way Link Extension will expand regional light rail from Angle Lake Station to the Federal Way Transit Center in 2024, and outreach is underway to explore station names and preview construction. We’ll break ground in 2020.
• The City of Federal Way is advancing the City Center Access Project, which proposes a modified interchange to I-5 at S 324th St. They’re working to ease traffic congestion in the area around S 320th St. between SR 99/Pacific Highway and Military Road S.
• The City of Federal Way is also thinking ahead about the Future of the South Federal Way area and currently seeking feedback. Visit their site to learn more about Framing City South.

Fife station designs include parking, bus connections, passenger pick-up and drop-off areas, and pedestrian and biking access improvements. Other design work focuses on the geographic placement of route alternatives.

Key design updates include:

• Route design at 54th Avenue East: Leaving the station and heading toward Tacoma, both options continue in an east-west route to the west of 54th Avenue East, before curving to the south to either I-5 or Pacific Highway.

• Fife Station design concept and parking options: The station is located just west of 59th Avenue East and includes 500 parking stalls. The primary design assumes a parking garage. Another option arranges the 500 parking stalls in a surface layout, offering greater long-term adaptability and potential for future re-use. (Compared to a parking garage, a surface lot can be more easily redeveloped to suit evolving travel or development patterns.)

Fife alternative – site plan and visualization

Fife station is located west of 59th Avenue E, between 12th and 15th streets east, and includes 500 parking spaces.

Fife station includes a plaza and platform level and is situated to support the City of Fife’s future City Center plans.

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The preferred alternative for the Portland Avenue station is located along East 26th Street, between East Bay Street and Portland Avenue East. (In previous outreach, this station option was called ET3 in the East Tacoma Station Area.) It will include bus connections, passenger pick-up and drop-off areas, and pedestrian and bicycle connections.

The environmental review process will analyze one route east of Portland Avenue Station (connecting to Fife) and four possible routes west of the station (connecting to Tacoma Dome Station).

Key design updates and ongoing considerations include:

• Station concept and design options: The primary location for the Portland Avenue station is east of Portland Avenue. We’re also considering a design option with the station shifted west, so that the station could span Portland Avenue and provide riders direct access from both sides of the street.
• Accessing the station near I-5: Pedestrian connections are a key focus for this station. Our designs and environmental review will consider how to improve connectivity between the station and Tacoma’s Eastside neighborhood, south of I-5, including study of potential pedestrian enhancements at street level and potential pedestrian bridge over I-5. Potential pedestrian bridge options are for evaluation purposes. Funding sources and construction have not been committed and are to be determined.

View the Portland Avenue station – site plan and visualization

Portland Avenue station would be located on East 26th Street at Portland Avenue. A design option for a station spanning Portland Avenue is also being studied.

The station concept east of Portland Avenue consolidates all station activity in one area, while the design option spanning Portland Avenue has passenger entries on both sides of the street.

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The Sound Transit Board identified TD 25th West as their preferred station alternative. This would be an elevated station above East 25th Street, between East D Street and East G Street.

In the environmental review process, we’ll also study the TD 25th East alternative, located above East 25th Street between East G Street and McKinley Avenue East. We’re also analyzing the TD 26th alternative, located above East 26th Street at East D Street. (In previous outreach, these station options were identified as TD 2, TD 3, and TD 4 East In-Street, respectively.)

The Sound Transit Board also directed agency staff to examine “options for the alignment and station close to the Sounder corridor” in the Tacoma Dome station area. This is now our fourth alternative being analyzed, called TD Close to Sounder. It would be located on the Freighthouse Square block, between the Sounder tracks and East 25th Street.

The Tacoma Dome station is one of the largest transit hubs in the Sound Transit district. Creating opportunities for easy transfer between Sounder, Tacoma Link, buses, Amtrak and other modes is important to our design process there.

All station designs will include a passenger pick-up and drop-off area and pedestrian and biking access improvements.

Key design updates include:

• The TD Close to Sounder alternative: This new alternative responds to public feedback and Sound Transit Board direction. It would situate an elevated station over much of the existing Freighthouse Square (FHS) building. The concept is still under development with many details yet to be worked out.
  The current “Close to Sounder” station concept would demolish a portion of Freighthouse Square east of the Sounder concourse. In response to input expressed by the community and City Council, the design concept may support a building frontage on the street if possible based on design constraints, similar to the new Tacoma Amtrak Station. In addition, Sound Transit is exploring whether non-transit uses (such as dining and retail) could be allowed under the new station and guideway to integrate with the existing neighborhood. West of the new station, the design aims to retain the Sounder concourse, Amtrak station and western end of Freighthouse Square.

• Bus transit facility integration for TD 25th West: The TD 25th West alternative includes a design option that explores relocating the current bus transit facility on Puyallup Avenue to the west side of the Pierce Transit parking garages.
• Route and station location between Portland Avenue and TD 26th: The TD 26th alternative is located along  East 26th Street with the station platform spanning East D Street. This location is farther west compared to the previous design. The possible route between Portland Avenue and TD 26th station has shifted to be closer to the Sounder tracks.
• End of route: Design refinement is underway for the “tail tracks” included with all Tacoma Dome station alternatives. Tail tracks are located at the end of a rail line for train storage and maintaining operations and reliability, especially during Tacoma Dome event-rider surges.

Tacoma 25th-West alternative – site plan and visualization

TD 25th West station is located elevated above East 25th Street between East D Street and East G Street.

TD 25th West station has both mezzanine and platform levels over East 25th Street, which would remain open under the station.

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Tacoma 25th-East alternative – site plan and visualization

TD 25th East station is located elevated above East 25th Street between East D Street and McKinley Avenue E.

TD 25th East has both mezzanine and platform levels over East 25th Street, which would remain open under the station.

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Tacoma 26th Street alternative – site plan and visualization

TD 26th Street station is located elevated above E 26th Street at the intersection with East D Street.

TD 26th station has both mezzanine and platform levels over E 26th Street, which would remain open under the station.

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Tacoma Close to Sounder alternative – site plan and visualization

The TD Close to Sounder station concept replaces Freighthouse Square east of the Sounder concourse. Sound Transit is exploring whether non-transit uses could be allowed under the new station and guideway.

The TD Close to Sounder in-progress design concept has a ground floor and platform level; architectural details have not yet been determined. The aim for this concept is to retain the existing Sounder concourse, Amtrak station, and the west end of Freighthouse Square.

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Sound Transit is in the early planning phase of the Tacoma Dome Link Extension project. As part of this phase, Sound Transit is coordinating with property owners and local jurisdictions throughout the corridor to collect and analyze information necessary to plan and design potential light rail alignments to be studied in the environmental review process. If you'd like to learn more about the different types of fieldwork activities we may conduct in your neighborhood, check out our fact sheet.