With $40 million in funding approved by voters in 2016 as part of ST3, Sound Transit is planning for improved parking and other options aimed at enhancing access at the Edmonds and Mukilteo Stations. A just-launched online open house provides an easy 24/7 opportunity for the public to learn about these proposals and make their views and preferences known.  In addition, in-person open houses are scheduled later this month in both communities for those without computer access or who prefer to provide input in person.

But it’s more than just parking. ST is looking at a range of options including more convenient pick-up and drop-off areas, improved foot access, enhanced opportunities for cyclists, and easier connections between rail, ferry and bus routes.

The online open house is the latest step in a process that started in early 2019, when Sound Transit started working with local partners and the community to identify potential access improvements that would best meet the goal of increasing ridership on Sounder North and improving access to Sounder trains.  Activities to date included an online open house and survey last spring, and several in-person open house events to inform the public about the project and gather feedback on priorities.

Visitors to the online open house receive a brief overview of the project to date with links to more detailed background info on prior outreach efforts, before being walked through the options now being considered.

For Edmonds, these comprise 22 separate options, including several potential remote parking sites, additional bus bays to facilitate intermodal connections, bicycle path enhancements, and upgraded pedestrian access and lighting improvements. An online checklist provides the chance for visitors to the site to evaluate each option as not important, important, or very important. In addition, several free-form comment fields allow users to provide enhanced opinion and feedback to the planners.

In addition to the online open house, Edmonds citizens will have the chance to be heard in person at the upcoming community open house to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 5-7 p.m. at the Cascadia Art Museum, 190 Sunset Ave.  Demonstration and handout materials will be provided, and staff from Sound Transit will be on hand to answer questions, hear concerns and take feedback.

Feedback collected through the online open house and in-person meetings will inform the Sound Transit Board’s decision-making as it advances a package of access improvements into environmental review in 2020. The public will have additional opportunities to comment during environmental review. The Sound Transit Board will make the final decision on which projects to build or fund in 2021. All projects will be complete by 2024.

For more information on Sound Transit, visit www.soundtransit.org.

— By Larry Vogel