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Light Rail and Bellevue

Introduction

Public Involvement

Station Area Planning
	120th Avenue NE
	130th Avenue NE

Land Use Code Amendment

In the News

Documents

Public Involvement

Receive email or text notification when there are new developments with this project

Residents view displays at an East Link open house in September. Residents and others have opportunities to learn about and comment upon the East Link light rail project, at Sound Transit and City of Bellevue events. We will make an effort to post notice here about Bellevue events, including City Council meetings, in which the light rail project is a focus. A host of meetings are scheduled concerning: cost savings ideas, land use code amendments for the light rail line, a possible high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on Bellevue Way and the siting of a Sound Transit satellite maintenance facility.

Final Design
The East Link light rail extension has entered final design, the process that advances design work from approximately 30 percent to 100 percent completion. Final design offers many oppotunities for residents, neighborhood organizations, property owners and businesses to get involved.

May 30, 2013 - East Link Final Design Kick-Off Open House for South Bellevue, Bellevue Hilton Grand Ballroom from 5-7 p.m. The meeting will focus on Bellevue Way SE to Main Street including the South Bellevue and East Main stations.

Bellevue Way HOV Lane

April 11, 2013 - 2013-2024 Draft EIS published for the Transportation Facilities Plan (TFP). The Draft EIS is available at www.bellevuewa.gov/transportation-facilities-plan.htm. The public comment period concluded May 13.
June - Transportation Commission reviews and recommends 2013-2024 TFP adoption.
Summer 2013 - Potential discussion, decision by City Council on whether to add Bellevue Way HOV Lane to 2013-2019 Capital Investment Program plan.

Siting of Sound Transit Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility

Winter-Fall 2013 - Environmental review of identified sites.
4th Quarter 2013 - Draft EIS issued by Sound Transit for public comment.
1st Quarter 2014 - Sount Transit Board identifies preferred site.
3rd Quarter 2014 - Final EIS published and Sound Transit Board selects site.

Sound Transit Conducting Field Work
Over the next several months residents may notice Sound Transit staff conducting field work along the East Link Extension light rail alignment. They'll be out collecting information to help advance the East Link design. Field work can include:

Geotechnical exploration: Drillings help Sound Transit better understand soil conditions along the light rail alignment. Boring holes are typically four to 12 inches in diameter and vary in depth. Once the boring is complete, the hole is backfilled and the area is returned to its existing condition.
Survey: Consists of research on all ground features including utilities, trees, fences, buildings, roadways and other features.
Utility exploration: Commonly referred to as potholing, includes digging a hole or series of holes to locate a utility. Once the utility is found, the hole(s) will be backfilled and the area is returned to its existing condition.
Wetland delineation: A biologist investigates the property, possibly digging a few shallow holes, and if necessary, stakes out an area determined to be a wetland.

While much of the field work will take place on public right of way, there will be some need to conduct activities on private property. To ensure the design of East Link is based on the best possible information, Sound Transit will soon be requesting permission to access private property (right of entry) along the alignment and in the vicinity. Work on private property will only take place following permission from property owners. Sound Transit Community Outreach is committed to providing advanced notification to all those affected by field work. For questions or additional information regarding the East Link project, please contact Katie Kuciemba at 206-398-5459 or eastlink@soundtransit.org.

The public has had additional opportunities to provide input on the light rail project via:

City Council meetings: Council involvement in the East Link process has been in-depth and sustained since March 2007. All council meetings are televised and the video from past meetings can be accessed at Bellevue TV.
City of Bellevue public meetings: City staff and consultants hired by the city have held meetings and open houses to provide information and receive comments.
Light Rail Best Practices Committee: Active from June 2007 to June 2008, the committee researched light rail experiences of other North American cities and held 14 public meetings and four public events.
Public comment on the draft environmental impact statements: Sound Transit held five public meetings, including two in Bellevue, and the City Council held a public hearing on the draft EIS. More than 500 people attended the three meetings in Bellevue, and approximately 125 people commented. A public meeting and public hearing was also held in Bellevue for the supplemental draft EIS.
Sound Transit Board of Directors meetings: East Link is a frequent topic of discussion at board meetings. To submit questions or comments to the board, write to Board Administrator, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; or e-mail boardadministration@soundtransit.org
Sound Transit workshops and open houses: Sound Transit has held several workshops and open houses on East Link, most of them at Bellevue City hall.

Contact Information

Transportation Department
450 110th Ave. NE
P.O. Box 90012
Bellevue, WA 98009
Contact: Tresa Berg, Public Involvement Manager
Phone: 425-452-4638
E-mail: TBerg@bellevuewa.gov