Published September 17 2015
On Monday evening the City Council was briefed on the status of Sound Transit's priority project list for possible inclusion in the next phase of regional transit system improvements. The draft list includes most of the council's priorities, which were specified in a letter sent to ST in July. The final selected projects will appear as part of the Sound Transit Phase 3 (ST3) November 2016 ballot measure.
Among the important projects requested by the city that will be evaluated are:
- an East Link light rail extension to downtown Redmond;
- implementation of bus rapid transit on I-405;
- a light rail extension from Totem Lake to the hospital station in Bellevue, which would provide a connection to Bellevue College, currently the third largest higher education institution in the state.
Moving forward, ST staff will conduct technical analysis for each of the candidate projects to help inform board members in making a final proposal. The ST Board will discuss these projects later this fall and develop a draft system plan early next year. Bellevue city staff will continue to provide the council with regular updates throughout the process.
Sound Transit has a full list of proposed projects.
Environmental Stewardship Initiative update
Also, the council was updated on key accomplishments of the city's Environmental Stewardship Initiative. Among the ESI's many successes is the ongoing effort to replace all city streetlights with LED bulbs. To date the project is over 50 percent complete, saving taxpayers 80 percent on energy costs.
Later, program administrator Paul Andersson made a surprise announcement that the city had won Puget Sound Energy's "Green Power Challenge," and will receive $40,000 in grant money toward a new solar array at Crossroads International Park. The new panels at Crossroads are designed to help power events like the Strawberry Festival, the spray playground and even electric vehicle charging stations there.
The city launched ESI in 2006 as a way to integrate and focus the city's many environmental efforts. The work spans all departments and incorporates a broad range of strategies, from using more efficient technology to promoting conservation behaviors. Several policies in the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan support the ESI.