Local group to speak at to city about Sound Transit Bothell Way bus line

Please join us at the to hear CORE founder Jeff Snedden present an update to the Lake Forest Park City Council on the Sound Transit SR 522 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project. Sound Transit is facing a stiff challenge in crossing fish-bearing Bsche’tla Creek that may not be approved by the Washington Department of Transportation. This would leave Sound Transit without the dedicated northbound bus lane (BAT lane) through our community that they say is essential.

CORE has done extensive research using Google Traffic data which reveals little bus travel time benefit between 153rd and 165th streets. Jeff will lay out the logic for a “lighter touch” plan that allows Sound Transit to continue with their design except for the .6-mile section between 153rd and 165th. This minor design change:

• Saves at least half the cost of the entire 8.1-mile BRT project, despite affecting only 7% of route – a segment that is most residential with challenging topography,
• Avoids the “west-shift” eliminating most of the property acquisitions, the long/tall retaining wall, loss of over five acres of tree canopy – nearly 400 trees, runoff issues, increased heat-island effects, and preserves the character of LFP along Bothell Way, and
• Greatly reduces the cost and damage yet retains over 90% of the expected travel time benefits for the Stride-3 BRT route.

We don’t need additional speakers, but we do need a good turnout to show the city leadership that LFP citizens still strongly support a lighter-touch design and encourage our leaders to keep pressing for design changes. There’s still time - Sound Transit is not yet at 100% design, they’ve uncovered design issues at Bsche’tla Creek, have not yet acquired most properties, and the city hasn’t yet approved critical permits.

Please come this Thursday!

WHAT: CORE presentation at Lake Forest Park City Council meeting
WHEN: Monday, June 24, 2024, 6:00 - 7:00 PM
WHERE: Lake Forest Park City Hall