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Open houses to provide information on Downtown Seattle street improvements

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Three open houses next week will provide information about changes to downtown Seattle streets and sidewalks during the construction of Central Link light rail and the temporary closure of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

 

Street Improvements Open Houses
June 15 — 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
June 16 — 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
June 17 — 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle

 

In September, 2005 the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be temporarily closed for up to two years to retrofit the tunnel for use by both buses and light rail. This means that the buses that currently use the tunnel will travel through downtown using surface streets. Prior to the closure, Sound Transit, the City of Seattle, King County Metro Transit and Community Transit will be providing more than $16 million in street improvements in Downtown Seattle, to mitigate the impacts of the increase in buses on downtown surface streets. The mitigation measures will help buses move through downtown as quickly as possible during the temporary tunnel closure.

 

The improvements will occur on streets and/or sidewalks in the following locations: 

  • Third Avenue between Main and Virginia
  • Olive Way between Third Avenue and Boren
  • Prefontaine Place South
  • Fifth Avenue South between Dearborn and South Washington
  • Second and Fourth avenues (many new bus shelters and expanded bus stops)

The sponsors of the open houses — Sound Transit, King County Metro Transit, Community Transit and the City of Seattle — will have representatives on hand to provide detailed information about the street improvements, answer questions, and collect feedback. Also provided will be information about incentives for employees to ride buses and take part in rideshare programs.

 

The open houses will take place at Union Station, located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue South and South Jackson Street. The building is right outside the transit tunnel's International District Station.

 
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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.