Bellevue City Council Picks Options to Save $53M on East Link

Sound Transit's East Link light rail train will be in a trench along Bellevue Way, the downtown station will be closer to Meydenbauer Center and the line along 112th Avenue Southeast will be redesigned, according to the cost-reducing changes that the Bellevue City Council agreed to on Monday night.

The city council on Monday on a 6-0 vote approved important cost-reducing changes to the East Link light rail project that could result in up to $53 million in savings for Bellevue taxpayers. 

Editor's Note: Due to incorrect information received, an earlier version of this story had an incorrect total for the the cost-savings options. This version is corrected.

The options that the council chose are:

• Keeping the original plan for Bellevue Way: The council maintained the original option of placing light rail in a trench along Bellevue Way Southeast, in front of the historic Winters House, which houses the Eastside Heritage Center.
• Moving Downtown station to Northeast Sixth Street: The council approved replacing a downtown tunnel station proposed in the original plan with an at-grade station on Northeast Sixth Street, which is between Meydenbauer Center and City Hall. Cost-savings estimate: $19 million to $33 million.
• Redesigning the 112th Avenue Southeast plan: The council approved replacing an elevated light rail “flyover” of 112th Avenue, near Southeast 15th Street, with a “road over rails” option. The new option features an overpass above 112th Avenue, with the light rail line crossing under the overpass at ground level. In addition to the flyover, the council approved replacing a city-requested trench along the west side of 112th Avenue with a street-level alignment that crosses Southeast Fourth Street. This option would allow for emergency vehicle access only into the Surrey Downs neighborhood on Southeast Fourth Street, and calls for developing an alternative access into the Surrey Downs neighborhood from 112th Avenue though Bellefield Residential Park. Cost-savings estimate: $2 million to 4 million.
• Value engineering choices: Changes that will save money but will not affect the function of the rail line. Cost-savings estimate: $9 million to $16 million.

The vote was unanimous, with Councilman Don Davidson absent from the meeting, according to the city of Bellevue.

“Tonight we reached a major milestone for the city. It was a hard fought effort, but the end result is more certainty for our city residents, businesses and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Conrad Lee. “Throughout this process our number one priority has been to protect our neighborhoods – and we accomplished that tonight.

 “While this resolution is not perfect,” Lee added, “it has resulted in mitigation and cost-savings that would not have been possible without the hard work and collaboration of engaged citizens, city staff and my fellow councilmembers.”

Sound Transit and the City of Bellevue signed a memorandum of understanding in 2011 that called for inclusion of a $276 million tunnel through downtown Bellevue and finding ways to cut $60 million from the project. The agreement between the agency and the city means that Bellevue will cover $100 million of the tunnel cost with tax breaks, property acquisition and other actions. The city also agreed to cover $60 million of the cost of the tunnel with cash -- unless those cost savings could be found in the line through Bellevue.

City council members said their priority was not necessarily saving money, but preserving the quality of life throughout the neighborhoods.

The entire 14-mile line that will connect Seattle's Central Link with the Eastside through Redmond via a light rail system through Mercer Island and Bellevue will cost $2.8 billion and is expected to open in 2023.

Now that the final decisions on the cost-saving options have been made, Sound Transit will be able to begin private property acquisitions along the line to accommodate the construction and light rail line, according to the city of Bellevue.

The decision will be sent to Sound Transit’s Board of Directors, which is scheduled to make a final selection on the cost savings options at its meeting on Thursday.

If you go

Sound Transit

April 25, 2013

1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Union Station, Ruth Fisher Boardroom

401 S. Jackson St.

Seattle, WA