Project overview
The I-90/Judkins Park Station—Reconnecting Communities study will identify and recommend changes to the WSDOT I-90 ramps at Rainier Avenue South to improve safe travel for all modes and increase access to the Judkins Park Link light rail station via transit transfer, walking, and biking.
As more people choose to ride transit and connect to the station, we expect more pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-car travelers in the area. We also want to make Judkins Park and nearby neighborhoods more connected by supporting walking, biking, and other ways to get around the community.
Increased connectivity and options provide many community benefits from reduced air pollution, to increased walking and biking access to community businesses, to decreased reliance on cars, and so much more.
We will identify a concept for the I-90 ramps at Rainier Avenue South and then take the concept to the 30% design level, focusing on safe travel for all. The design concept will also support access to the Link station via transit transfers, walking, and cycling. This study will follow a Complete Streets approach and will require an environmental justice assessment.
Timeline
2023-2027
Project status
Pre-construction
Funding
$3 million (Planning and 30% design only)
What to expect
We want to hear from you! Share your input
WSDOT is requesting your feedback! Take our survey and share your input by October 28th.
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If you prefer to share your feedback directly with WSDOT, contact Amber Stanley at Amber.Stanley@wsdot.wa.gov or 206-817-8833.This project is in the early stages of planning. Travelers should not expect to see construction in the area.
Study process
The study will include community engagement and a joint agency and community working group in the study process. Feedback from the community and the working group is a crucial part of the study process as it ensures that the recommendation developed meet the needs and preferences of the community.
Listening sessions
Listening Sessions are being planned for summer and fall 2024 to hear about transportation challenges and needs and transportation preferences. These sessions will include community-based organizations and other interested parties.
Online Open House and Survey
We will seek out community feedback in a community survey in late summer 2024 and again in an online open house and survey planned for late 2024/early 2025.
M3 group
We will recruit from community groups to make up the M3, which stands for multiagency, multidisciplinary, and multimodal group. It will consist of public works, engineering, and planning staff from local, regional, state and tribal entities plus community and community-based organization representatives. The M3 serves in an advisory role to WSDOT providing technical and community feedback at multiple steps in the study process.
Environmental justice assessment
An environmental justice assessment (EJA) will be completed for the I-90 Judkins Park Station – Reconnecting Communities Study and Pre-Design. These assessments are conducted for any significant agency action that could harm the environment or impact how environmental benefits are distributed to overburdened communities (OBCs) or vulnerable populations (VPs). An EJA guides decision-making to ensure fair distribution of environmental benefits, reduce environmental harms, and address disparities in both environmental and health outcomes. Meaningful engagement with affected communities is a crucial aspect of this process.
WSDOT is studying the Judkins Park area to improve safe travel for all modes.
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History and background
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Timeline
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Funding
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Related links
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Contact
Voters in 2008 approved a plan to extend the Link Light Rail to the east side of Lake Washington, placing a station in the middle of I-90, with one entrance near Judkins Park, and two entrances on Rainier Avenue South. However, those who walk, bike or use a mobility device accessing the station from Rainier Avenue South must cross on- and off-ramps that were not designed for a high volume of active transportation users.
This study continues the conversations started by the City of Seattle's Department of Transportation (SDOT) in their 2017 Judkins Park Station Access Study, and WSDOT's 2023 Removing Highway Barriers to High-Capacity Transit Station Access study, both of which engaged the community and resulted in recommendations to increase accessibility. King County Metro is planning for RapidRide R on the Rainier Avenue South corridor with a stop at the Judkins Park light rail station.
The study will focus developing solutions to increase connectivity and options which will provide many community benefits including:
Health benefits from increased walking and biking and reduced air pollution.
Economic benefits for businesses due to increased access to businesses via walking and biking and for the community due to cost savings of walking, bicycling, and using transit.
Social benefits from increased connectivity within the community and opportunities for community members including those without cars or with mobility challenges to connect.
Environmental benefits from decreased reliance on vehicles for travel and decreased urban heat from less traffic.
Equity and environmental justice benefits from improved connectivity and transportation options in overburdened communities.
Complete streets
WSDOT’s Complete Streets is an approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining streets that enables safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Creating Complete Streets enables safe and convenient access to destinations for all people.
WSDOT conducts robust community engagement on all Complete Streets projects, as these projects should be planned and designed to reflect the vision of the surrounding community.
Environmental justice assessment
These actions are those that initiated after July 1, 2023, and consist of WSDOT transportation projects and grants of $15 million or more, new grant or loan programs, agency request legislation and rulemaking.
Environmental justice in Washington state, as provided in the HEAL Act, addresses disproportionate environmental and health impacts in all laws, rules, and policies by prioritizing vulnerable populations and overburdened communities, the equitable distribution of resources and benefits, and eliminating harm (RCW 70A.02.010).
Outcomes
Public input and community feedback, including input from listening sessions and interviews, online surveys, workshops, open houses, and other engagement with the community, will be vital to the study and the development of concepts.
Several concepts for bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be considered. Additionally, options for the I-90 ramps will be assessed to improve the safe travel for all modes. Each active transportation concept and ramp option will be evaluated using performance measures like the following:
How comfortable and safe it feels to walk or bike at the I-90 ramps.
How fast cars and other vehicles are traveling where ramps connect with Rainer Avenue South. Lower speeds usually mean safer conditions for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists.
How well the concept supports the goal of no traffic-related deaths or serious injuries.
How much time you spend near traffic like when you walk or bike across busy intersections. The more time spent near traffic, the higher the risk, so we aim to minimize this exposure.
How straightforward and easy it is to walk or bike to your destination. This means how easy it is for people walking or biking to get from one place to another without taking long detours or complicated routes. We want to create direct, easy-to-navigate paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Milestone
2023
Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program (SWCCP) and federal RAISE grants secured
Summer 2024
Begin engaging technical working group and continued community engagement
Spring 2025
Analyze and assess potential concepts
Summer 2025
Identify preferred concept
Fall 2025
Begin pre-design
Winter 2026
Finish pre-design
Raise grant: $1 million
SWCCP grant: $2 million
WSDOT was awarded a $1 million federal RAISE grant and a $2 million State Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program (SWCCP) grant for the I-90/Judkins Park Station – Reconnecting Communities Study. Design and construction are not currently funded.
The I-90 Judkins Park Station Reconnecting Communities Study process with 7 steps from identifying concerns the project can improve and community preferences to selecting the recommended improvement option.
WSDOT Complete Streets
WSDOT Level of Traffic Stress flyer (PDF 511KB)
WSDOT Complete Streets Basics flyer (PDF 4.3MB)
Seattle Department of Transportation Judkins Park Station Access Study
Amber Stanley
Community Engagement Lead
206-817-8833
Amber.Stanley@wsdot.gov
April Delchamps
Study Lead
206-305-9479
April.Delchamps@wsdot.wa.gov
