Councilmember Dionne Foster (Position 9) released the following statement in response to Sound Transit’s proposed financial considerations to complete its Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plan, which could delay the planned light rail station at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and South Graham Street in South Seattle.

“I am disappointed to see only one alternative include the long overdue Graham Street Station build. As Sound Transit weighs options through its Enterprise Initiative, it is critical that we deliver on key projects across our city – including train service to Ballard and West Seattle. We have to keep our promises to communities whose stations have been deferred in the past if we want to maintain public trust, especially in South Seattle.

“The Graham Street Station isn’t the biggest or most expensive project, but it is one of the most overdue. And it matters because it shows whether we follow through. If we keep deferring the same communities over and over, we shouldn’t be surprised when people stop believing us. We need to deliver what we’ve already promised.

“Graham Street is also one of the few stations currently positioned to open before the mid-2030s —one of the only near-term opportunities for Sound Transit to demonstrate to residents that it can deliver on its ST3 commitments.

“This past summer, I attended a community visioning event at Graham Street. I saw young families, seniors, and everyone in between show up and engage and tell the City what they wanted for this station. We can’t afford to break their trust.

“To be clear, this isn’t just about Graham Street Station being deferred once again — it’s about the signal it sends to any other community whose project gets deferred. It sends a message that a deferral is not a deferral; it is a denial.“

Background

The Graham Street Station has been under consideration for nearly three decades. First conceptualized in the late 1990s, the station was ultimately excluded during early Sound Move planning (1998-2001) as part of cost-saving measures. It was not included in Sound Transit 2 (ST2), despite continued community advocacy. In 2015, the City of Seattle set aside funding to advance the project, but it was deferred again. The station was later incorporated into the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) package approved by voters in 2016, following sustained organizing and advocacy from communities in South Seattle.

# # #