Seattle, WA

The rush to reach West Seattle

Published

2 years ago

March 12, 2024

Last week Sound Transit revealed more details about three grandiose new stations in West Seattle, one hugely upgraded SODO station, and a big cable-stayed (“suspension”) bridge over the Duwamish. On Thursday the System Expansion Committee will discuss early land acquisitions. This seems to indicate that the Board takes approval of the extension for granted though the final EIS is not expected to be released until June. In the meantime, the target opening of the Ballard extension has been pushed out from 2035 to 2039, partially due to lack of funding. What would happen to land already acquired if the line would fail to obtain federal funding or the Board would decide to focus on Ballard instead? Are we making the right tradeoffs?

As a transit advocate, I am excited about expanding transit options and frustrated with the delays in Federal Way and crossing Lake Washington. Shouldn’t I be excited that Sound Transit is bringing light rail to West Seattle?

During the open house Sound Transit revealed more details. For the Alaska Junction station it shows two full-block, multiple-story high entry halls which remind me of the Seattle Symphony. Do we need large entry halls to serve 6400 daily riders, most of which will transfer from bus? I would prefer more modest entries like Sound Transit built at Roosevelt or UW stations with far higher ridership, and add more housing above and retail at street-level.

While some West Seattle residents are excited about a light rail option, more and more voices are skeptical. The West Seattle Blog posted more detailed pictures on their report of the event and received many critical comments. Jennifer Dowling and Patrick Robinson reported on the destruction of local businesses. Some locals organized as Rethink the Link. The destruction of the Jefferson Square complex at the Alaska Junction station would eliminate many apartments and 40 businesses by itself, mostly small businesses but also large ones such as Safeway and Bartell Drugs. The Avalon station would close many restaurants, and construction would disrupt the main access to West Seattle for many years. The Delridge station would force the closure of Alki Beach Academy, one of the largest day care providers in Seattle and crucial for many parents in West Seattle. All the impact may be justified by ridership progress, but the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) estimates only 27,000 daily riders. That’s about the same ridership as the main West Seattle bus lines (C, 120, 21…) carried before the pandemic.

The city pointed out that there are many areas of concern along the route and they still need to issue permits to mitigate these impacts.

While the city and state has been issuing grants to increase tree coverage along the Duwamish River, Sound Transit is planning to clear cut the northern portion of the Duwamish Greenbelt on Pigeon Point which will destroy a heron colony, wetlands, and public trails, and impact steep unstable slopes. Sound Transit also has changed the route to go over the Longfellow Creek, whose tributaries the city has been improving upon to expand salmon spawning and beaver habitat. As this change was made after the DEIS was published, the public only had limited ability to provide input.

Other commentators pointed out that the travel time and complexity will increase, as most riders will still need to rely on buses and then have to transfer in West Seattle and SODO. At SODO station Sound Transit plans to build another huge glass structure where riders will be forced to navigate multiple escalators. If Sound Transit would instead run the West Seattle line on the existing tracks and add a center platform, riders could simply step off one train and step on the next train in another direction.

For now, the West Seattle line will terminate at the SODO station. Ultimately Sound Transit plans to extend it downtown, but this will take at least another five years. The DEIS points out that until the line connects downtown there is little incentive to ride light rail, in particular if you arrive on a bus as most riders do. Sound Transit hopes that Metro will continue to run the buses downtown until the line connects downtown.

Why do we spend $4 billion and 614,000 tons of carbon now on the construction of this extension? For their Stride service (along SR-522 and I-405) Sound Transit plans to acquire and operate electric buses. Why not operate Stride buses for West Seattle instead of Link light rail? It would reduce the overall carbon footprint, offer better transit experience, and the cost savings could be used to accelerate the Ballard extension. The Ballard/SLU line promises much higher ridership, more ridership growth and travel time savings. Now that Dan Strauss has joined the System Expansion Committee, we may hear his perspective before land acquisitions start for a light rail extension with questionable value.

Source link

Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight

Published

10 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight

SEATTLE – We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening. We have been dry for 14 days now with zero measurable rainfall at SEA Airport. Late Tuesday into Wednesday we could see potential freezing rain at the passes. Winds will be gusty at times Tuesday from the east, then switch to more westerly winds by Wednesday.

We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening.

What’s next:

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s, with showers returning by the late evening hours.

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.

A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.

A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.

Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. Strongest winds will be along the coast and north interior.

Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures. Snow levels will also be high through Friday, reaching 6000 to 7000ft. Forecast is looking a little drier for the weekend, with a few sprinkles still in the forecast for now.

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures.

MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE

Rivian amps up competition with Tesla, pledging $4.6M to WA ballot initiative

How much does it cost to attend Super Bowl 2026? We crunched the numbers

Pierce County deputies shoot armed man in Parkland, WA

Seattle crowds protest US Border Patrol shooting of Alex Pretti in MN

Idaho murders photo release puts police on damage control as families fume

To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.

Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.

The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.

WeatherWeather Forecast

Source link

Seattle, WA

Walker ‘set a tone’ for Seattle Seahawks’ NFC title win

Published

22 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Walker ‘set a tone’ for Seattle Seahawks’ NFC title win

Over the past month, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has seemingly struck the right balance between attacking downhill and taking the yardage in front of him, while still mixing in the tantalizing elusiveness and explosion that makes him such a dangerous home-run threat.

It’s resulted in the best stretch of his career.

Report details Seahawks WR Kupp’s turmoil with Rams

And it was on display again in Sunday night’s NFC Championship, as Walker totaled 111 yards from scrimmage to help Seattle advance to the Super Bowl with a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Walker rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while adding four catches for 49 yards. And he did so while taking on the bulk of the workload in the Seahawks’ first game since second-leading rusher Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending torn ACL.

“I thought Ken Walker was outstanding last night, considering he was being hit in the backfield (on some plays) almost as soon as he was handed the ball,” Bob Stelton said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “He was driving the pile. The legs were churning.

“It just really felt like he set a tone,” Stelton added. “He ran with an attitude. And it was really cool to see that, because they needed it.”

Kenneth Walker III TOUCHDOWN. Seattle starts fast.
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iH8SOGpK5o
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
Advertisement

Walker set that tone on the Seahawks’ opening drive, turning a potential loss of yardage into a hard-fought 4-yard gain while bulldozing his way to the Rams’ 2-yard line. Then, on the ensuing third-and-goal play, Walker showcased his spectacular explosion by bouncing outside and racing around the edge for a 2-yard TD to put Seattle on the board.

Walker really dazzled on the next possession, when he led the Seahawks on a field-goal drive with an impressive three-play sequence. It began with Walker bursting through a hole for an 8-yard gain. On the next play, he unleashed a jaw-dropping juke on linebacker Omar Speights for another 8-yard gain. And he followed that by taking a screen pass for 14 more yards.

“That juke he put on Omar Speights, that was amazing,” Stelton said. “… He had the defender grabbing at air.”

This was nasty by Kenneth Walker III
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9V7pJ3DQCd
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
Advertisement

During a third-quarter touchdown drive, Walker had another tough, physical run where he pushed the pile an extra 5 yards for an 11-yard gain.

And in the game’s closing minutes, Walker kickstarted a pivotal clock-chewing drive by catching a short pass in the flat and eluding three defenders on his way to a 15-yard gain.

“He had a lot of great runs,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said during his Monday afternoon press conference. “He really did. And talk about hidden yardage within that game, he’s responsible for a lot of those hidden yards.

“I mean, we’d like to block him a little bit better at points. But when you have a guy like K9, he can make it right for you, so that was awesome.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: The latest on Thomas, Ouzts and more
• Seattle Seahawks had a brilliant way to get JSN open in NFC title win
• Seattle Seahawks’ Emmanwori ‘stood out all game’ in NFC Championship
• Brock and Salk: Seattle Seahawks have embraced Macdonald’s message
• Facing former team, Kupp helps propel Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl

Follow @CameronVanTil

Source link

Seattle, WA

Riq Woolen’s taunting foul highlights inconsistency

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

Riq Woolen’s taunting foul highlights inconsistency

Every few years, the NFL makes taunting a “point of emphasis” for the coming season. That’s a kind way of saying to the officials, “You haven’t been doing your jobs properly. Please start doing so.”

And even with taunting and sportsmanship a point of emphasis again in 2025, the game officials still call taunting far too inconsistently. That fact is proven almost every week, when the league imposes fines for taunting fouls that weren’t flagged in real time.

On Sunday, in a key moment of the NFC Championship, the officials flagged Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen for taunting. His conduct was aimed not at any one opponent, but at the Rams’ sideline. Which conjured a memory of the ridiculous taunting call on former Bears defensive end Cassius Marsh for mean-mugging the Steelers’ sideline during a 2021 Monday night game, the last time taunting was a “point of emphasis.”

The 15-yard foul and automatic first down saved the Rams from having to punt while down 11 points with 17:20 to play.

While Woolen crossed the line, the problem is no one truly knows where the line is — and when or if the officials will be policing it in real time. Taunting doesn’t get called on a regular basis. Which sends mixed signals to players and teams about what is and isn’t acceptable. Which sets the stage for a player to surrender to a human moment without realizing that they’re setting themselves up for a foul.

Complicating matters for Woolen was the fact that (if you watch the broadcast closely) his generalized taunt eventually put him in the vicinity of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. And Stafford was not pleased. Which worked against Woolen on the very next play, when he was covering Rams receiver Puka Nacua. Stafford targeted Woolen and the eleven-point lead shrunk to four in a flash.

It’s impressive that the Seahawks were able to keep things from snowballing, especially after Woolen and defensive back Nick Emmanwori were jawing on the sideline in the aftermath of the drive. The point for now is that inconsistency in officiating creates plenty of issues, including confusing players, coaches, viewers who don’t know what will, and won’t, spark a flag.

The situation justifies a conversation on whether the whole get-off-my-lawn approach to taunting should be revisited. The league’s thinking is that taunting creates hard feelings that will prompt the tauntee to look for a way to get back at the taunter later in the game, possibly by inflicting a big hit (legal or otherwise).

They say it’s rooted in sportsmanship. The truth is that it comes from the broader concern about player safety. And if one player isn’t looking for a way to take a free shot at another player, the chances of an extra concussion or two landing on the total annual number of head injuries are minimized — which contributes to a valuable P.R. mechanism for arguing that the game is “safer than ever.”

And which in turn justifies the ongoing obsession for an 18th regular-season game.

At some point, however, the league may need to admit that the officials simply can’t (or won’t) pull the trigger on every taunt that happens. And if the league isn’t willing to abandon the no-taunting position, maybe the better approach is to treat taunting like the hip-drop tackle, which is rarely if ever flagged and which is addressed after the fact with fines.

Source link