Kent could get its first light rail station a year later but a second one four years sooner under the proposed Sound Transit 3 (ST3) measure going before voters in November.
The Sound Transit Board will vote on Thursday, June 23 about what package to send to voters for the Nov. 8 general election ballot. The $54 billion plan under consideration would delay the opening of the Kent/Des Moines station, east of Pacific Highway South near a new street called South 236th Lane, to 2024 from 2023.
But the plan would extend the light rail line to Federal Way in 2024 rather than 2028, including stations at South 272nd Street in Kent and near South 320th Street in Federal Way.
“The plan now is to have 272nd and Federal Way open four years earlier in 2024 rather 2028 but delay opening of Kent Des Moines so all three open at the same time in 2024,” said Ben Wolters, city economic and community development director, in a report on June 7 to the Kent City Council.
Wolters said the new station at Kent/Des Moines near Highline College is already funded by the ST2 plan, approved by voters in 2008, no matter what the outcome of the ST3 measure.
“It’s not dependent on the new package of improvements,” Wolters said.
Sound Transit plans to fund the new package through the following taxes:
• Sales tax of 0.5 percent (50 cents on a $100 purchase), in addition to the 0.9 percent currently collected
• Motor vehicle excise tax of 0.8 percent of vehicle value ($80 per year on a $10,000 vehicle), in addition to the 0.3 percent Sound Transit is collecting through 2028
• Property tax of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation ($100 per year for a $400,000 house)
If approved, the measure would cost the typical adult in the Sound Transit District an additional $200 per year, according to Sound Transit.
The measure also includes improvements to rail service on the Sounder trains. Kent could see an expansion of its station to handle longer trains of 10 cars rather than seven cars as well as additional runs during the day.
“There are a lot of benefits here for Kent should it pass,” Wolters said.
Sound Transit plans to extend light rail from Angle Lake in SeaTac along the west side of Interstate 5 to Kent, where the line will angle west toward Pacific Highway South, then goes back to I-5 to get to Federal Way.
City officials are especially excited about the chance for development near the light rail station.
“What we are seeing throughout the region is when you open these light rail or commuter rail stations, as we have witnessed in downtown Kent, it attracts new investment and new development,” Wolters said. “People today want to have a convenient alternative to get around to that of getting into their car and joining the traffic.”
The developments could include apartments, condos, retail stores and restaurants.
“We are building a new part to our city,” Wolters said. “We are trying to take advantage of the economic attraction that the station provides.”
People want to take advantage of mass transit, Wolters said.
“If you live or work close to a station, you don’t need to necessarily get in your car to get to work or to get home and that’s an important attraction in today’s society,” he said.
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