LAKE FOREST PARK, Wash. — Fast, frequent, and reliable service – that is what Sound Transit says it plans to offer with new bus lanes on State Route 522.
However, there has been pushback in Lake Forest Park. Some residents are planning a community rally ahead of Thursday night’s city council meeting. During the meeting, Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm is scheduled to give a presentation about the project.
Sheridan Market has become the regular meeting spot for Lake Forest Park neighbors to talk through concerns.
"We will lose most, the majority of our parking,” said Paula Goode, the owner of Sheridan Market.
Goode says most of her parking lot would go away if Sound Transit's plans for a new bus rapid transit service move forward.
"We support mass transit. We support Sound Transit. We even support this project. What we don't support is the over-engineered solution that Sound Transit wants to do here,” said Jeff Snedden, the co-founder of C.O.R.E. which stands for Citizens Organized to Rethink Expanding Highway 522.
"They want to make sure the buses go as fast as possible between the south Shoreline link light rail station and Bothell UW campus,” Snedden said.
"There are nearly 100 properties that are going to be affected, partial takes of properties, permanent easements,” said John Drew, a Lake Forest Park resident.
Vicki Scuri says the project would cut into her property.
"When I learned what they were actually, really doing, I was horrified,” said Scuri.
Sound Transit says it will be making more than 100 property acquisitions in Lake Forest Park. Most of the acquisitions will be temporary with Sound Transit using portions of property during the construction phase and returning it to the owners when the work is complete. There will be fewer than 10 full property acquisitions throughout the project, according to a Sound Transit spokesperson. Sound Transit says it also plans to remove nearly 400 trees, and trees that must be removed will be replaced.
"We live in Lake Forest Park. Trees are absolutely critical to us. And the reason why many of us moved here,” said Drew.
Snedden says he has seen traffic solutions in neighboring communities.
"Bus queue paths and signalized lights, more than half of the time saved is through those technologies. That's what we're saying they should do here,” said Snedden.
In a statement, Sound Transit says, "Queue jumps on this portion of the project corridor, SR 522, would be inconsistent with the project goals and would undermine Sound Transit's ability to meet and maintain high capacity transit operational requirements over time."
"Sound Transit thinks they can look into their crystal ball and predict what it looks like 40 years from now, and that we're all going to be taking the bus. I think they need a new crystal ball,” said Scuri.
Voters did approve the project in 2016, but some residents are calling on Sound Transit to carry it out in a way that will create fewer impacts.