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Sound Transit renames University Street light rail station to Union Street/Symphony Station

Changes will help Seattle riders avoid confusion when multiple University-themed stations open in 2021.

Sound Transit's governing board voted unanimously to rename University Street Link light rail station to Union Street/Symphony Station in 2021, even though all three exits are a block or two south of Union Street.

The change is meant to eliminate confusion among light rail passengers visiting Seattle, who sometimes hop out at the mid-downtown site thinking they're near the University of Washington.

After vetting six names with the public last year, Sound Transit staff realized doing so would require changing the current USS acronym within software, ticket machines, manuals and firefighting equipment. A committee last week endorsed Union Street/Symphony to maintain the USS acronym. 

Cost for the change is estimated at about $1 million.

Costs could total anywhere from $700,000 to $5 million, according to Sound Transit. About 12,000 riders a day currently board or exit at USS station.

The name change will occur when U District, Roosevelt and Northgate stations open tentatively in September 2021.

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