In spring 2008, the state Legislature directed Sound Transit and PSRC to evaluate the feasibility of commuter rail in the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision along the east side of Lake Washington (see SHB 3224). The corridor of interest starts in King County, running from Renton through Bellevue to Woodinville with a spur to Redmond in east King County. From Woodinville, the railroad runs into Snohomish County north to the City of Snohomish and the BNSF Mainline.

FUNDING
The feasibility study will be funded with $100,000 from the state and approximately $200,000 from Sound Transit.

SCHEDULE
The study started work in spring 2008. A draft workplan and budget were approved by the PSRC Executive Board on May 8, 2008. Sound Transit began compiling the Phase I Literature Review for review by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee in July 2008. Should the Phase I work be insufficient to determine the feasibility of a commuter rail operation in the corridor, additional technical work would be done in Phase II. The draft Phase II work will be reviewed in fall 2008 with the overall feasibility report being finalized in late 2008 for submittal to the state Legislature by February 1, 2009.

COORDINATION
The commuter rail feasibility study is being done concurrently with fellow public agency activities:

• Port of Seattle's acquisition of the BNSF Woodinville Subdivision Rail Corridor and Rail banking of the southern portion of the corridor
• King County's acquisition of a trail easement and trail development efforts
• BNSF's solicitation of a Short Line Operator for the North segment from Woodinville to City of Snohomish
• Surface Transportation Board's review of the freight rail operation on the southern portion of the corridor (to be rail banked for possible future high capacity transit and multi-use trail)
• Sound Transit's general information and the ST2 options under consideration
• WSDOT's I-405 Corridor improvements, including the removal of the Wilburton Tunnel over I-405

Contact: Jennifer Ryan, PE, Principal Planner, jryan@psrc.org, 206-405-0542