On March 23, 2023, the Sound Transit Board approved additional station options in Fife and an additional route and associated station options in South Federal Way/Milton for study in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, anticipated to be published in mid-2024.
The alignment north of the SF Enchanted Parkway station will remain the preferred alternative. The alignment south of the station no longer has a preferred alternative to allow the board time to research and find a better one, but an option will be identified after the publication of the Draft EIS and before the publication of the Final EIS.
We will continue to study SF Enchanted Parkway as well as the new route along Pacific Highway in the Draft and Final EIS. For details, please review the Board Motion.
We spoke to over 110 people at our drop-in sessions in Fife, Milton, and Federal Way. In addition to our in-person events, over 2,150 people participated in our online open house, responding with more than 85 questions and comments.
Some key takeaways were the community's concerns over business and residential displacements along all proposed routes, detriments to natural areas and cultural resources, and increased traffic congestion. Many commenters asked when the Draft EIS would be available, when property acquisitions would be more certain, and when TDLE would open for service. To learn more about our engagement process and the comments we received, please see our Public Engagement Summary.
The Draft EIS will include more detailed information about all routes and stations and their potential effects on the natural and built environments. We’ll seek comments from the public, Tribal Nations, cities, and agencies during a formal public comment period when the Draft EIS is published, which is now expected in mid-2024.
Properties potentially affected by the additional alternatives will be identified in the Draft EIS, and we will notify these property owners before publishing the Draft EIS.
Before then, contact us to request a briefing on the project or to learn more about Sound Transit’s property acquisition and relocation process. You can check out our TDLE project website for more background on the project.
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