A street-level construction mishap above Westlake Station has unexpectedly disrupted the entire Link 1 Line light rail system, leading to chaos for riders. Allegedly, a construction crew doing work on a Ben Bridge post clock caused substantial damage to the station tunnel roof, forcing Sound Transit to significantly curtail service. During an expected two weeks (or more) of assessment and repair work, the agency originally implemented single-tracking through the Stadium to Capitol Hill section with a shuttle train operating at 32-minute frequencies. The operating strategy has changed subsequently though to ease the pain a bit.
The agency imposed the service changes just hours after the agency’s Thursday afternoon board meeting where Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm mentioned leaks and damage at the station.
Since damage has affected the northbound tracks and platform at Westlake Station, Sound Transit has taken extraordinary measures to fully close the northbound tracks between Capitol Hill and Stadium Stations to assess and address the damage. This greatly reduces operational flexibility and service levels on the 1 Line.
As of Friday evening, Sound Transit is still using a single-track operations between Westlake and Stadium Stations. The system is effectively running as a two-line service with mandatory transfers at Pioneer Square Station for continuing journeys north or south. Trains are operating about every 15 to 20 minutes on the 1 Line and trains are holding at Pioneer Square Station for about three to five minutes to facilitate platform transfers at the station. Boarding and alighting from trains at Westlake, University Street, and International District/Chinatown Stations is limited to one platform. For most riders, this operating strategy is generally much better than the earlier versions.
Originally, Sound Transit was only operating a shuttle train service through the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT), confined for both directions to what are normally the southbound tracks. Service along the line was also effectively broken into three parts with trains operating between Capitol Hill and Northgate Stations and between Stadium and Angle Lake Stations every 12 minutes. As a result, riders were also forced to transfer at Capitol Hill and Stadium Stations onto the DSTT shuttle, which again was announced at 30-minute headways between those stations.
In a rider alert, Sound Transit said that the service disruption is expected to last at least two weeks. To assist riders, agency staff will be dispatched to stations to help guide riders through the service detour. The agency has pledged to provide as much service as possible under the circumstances.
Any unplanned service disruption is unfortunate, but the timing of this one is particularly awkward since tens of thousands of Amazon employees have been called back to the office at least three days a week. That starts on May 1st and could put an even bigger pinch on what has been a comparably reliable part of the transit system. Additionally, the Seattle Kraken’s NHL playoff run has also increased travel demand during home games.
For many transit riders, this service disruption could tip the scales toward bus trips instead. Dozens of bus routes cover overlapping destination pairs of the 1 Line and may be more time-competitive than facing low light rail frequencies and more forced transfers.
David Lawson, a former Seattle Transit Blog reporter, suggested some transit alternatives on Twitter, such as the Route 7 between the Rainier Valley and Downtown Seattle and Route 124 between Tukwila International Boulevard Station and Downtown Seattle.
