Voices

Ask Lola: Where Is a Safe Drop-Off Spot by Rainier Beach Light Rail Station?

Lola E. Peters

Question: I live in Skyway, and my little brother uses the light rail frequently to get into Seattle. How do I drop him off safely at the Rainier Beach light rail station? There don't seem to be any designated drop-off or parking areas.

Answer: The Rainier Beach light rail station is on the corner of South Henderson Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. It’s at street level with no significant barrier between the roadway and the tracks. The Vegetable Bin grocery sits on the northwest corner, and the Tienda Mi Pueblito grocery is diagonally opposite on the southeast corner. There’s a lovely little pocket park on the northeast corner and a fenced-in parking lot on the southwest corner.

There are no formal areas to pull over and drop off a light rail passenger. And if your passenger uses a wheelchair, scooter, or walker, I would skip this location altogether, as it would be easy for their wheels to get stuck in the light rail tracks. Accessibility was clearly not an intended feature for this stop. There are, however, some alternatives if accessibility isn’t an issue. 

If your little brother was headed south, you could either drop him off in the parking lot on the north side of the Vegetable Bin or, if it’s open, the fenced-in parking lot across South Henderson from the Vegetable Bin. 

Because he is heading north, I will suggest two drop-off locations that won’t require him to cross Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Tienda Mi Pueblito has a substantial parking lot with an entrance on Henderson. You can pull into it from either side of S. Henderson and drop off your little brother. 

Now for that second option. Note on the Google Maps image above there is a designated Light Rail Parking Lot just south of the southeast intersection. Driving past, it looks like parking for the H.E. Goldberg & Co. building, but it is really designated for light rail parking. It actually has two very important functions. First, you can pull into it to drop off your little brother. Second, and maybe most important, it’s a staging area for Metro Flex. 

You do know about Metro Flex, right? It’s a ride-share service run by King County Metro that you can use to go from any point within a specific Flex district to any other point within that district. The Rainier Beach/Skyway district encompasses your home and the light rail station, so if he’s over 13 years old, your little brother could plan and make the trip by himself.

It works like any other ride-share. There’s an app, or you can call, to schedule your pickup. The cost is the same as riding a Metro bus. Payment options, except debit and credit cards, include transfer options. Debit or credit cards require calling the service and giving information over the phone. And all of Metro’s reduced-fare options are available. 

Most vehicles are SUVs or minivans, but Flex has special vehicles for anyone needing mobility assistance, using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, so be sure to designate the requirement when you set up your profile or talk with a scheduling agent.

Trips are not limited to connecting with light rail. Metro Flex is available for trips to the hairdresser, Seward Park, the grocery store, the pharmacy, brunch at Redwing Café, or visiting grandma. As long as the starting and ending point are within the same Flex district, you can come and go as you please. 

And now that former King County Executive Dow Constantine has moved into his position as CEO of Sound Transit, maybe we can ask our King County Rep. Girmay Zahilay to look into some safety features for ground-level tracks and drop-off areas.

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