Weeks Before Critical Sound Transit Vote, Dozens Demand the Agency Build Long-Promised Light Rail Stations in the South End

At two separate events, a rally and a town hall, dozens of attendees made their feelings clear: They want Sound Transit to fulfill its earlier promises to build light rail stations on Graham Street and Boeing Access Road.

The events were hosted by the Southend Transit Justice Coalition partners and included the participation of elected officials and advocacy groups. Attendees voiced their demands that the long-promised stations be built, days after Sound Transit announced that construction of the two potential South End stations would be deferred. The transit agency is facing a $34.5 billion funding shortfall.

Sound Transit’s board of directors will vote on a resolution addressing the deferrals on May 28.

The May 11 morning rally occurred outside of Rainier BBQ on Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, where chants filled the air: "What do we want? Transit justice! When do we want it? Now!" Elected officials, including Seattle City Councilmembers Eddie Lin and Dionne Foster, Port Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa, and former Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, spoke in favor of a nearby light rail station. Representatives from the Somali and Filipino communities said a Graham Street station would be more convenient for community members.

The following evening, dozens of attendees at a town hall at the Filipino Community Center spoke about the long struggle South End community members have faced to secure desired stations on Graham Street and Boeing Access Road.

"Everybody always says, 'Well, maybe [the South End] is accustomed to it.' How are we accustomed to not getting the things that everybody else has?" said Violet Lavatai of the organization Tenant Organizers and Advocates. She continued, "We're going to hold [Sound Transit] accountable."

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay and Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod, both Sound Transit board members, attended the town hall, and they spoke about their strong desire to build both the Graham Street and Boeing Access Road stations. The deferrals for both stations are outlined in a Sound Transit resolution, and Zahilay and McLeod also discussed their planned amendments to secure funding for the stations before a vote on May 28.

"I am fighting for [the South End], not only because of equity, not only because I'm the county executive," said Zahilay, "but also because this is my home. And I have a long track record of fighting for my home and fighting for the communities that live here."

During the Q&A portion, community members expressed frustration with Sound Transit for not following through on its promises. One community member, Yuan, asked the board members, "How do we hold Sound Transit accountable? If you say, 'Hold us accountable,' what does that look like?"

Neither Zahilay nor McLeod directly answered. Instead, Zahilay praised the tenacity of community members for fighting for these stations and spoke about the financial difficulties the board faces in making these decisions. There was no information provided on how average citizens can hold the transit agency accountable.

Earlier in the evening, Zahilay had told town hall attendees that he had appointed 10 of the 18 current Sound Transit board members. After the town hall, he spoke to the Emerald about whether he believed he had the votes to get the South End stations built. "It depends on the proposal and how it gets funded. Like, if [the amendments are] taking money from other projects, I don't know if [other board members] would vote" for those amendments, he said.

Both the rally and town hall had been planned before the Sound Transit board met on May 7 to release its long-awaited resolution to address its funding shortfall. The resolution approved some projects, such as the West Seattle extension, but deferred previously approved projects, including the Graham Street and Boeing Access Road stations, along with the Ballard extension.

The Graham Street and Boeing Access Road stations were originally proposed in 1999, but they have been deferred twice because of budget constraints. The May 7 announcement marks the third deferral for both stations.

After the May 7 meeting, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who sits on the Sound Transit board, spoke to the Emerald about any potential actions the city could take to help ensure the construction of the Graham Street station. "That is a very high priority for me. We're having lots of conversations now to figure out how we can get more of a guarantee [from Sound Transit]," Wilson said.

Sound Transit will hold a special executive committee meeting on May 14, from 1:30 to 4 p.m., to discuss the proposed resolution. The board will vote on the resolution on May 28, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Both meetings will have a public comment period.

Additional reporting by Susan Fried.