Trail connections to the under-construction Judkins Park light rail station will get lighting as the city and Sound Transit work to improve station access conditions before it opens in … uh … well, at some point.
Judkins Park Station is the only new Seattle station on the East Link line, and it could be one of the most bike-friendly with the Mountains-to-Sound Trail passing directly in front of its 23rd Avenue entrance. Trails already connect to Judkins Park, Dearborn/Hiawatha, through Sam Smith Park bound for the I-90 Bridge, and the northern edge of Beacon Hill. These trails act as collectors for many bike routes in the Central District, Beacon Hill, Atlantic, and the North Rainier areas. It will be fascinating to see what kinds of new bike-and-transit combos will be possible and popular once this station opens.
These trails already get all-hours use, but the light rail station is sure to increase the number of people using them after dark. The lighting is funded by a $2.1 million Sound Transit station access grant and $520,000 in Move Seattle Levy funds.
Markings are already on the ground, and construction will take 7–8 months. Be prepared for “limited trail closures” while crews are working.
