A new light rail extension, station, and parking garage south of Seattle are providing travelers with convenient transportation to the city’s downtown and the University of Washington.

The 1.6-mile South 200th Link Extension to Angle Street Station in the Seattle suburb of SeaTac connects Sound Transit travelers to the existing 18.8-mile Link light rail that runs north to Seattle-Tacoma Airport, the city’s downtown, Capitol Hill, and the University of Washington.

“This is part of Sound Transit’s Long-Range Plan to increase light rail service in the Puget Sound region,” said Ian Hubbard, project manager for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, which provided design-build project management services on behalf of Sound Transit.

The $383 million project included a double-track elevated guideway between the new terminal station and the existing tracks, as well as a park-and-ride garage. The project was completed ahead of schedule and $40 million under budget. Design work began in October 2012, with construction beginning in April 2013.

By 2018, 5,400 passengers are expected to use the new station on a daily basis. Angle Lake Station is the 16th station on the Link light rail line and will serve as the southern terminus until a planned extension of the light rail line to Kent/Des Moines opens in 2023.

Time Savings
The new 1,092-space parking garage built adjacent to Angle Lake Station offers a commuting alternative for students, workers and visitors heading to downtown Seattle and the University of Washington.

“The parking garage provides commuters from the south end heading to Seattle the opportunity to park and ride the light rail as an alternative to commuting via the heavily congested Interstate 5 corridor,” said Daniel Babuca, resident engineer for the parking garage project. “A light rail trip will take 41 minutes to the downtown core and 48 minutes to University of Washington station, as opposed to a one- to two-hour trip driving on I-5.”

WSP | PB provided civil, structural, architectural, systems and mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering for the parking garage, a concrete structure with a blue steel exterior.

The $32 million garage also provides 2,600 square feet of retail space on the ground level, and incorporates a public plaza that connects to the light rail station. The public space was developed in conjunction with the City of SeaTac as a flexible-use location for special events and farmers’ markets.

“The garage includes a photovoltaic system that will offset the power consumption of the facility and energy-efficient LED lighting, as well as four electric vehicle charging stations and an ability to expand and deploy additional stations based on demand,” Babuca said. “There are also spaces reserved for carpools and low emission/fuel efficient vehicles.”

Vehicles are limited to 24-hour parking in order to ensure that the facility is only used by commuters and carpoolers. Long-term parking for airline customers is not permitted. The garage will also alleviate congestion at the nearby 600-space Tukwila Station parking lot.

Cloud Cover
The elevated Angle Lake Station consists of a canopied center platform built on precast girders with a topping slab and an at-grade plaza level.

A steel-framed canopy protects travelers from the elements, and escalators and elevators provide easier access to the station from the ground level.

One of the notable features of Angle Lake Station is a sculpture on the platform entitled “Cloud” by artist Laura Haddad. The sculpture consists of 6,000 hanging disks that alter their appearance when there are changes in light, weather, or when a train approaches.