Quick: What is the fastest growing city in America this decade? And what U.S. metro area is building the most ambitious transit expansion project in the country?
Correct in both cases: Seattle.
If you have been in a car or public transit bus lately, you will have no doubt experienced a worsening commute in and out of our city. Data show we are fourth in the nation for overall congestion, and average commute times have risen 31% from 2008 (49.4 minutes) to 2017 (56.6 minutes) – or approximately 10 days stuck in traffic every year. While the boundary of Seattle has not expanded over time, our population sure has, blossoming 22.8% to an estimated 747,300 residents since 2010.
As tech powerhouses Amazon, Facebook, Google (and others) add thousands of jobs to Seattle and the Eastside, demand for housing near offices is becoming a greater challenge for a growing number of people. High-paying tech jobs spurred demand for luxury rental units downtown as well as medium to lower-end homes in outlying areas. Research shows more than 40,000 households in Seattle pay 50%+ of their income on rent – and the rate continues to grow.
How can people afford to live here when housing costs outpace income growth? One part of the solution may be to live somewhere along the planned station stops for Link light rail.
Here’s a scenario: Leave the car behind (or even sell it!) in favor of walking or biking to a light rail station that can whisk you to the office, airport or – in a few years – to the other side of the lake. This is not a new idea. Transit-oriented development has been popular for years along the established rail line – in areas like Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Columbia City and Othello Station.
Now, with the expansion of Link to the University District, Roosevelt and Northgate, buyers are looking within close proximity of the route for their next home – seeking an easier, less stressful commute.
In the UDistrict, there are plans for at least two different residential towers totaling more than 500 units within two blocks of the new station on Brooklyn Avenue Northeast. (It is reported – though unconfirmed – that one of the towers will be a condominium while the other will be apartments.) While still about two years away from opening, the light rail station will be perfectly suited for thousands of residents and University of Washington students from its station at NE 43th Street and Brooklyn Avenue NE (just south of The Neptune Theatre).
Looking for investment opportunities? Consider Duncan Place, a 6-story, 63-unit condo built in 2008 at the corner of NE 47th St. and 8th Ave. NE, within walking distance of UW, the new rail station and existing I-5 express bus lines. Or, Dwell Roosevelt, a 6-story, 78-unit condo from 2006, located at ground zero of the Roosevelt station, NE 65th St. and Roosevelt Way.
If you have been following progress of our new NHL team, whose hockey players hit the ice in October 2021, the franchise is planning a practice facility as part of a large mixed-use, sports-and-entertainment mecca where the 55-acre Northgate Mall currently stands. Just think of living within walking distance of the light rail station and Northgate center that is expected to include entertainment, retail shops, restaurants, a park, hotel, plus ample parking.
In addition to dozens of townhomes in the area, Northgate has a select number of condos that could work well, especially for first-time buyers. Westbury Terrace, built in 1979, includes 40 condo units at 5th Ave. NE and NE 98th St. Or Harrison Court, a 59-unit, 1990s-era condo at NE 95th St. between 1st and 2nd Ave. NE, next to Thornton Place Cinemas. And nearby is the 84-unit Northgate Plaza, built in 1979, on 1st Ave. NE and NE 95th St.
Once the 4.3-mile expansion is completed in 2021, Link is expected to deliver passengers from Northgate to the stadiums in about 22 minutes. Now, that’s civilized!
Link has become a popular alternative to driving since its beginnings in 2009, with ridership nearly doubling since 2012 to about 50 million trips a year today. SoundTransit forecasts an additional 40,000 riders each day, or about 13 million total rides a year, once the three-station expansion is in operation. Think of the impact that could have on our swollen roadways.
In addition to offering a stress-reducing experience, Link stations can help build communities with a blend of residential and commercial businesses popping up around transit hubs to serve its growing population. Just look at Capitol Hill station on East John Street and Broadway Ave. E. There are new residential mid-rises (admittedly mostly apartment buildings) springing from the ground as if it were a springtime flower festival. They add to the existing condo inventory within a few blocks, including Plaza del Sol (81 units at 1711 E. Olive Way), Maxwell (53 units at 700 E. Denny Way) and the new Edison (51 units at 121 12th Ave. E.), which, as of mid-September, had three homes unsold from the original sale.
The personal savings of using public transit are incalculable. Do you really need a car if you are within walking distance of light rail and other modes of transportation (ride-share, bus, bike or walk), food markets, restaurants and other necessities? It would be nice not to have to pay to fill the gas tank, cover your car insurance policy every six months or write a check for license fees – not to mention the costs of routine maintenance and repairs on the vehicle.
Not interested in living in Seattle? To the east, SoundTransit is constructing a light rail extension from the International District across Lake Washington on I-90 to Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond. The 10-station expansion project is scheduled for completion in 2023, likely to spur people – especially Microsoft workers – to start looking for homes along the route. (The Link extension will also likely significantly reduce the need for Microsoft’s Connector buses on the roads.)
And there are plans to stretch Link to as far south as Tacoma – where there is already a functioning Link light rail route with six stations – as far west as West Seattle, north to Everett and east to Issaquah. Timeline for completion on those projects range from 2031 to 2041.
There is hope for our commute, after all – if you can hold on for another two … to 22 … years, depending on where you live and work.
New to the area? Here’s the 4-1-1 on SoundTransit and a closer look at the expansion plans.
Need help finding a home near a transit hub? Contact your favorite real estate professional – me!