Sound Transit’s agreement with Mercer Island will eliminate ‘any legal challenges’

Mercer Island has dropped its lawsuit against Sound Transit and the Washington State Department of Transportation. It was suing the agencies for breaking a decades-old agreement that would allow solo access into the express lanes.

Those express lanes are being turned over to Sound Transit for light rail construction on Sunday. New HOV lanes that operate in each direction also go active on Sunday.

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Under the agreement reached just before a midnight deadline on Wednesday, Sound Transit will pay just over $10 million for traffic safety and mitigation programs and for parking spaces to replace the South Bellevue Park-and-Ride lot, which will be closed for five years.

After a closed meeting that lasted more than six hours, the Mercer Island City Council voted (5-1) to approve Sound Transit’s offer just minutes before it was set to expire on Thursday.

Details of the offer:

Transit Access and Safety: $5.3 million to address vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access issues resulting from the closure of the Center Roadway or fund “last-mile solutions” that enable Islanders to access transit without driving.

Parking: $4.6 million that will provide approximately 100 additional commuter parking stalls during the East Link construction period (2017-2023), and will fund construction of new commuter parking for residents.

Bus-Rail Integration: No bus facility will be built on 80th Avenue – instead, all pick-up and drop-offs will continue to occur on North Mercer Way, as they do today, and bus volumes are comparable to today.

“While this has been an all-consuming and expensive process for Council and staff, I’m pleased that we have finally reached a settlement that advances the mobility needs of our residents,” Mercer Island Mayor Bruce Bassett said in a news release, “and we appreciate the last-minute effort to reach an agreement by members of the Sound Transit Board.”

The Sound Transit board still must approve the settlement for it to become final. The board is expected to vote on it at its June 22 meeting. The Mercer Island City Council will discuss its decision with residents at its next regular meeting on June 5.

“This eliminates any legal challenges by the city to prevent Sound Transit from building the East Link project on time and on budget,” Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said.