NE 45th Street th
The NE 45 Street station area is located in the heart of the University District, a densely urbanized area that provides housing, shopping areas, and services for the University of Washington community. The area already supports transit use and pedestrian activity, and light rail would be an appropriate fit for the existing travel patterns of the local community. The current mix of land uses and residential densities can be improved to be even more supportive of transit and pedestrian uses. Particularly in the western parts of the station area, pedestrian and transit activity give way to auto-oriented uses and parking lots. Zoning provisions can be adjusted in this area to respond to the presence of light rail, building upon the already transit-supportive characteristics of other parts of the station area.
SOUND TRANSIT ALIGNMENT AND STATION OPTIONS th
The proposed light rail alignment runs through the University District in a tunnel under 15 Avenue NE or slightly to the east under the University of Washington campus. An underth ground station will be located at NE 45 Street. Other potential stations in the general vicinity may be located at NE Campus Parkway and NE Pacific Street. See maps of Campus Parkth way/Pacific Street. The NE 45 Street station will be located at the intersection of the streets that form the northwestern corner of the University of Washington campus, providing excelth lent pedestrian access to the campus. Two specific sites are being considered for the NE 45 th Street station, under 15 Avenue NE and under the western edge of the campus. This station may be the northern terminus of the light rail alignment if adequate funding is not obtained to reach Roosevelt and Northgate. This configuration would present major challenges and impacts.
EXISTING STATION AREA CONDITIONS LAND USE AND HOUSING th
The NE 45 Street station would be located at the northwestern corner of the University of Washington campus, in the University District Urban Center. The campus is the largest single land use in the station area. Other uses mixed throughout the station area (off-campus) provide housing and services to the University community. Office and retail uses are located primarily on University Way, one block west of the station site. The campus and office/retail uses together provide employment to more than 5,000 people. There are only nine acres in multi-family residential use, with an average net residential density of approximately 10 units per net acre. On a parcel-by-parcel basis, residential densities in the station area range from 7 to 16 units per acre. These figures represent a low to moderate
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