Sound Transit hosted an online open house so residents could learn more about the new parking garage at Kent Station that will be built for Sounder commuters.
When completed in early 2027, a new garage at East James Street and Railroad Avenue North and a new parking lot at Railroad Avenue and Smith Street will create over 400 new parking spaces at the station to serve Sounder S Line riders and users of Sound Transit Express and King County Metro services, according to an Aug. 15 news release from Sound Transit.
The online open day is available at kentgarage.participate.online.
The design has changed since the last open house in 2022, the press release said. Current plans now call for a four-story garage structure, two vehicle driveways, a glass-roofed pedestrian entrance at the southwest corner, and an arrival plaza south of the garage.
Sound Transit is also building a new bus stop for King County Metro along Railroad Avenue North. It will be located east of the new garage, where passenger parking is now located. The facility will include space for more than 10 buses, infrastructure for zero-emissions charging, and a rest area for bus drivers.
Previously, Sound Transit installed 14 new smart bike lockers (reservable by the hour) at Kent Station, according to the press release. The agency also funded an improved pedestrian crossing at Second Avenue North and James Street. Improvements include a crosswalk, raised median, flashing light and ramps. The City of Kent completed this work in 2021.
The online open house provides information on the garage design with renderings (subject to improvements or changes) and possible impacts on construction.
In addition, in-person information will be available in a drop-in session on the platform at Kent Station, 301 Railroad Ave. N., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Sound Transit’s Sounder S Line train serves residents of South King County commuting to and from Seattle. The Wi-Fi ride from Kent Station to Seattle’s King Street Station takes about 30 minutes.
Project costs
The Sound Transit Board awarded a $62.5 million contract to Puyallup-based Absher Construction in 2023 to build a new structured parking area, additional parking, and pedestrian and bicyclist improvements.
The board also approved a $9 million agreement with King County Metro for a new bus stop, zero-emissions bus charging infrastructure and other support facilities for transit agencies and bus operators.
The garage will be built along Railroad Avenue North, just south of West James Street, including the property that was once a cold storage facility.
Voters approved funding in 2008 and expected the garage to open in 2015. But the Great Recession of 2010, the pandemic of 2020 and other funding issues repeatedly delayed the project. Sound Transit opened a garage for rail commuters in Kent in 2001 at 301 Railroad Ave. N., north of West Smith Street.
Sound Transit is funded primarily by local taxes in the agency’s service area, including license plate taxes ($110 per $10,000 of vehicle value annually), property taxes ($0.25 per $1,000 of assessed value, about $150 annually on a $600,000 home), sales and use taxes of 1.4% (14 cents on a $10 purchase) and sales tax on rental cars of 0.8% (80 cents on a $100 car rental), according to Sound Transit’s website.
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A map of where Sound Transit will build a new parking garage for commuters on the Sounder train. IMAGE COURTESY, Sound Transit
