A Pinehurst neighbor (and former writer for this site!) has written an editorial on the parking garage being discussed for Northgate. It is on the most prominent transit site in the region and if you haven’t seen it yet it’s certainly worth a read.
http://seattletransitblog.com/2012/03/23/editorial-we-can-do-better-than-another-parking-garage/
Editorial: We Can Do Better Than Another Parking Garage
Wednesday night at the Link Northgate station meeting, Ron Endlich of Sound Transit told the audience that they plan to weigh all the options to mitigate lost parking during and after construction at Northgate station. I, others who live in the Northgate area, and the Seattle Transit Blog editorial board urge Sound Transit to invest in a pedestrian bridge over I-5 and in increased local transit service – not a new parking garage in the middle of a Seattle urban center.
… read the rest at Seattle Transit Blog.
I am sad to think it is an either or situation with the bridge and the garage as both are called for in the Northgate Comp Plan and both are needed. Have there been any studies done comparing the two options? Has anyone but citizens even suggested that if the garage was not built they would instead build a bridge? Once upon a time there was talk of a pedestrian bridge around Northgate Way and 5th but it was shot down saying the bridge was not pedestrian friendly. Seeing how folks always jaywalk around here I can’t even imagine them bothering with a bridge. Again, I just don’t know on this one.
No one walks anywhere around Northgate. The pedestrian overpass would be a “bridge to nowhere.”
I walk to/from/around Northgate all the time. And regularly see people walking around the Transit Center, especially between there and the mall.
Also, it would be a bridge to one of the larger college campuses in the city/state. 5th/22nd I think? And half the neighborhood surrounding the station is on the other side of the freeway and otherwise cut off.
I walk around Northgate about once a week.
A foot bridge to the college would be fine but a parking garage is a must. This is not New York. Seattle has neither the density nor the public transit system to eliminate cars or even discourage them by limiting parking. Without adequate parking, fewer people will ride Sound Transit trains making it a bigger expensive white elephant than it already is.
Why must garages always be built UP? Its more expensive to dig down, but ultimately less intrusive, and often has public park or event space at ground level. Perhaps an area for bike polo or included structures in the park for Parkour could benefit the whole neighborhood. Those cement behemoths are unattractive – though their ramps and curbs could double as a skate park. (Tongue in cheek re skate park)
@ Nancy. I think you are kidding around but factually the water table around Northgate is really high, only a couple feet down in some spots. Personally I think garages are better than miles of ground level parking ala Northgate Mall, that is seriously ugly.