 50 Westlake | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 The Westlake station mezzanine, seen from the platform level | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Pine Street & 4th Avenue Seattle, Washington United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 47°36′41″N122°20′14″W / 47.61139°N 122.33722°W /47.61139; -122.33722 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | Link light rail station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Sound Transit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2side platforms | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Underground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Paid parking nearby | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | September 15, 1990 (1990-09-15) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 2005–2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9,876 daily weekday boardings (2024)[1] 3,362,949 total boardings (2024)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Westlake station is alight rail and formerbusstation that is part of theDowntown Seattle Transit Tunnel inSeattle, Washington, United States. The station is located underPine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues in Downtown Seattle, nearWestlake Center andWestlake Park. It is served by the1 Line, part ofSound Transit'sLink light rail system, and also connected above ground by buses at several stops, theSouth Lake Union Streetcar, and theSeattle Center Monorail.
Westlake station consists of two undergroundside platforms, connected to the surface by entrances and a mezzanine level served by nearbydepartment stores. It is situated betweenSymphony station to the south, and the formerConvention Place station to the north; Convention Place was only served by buses, however, andCapitol Hill station is the next northbound light rail station. The transit tunnel was built in the 1980s byKing County Metro and opened for bus-only service on September 15, 1990. The tunnel was closed from 2005 to 2007 for a major renovation to prepare for light rail service, which began on July 18, 2009.
Link light rail trains terminated at Westlake until the opening of theUniversity Link Extension on March 19, 2016; the tunnel became train-only in March 2019. Trains serve the station twenty hours a day on most days; theheadway between light rail trains is six minutes during peak periods, with less frequent service at other times. A second downtown tunnel is planned to be built in 2030, with a transfer at Westlake station for traffic continuing towardsSouth Lake Union andBallard.
Westlake station is located onPine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues inDowntown Seattle'sretail and office district.[2] The station is at the north end of Downtown Seattle, near theDenny Triangle area, and is within walking distance of thePike Place Market Historic District. According to thePuget Sound Regional Council, the area within1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) of the station has an estimated population of 15,171 people (in 12,995 total housing units, mostly inmultifamily buildings) and approximately 91,055 jobs.[3]
The station and its entrances are adjacent to theWestlake Center shopping mall,Westlake Park,Pacific Place, theNordstromflagship store, and the former regional flagship ofMacy's (formerlyThe Bon Marché).[2] Pike Place Market is located to the west of the station,[4] while theSeattle Convention Center is four blocks to the east.[5]Amazon is headquartered several blocks north of the station in the Denny Triangle area.[6]
The Pine Street area of Downtown Seattle was regraded for development from 1903 to 1906, as part of thecitywide regrading program.[7] The newly regraded area was part of urban plannerVirgil Bogue's 1911comprehensive plan for Seattle, envisioning acivic center to the north and severalsubway lines converging at the intersection of Pine Street and 3rd Avenue. The subway lines would continue outwards to serve the civic center,Capitol Hill, Downtown (modern-dayPioneer Square), and the waterfront; the stations would also include additional entrances from withindepartment stores and other large buildings.[8] The plan was rejected by voters on March 5, 1912,[9] and a 3rd Avenue subway passing through the area was unsuccessfully proposed twice in the 1920s.[10][11]
The regraded area was developed into the city's retailing neighborhood in the 1920s, with the construction of largedepartment stores for The Bon Marché,Frederick & Nelson, and Nordstrom on Pine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues.[12] A second majorrapid transit plan was proposed by theForward Thrust Committee in the 1960s, to be built by 1985, and was put before voters. It called for a subway station on 3rd Avenue between Pine and Pike streets, designed with underground connections to major stores, would be served by two routes continuing north toBallard (viaLower Queen Anne) andLake City (viaCapitol Hill and theUniversity District).[13][14] The ballot measure required asupermajority to supportbonding to augment $385 million in local funding with $765 million from theUrban Mass Transportation Administration, but failed to reach the 60 percent threshold in 1968; a second attempt in 1970 yielded the same result, ending the planned system.[15][16] The failure of the Forward Thrust ballot measures led to the creation ofMetro Transit in 1972, who were tasked with operating bus service acrossKing County and planning for a regional rapid transit system.[17][18]
Metro Transit began planning a bus-based transit system through downtown Seattle in the 1970s, including atransit mall, tunnel, or bus terminal in the Westlake area.[19][20] Metro approved construction of adowntown bus tunnel in 1983,[21] selecting Pine Street and 4th Avenue as the site of one of the stations.[22] The station would be integrated with a planned shopping mall on Pine Street, with underground walkways connecting to nearby department stores.[23][24]
The Pine Street segment of the tunnel would be dugcut-and-cover and require a long-term closure of the street between 4th Avenue and 9th Avenue.[25] SCI Contractors ofCalgary was awarded the $74.5 million contract for the Pine Street segment, including the construction of Westlake andConvention Place stations, in February 1987.[26][27] On April 27, 1987, Pine Street was closed to non-bus traffic, and construction of Westlake station's 400pilings and outer walls began.[28][29] Excavation of the tunnel on Pine Street was completed in late August, allowing for concrete pouring to begin.[27] Pine Street was briefly re-opened for theChristmas shopping season, from November 2 to January 4, at the request of downtown merchants; the excavated tunnel wasbackfilled and given a temporary surface for automobile traffic.[30][31] A pair oftunnel boring machines arrived at Westlake station in the spring of 1988 after completing the 3rd Avenue segment of the bus tunnel; the machines were partially salvaged, leaving the outer shells in place to form part of the tunnel walls.[32] Pine Street was re-opened to traffic on November 1, 1988, coinciding with the opening of Westlake Center and Westlake Park.[33][34] Excavation and concrete pouring in Westlake station were completed in December 1988, leaving major work on the mezzanine level left to finish.[35]
Westlake station, along withPioneer Square station, was at the center of a controversy during its construction due to the use ofgranite fromSouth Africa, then under a Metro boycott againstApartheid rule.[36] After the granite's origins were discovered, the materials were returned and Metro's executive director resigned as a result of the incident.[37] Metro also had to return shipments ofterra cotta tiles that were delivered warped, in the wrong size, and in the wrong color; the planned terra cotta ceiling for the station was instead replaced with atravertine limestone.[38] During construction in early 1989, approximately 20 workers were sickened by fumes and foul air inside the station.[39] Air quality tests conducted in the tunnel could not identify the cause of the bad air, leading Metro to installscrubbers to help control diesel exhaust from equipment.[40]
The Westlake station mezzanine was opened on August 11, 1989, as part of a public preview of the tunnel. The station's design was praised by local politicians and visitors, with Seattle City CouncilmanGeorge Benson noting that it had "an element of class that is new to Seattle".[41] The mezzanine remained open for several weeks, allowing for access between the basement levels of downtown retailers, but closed until November for additional construction.[42] Additionalfire sprinklers were installed in Westlake station to accommodate parties and receptions, as the station's mezzanine became sought as an events venue.[43][44] Tunnel construction was completed in June 1990,[45] and bus service began on September 15, 1990.[46] Between 1990 and 2004, all service in the tunnel was operated by custom-builtdual-mode buses, which operated on diesel fuel outside the tunnel and electrically astrolleybuses (viaoverhead wires) inside the tunnel.[47][48]
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In the early 1990s, a regionaltransit authority (RTA) was formed to plan and construct alight rail system for the Seattle area. After an unsuccessful attempt in 1995, regional voters passed a $3.9 billion plan to build light rail under the RTA in 1996.[49] The downtown transit tunnel had already been planned for eventual light rail use and was built with tracks that would be incorporated into the initial system.[50][51] The RTA, later renamedSound Transit, approved the tunnel as part of the route of its initial light rail line in 1999, with plans to eventually add new surface entrances to serve the Washington State Convention Center in lieu of a Convention Place light rail station.[52][53] Ownership of the tunnel, including its stations, was transferred to Sound Transit in 2000 but returned two years later to King County Metro under a joint-operations agreement.[54][55]
The downtown transit tunnel was closed on September 23, 2005, for an $82.7 million renovation to accommodate light rail vehicles. The two-year renovation included the installation of new rails, a lowered roadbed at stations for level boarding, new signalling systems and emergency ventilation.[56] As part of the renovation, a short cut-and-cover "stub tunnel" was built under Pine Street between Westlake station andInterstate 5, forming aturnback area for trains and part of the light rail system's planned northern extension.[57][58] The tunnel reopened on September 24, 2007, with new signage, lighting, and street improvements; Westlake station was host to a public open house for the planned light rail system, featuring a light rail vehicle on display at the station prior to the re-opening of the tunnel.[59]
Link light rail service began on July 18, 2009, running from Westlake station toTukwila International Boulevard station.[60][61] A tunneled extension of the light rail system, from Westlake to stations atCapitol Hill andUniversity of Washington, was excavated from 2011 to 2012.[62] The northern extension opened on March 19, 2016, moving the line's northern terminus to University of Washington station.[63]
Bus service within the downtown transit tunnel ceased on March 23, 2019, due to the expansion of theWashington State Convention Center at the former site of Convention Place station.[64] Westlake station became exclusively served by light rail trains, which were planned to increase in frequency when theNorthgate extension opens in 2021.[65] The Metro Customer Shop at Westlake station was also closed on March 6, 2019, ahead of the planned handover of tunnel operations to Sound Transit, and is planned to be replaced by another kiosk.[66][67] Sound Transit assumed full ownership of the tunnel in 2022.[68]
On April 27, 2023, the station ceiling was punctured by a construction crew working on the relocation of a historicstreet clock on Pine Street and forced the northbound platform to close. Contractors working on an existing clock foundation drilled 48 inches (120 cm) through the station roof and broke part of a structural girder over the northbound tracks.[69] Sound Transit announced that an investigation into the damage would take two weeks and cause major disruptions to 1 Line service. The section between Capitol Hill and Stadium stations was initially reduced to a single shuttle train that will run every 32 minutes while the rest of the line runs every 15 minutes.[70][71] Sound Transit later adjusted the temporary schedule to use alternating trains every 15 to 20 minutes that required a single transfer atPioneer Square station due to a lack of shuttle buses.[69][72] Regular service resumed on May 7 with the reopened northbound platform while repairs were conducted.[73]
As part of theSound Transit 3 program, approved by voters in 2016, Westlake station is planned to become atransfer station for a new light rail line servingSouth Lake Union, Lower Queen Anne, and Ballard, to open in 2036.[74][75] The new line would continue south through a new downtown light rail tunnel toInternational District/Chinatown station, merging with the current line.[76][77]
Westlake station is situated below Pine Street between 4th and 6th avenues in Downtown Seattle. The station consists of twoside platforms, amezzanine level, and entrances from the surface; all three levels are connected by a series of seven elevators, sixteen escalators, and stairs.[2][78] The 500-foot-long (150 m) mezzanine spans the length of the station, unlike other downtown tunnel stations,[79] and includes separate entrances to the basement level of nearby department stores, including Nordstrom,Nordstrom Rack, and the Westlake Center.[80][81] Two additional entrance from the mezzanine led to the now-closed Macy's andColdwater Creek.[82][83] The mezzanine also hasticket vending machines that issueORCA cards, and was formerly home to theKing County Metro Customer Shop, which was located at the west end of the station.[2] The non-retail entrances to Westlake station are located on both sides of Pine Street between 3rd and 4th avenues, and on the north side of Pine Street between 5th and 6th avenues. There is also a direct elevator from the mezzanine level to theSeattle Center Monorail terminus at Westlake Center.[2] The platform level at Westlake station is 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) below street level, while the mezzanine is 20 feet (6 m) below street level.[79][84]
Westlake station was designed by Brent Carlson of TRA Architects to "give the impression" of a retail center's liveliness, and features heavy use of granite materials andArt Deco design elements.[43][79] The station is also adorned withpublic artwork as part of the tunnel's $1.5 million art program, under the direction of lead artist Jack Mackie and program director Vicki Scuri.[85]
The south station wall has a collection of 1,264 handmade terra cotta tiles carved in the shapes of leaves, vines, and flowers; the tiles, designed by Mackie, are arranged from the mezzanine level downwards, as if forming the roots ofWestlake Park above.[86] Between the mezzanine and platform, Scuri's 40ceramic tiles feature geometric patterns found in clothing and other garments.[85][86] The station's stairways and surface entrances are inscribed with quotes from University of Washington professorCaroline Ober, artistMark Tobey, and retailerSilas Munro.[2] On the corner of Pine Street and 5th Avenue was a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) granitestreet clock shaped like aquestion mark, designed by artistBill Whipple;[86] it is planned to be relocated in 2023 to Pike Street and 4th Avenue as part of a swap with a historicBen Bridge Jeweler clock.[70]
The platform level houses three 35-foot-long (11 m), 10-foot-tall (3 m)porcelain enamelmurals by Seattle artistsFay Jones,Gene Gentry McMahon, andRoger Shimomura. Jones's mural is an interpretation of Seattle's place as aport city, using bright colors to "bring sunshine underground";[87] McMahon's mural depicts the "glamour" of shopping,[85] with "larger than life" figures against the Seattle skyline and a beach;[88] and Shimomura's mural is acollage of Americanpop culture figures, including the likes ofMarilyn Monroe,Alice in Wonderland, andDonald Duck, intermixed with imagery fromEast Asian cultures, including asamurai andgeisha, in a celebration of the city's cultural diversity.[88][89]
The station's formerpictogram, atiara, represents the neighborhood's "playful nature". It was created in 2009 by Christian French as part of theStellar Connections series and its points represented nearby destinations, including Pike Place Market,Victor Steinbrueck Park, theParamount Theatre, and the Washington State Convention Center.[90] The pictogram series was retired in 2024 and replaced bystation numbers, with Westlake assigned number "50" as the system's center point.[91]
Westlake is one of four stations in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which is served by the 1 Line. Light rail trains run fromLynnwood toNorthgate, theUniversity of Washington campus, Downtown Seattle, theRainier Valley, andSeattle–Tacoma International Airport, using the downtown transit tunnel between Westlake and International District/Chinatown stations. Westlake is the ninth southbound station fromLynnwood City Center, the line's northern terminus, and thirteenth northbound station fromAngle Lake, the southern terminus. The station is located between Capitol Hill andSymphony stations. The 1 Line operates for twenty hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays, from 5:00 am to 1:00 am, and eighteen hours on Sundays, from 6:00 am to 12:00 am. During regular weekday service, trains operate roughly every eight to ten minutes during and betweenpeak periods, respectively, with longerheadways of twelve to fifteen minutes in the early morning and at night. During weekends, trains on the 1 Line arrive every ten minutes during midday hours and every twelve to fifteen minutes during mornings and evenings. The station is approximately 32 minutes from Lynnwood City Center station and 38 minutes fromSeaTac/Airport station.[92] In 2023, an average of 9,354 passengers boarded Link trains at Westlake station on weekdays; it is the busiest station in the Link light rail system with over 3.3 million total boardings.[1]
In addition to light rail, Westlake station is in close proximity to several other regional and local transit services. The Seattle Center Monorail, serving theSeattle Center andSpace Needle, terminates at a station located on the third floor of theWestlake Center shopping mall, connected directly to the tunnel station via an elevator and stairway.[93][94] TheSouth Lake Union Streetcar terminates one block north of the station atMcGraw Square, continuing to the South Lake Union neighborhood.[95][96] Westlake station is also adjacent to several surfacebus stops, served by King County Metro, Sound Transit Express, andCommunity Transit routes.[97] Bus stops on Pine and Pike streets serve local routes headed east to Capitol Hill,Montlake, andMadison Park. Bus stops on 3rd Avenue serveRapidRide routes and local routes heading north to Ballard,Fremont, and South Lake Union, and south towardsWest Seattle, the Rainier Valley, andSoDo. Bus stops on 2nd Avenue, 4th Avenue, 5th Avenue, Olive Way, and Stewart Street serve regional express routes toSnohomish County, theEastside, southern King County, andPierce County.[97][98]
From 2009 to 2019, several bus routes also ran in the tunnel alongside Link light rail. The final set of bus routes in the tunnel were divided into three bays by their outbound direction: Bay A was served by three routes (routes41, 74, and 255) heading north towardNorthgate and the University District and east towardsKirkland; Bay C was served by three routes (routes 101, 102, and 150) heading south through theSODO Busway towardKent andRenton; and Bay D was served by one route (Sound Transit Express route 550) heading east viaInterstate 90 toBellevue. Bay A was located on the northbound platform, while Bays C and D shared the southbound platform.[2][99] The bus routes were relocated in March 2019 to new stops around the Westlake station area on various streets.[66][100]
King County Metro runs aspecial route, theRoute 97 Link Shuttle, between all Link light rail stations during service disruptions, stopping at Pine Street and 5th Avenue to serve Westlake station.[101]
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