Tukwila Mayor Thomas McLeod is urging Sound Transit to keep the long-planned Boeing Access Road light rail infill station as a priority project, following proposals that could delay the station for a second time.
“For nearly three decades, our community has been promised a light rail station at Boeing Access Road,” McLeod said in a statement released by the City of Tukwila. “This project has been approved by voters and reaffirmed through multiple board actions. Deferring it again would be a significant step backward for South King County and the communities we serve.”
According to the city, the station was first envisioned in the 1996 Sound Move ballot measure and later included in the Sound Transit 3 package approved by voters in 2016. Community leaders successfully pushed for the project to be designated as a Tier 1 priority during Sound Transit’s 2021 realignment process.
The proposed station would serve the Tukwila and Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Centers, which together include about 72,000 jobs and nearly 2,000 businesses. Major employers and institutions in the area include Boeing, Amazon, Boeing Field, Raisbeck Aviation High School, South Seattle College and the Museum of Flight.
City officials said fewer than 10 percent of workers in these areas live nearby, leaving most commuters dependent on personal vehicles.
“Providing reliable light rail access to one of our region’s largest job centers is essential,” McLeod said. “The BAR Station would connect tens of thousands of workers to opportunity while reducing congestion and supporting economic growth.”
McLeod also highlighted equity concerns, noting that surrounding communities such as Tukwila, south Seattle, Skyway, north Burien and Renton are among the most diverse in King County and include large immigrant populations and residents facing economic challenges. Despite existing light rail infrastructure running through the area, the city said these communities currently lack meaningful access to the system.
“This is about fairness,” McLeod said. “Communities in South King County should not continue to be left behind while other parts of the region move forward. The BAR Station is a critical investment in equitable transit access.”
While acknowledging financial challenges facing Sound Transit, McLeod said delaying the project would provide minimal cost savings while disproportionately affecting underserved communities.
“Balancing the budget should not come at the expense of long-promised investments in underserved communities,” he said. “Our residents have waited long enough.”
The City of Tukwila is calling on the Sound Transit Board to maintain the Boeing Access Road station in its capital plan.
