Monorail station at Seattle Center getting a $23M upgrade
The Seattle Center Monorail station is soon to witness a much-needed overhaul valued at $23 million. Due to aging infrastructure and the absence of modern safety and accessibility features, the station is often challenging to locate. A vital connection for the city, it runs approximately a mile stretch from Seattle Center to Westlake Center.
Current Station Condition: The existing monorail station is dealing with substantial wear and tear. Problems include rusty structures, water leakage, hazardous guardrails harking back to the World’s Fair era, and prevalent accessibility issues.
State of Play: The overhaul, priced at $23 million, will take 15 months to complete. A federal grant of $15 million funds a significant portion, with the remainder covered by the state transportation department. The renovation’s onset is slated for post the FIFA World Cup games next summer.
Upgrade Features: The improvement plan includes building accessible ramps, enhancing station visibility by eliminating excess vegetation, and modifying the guardrail and gate systems.
The Big Picture: The revamp aims to handle the escalated crowd influx due to regular monorail users and visiting hockey fans attending Seattle Kraken matches. The monorail registers more than two million trips annually.
More than just cosmetic, the improvement program reaches out to the trains and rails as well, featuring suspension systems and guideway enhancements. These upgrades are scheduled ahead of the World Cup matches next year. It is worth mentioning that the Westlake Center station underwent a refurbishment in 2021 and is not a part of the current upgrade package.
In conclusion, while the renovation is ongoing, at least one of the two monorail trains is expected to remain operational.
