Puyallup, Sound Transit Debate Future of Transit Center on Shaw Road

While Sound Transit and the Puyallup city council have agreed that traffic in the downtown corridor has reached a current state of “equilibrium,” it doesn’t always feel that way for those who live nearby.

Puyallup resident Diana Martin, who lives near the fairgrounds on 9th St. SW, has been attending the Sound Transit meetings to understand a solution, as a frustrated downtown citizen.

“I’d like to see a transit station off Shaw Road,” said Martin. “Stick anything else downtown, and it’s just going to be a mess.”

Most on the Puyallup City Council agreed with the idea that adding more pressure on the historic downtown core is not a feasible option and that a Sound Transit center on Shaw Road could help ease traffic, for both Puyallup and Sumner.

During a joint planning meeting on April 30, Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl said that a full service station at Shaw Road isn’t possible and is “a much more expensive scenario” than Sound Transit can commit to.

An option could be a Shaw Road park and ride, with shuttle service to the Sumner and Puyallup stations.

“But, we’re still not sure if Shaw Road could even handle all that parking,” said Earl.

Sound Transit has earmarked about $53 million for access improvements in Puyallup, and $33 million for Sumner. If desired, the two cities could combine resources if a joint plan was desired.

In an effort to understand plans and priorities for future projects, Sound Transit and the Puyallup City Council gathered for a series of three meetings to brainstorm, which has led to tension and frustration between both parties.

(Read Puyallup's Frustrations with Sound Transit Rooted in Distrust).

The final meeting in the series occurred April 30, 2013 and a very initial list of improvement ideas in East Pierce County have been identified. More meetings, plus a public process for project feedback, are expected within the next two years.  

Do you think a Shaw Road park and ride would be sufficient to ease commuter congestion? Tell us in the comments.