UW Light Rail Station show-and-tell tour (PHOTOS)

January 16, 2013 by 17 Comments

On Friday, January 11, I was invited to a tour of the University of Washington Station (UW Station). While the station is still under construction, it is over the halfway mark, and both on-time and under-budget.

WHY tour the UW Station, which will be two stops away from Ravenna’s closest station, in Roosevelt? Turns out, the designs for underground portions of both stations are similar (though the UW Station is at a larger scale):

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Click the picture above for a larger version of the graphic.

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Prior to heading down into the station, everyone on the tour had to don the collection of safety gear pictured above.

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Start of the tour view, looking north across the top of the UW Station. Husky Stadium is on the right.

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Out of the elevator, down on the platform level. We walked north along the northbound side of the platform to the presentation area.

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The group standing on the platform at the base of the north-facing escalator (not yet installed; same with all escalators), listening to King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Board Member Larry Phillips talk about the station.

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Platform level again, taken to the right of the previous picture, looking down the southbound side.

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And the other side, on the northbound trains side.

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You can currently find a little sky from nine stories down on the train platform.

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Q13 drops the mic sets the mic down carefully.

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Gaggle of Sound Transit folks, plus Seattle Transit Blog’s Bruce Nourish at the far right.

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Cienna Madrid of The Stranger takes notes while Ellen Banner, photojournalist for the Seattle Times, takes some shots.

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 Media getting more info on the station construction progress from University Link Executive Project Director Joe Gildner.

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YOU ARE HERE.

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Next stop, the area above the platform level, where the first set of escalators meet. This shot is taken from the south end of the station, looking back north towards the south-facing platform escalator (middle) and the two escalators which will carry people up and down from ground level.

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Scaffolding was removed from much of the station, the exception being the southernmost portion. Bit of a Steampunk Mines of Moria vibe, with metal columns extending in every direction.

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Another view of the scaffolding.

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Past all the scaffolding, at the southern end of the station, we reached an overlook of the tunnels leading to and from the Capitol Hill Station. Northbound is on the left, southbound is on the right.

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Close-up of the southbound/Capitol Hill Station tunnel entrance.

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Close-up of the northbound tunnel exit.

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And my favorite picture of the set.

Notice the pinkish-red cross in the center of the wall. Bruce Gray,Sound Transit Media Relations, told me that that cross is the spot where a tunnel boring machine, starting from the Roosevelt Station construction site, will enter the University of Washington Station (northbound side), connecting the Northgate Link to the University Link.

The cement block partial wall that you can see on the left side of the photo will continue over and meet up with a similar bit of wall on the other side. This wall will be in place as the UW Station

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Climbing back out into the daylight.

For more pictures and information from this tour, please visit:

Many thanks to Sound Transit’s Bruce Gray for the invite.

Filed Under: Light Rail, Photos, Sound Transit, University District, University of Washington

Enjoy Story Time this week in your PJs, or with seeds, or both!

April 24, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Story Times at the Northeast Library (6801 35th Ave NE) are back on their regular weekday schedule the first week of May, but there is a Pajamas and Puppets this Wednesday, April 25, from 7-7:30 PM.

And if you’re looking for a weekend story time to take your sprout(s) to, you may want to check out the Miller Library at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens (3501 NE 41st St) this Saturday, April 28. The library holds a monthly story time with activities for kids age 3-8 years and their families. The program runs from 10:30-11:15 AM.

Here’s a description:

Amazing Seeds Story Program

This is a story program that starts small and grows into something amazing! Before the stories, join us in the program room to make a seed mosaic.

HOW GROUNDHOG’S GARDEN GREW by Lynne Cherry
FLIP, FLOAT, FLY: SEEDS ON THE MOVE by JoAnn Early Macken
PLANT SECRETS by Emily Goodman

Information on upcoming Story Times at the Miller Library can be found here.

Filed Under: Families, Kids, Northeast Branch, Northeast Seattle, Story Times, University of Washington Tagged With:

Family Walking Group starts at Magnuson Park this Thursday

February 21, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Nursing students at the University of Washington are working with the American Heart Association this quarter, and bringing a Family Walking Group to Northeast Seattle.

The kickoff walk takes place this Thursday, February 23, at 2 PM (coinciding with Seattle Public School’s mid-winter break). Meeting place is Picnic Shelter #3 at Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way NE; north side of soccer fields).

Sign up your family at the Magnuson Park Meetup page. You can find the day’s walking route map there as well.

Thank you to Jessica Fosse for sharing the event information with us.

Filed Under: Families, Kids, Magnuson Park, Meeting, Northeast Seattle, University of Washington

Eckstein Bikes, 35th Ave NE planning – Ravenna Blog Sunday Edition

February 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Filed Under: Bryant, Eckstein Middle School, Green Lake, Meeting, Ravenna, Seattle Fire Department, Sunday Edition, University District, University of Washington, Wedgwood Community Council

UW professor’s propeller, bound for park, winds up stolen instead (UPDATE)

February 1, 2012 by 2 Comments

UPDATE (Friday, February 3): The propeller has been found! Via Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Parkways blog:

Seattle Parks has possession of the propeller that was stolen earlier this week from the University District. After discovering the stolen propeller at the Northwest Corporate Park in Kent, a security guard contacted the Kent Police Department.

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Seattle Parks and Recreation is asking for the public’s help in finding a stolen object bound for installation at a north end park.

The missing object in question: A 70-inch diameter 1,260-pound stainless steel propeller.

Details from Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Dewey Potter (via email):

The University District Community Council and Philip Thiel, naval architect and Professor Emeritus of Architecture and Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington, were preparing to donate a 70” diameter, stainless steel propeller to Parks as an installation in a north end park.

Unfortunately, thieves drove up an alley in the University District this morning and, managing to overcome the obstacles of both a retaining wall and a fence, lifted the 1,260 lb. propeller onto a truck and drive away with it. There were no witnesses. Neighbors heard a commotion and called the police, but the thieves were long gone.

Professor Thiel and the missing propeller (pre-theft) / Photo courtesy Seattle Parks and Recreation

The propeller is/was to be used in North Passage Point Park in the Northgate area.

The public is asked to keep an eye out for the missing propeller. If spotted, please call the Seattle Police Department’s non-emergency number (206-684-5011) and contact Seattle Parks and Recreation (206-684-7241).

Filed Under: Crime, Lost/Found, Northeast Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation, University District, University of Washington, Updates Tagged With: , , , ,

Ravenna Blog – Sunday Edition

January 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment


Filed Under: 911, Businesses, City Council, Food, Lost/Found, Sunday Edition, Traffic, University District, University of Washington, University Village, Video

UW Graduation Commencement this Saturday

June 9, 2010 by 2 Comments

Here’s the Too Long; Didn’t Read edition, by yours truly:

From noon to at least 6 pm, STAY AWAY from Husky Stadium.

Here’s the full announcement, from the good people at SDOT:

Saturday, June 12
2010 University of Washington Commencement:
12 p.m. doors open, ceremonies 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Husky Stadium
40,000 + expected
Expect heavy congestion with both pedestrians and vehicles near the stadium between noon and 6 p.m. Anticipate heavier traffic than usual  on I-5 through the University District and on SR-520.    At approximately 3:30 p.m., Seattle Police will set up traffic controls closing Montlake Boulevard between NE Pacific Street and NE 45th Street to through traffic to help move cars parked in the stadium lots out of the area after the ceremonies. Traffic approaching the closure will be detoured around the area. This restriction, which is similar to traffic routing for Husky football games, will be in effect until approximately 5:30 p.m. Avoid the Montlake Bridge if possible.

Just remember: It’s all good practice for avoiding the area between June 14 and September 12.

Filed Under: Events, Traffic, University of Washington