The University of Washington Link Station is the terminus of the 3.15 mile long $1.9 billion University Link Light Rail Subway extension from the Seattle Transit Tunnel at Westlake that opened on March 19, 2016. The station has a single island platform for the 95 foot deep station for the two-track line below the Southwest corner of the Washington Huskies Stadium.
The stop has a single, two-story entrance structure. The top story is at the same level as the bridge across Montlake Blvd and to the University of Washington campus. The second story is located at street-level along the east side of Montlake Blvd, just north of the intersection with Pacific Street. Two elevators run directly from the middle of the platform (facing one another) to two landings at both station entrances. 13 Escalators provide the majority of access to the platforms. During one day in March 2018 no down escalators were available to the platform and passengers faced upwards of 50 minute waits for the elevators down to the platforms. At the time Sound Transit had a policy — which they have reevaluated — which prohibited passengers from walking up or down stopped escalators claiming the steps are an inch taller than the regulations for stairs, and that steps at the tops and bottoms of the escalators could be uneven, which could pose a safety issue. I know of no transit agency anywhere else that doesn't allow passengers to walk up and down stopped escalators (as long as there not being actively replaced).
Passengers arriving on the open air footbridge (with silver railings) from the University of Washingtona across Montlake Blvd (who don't choose to use other staircases and a ramp down off the footbridge in other directions) arrive at a modern covered entrance area with glass walls along one wall are the top floors of the two elevators down to the platforms. Two TVMs and Link targets for the elevators are here. Straight ahead a staircase and an up-only escalator lead down to the main plaza outside of Huskies Stadium below. Here passengers can turn 90 degrees and go down a set of escalators to the upper mezzanine level. On this level there is another set of TVMs and ORCA targets by the middle elevator landing, a set of escalators with a small staircase, also leads down to the upper mezzanine by this elevator entrance.
The upper mezzanine has more TVMs and ORCA Targets and is where the fare paid zone begins (or at the doors to the elevators). This landing has walls tiled in different hues of blue, with accents of bright green, except for the walls behind the fare machines which are entirely bright green. The visual makes it more obvious where to pay your fare. This bright green is also the color of the rectangular fixtures that surround the lights of the station's escalators.
To continue to the platforms, passengers get on one of two sets of escalators through an angular wall or portal. These portals lead into Subterranium by Leo Saul Berk that gives the experience of an underground planetarium with numerous speckles of blue light on the walls and ceilings of the deep shaft that leads down to the lower platform, the upper walls angle inward forming a vaulted ceiling with the same blue light speckles on it. This makes the vault seem even bigger. The two long escalators lead past the exposed glass elevator shafts down to two different small mezzanine areas (that each begin at an elevator shaft), both are at the same level and partially open to the platform below. At these small mezzanines, passengers walk about six feet to an additional set of escalators (Subterranium ends here) that are aligned to arrive at the middle of the island platform below. Without this lower mezzanine, the escalators would arrive over the tracks because the upper escalators are angled to pass between the elevator shafts.
These escalators arrive at quarter-lengths from the ends of the 4 LRV long platforms, with the two elevators arriving at landings right in the middle of the platforms. With the 1% for public art budget spent on the immersive experience while on the escalators, the platform area simple and modern looking. The track walls are grey with a textured area in their midsection, and station signs on them. The walls at each end of the platform (by the emergency exit fire stairs) are wrapped in vinyl photos of Huskies Stadium giving a sense place (plus the motor board hood with a W that is the station's pictogram). The wide island platform that can accommodate 4 cars ends at bumper blocks (with trains using a crossover switch to change tracks before entering the station) which are just before what are clearly roll-up doors that lead into a cavern for the extension of the line to Northgate due for completion in 2021.
All Photos taken on 8 March, 2018
U District
Capitol Hill
