Tukwila Station Project 

King County, Washington 

Federal Railroad 

Administration 

FINDING OF NO SIGNFICANT IMP ACT 

September 2011 

In April 2010, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Availability for 

certain funds made available under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program. The 

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) submitted an application seeking funding 

to construct a new train station in the City of Tukwila to service both Amtrak Cascades intercity 

passenger rail trans as well as Sound Transit Commuter trains (FRA Project). The FRA Project is 

located at 7301 South Longacres Way in the city of Tukwila Washington, Milepost 10.8 on the BNSF 

Railway's Seattle Subdivision. In October 2010, the FRA selected WSDOT to receive a total of $31 

million in federal grant funds from the HSIPR Program-funded under the DOT Appropriations Act 

2009 including funding for the FRA Project. WSDOT and FRA intend to enter into a Cooperative 

Agreement for approximately $7.9 million to fund the construction and related activities to complete 

the FRA Project. This Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) covers the FRA Project and has 

been prepared consistent with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 

FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts. 

The existing Tukwila Commuter Rail Station was built as a temporary station in order to serve the 

area while planning and implementation for a permanent station could proceed. The new station 

constructed as part of the FRA Project would replace the temporary station, which currently 

includes minimal rail amenities and is located adjacent to the north and east of the FRA Project 

site. Parking for up to 222 vehicles is provided at the temporary station. The temporary station is 

nearing the end of its anticipated lifespan, and was not built to accommodate future ridership 

levels. As described further below, the activities comprising the FRA Project is a 

portion of the larger Federal Transit Administration (FT A)/Sound Transit (ST) 

Tacoma-to-Seattle Commuter Rail Project, which covers the complete replacement of the temporary 

facility with a new rail station servicing both intercity passenger and commuter rail needs. 

The FRA Project consists of two general activities described with more specificity below: 1) the 

construction of a new, permanent train station at Tukwila, WA that will be used by Amtrak Cascades 

intercity passenger trains and Sound Transit (ST) commuter trains (Sounder), and 2) the placement of 

a real-time passenger information system at Sea-Tac Airport displaying train arrivals and departures 

for Amtrak Cascades trains as well as providing information to passengers on how to use ground 

transportation to reach Tukwila Station. 

Once constructed, the new train station at Tukwila will be used by Amtrak Cascades intercity 

passenger trains and Sounder service. The major components of the FRA funded Project will include 

two 700-foot-long platforms with passenger shelters to provide wind and weather protection, an 

improved pedestrian undercrossing to connect the two platforms, a bus transit area, approximately 390 

parking stalls which will include dedicated long-term parking for Amtrak customers, up to 68 bicycle 

parking spaces, and drainage improvements, including underground water detention/retention that will 

be constructed beneath the parking area. Additionally, a real-time passenger information system will 

be installed at Sea-Tac Airport as discussed in the previous paragraph. 

The improvements will allow improved access to the Amtrak Cascades and improved Sounder service 

with dedicated long term parking, improved pedestrian and bus connections, enhanced passenger 

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amenities including shelters and the installation of real-time passenger information system at Sea-Tac 

Airport that will give airline travelers real time Amtrak Cascades arrival and departure information for 

Tukwila Station, as well as information on how to use ground transportation to reach Tukwila Station 

as well as other stations in the Sounder commuter rail network. The display of this information will 

enable passengers transferring between air transport and rail to be informed about the intercity 

passenger rail options. This will help passengers choose the most desirable method of transportation to 

suit their needs and stimulate greater intercity passenger rail ridership. 

The new station is anticipated to accommodate higher ridership levels and integrate regional/intercity 

rail and bus services. The station is expected to attract new riders and increase current ridership 

because of the convenient links to other rail and transit services (commuter rail, light rail, intercity, 

bus) and bicycle and pedestrian connections. 

In January 2009, FTA completed a NEPA Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Tukwila 

Commuter Rail Station Project (Ff A Station Project) for which the FRA was a Cooperating Agency 

(Attachment A). On March 27, 2009, FTA issued a FONSI for the Station Project. (Attachment B). 

In March 2011, due to design changes proposed by ST, FTA completed a Reevaluation of the EA 

(Attachment C). The design changes shift theFT A Station Project elements eastward by 

approximately I 00 feet and northward approximately 700 feet. The proposed FT A Station Project 

changes have substantially the same impacts as those evaluated in the 2009 EA and the 

corresponding FONSI and will actually reduce the potential impacts on wetland resources in the 

Project area. All changes occur within the footprint of the 2009 EA and FTA FONSI. A table, 

which was relied on by FTA when determining that the design modification did not change the 

validity of the 2009 EAIFONSI, is attached and identifies environmental impacts specific to 

resources for both the 2008 design and 2010 design of the station (Attachment D). Mitigation 

measures are also outlined in this table and incorporated herein by reference. 

The 2009 Ff A EA/FONSI and 20 II Reevaluation analyzed the potential impacts of the FT A Station 

Project which is the larger build out of the Tacoma-to-Seattle Commuter Rail Project which includes 

a permanent station with platforms, new parking, bus, ticketing and other facilities and other 

amen it i e s, to be constructed on the west side of the BNSF tracks, west and south of the 

temporary station. As described above, the FRA Project covers only a portion of the larger Ff A 

Station Project which was analyzed in the FT A ENFONSI. As a consequence, the potential impacts 

of the FRA Project are fully covered and analyzed in the Ff A ENFONSI and 20 II Reevaluation. 

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FRA has reviewed FT A's March 2009 FONSI and the March 20 II Revaluation and has 

determined that the FRA Project is an element of theFT A Station Project analyzed therein 

and therefore incorporates the analysis, conclusions and mitigation commitments from those 

documents by reference into this FRA FONSI. FRA finds that the FRA Project elements as 

presented and assessed in the FT A EA and Reevaluation, including the mitigation measures 

outlined within, will have no foreseeable significant adverse impact on the quality of the human 

and natural environment. FRA adopts those identified mitigation measures that relate to the 

implementation of the FRA Project. 

Attachment A - EA 

Attachment B - FT A PONS I 

Attachment C -Reevaluation 

Attachment D - Comparison Table 

qJoj 

Date 

This document has been prepared in accordance with FRA's Procedures for Considering 

Environmental Impacts by the Office of Railroad Policy and Development, with assistance 

from the Office of Chief Counsel. For further information regarding this document, contact: 

Colleen Vaughn 

Environmental Protection Specialist 

I200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Phone: (202) 493-6096 

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