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After their successful work during the initial Alternatives Analysis phase, a group of local residents and agency experts has once again been called up by Mayor Dave Earling to provide advice and insight during the next phase of the Edmonds Street Waterfront Connector Project, including the crucial evaluation and selection phase of design alternatives.

The committee includes City Councilmember Thomas Mesaros, Jim Orvis of the Port of Edmonds, Stephen Semenick of BNSF, Joy Munkers of Community Transit, Jodi Mitchell of Sound Transit, Lorena Eng of WSDOT, Amy Scarton of Washington State Ferries, and Edmonds residents Cadence Clyborne, Kirk Greiner and Phil Lovell.

Nearly $1 million has been committed so far to this phase of the project by the city and partner agencies in response to the growing problems resulting from increasing train volumes across the two at-grade rail crossings at Main and West Dayton streets.

This phase of the project will evaluate multiple design options for the Waterfront Connector between Edmonds Street and Brackett’s Landing North and select the best of these as the preferred alternative.

The project will then develop the selected alternative to a higher level of design development, environmental review and permitting.

According to Earling, the committee’s objectives are to listen, study, and offer observations and perspectives to the City to guide the process of evaluation and selection of design alternatives.

In addition, the city of Edmonds will set up an outreach plan, including online and public open houses for the greater Edmonds community, neighborhood meetings with nearby residents, a series of meetings with tribal and environmental agencies, as well as extensive collaboration with police, fire, parks and recreation agencies.

The connector is envisioned to be a single-lane bridge connecting the west end of Edmonds Street, spanning the railway, and grounding at the parking lot within Brackett’s Landing North park.

It will be a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle route, but will be designed to accommodate emergency vehicles should access be cut off at Main or West Dayton streets.