capitol hill station

The Capitol Hill Station is sited in the heart of Broadway Commercial District, serving a vibrant and dense urban center. The design of the station reinforces Broadway’s pedestrian-oriented character. It connects the neighborhood to University of Washington, downtown Seattle, and Sea-Tac International Airport. Since its opening in 2016, light rail ridership has doubled.

Location

140 Broadway E. Seattle, WA

TYPOLOGY

Light Rail Station

Client

Sound Transit

Status

Completed in 2016

centered around community

When walking down Broadway on Capitol Hill, what stands out the most is a sense of community engagement and pride. From arts organizations to community parks and educational institutions – people of all walks of life, backgrounds, and income levels journey to and from Capitol Hill using the Capitol Hill Station.

The underground Capitol Hill Station connects one of Seattle’s largest urban centers to Downtown. Careful planning resulted in reaching the Capitol Hill community’s design goals to elevate the vitality of the Broadway District. Iconic station entries are situated to accommodate existing and anticipated pedestrian circulation patterns within the neighborhood.

Timeless Quality

Design elements were carefully considered to exert a timeless quality, supporting the station’s longevity. The north entry opens at the corner of a major intersection on Broadway to ease pedestrian circulation patterns. A vegetated “green wall” is supported by a terracotta-painted steel trellis, acting as an extension of neighboring Cal Anderson Park.

The west entry is situated adjacent to a streetcar and bus stop, allowing for convenient multi-model transit connections. It is designed to match the scale of neighboring retail buildings, with increased setbacks to accommodate additional pedestrian circulation and bicycle parking. An illuminated tunnel under Broadway provides direct pedestrian access to the platform from the west entrance, featuring a modulated ceiling plane, floor tile accents, and sloped interior walls to invite pedestrians while mitigating noise. The station siting and layout is optimized for adjacent transit oriented development (TOD), and ease of access between TOD and the station.

Public art

The three unique Capitol Hill station entries include plazas to support nearby retail and commercial spaces. Three pieces of public art draw the public into and through the station: murals Walking Fingers and Crossed Pinkies by Ellen Forney and sculpture Jet Kiss by Mike Ross.

neighborhood impact

With an average of 7,698 weekly boardings, the Capitol Hill Station is the third most heavily boarded Seattle station according to a 2018 Sound Transit study. The station connects Capitol Hill to the University of Washington, downtown Seattle, and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Students are able to quickly access Seattle Central College and Seattle University, both a short walk away. The central location of the station allows commuters to quickly walk to arts and cultural institutions including the Northwest Film Forum, the Hugo House, 12th Avenue Arts, and Century Ballroom.

Awards

AIA Civic Award, Honorable Mention 2019

“This extension is really much more than the 3 miles from downtown to UW. It’s going to open up opportunities that we can’t even imagine today.”

– Bruce Gray, Sound Transit