The City and Sound Transit, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Transportation and King County Metro, will be holding a public meeting from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Community Center.

In the coming month, a broad public input process will gather comments to inform additional feasibility studies, building the foundation for any future negotiations between Mercer Island and Sound Transit.

The Sound Transit Board decided on July 23 to undertake an “issue identification process” to address Islanders’ concerns during the current phase of the East Link light rail planning effort.

“The purpose of this meeting is not to just continue the attack on the bus intercept proposal. The City Council has already unanimously rejected the bus intercept plan that was prepared by Sound Transit and Metro,” said Deputy Mayor Dan Grausz. “There are many other issues that need to be addressed such as commuter parking, the impact of I-90 ramp closures on Mercer Island streets, ensuring meaningful access for all Islanders to the new HOV lanes being added to the I-90 outside roadways, stopping cut-through traffic by commuters trying to avoid I-90 traffic, and additional bus transit service during the East Link construction period.”

More details, and other meeting dates, will be available soon on Sound Transit’s website: http://www.soundtransit.org/Projects-and-Plans/East-Link-Extension/Stations/Mercer-Island-Station.