Light rail trains often run underground, or elevated, in areas of heavy pedestrian and other modes, and then on surface in less congested areas. The idea is that adding light rail to an already congested place harms all modes, particularly walking. As an example, SF Muni Metro runs underground along Market St, but then comes to surface to the south. The word subway is used for underground sections, but usually where the rail line stays underground for a much greater length. Again thinking outside the box, and not from STAR policy, we suggest the idea of undergrounding light rail for several blocks of 7th St. 

Southhbound light rail on 7th would go underground in the block between I and J, and come back to surface in the block between L and Capitol. Of course this only works if the location where the Blue Line joins into the Gold Line is not, as it currently is, at K St. If the Blue Line were moved to H St, as has been proposed, or another street such as L, then this would work. No argument is being made for or against the move, just saying that a junction underground would make the project so expensive as to be prohibitive. 

A light rail station would be installed underground at 7th & K, directly outside Golden 1 Center, with multiple high volume entrances (stairs, escalators, elevators) on the west and east side of 7th, and north and south of K. Golden 1 Center has the unique ability to dump 10,000 potential riders onto the street all at once, and the already busy area will become increasingly so as redevelopment occurs, whether or not there are events at the arena. Even when there was just a dead mall, the pedestrian crossing of 7h at K was busy. Having the station underground, and tracks out of the way, allows management of pedestrians, bus transit, parking, pick-up and drop-off, and closure in ways that would not be possible if there were active light rail tracks on the street. There used to be a station at 7th and K, which was removed for two reasons, one that it is “too” close to the arena entrance, at least in the view of the city, and two, that it wrapped around the turn from K to 7th, and so was awkward and unsafe. But the idea of a station right at the entrance is a powerful one. 

Obviously undergrounding of light rail would be expensive, so the benefits and costs will have to be weighed, but it is an idea worth considering. 

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