Additions to the light rail spanning from West Seattle and Ballard to Federal Way and Des Moines are due to be completed by 2025.

Des Moines mayor, Matt Mahone, is certain that all the waiting will pay off. 

Not all students here at Highline live in close proximity to the campus, and commuting four to five days a week can be difficult. Mahone believes that having these new light rail stops will bring in more students and better opportunities. 

“Here in Des Moines, we have a very large student population, and I would like to keep it that way,” said Mayor Mahone.

However, the construction for the light rail has been frustrating to the community. 

“South 272nd street has taken a big hit. I take the I-5 to work every day and that road, now, makes me feel unsafe. Between the merger and the potholes and everything else, it is pretty scary,” said Rachel Peterson, a prominent member of the Des Moines community.

“Construction has never been a fun thing to deal with, but this construction is taking over. I can’t believe it won’t be done until 2025,” said Louis Espinoza, another member of the community. 

“I know that the construction is for a better cause, but there is already enough traffic as is and nobody likes being stuck and scattered on the road,” said Rob Garcia, a past member of the Des Moines Yacht Club.

“Matt Mahone is a kind person and I know he advocates for the light rail, but I’m worried that once the construction is over, our small town might be affected negatively. I have lived here for about 13 years, and I love it,” said Marylin Parks. 

The mayor believes that once the light rail is up and running, it will help reduce gang violence in the nearby areas such as Pacific Highway. 

“It is important to me that this community feels safe,” said Mahone. “Between us and Kent there will be a lot of development and that will help improve public safety.”

Some students think that having the light rail will be a great addition regardless of all the temporary construction. 

“I think the mayor is right to say that bringing in the light rail will give current students a better choice and maybe even a quicker choice of transportation. When I first started here at Highline I got rides from my parents because the city bus wasn’t always on time. Looking back, having a light rail might’ve helped a lot,” said Highline student Yusif Brannon. 

“I enjoy the idea of having the light rail as an option especially for days when it’s dumping rain or when the roads are icy and I don’t want to drive. I do wonder though, how much it would cost daily two ways,” said Highline student Tina Nguyen.

To clarify for students who are wondering about light rail prices, Mayor Mahone is working with the city to give students free rides on the light rail, but the details are still a bit loose on that as of now. 

“It is important to me to get this message out to younger drivers, please be safe on the roads. Some of the construction is more aggressive, like South 272nd street. Be safe and drive slowly,” said Mahone. 

One student thinks that the construction has gone practically unnoticed, and they are excited to see the light rail come through this community. 

“I forget about the construction because most of the roads I normally take are out of the way. I am thrilled about the light rail; I honestly had no idea it was coming until a few weeks ago. I used to take the light rail in Seattle all the time when I was younger, so I am glad to see it come through this little tight knit community,” said Highline student Veronica Cho. 

Matt Mahone wants to help the community save money and keep cars off the roads to make a safer environment with the promise of expanding public transportation options.

Mahone plans to visit our campus soon to talk about future plans regarding the light rail.