University Street light rail station to be changed to Union Street/Symphony Station

SEATTLE — Editor’s Note: The video above was completed before Thursday’s vote.

The Sound Transit Board on Thursday voted to change the name of the University Street Link light rail station to Union Street/Symphony Station.

The renaming will take place upon the completion of the Northgate Link extension in 2021.

Sound Transit officials told KIRO 7 the name change was to avoid confusion between the University Street Station and the University of Washington station for riders.

University Street Station has been named as such since it opened in 1990.

Sound Transit said it received 14,000 responses in a public engagement process for the new name.

“We got a lot of submissions, in the thousands. We also did in-person voting at the University Street station,” said Sound Transit spokesman David Jackson.

Here’s a breakdown of those results:

· Symphony 25%

· Benaroya Hall 24%

· Seneca Street 20%

· Midtown 13%

· Downtown Arts District 10%

· Arts District 8%

Officials said the station will maintain the current “USS” acronym that is used for the station.

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