:Symphony station (Sound Transit)

Symphony station is located under 3rd Avenue between Union and Seneca streets in Downtown Seattle;{{cite map |publisher=King County Metro Transit |date=September 2007 |title=Transit Tunnel: University Street Station |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel/pdf/UniversityMap.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412061756/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel/pdf/UniversityMap.pdf |archive-date=April 12, 2015 |accessdate=May 21, 2017}} the area is part of the Metropolitan Tract, an area of downtown that is owned by, and was originally home to, the University of Washington.{{cite news |last=Banel |first=Feliks |date=December 14, 2012 |title=UW 150: Downtown Real Estate Helps Fund University |url=http://kuow.org/post/uw-150-downtown-real-estate-helps-fund-university |publisher=KUOW |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124223946/http://kuow.org/post/uw-150-downtown-real-estate-helps-fund-university |archive-date=January 24, 2018}} The area surrounding the station primarily consists of high-rise office buildings and some mixed-use development, providing 102,194 jobs and housing a population of 13,813 within a {{convert|1/2|mi|km|1}} of 3rd Avenue and University Street.{{cite web|author=Growing Transit Communities Oversight Committee |date=October 2013 |title=University Street: Light Rail/Bus |url=https://www.psrc.org/sites/default/files/university_street_sap_0.pdf |work=The Growing Transit Communities Strategy |publisher=Puget Sound Regional Council |access-date=May 21, 2017}} Major buildings in the immediate vicinity of Symphony station include Benaroya Hall and 1201 Third Avenue (formerly Washington Mutual Tower) on the west side of the station and the historic Seattle Tower and Cobb Building on the east side. The Seattle Art Museum and the Harbor Steps are located two blocks west of the station at the intersection near 1st Avenue, above the Seattle Waterfront and Seattle Aquarium.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 21, 2009 |title=Tunnel two-step: It may take buses longer to clear shared tunnel |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009245404_stdowntown21m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905094130/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009245404_stdowntown21m.html |archive-date=September 5, 2017}} The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Central Library, Rainier Square shopping center, and Union Square are all located east of the station along 5th Avenue.{{cite map |year=2017 |title=Downtown Seattle |url=http://uploads.visitseattle.org/2017/02/27075533/2017OVG2_Maps_Downtown.pdf |publisher=Visit Seattle |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905101022/http://uploads.visitseattle.org/2017/02/27075533/2017OVG2_Maps_Downtown.pdf |archive-date=September 5, 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Sipe |first1=Tyler |last2=Wasson |first2=Lindsey |date=December 12, 2016 |title=Transit Tourism: Explore Seattle by Link light rail |url=http://projects.seattletimes.com/2016/transit-tourism/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216071328/http://projects.seattletimes.com/2016/transit-tourism/ |archive-date=December 16, 2016}}

The Metropolitan Tract, historically the northern boundary of downtown Seattle during its early decades, was offered for development shortly after the University of Washington moved its campus to the north side of Portage Bay (modern day University District) in 1895. The university's Board of Regents voted to lease the land to private developers in 1902, beginning a construction boom in the area under the direction of the Metropolitan Building Company.{{cite web |year=1995 |title=No Finer Site: The University of Washington's Early Years On Union Bay |publisher=University of Washington Libraries Special Collections |url=http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/site |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622084131/http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/exhibits/site |archive-date=June 22, 2017}} In 1911, Virgil Bogue presented a comprehensive plan for the city of Seattle, including a rapid transit system centered around a "trunk" subway under 3rd Avenue, passing through Downtown and the Metropolitan Tract, towards a new civic center in modern-day Belltown.{{cite book |last=Bogue |first=Virgil |author-link=Virgil Bogue |year=1911 |chapter=Appendix No. III—Proposed Rapid Transit System |title=Plan of Seattle: Report of the Municipal Plans Commission |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Lowman & Hanford |page=[https://archive.org/details/planseattlerepo00bogugoog/page/n219 180] |oclc=1440455 |url=https://archive.org/details/planseattlerepo00bogugoog |via=Internet Archive |access-date=May 21, 2017}}{{cite news |date=November 12, 1911 |title=Municipal Plans Embrace Great Third Avenue Improvements |page=25 |work=The Seattle Times}} The plan was rejected by voters on March 5, 1912,{{cite news |last=Crowley |first=Walt |date=September 17, 1972 |title=Virgil Bogue's plan: Seattle that might have been |pages=8–9 |work=The Seattle Times}} and the 3rd Avenue subway was unsuccessfully proposed twice in the 1920s.{{cite web |date=June 2008 |title=2008 Find of the Month Archive: 1920 rapid transit plan |url=http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/find-of-the-month/2008-find-of-the-month-archive#jun08 |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archives |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924095939/http://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/find-of-the-month/2008-find-of-the-month-archive#jun08 |archive-date=September 24, 2015}}{{cite book |last=Trimble |first=William Pitt |year=1926 |title=Seattle Rapid Transit Report to the City Planning Commission |publisher=Seattle Planning Commission |oclc=14264109}}

In the late 1960s, the Forward Thrust Committee put forward a ballot measure to fund a rapid transit system in the Seattle metropolitan area, including a downtown subway under 3rd Avenue with a station between Seneca and Spring streets.{{cite book |author=De Leuw, Cather & Company |date=October 30, 1967 |title=Report on a Comprehensive Public Transportation Plan for the Seattle Metropolitan Area |chapter=Chapter 8: Engineering Studies and Analyses |page=93 |publisher=Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle |oclc=74314}}{{cite book |author=De Leuw, Cather & Company |date=February 19, 1970 |title=The Rapid Transit Plan for the Metropolitan Seattle Area |chapter=Chapter 1: Recommended Public Transportation Plan |page=15 |publisher=Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle |oclc=120953}}{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=April 29, 1970 |title=Choice of Third Avenue Transit Line Explained |page=A8 |work=The Seattle Times}} The ballot measure, requiring a supermajority to support bonding to augment $385 million in local funding with $765 million from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, failed to reach the 60 percent threshold in 1968 and again during a second vote in 1970.{{cite web |last=McRoberts |first=Patrick |date=January 1, 1999 |title=King County voters on Forward Thrust bonds approve stadium and aquarium and nix transit on February 13, 1968. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/2168 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002015123/http://www.historylink.org/File/2168 |archive-date=October 2, 2016}}{{cite web |date=September 19, 2002 |title=Voters reject rail transit plan and three other Forward Thrust bond proposals on May 19, 1970. |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/3961 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002030443/http://www.historylink.org/File/3961 |archive-date=October 2, 2016}} The failure of the Forward Thrust ballot measures led to the creation of Metro Transit in 1972, operating bus service across King County.{{cite web |title=Milestones—The 1970s |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/am/history/history-1970.html |publisher=King County Metro |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507143947/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/am/history/history-1970.html |archive-date=May 7, 2017}}

File:Breda dual-mode bus at University St station in Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel 1994.jpg stopped on the northbound platform at University Street station in 1994]]

Metro Transit began planning a bus tunnel through downtown Seattle in the 1970s, to be eventually converted to use by light rail trains. Metro approved the construction of a bus tunnel under 3rd Avenue in 1983,{{cite news |last=Gough |first=William |date=November 4, 1983 |title=Metro Council OK's downtown transit tunnel |page=B1 |work=The Seattle Times}} and chose the intersection of 3rd Avenue and University Street as the site of one of the tunnel's five stations.{{cite news |last=Nogaki |first=Sylvia |date=February 18, 1984 |title=Metro envisions city bus subway in 5 years |page=A6 |work=The Seattle Times}} The station at University Street, replacing two separate stations at Union and Madison streets, would be excavated cut-and-cover and be completed by late 1989.{{cite news |last=Nogaki |first=Sylvia |date=September 13, 1984 |title=Panel urges boring of Metro tunnel — and 5 stations |page=B2 |work=The Seattle Times}}{{cite news |author= |date=November 1, 1984 |title=Panel picks sites for tunnel stations |page=C6 |work=The Seattle Times}}

Excavation of the downtown bus tunnel began in early 1987, and construction reached the University Street area later that year.{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=July 16, 1987 |title=Tunnel bidding too high for Metro; engineers to consider redesign at lower cost |page=E1 |work=The Seattle Times}} The twin tunnel boring machines used to excavate the tunnel reached University Street in October 1987, and continued north towards Westlake station.{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=January 27, 1988 |title=Landmark tower slightly cracked in tunnel-digging |page=E1 |work=The Seattle Times}}{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=February 12, 1988 |title=Almost finished: 3 blocks of tunnel |page=D1 |work=The Seattle Times}} In December, Metro agreed to pay $2.4 million to real estate developer Marathon Company for use of a city block they owned adjacent to the station for equipment staging and storage, delaying the planned construction of office buildings on the site.{{cite news |last=Healy |first=Tim |date=December 26, 1987 |title=Marathon delays project again; Metro expected to use property |page=A16 |work=The Seattle Times}} During excavation and construction of the University Street tunnel station, cracks and minor settling were found in the historic Seattle Tower, located nearby. The ground around the tower was later stabilized to prevent additional settlement, and was renovated with private funding in 1990.{{cite news |last=Goodnow |first=Cecelia |date=January 1, 1990 |title=Ring in the old: The 1929 Seattle Tower is being restored to its original glory |page=C1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}

In March 1989, the first buses were tested in the tunnel; University Street station was only 75 percent complete, and buses had to drive under scaffolding and construction equipment while passing through the station.{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=March 16, 1989 |title=First run: buses roll through the tunnel |page=A1 |work=The Seattle Times}} Tunnel construction was completed in June 1990,{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=June 7, 1990 |title=Deafening silence: Bus tunnel's done |page=B1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900607/1075987/deafening-silence-bus-tunnels-done |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224319/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900607&slug=1075987 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}} and a soft opening for University Street station was held on August 9, 1990.{{cite news |last=Duncan |first=Don |date=August 10, 1990 |title=Metro shows off tunnel vision—High-tech artwork dazzles thousands at University Street bus station |page=B1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900810/1087118/metro-shows-off-tunnel-vision----high-tech-artwork-dazzles-thousands-at-university-street-bus-station |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003094621/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900810&slug=1087118 |archive-date=October 3, 2016}} Bus service in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel began on September 15, 1990, with several Metro bus routes moved into the tunnel from surface streets.{{cite news |last=Rosenwald |first=Lonnie |date=September 15, 1990 |title=Seattle opens glitzy new bus tunnel today |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19900914&id=WpIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_fADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7013,2634060 |via=Google News Archive |page=A9 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |publisher=Cowles Publishing Company |access-date=May 21, 2017}} All service on routes using the tunnel was operated by dual-mode buses, which operated as diesel buses outside the tunnel and electrically, as trolleybuses, when inside the tunnel. During its early months, University Street and other stations were affected by serious water leaks, which splashed water onto walkways during the tunnel's first winter in operation. The leaks were later fixed by Metro contractors.{{cite news |last=Anderson |first=Rick |date=November 14, 1990 |title=Bus tunnel users find no refuge from soggy Seattle |page=D1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19901114/1104189/bus-tunnel-users-find-no-refuge-from-soggy-seattle |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226055330/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19901114&slug=1104189 |archive-date=February 26, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=September 16, 1991 |title=Bus tunnel rolls into second year |page=B1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19910916/1305738/bus-tunnel-rolls-into-second-year----despite-problems-downtown-project-is-proving-to-be-an-underground-hit |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202081703/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910916&slug=1305738 |archive-date=February 2, 2017}}

In 1994, the Seattle Symphony selected a city block adjacent to University Street station, used during tunnel construction for equipment staging and storage, as the site of their new concert hall.{{cite news |last=Bargreen |first=Melinda |date=July 24, 1994 |title=Choice of site for concert hall raises questions |page=M1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19940724/1921878/choice-of-site-for-concert-hall-raises-questions |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226055330/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19940724&slug=1921878 |archive-date=February 26, 2018}} The building, later named Benaroya Hall, required the two-year closure of the station's 2nd Avenue entrance beginning in 1996.{{cite news |author= |date=March 27, 1996 |title=Bus-tunnel entrance to be closed |page=B2 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960327/2321122/bus-tunnel-entrance-to-be-closed |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233705/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19960327&slug=2321122 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}} The entrance was re-opened in 1998, at the same time the new hall was inaugurated.{{cite news |last=Bargreen |first=Melinda |date=June 21, 1998 |title=Benaroya Hall: Sound is everything |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19980621/2757250/benaroya-hall-sound-is-everything |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226055331/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980621&slug=2757250 |archive-date=February 26, 2018}}

File:University Street station, Seattle - platform level.jpg

In the early 1990s, a regional transit authority (RTA) was formed to plan and construct a light rail system for the Seattle area. After an unsuccessful attempt in 1995, regional voters passed a $3.9 billion plan to build light rail under the RTA in 1996.{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=David |date=November 6, 1996 |title=Voters back transit plan on fourth try |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19961106/2358535/voters-back-transit-plan-on-fourth-try |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215211/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19961106&slug=2358535 |archive-date=March 3, 2016}} The downtown transit tunnel had already been planned for eventual light rail use and was built with tracks that would be incorporated into the initial system.{{cite web |last=Hamilton |first=Charles |date=November 6, 2006 |title=Sound Transit (King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties) |url=http://www.historylink.org/File/8002 |work=HistoryLink |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728075501/http://www.historylink.org/File/8002 |archive-date=July 28, 2017}}{{cite news |last=Pryne |first=Eric |date=October 13, 2005 |title=Bus-tunnel error years ago is costly in shutdown today |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002557741_tunnel13m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202051148/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002557741_tunnel13m.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017}} The RTA, later renamed Sound Transit, approved the tunnel as part of the route of its initial light rail line in 1999.{{cite press release |date=November 18, 1999 |title=Sound Transit Board achieves historic milestone by selecting route for central Link light rail |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-Board-achieves-historic-milestone-by-selecting-route-for-central-Link-light-rail |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170728075814/https://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/Sound-Transit-Board-achieves-historic-milestone-by-selecting-route-for-central-Link-light-rail |archive-date=July 28, 2017}} Ownership of the tunnel, including its stations, was transferred to Sound Transit in 2000 but returned two years later to King County Metro under a joint-operations agreement.{{cite news |last=Pryne |first=Eric |date=June 25, 2002 |title=Sound Transit, county agree to bus-tunnel plan |page=B1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020625/tunnel25m/sound-transit-county-agree-to-bus-tunnel-plan |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202081729/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020625&slug=tunnel25m |archive-date=February 2, 2017}}{{cite news |last=Pryne |first=Eric |date=May 12, 2002 |title=The bus tunnel tug-of-war |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020512/tunnel12m0/the-bus-tunnel-tug-of-war |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202081716/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20020512&slug=tunnel12m0 |archive-date=February 2, 2017}}

The downtown transit tunnel closed on September 23, 2005, for a two-year, $82.7 million renovation to accommodate light rail vehicles. The renovation included the installation of new rails, a lowered roadbed at stations for level boarding, new signalling systems and emergency ventilation.{{cite news |last=Gilmore |first=Susan |date=September 23, 2005 |title=Bus tunnel shuts down tonight for 2 years |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002514381_bustunnel23m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060355/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002514381_bustunnel23m.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017}}{{cite news |date=September 23, 2005 |title=Whats, whys of $82.7 million tunnel project |page=A15 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002514380_bustunnelqampa23m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202055718/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002514380_bustunnelqampa23m.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017}} The tunnel reopened on September 24, 2007,{{cite news |last=Gilmore |first=Susan |date=September 25, 2007 |title=Reopening of downtown Seattle bus tunnel goes smoothly |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2003899601_webbustunnel24m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060937/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2003899601_webbustunnel24m.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017}} and Link light rail service began on July 18, 2009, from Westlake station to Tukwila International Boulevard station.{{cite press release |author= |date=July 18, 2009 |title=Link light rail launches new era of mobility for central Puget Sound |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/LinkInService |location=Seattle, Washington |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225339/http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/News-release-archive/LinkInService |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=July 20, 2009 |title=Light-rail trains run smoothly, if not to capacity, on first day |page=B1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009503977_websoundtransit20m.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128135143/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009503977_websoundtransit20m.html |archive-date=November 28, 2016}}

Bus service within the downtown transit tunnel ended on March 23, 2019, due to the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center at the site of Convention Place station, which includes demolition of the north portal. The tunnel became exclusively served by light rail trains, while the remaining seven bus routes were relocated to surface streets and nearby bus stops on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th avenues.{{cite news |last=Groover |first=Heidi |date=March 25, 2019 |title=Buses no longer using Seattle's transit tunnel; Monday commutes test new routes |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/buses-are-out-as-downtown-transit-tunnel-shifts-to-rail-only-monday-commutes-will-test-new-bus-routes/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=March 25, 2019}}{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 25, 2017 |title=Reprieve for tunnel riders, but cascading projects to multiply Seattle's traffic woes |page=B1 |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/reprieve-for-tunnel-riders-but-cascading-projects-to-multiply-seattles-traffic-challenges/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=June 26, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625231314/http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/reprieve-for-tunnel-riders-but-cascading-projects-to-multiply-seattles-traffic-challenges/ |archive-date=June 25, 2017}} Ownership of the tunnel and University Street station was transferred to Sound Transit in 2022.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Sound Transit takes ownership of aging downtown Seattle tunnel |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-takes-ownership-of-aging-downtown-seattle-tunnel/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=October 27, 2022}}

University Street station was named after University Street, itself named for the original campus of the University of Washington before it moved in 1895. Metro discussed renaming the station for the Seattle Art Museum after it moved to the area in 1991, but took no action.{{cite news |last=Tarzan Ament |first=Deloris |date=October 11, 1991 |title=Momentum is building towards Dec. 5 SAM opening |page=D1 |work=The Seattle Times}}

In 2012, Sound Transit adopted names for light rail stations in the University District, near the current University of Washington campus, including "University of Washington" and "U District" stations.{{cite web |date=June 28, 2012 |title=Sound Transit Motion No. M2012-36: Adopting Station and Facility Names for the North Link and University Link Projects (Staff Report) |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/about/board/motions/2012/Motion_M2012-36sr.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909043241/http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/about/board/motions/2012/Motion_M2012-36sr.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2016}} The similarity between the three stations' names has led to public confusion and the implementation of an on-board announcement to indicate that University Street was not on the university campus.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 6, 2024 |title=This Seattle light rail station is getting renamed, clearing confusion |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/this-seattle-light-rail-station-is-getting-renamed-clearing-confusion/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=August 25, 2024}} Proposals to rename University Street station after Benaroya Hall or the Seattle Symphony were considered in the 2010s.{{cite news |date=February 19, 2013 |title=Fixed This! Yes, that train will take you there |url=http://crosscut.com/2013/02/new-design-for-link-light-rail/ |work=Crosscut.com |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226055332/https://crosscut.com/2013/02/new-design-for-link-light-rail |archive-date=February 26, 2018}}{{cite news |last=Radil |first=Amy |date=June 18, 2012 |title=Naming Light Rail Stations Not As Simple As It Seems |url=http://www2.kuow.org/program.php?id=27077 |publisher=KUOW |access-date=August 16, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910082722/http://www2.kuow.org/program.php?id=27077 |archive-date=September 10, 2017}} In September 2019, Sound Transit opened an online survey with six options to replace the University Street name—Seneca Street, Midtown, Arts District, Downtown Arts District, Symphony, and Benaroya Hall.{{cite news |last=Feit |first=Josh |date=September 9, 2019 |title=Help pick a new name for University Street Station |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/help-pick-new-name-university-street-station |work=The Platform |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 13, 2019}}{{cite news |last=Boiko-Weyrauch |first=Anna |date=August 28, 2019 |title=Next stop: A less confusing name for downtown Seattle's light rail station |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/downtown-seattle-s-university-street-station-getting-a-new-name |publisher=KUOW |access-date=August 30, 2019}}

The Sound Transit Board adopted "Union Street/Symphony" as the station's new name in January 2020, after it had been recommended by a committee despite Union Street having no entrances to the station.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=January 23, 2020 |title=Sound Transit renames University Street Station as Union Street/Symphony Station |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-renames-university-street-station-as-union-street-symphony-station/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=January 23, 2020}} The name was suggested as a cost-saving measure to match the existing acronym of the station (USS) in internal documents and software, which would cut the cost of changing the station's name from $5.3 million to $1 million.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=January 16, 2020 |title=Sound Transit's University Street Station is getting a new name. Here's what's proposed |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transits-university-street-station-is-getting-a-new-name-heres-whats-proposed/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=January 16, 2020}} The name change was planned to take effect with the opening of the Northgate Link Extension, but the Sound Transit Board rescinded its decision a month later.{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=February 27, 2020 |title=Sound Transit fast-tracks North Seattle's 130th Street Station |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-fast-tracks-north-seattles-130th-street-station/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=February 27, 2020}}{{cite news |last=Craighead |first=Callie |date=February 28, 2020 |title=Despite survey, Sound Transit votes to retain original name of University Street Station ... for now |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Sound-Transit-vote-Seattle-University-station-15092753.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |access-date=February 28, 2020}} A separate board action to rename the station to "Symphony Station" was passed in October 2021 and scheduled to be implemented before the 2 Line's original planned opening date in 2024.{{cite web |date=October 7, 2021 |title=Sound Transit Motion No. M2021-61 Staff Report |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/st_sharepoint/download/sites/PRDA/ActiveDocuments/Motion%20M2021-61.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=October 28, 2021}} The name change took effect on August 30, 2024, the opening day of the Lynnwood Link Extension, which opened sooner than the 2 Line's connection to Seattle.{{cite news |date=July 3, 2024 |title=What to expect when you're expecting Lynnwood Link |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-lynnwood-link |work=The Platform |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=July 3, 2024}}

Symphony station was designed in a high-tech motif to complement the modernist architecture found among the 1980s-era office buildings in the adjacent Financial District; architectural elements were used to create the desired atmosphere in the station, including linear stainless steel light fixtures over the platforms, glass railings on the mezzanines, and colorful granite to highlight platform benches and information signs.{{cite web |title=University Street Station–a Touch of High-Tech |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel/ts-university.html |publisher=King County Metro |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909151039/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tunnel/ts-university.html |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=May 21, 2017}} The station has two side platforms located below two mezzanines at the north and south ends of the station box: the north mezzanine is accessible through the parking garage of the Cobb Building at 3rd Avenue and University Street (Exit A1), an elevator in the lobby of Benaroya Hall (Exit A2), as well as a level walkway under Benaroya Hall to 2nd Avenue and University Street (Exit B); the south mezzanine is accessible from a single entrance located inside the 1201 Third Avenue building near 3rd Avenue and Seneca Street (Exit C).{{cite web |title=Stops and stations: University Street Station |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/stops-stations/university-street-station |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=August 17, 2022}} Symphony station is approximately {{convert|570|ft|m}} long, {{convert|70|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|60 to 70|ft|m}} deep.{{cite journal |last1=Laprade |first1=William T. |last2=Thompson |first2=Steven R. |year=1989 |title=Engineering Geology of the Downtown Seattle Transit Project |page=667 |journal=Engineering Geology in Washington: Volume II |publisher=Washington State Department of Natural Resources |oclc=763131412 |url=http://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_b78_engineering_geol_v2_pt1of4.pdf |access-date=May 23, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730112339/http://file.dnr.wa.gov/publications/ger_b78_engineering_geol_v2_pt1of4.pdf |archive-date=July 30, 2017}}

The station is situated above the Great Northern Tunnel, a century-old rail tunnel, which passes under with a clearance of approximately {{convert|15|ft|m}}.{{cite news |last=Mapes |first=Lynda V. |date=December 10, 2011 |title=Tunnels: Seattle's boring past filled with thrills |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/pacificnw/2016900003_pacificptunnels11.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060756/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/pacificnw/2016900003_pacificptunnels11.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017}} Both tunnels factored into the architecture of nearby Benaroya Hall, which has an auditorium that rests on rubber bearings to insulate from vibrations and a {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=mid|-thick}} concrete slab to minimize sound.

Symphony station, like other stations in the downtown transit tunnel, is furnished with several pieces of public art integrated into its design by architect Mark Spitzer and lead artist Vicki Scuri.

"The Beltline", designed by Scuri, runs along the platform and consists of colored granite arranged in patterns that highlight passenger amenities, including information panels and benches. The benches have computer-generated dot matrix patterns sandblasted into the seats.{{cite news |last=Mathieson |first=Karen |date=September 12, 1990 |title=Tunnel Visions: Bus labyrinth beneath Seattle spawns gallery |page=C1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900912/1092772/tunnel-visions |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006100153/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900912&slug=1092772 |archive-date=October 6, 2014}} Some of the granite originally purchased for use in "The Beltline" originated in South Africa, then under a Metro-sanctioned boycott over its Apartheid policies; the discovery fueled a minor scandal that resulted in the resignation of Metro's executive director, while the granite would be replaced with another type.{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Bob |date=March 10, 1989 |title=Report to Metro finds no cover-up on granite |page=C1 |work=The Seattle Times}}{{cite news |last=Merritt |first=Mike |date=December 6, 1989 |title=Metro: A South African granite rumor |page=B4 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}

At the south mezzanine is Robert Teeple's "The Southern Lights", a series of fourteen LED screens that show animated symbols and phrases in a commentary on the increasing influence of computers in human life. The symbols range from human faces to animals and astrological signs; the phrases, displayed in both English and Spanish, are randomly generated from using sets of four words that allow for 1.2 million possible combinations. The north mezzanine has "The Northern Lights" by Bill Bell, a series of 24 embedded lights that form patterns when the eyes of viewers move rapidly from side to side. The patterns include images related to transportation and finance, including trolleys, airplanes, coins and the dollar sign.

Two of the station's entrances and stairways are home to the silhouettes of and sentence-long quotes from Abraham H. Albertson, architect of the nearby Seattle Tower, and humanitarian activist Flo Ware. At the corner of 3rd Avenue and University Street is a {{convert|14|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} pendulum clock known as "Hickory-Dickory Dock Clock", designed by Heather Ramsay with references to the nursery rhyme "Hickory Dickory Dock", including a brass mouse running up its side.

The Benaroya Hall entrance to Symphony station, built in 1998 for the new venue, is decorated with a series of art pieces by Erin Shie Palmer known collectively as the "Temple of Music".{{cite news |last=Updike |first=Robin |date=September 15, 1998 |title=An artist's symphony of images: Robert Rauschenberg leaves a visual 'echo' in Benaroya Hall's lobby |page=F1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19980915/2772115/an-artists-symphony-of-images----robert-rauschenberg-leaves-a-visual-echo-in-benaroya-halls-lobby |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226055331/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19980915&slug=2772115 |archive-date=February 26, 2018}} The walkway's walls are sandblasted with images that begin as an abstract musical score derived from Robert Fludd's "Temple of Music" and morph into pixellated patterns as it approaches the station mezzanine. The walkway's handrails are etched with Braille text and voiceprints, and end in sculpted depictions of a violin and a microphone.{{cite web |title=Art In & Around The Hall |url=http://www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroyahall/about/art |publisher=Seattle Symphony |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427232221/http://www.seattlesymphony.org/benaroyahall/about/art |archive-date=April 27, 2017}}

File:University Street Station Pictogram.svg, which depicts a pair of theater glasses]]

The station's pictogram, a pair of theater glasses, represents the neighborhood's connections to the arts. It was created in 2009 by Christian French as part of the Stellar Connections series and its points represent nearby destinations, including Benaroya Hall, the Seattle Art Museum, the Central Library, and the 5th Avenue Theatre.{{cite web |title=Stellar Connections |url=http://soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/STart-Public-Art-Program/Public-Art-Projects/StellarConnections.xml |url-status=dead |publisher=Sound Transit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612221831/http://soundtransit.org/Projects-Home/STart-Public-Art-Program/Public-Art-Projects/StellarConnections.xml |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |access-date=April 21, 2017}}

File:Metro bus and Link light rail passing at University Street Station (2010).jpg

Symphony station is part of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which is served by the 1 Line of Sound Transit's Link light rail network. The 1 Line runs between Lynnwood, the University of Washington campus, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Symphony is the tenth southbound station from Lynnwood City Center and twelfth northbound station from Angle Lake, the line's two termini. It is situated between Westlake and Pioneer Square stations. Link trains serve Symphony twenty hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays, from 5:00 am to 1:00 am, and eighteen hours on Sundays, from 6:00 am to 12:00 am; during regular weekday service, trains operate roughly every eight to ten minutes during rush hour and midday operation, respectively, with longer headways of twelve to fifteen minutes in the early morning and at night. During weekends, Link trains arrive at Symphony station every ten minutes during midday hours and every twelve to fifteen minutes during mornings and evenings. The station is approximately 34 minutes from Lynnwood City Center station and 35 minutes from SeaTac/Airport station.{{cite web |date=August 2024 |title=Line 1 Line: Lynnwood City Center — Angle Lake schedule |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/schedule-link-1-line.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 15, 2024}} In 2023, an average of 4,357 passengers boarded Link trains at Symphony station on weekdays.

In addition to light rail service, Symphony station is adjacent to four surface bus stops on 3rd Avenue near its entrances, served by several King County Metro routes and three RapidRide lines: the C Line to West Seattle and South Lake Union, the D Line to Ballard and the E Line on Aurora Avenue North to Shoreline.{{cite map |publisher=King County Metro |title=3rd Ave Boarding Locations |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/pdf/3rd-ave-boarding-locations.pdf |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170208023520/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/pdf/3rd-ave-boarding-locations.pdf |archive-date=February 8, 2017}} The area is also served by two east–west routes (routes 2 and 12) that travel towards First Hill and eastern Seattle. During light rail disruptions, King County Metro also runs a special route between light rail stations that stops on 3rd Avenue between University and Union streets to serve Symphony station.{{cite map |publisher=King County Metro |title=Surface Street Bus Stops When the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel is Closed |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/pdf/downtown-seattle-tunnel-map-closed.pdf |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007041905/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/pdf/downtown-seattle-tunnel-map-closed.pdf |archive-date=October 7, 2014}}

From 2009 to 2019, several bus routes also ran in the tunnel alongside Link light rail. The final set of bus routes in the tunnel were divided into three bays by their outbound direction: Bay A was served by three routes heading north toward Northgate and the University District and east towards Kirkland (routes 41, 74, and 255); Bay C was served by three routes heading south through the SODO Busway toward Kent and Renton (routes 101, 102, and 150); and Bay D was served by one route heading east via Interstate 90 to Bellevue (Sound Transit Express route 550).{{cite map |publisher=King County Metro |date=September 2016 |title=Downtown Metro Service: Frequent Routes to Help You Get Around Downtown |url=http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/system/pdf/low-res/metro-system-map-downtown-seattle-low-res.pdf |access-date=May 21, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006224832/http://metro.kingcounty.gov/maps/system/pdf/low-res/metro-system-map-downtown-seattle-low-res.pdf |archive-date=October 6, 2014}} The bus routes were relocated in March 2019 to new stops on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th avenues to serve the area around the station.{{cite press release |date=February 20, 2019 |title=More Metro in March: Added service, all-door boarding on Third Avenue, and buses say goodbye to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel |url=https://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/news/release/2019/February/20-metro-service.aspx |publisher=King County Metro |access-date=March 25, 2019}}{{cite map |date=March 2019 |title=As of March 23, 2019: Outbound Boarding Locations for Routes 41, 74, 101, 102, 150, 255 and 550 |url=https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/transportation/metro/maps/seattle/03232019/pdf/tunnel-to-street-map.pdf |publisher=King County Metro |access-date=March 25, 2019}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|University Street (Link station)}}

• [https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/stops-stations/university-street-station Sound Transit Rider Guide]

{{Downtown Seattle}}

{{Sound Transit railway stations|Blue=y|Central=y|state=collapsed}}

Category:1990 establishments in Washington (state)

Category:Link light rail stations in Seattle

Category:Railway stations located underground in Seattle

Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 2009