Design a good rider experience and ridership should follow. Build the system to maximize ridership.Transferring between transit lines should also be quick and easy, especially at the major transfer points at Westlake Station and International District/Chinatown Station. Traveling between the station platform and the surface should be quick, straightforward, and reliable. First and foremost, design the system for transit riders and the optimal rider experience.But before we do, first some guiding principles to understand what animates our advocacy and why we favor the options that we do. This article will lay out the major decision points and how The Urbanist is leaning at this point. As the process advances, the Sound Transit Board will approve the final alignments for West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions, which is a 100-year decision that will impact the Seattle region for generations to come. Based on feedback gathered during the public comment period, the Sound Transit Board may make further cuts or alterations to the remaining alternatives and staff will set to work on the Final EIS, which will set the parameters of the light rail route and construction plan.