Seattle light rail extension consultation to begin in December

USA: Seattle’s Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration are to publish a draft environmental impact statement for the Ballard Link Extension light rail project on December 11, seeking public feedback by February 9 2027. The Ballard Link Extension would form a branch off the 1 Line, running 12.4 km from SODO to the Ballard area. Including a 5.3 km tunnel, it would serve up to nine stops, providing a second route through the Downtown area and interchanging with the 1 and 2 lines at Westlake before heading northwest to Smith Cove and Ballard.

The line is intended to provide fast and reliable light rail connections to dense residential and employment centres in the Chinatown-International District, Downtown, South Lake Union, Uptown, Interbay and Ballard neighbourhoods.

Construction from SODO as far as Seattle Center is fully funded under the updated Sound Transit 3 system expansion plan which was approved by voters in November 2016. The Draft EIS also covers the next stage from Seattle Center to Market Street in Ballard, although the funding for construction of this section has not yet been secured.

Sound Transit said it was committed to reducing the project costs, increasing financial capacity and securing the remaining construction funding so that it would be able to open the full extension at the same time.

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