Each option under consideration would significantly reshape what voters approved in 2016.
Sound Transit board members are weighing whether to shorten, phase, or delay long-promised light rail expansions to West Seattle and Ballard as the agency tries to close a projected $34.5 billion gap in its voter-approved ST3.
were not meant to serve as final recommendations. The presentation said the options are “illustrative” starting points and that any eventual update to the ST3 system plan will likely blend elements from multiple approaches.Under one approach, Sound Transit would extend light rail to West Seattle’s Alaska Junction but eliminate the Avalon station. The Ballard line would be built only to Seattle Center, rather than continuing to South Lake Union. A second option would delay final design and construction of the West Seattle extension and limit Ballard service to Smith Cove. A third would build the West Seattle line only to Delridge and extend Ballard service only to Seattle Center, while phasing other projects in the system farther north and south. The proposed changes come as Sound Transit faces rising capital and operating costs, along with weaker revenue projections, prompting a broader review of how to deliver the ST3 expansion package. The agency said it remains financially stable in the near term, with more than $8 billion in cash and investments. However, it projects long-term affordability challenges beginning in the 2030s if adjustments are not made. The West Seattle project had appeared to be further along. Sound Transit said the line approved by voters in 2016 was narrowed in October 2024 to a 4.1-mile route with up to four stations from SODO to Alaska Junction. The agency said cost-saving options under review could reduce the project’s estimated cost by $2.1 billion to $2.6 billion, resulting in a revised estimate of $4.9 billion to $5.3 billion in 2025 dollars. The Ballard Link Extension remains in the planning phase. Sound Transit said the project, as approved by voters, would add 7.7 miles of rail, nine stations, and a new downtown tunnel. A final environmental impact statement is expected in 2026. The possibility of scaling back Seattle segments drew immediate criticism from local leaders. Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, who also serves on the Sound Transit board, said all three options fall short of delivering rail service to Ballard as promised under ST3. “Sound Transit needs a plan to get to Ballard,” Strauss said in a statement. “Anything short of that is unacceptable.” King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, another board member, said the scenarios should be viewed as a starting point for discussion rather than final proposals. She called for advancing the West Seattle project while continuing to explore ways to complete the Ballard line and the broader regional system. “These are not proposals to make cuts, but a starting point,” Mosqueda said. “We should move forward on shovel-ready West Seattle while continuing to explore options to deliver rail to Ballard and complete the regional spine.”King County Executive Girmay Zahilay struck a more collaborative tone in a statement, saying, “It is my responsibility to listen to the needs and priorities of every part of our county when making decisions.” He added, “I have met regularly with the Snohomish and Pierce County executives, recognizing that we must work across our three counties to meet the collective needs of our region.” Among those pushing a different approach is Charles Prestrud, director of the Coles Transportation Center at the Washington Policy Center. Prestrud, who previously served as the Washington State Department of Transportation’s planning manager for King and Snohomish counties and as a transit agency planning manager, said in an interview Friday that none of the three proposals addresses Sound Transit’s underlying challenges. He argued the agency should move away from a rail-first approach and consider bus rapid transit and other alternatives. Prestrud also rejected the idea that longer-term borrowing would close the funding gap. He said Sound Transit’s request for authority to issue bonds with 75-year maturities would shift costs to future taxpayers and delay the rollback of taxes voters were promised. That proposal, Senate Bill 6148, would increase the maximum term of regional transit authority bonds from 40 years to 75 years under certain conditions. Prestrud was among those who testified against the bill. It stalled in the House. For now, Sound Transit says its “Enterprise Initiative” will continue through the year and culminate in updates to the ST3 system plan, the agency’s long-range plan, and its financial strategy. The central question for board members is whether they can still deliver the rail network voters approved a decade ago or whether rising costs will force a scaled-back system. The Seattle-to-Bellevue cross-lake line along Interstate 90, part of the ST2 program, is scheduled to open next week, about six years behind schedule. In a statement late Friday, Sound Transit Board Chair Dave Somers, who also serves as Snohomish County executive, said the agency is working to manage rising costs. “In the face of unprecedented inflation in construction costs, the Sound Transit Board is examining every aspect of the agency’s work to find savings,” Somers said. “By adopting an affordable system plan, the board is committed to delivering the benefits of Sound Transit 3. Since May 2025, the agency has developed a full range of potential cost-saving options, and we look forward to evaluating them to ensure revenues and expenditures remain balanced while meeting ST3 objectives.”Somers added that the board remains confident in the agency’s ability to deliver major transit projects despite financial challenges.For more than a month, the search for Nancy Guthrie has played out in Tucson, Arizona, with the mystery surrounding her disappearance only growing.WSDOT said two slides struck northbound I-5 near mileposts 248 and 249. One of the slides is fully blocking the highway.A teenager who had been missing for about a month has been rescued by the FBI and the accused captor has been arrested.Chuck Norris, the martial artist and actor known for playing the title role in 'Walker, Texas Ranger,' has passed away at 86 years old.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Investigation Probes 2016 Election Actions, Including ComeyA new investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason A. Reding Quiñones, is examining actions surrounding the 2016 presidential election and other related prosecutions. The probe, viewed by Trump allies as a 'grand conspiracy,' follows previous attempts to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey, who is a key figure in this latest investigation. The investigation's scope is broad, looking at potential violations related to the election cycle.
Read more »
Opinion: The fiscal cliff is real for transit — and it’s time to act!Across the state, transit agencies are warning that they are only months away from insolvency.
Read more »
Opinion: Increasing transit subsidies as ridership declines is crazyTransit is more used by affluent people than poor people.
Read more »
Ventura police solve 2016 Arnold Ikeda cold case on 10th anniversaryThe Ventura Police Department has closed the 2016 Arnold Ikeda murder case 'by exception' after a cold case review identified Johnny Caro as the killer.
Read more »
6 sent to hospital after Boston transit station incidentSix people have been taken to the hospital after an incident at a Boston transit station drew a large police presence and prompted the partial shutdown of the facility. City Councilor Benjamin Weber said the incident at the Forest Hills station on Friday involved a transit officer.
Read more »
VOTE: How should Sound Transit try to fill its budget hole?How should Sound Transit try to fill its budget hole?VOTE IN THE POLL BELOW:During the past session, lawmakers left several high-profile proposals unfinished,
Read more »