Local
Ballard rail plan faces funding gap, with service projected for 2042
Sound Transit’s 7.7-mile extension to Ballard still lacks a full funding plan, and service is now targeted for 2042. Leaders say they need to identify savings and new funding by 2030, while an environmental review could consider eliminating stations.
SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s planned light rail extension to Ballard remains without a complete funding plan, even as agency and elected officials continue to target 2042 for the start of service.
At a public hearing in Ballard on Monday, Oct. 19, state, county and city leaders discussed the schedule, cost reductions and possible funding options for the voter-approved project. The extension would add 7.7 miles of rail from SODO to Ballard, include a new downtown Seattle tunnel and create as many as nine stations between the Chinatown-International District and Ballard.
The 2042 target is six years later than the original schedule. One attendee described the successive delays — from 2036 to 2039 and then 2042 — as disheartening. Riders at the hearing said they want more reliable transit connections to and from Ballard.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said she remains committed to bringing light rail to Market Street in Ballard. But rising construction and materials costs, along with inflation, have exceeded estimates made when voters approved the broader Sound Transit 3 program about a decade ago.
Sound Transit says it must find cost savings and additional funding by 2030 to begin acquiring property. State Rep. Liz Berry said lawmakers are drafting legislation that would speed permitting for transportation projects and authorize a 75-year, low-interest loan for Sound Transit.
The project’s environmental review may examine alternatives that remove stations to reduce costs. Acting Chief Capital Delivery Officer Brad Owen said the agency would present options, after which the Sound Transit board would choose a preferred alternative and decide what to build.
The next major step is a draft environmental impact statement, expected by early 2027. The public will be able to comment on the document and the alternatives it evaluates.