Several Sound Transit board members said this week that they remain committed to completing the Ballard and West Seattle light rail extensions, even as the projects face sharply rising costs and a nearly $35 billion agency budget gap.
During a transit town hall hosted on Tuesday by the Transportation Choices Coalition, elected officials including Katie Wilson, Girmay Zahilay, Dan Strauss, and Teresa Mosqueda said they still intend to deliver the voter-approved projects despite growing concerns about affordability.
The Ballard Link Extension was originally estimated at roughly $11.2 billion, but recent estimates have climbed above $20 billion. The West Seattle extension has also nearly doubled in cost, rising from an original estimate of $4.2 billion to as much as $8 billion.
The projects are part of the ST3 expansion package approved by voters in 2016. The Ballard extension would add 7.7 miles of light rail service and nine new stations connecting Ballard to downtown Seattle and the Chinatown-International District.
The town hall comes amid growing concern that portions of the Ballard project could be delayed, shortened, or phased due to the agency’s funding challenges. In March, Sound Transit presented early cost-saving concepts that included scenarios stopping the line short of Ballard.
Those discussions prompted rallies and advocacy efforts from Seattle transit supporters, including a recent march in Ballard calling on Sound Transit to preserve the full extension.
Councilmember Strauss has also urged Sound Transit to maintain the Ballard plans, while another community meeting focused on the future of the project is scheduled for May 11 at the National Nordic Museum.
Officials at Tuesday’s meeting said they believe additional savings could still be found during the design process, and suggested state lawmakers may revisit legislation next session that could help close the funding gap.
Still, some attendees expressed skepticism about whether the full projects will ultimately move forward.
The Sound Transit Board is expected to continue discussing expansion plans during upcoming meetings this month.
Photo: Sound Transit