The Ballard light rail saga continues, with another sign that Sound Transit may drop the Ballard line altogether.
Earlier this week, several Sound Transit board members vowed to complete the Ballard light rail extension. But in a newsletter sent out today, Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss said the Sound Transit Executive Committee is now proposing to continue funding for a second downtown transit tunnel, but to only fund light rail expansion as far as Seattle Center. According to Strauss, no construction funding has been identified or allocated for the segment between Seattle Center and Ballard.
“That’s unacceptable,” Strauss wrote. “We voted for light rail. We’ve been paying for it for a decade. Sound Transit needs to bring us a plan that actually gets to Ballard — not promises or good intentions — an actual plan.”
Strauss said North King County residents would still be expected to pay a significant share of the costs for the second downtown tunnel under the proposal.
The update comes just days after several Sound Transit board members publicly reaffirmed their commitment to completing the Ballard and West Seattle light rail extensions despite rising project costs and a nearly $35 billion affordability gap. As previously reported by My Ballard, officials said the agency is exploring options, including new revenue sources, federal funding opportunities, and phased construction approaches to keep projects moving forward.
Strauss referenced those recent commitments in his newsletter while arguing that the newest proposal still does not identify construction funding for the Seattle Center-to-Ballard segment of the line.
Strauss is hosting a “Community Meeting on the Future of Ballard Light Rail” on May 11 at 6 p.m. at the National Nordic Museum, which Sound Transit representatives are expected to attend.
Other elected officials expected to attend include:
- Sen. Noel Frame
- Rep. Liz Berry
- Rep. Julia Reed
- King County Councilmember Jorge Barón
- Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle
“This is your opportunity to hear from Sound Transit and make your voice heard!” Strauss said.
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