The options for the Ballard light rail route have been slightly narrowed down, thanks to recent town halls and public feedback. There were a handful of options presented by Sound Transit, with seven different alignment and Ship Canal crossing proposals being considered. After compiling feedback, the Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG) has chosen to advance the […]
Tag: Sound Transit

Ballard light rail route and station options: share your input
Sound Transit is in a massive information gathering phase as they roll out the options for the West Seattle and Ballard light rail extensions. They’ve been holding informational meetings, the next of which is coming up on Monday, Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 8pm at the Ballard Eagleson VFW (2812 N.W. Market St). Route options […]
Ballard light rail extension open house and forum next month
In September, Sound Transit will be hosting a neighborhood forum and open house to provide the latest information about the route and station locations proposed for the Ballard light rail extension. The meeting will be held on Monday, September 17 from 5:30pm to 8pm at the Ballard Eagleson VFW (2812 NW Market St). Sound Transit has […]
What if the Sounder train added a Ballard stop?
That’s the idea floated by Stephen Fesler in the Urbanist: what if the North Sounder train, which travels between Seattle and Everett, added stops in Ballard, Interbay and Belltown? Since the tracks already exist (map), the Sounder could add “infill stations” in Ballard just north of the Salmon Bay Bridge and south of NW 57th […]
What could light rail look like in Ballard?
With Sound Transit’s expansion plans for Ballard and West Seattle gaining steam, one reader of the West Seattle Blog whipped up some UNOFFICIAL renderings of what elevated light rail could look like in that neighborhood. Since there are parallels with Ballard, we thought we’d share one here: The caveats are many: the routes aren’t finalized, […]
Mayor Durkan signs agreement for ‘expedited’ Ballard light rail
Ballard’s light rail project initially was slated for completion in 2038. But under a new Sound Transit partnership agreement signed by Mayor Durkan today — which we previewed last week — the target date moves to 2035. The agreement aims to identify a preferred alternative in the next 18 months as well as expedite the […]
Ballard light rail plans include movable bridge over Salmon Bay, new tunnels
When you consider the Ballard extension of Sound Transit’s light rail project isn’t scheduled to open until 2035, you may feel compelled to calculate your age just over 17 years from now. What could possibly take a small eternity to build? This week Sound Transit is discussing its partnership agreement with the city for both […]
Sound Transit board unanimously approves ST3 updates
As the My Ballard team reported last week, many readers are aware of the updated ST3 plan that may bring, among many other things, grade separated light rail to Ballard three years earlier than originally planned. This morning, the Sound Transit board officially and unanimously approved the updated ST3 plan that will be on the ballot […]
Light rail could be coming to Ballard… 22 years from now
Sound Transit has unveiled its next proposal for light rail expansion: $50 billion worth that would connect Everett, Tacoma, Redmond, Issaquah, West Seattle and Ballard. Here’s the map and list of projects (.pdf) But there’s a catch. The Ballard leg is slated for 2038. (Do yourself a favor and don’t calculate how old you would […]
Ballard light rail link included in Long-Range Sound Transit update
Last week, Sound Transit updated its draft regional transit Long-Range Plan (click on map) which includes the possible extension of the light rail service to Ballard. This update sets the stage to begin work in 2015 on shaping a Sound Transit 3 ballot measure. “Our Long-Range Plan creates the vision for the high-capacity transit needed to […]
Sound Transit to study rail link between Ballard and the Eastside
According to Seattle Subway, between now and December Sound Transit will study the costs and ridership potential for the Sand Point crossing rail link (see purple line in map below) that would connect Ballard to the Eastside. Back in July, Seattle Subway advocated for Sound Transit to study a direct rail corridor connecting North Seattle to the […]
Recent Comments