Tag Archives: sound transit

Sound Transit says plan is $1B short for light rail to reach Ballard by 2042

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Sound Transit has outlined a strategic path to bring light rail to Ballard by 2042. The updated forecast comes this week after officials signed off on an an updated Sound Transit 3 plan in May designed to manage a projected $35 billion regional budget shortfall over the next 25 years.

Under the updated framework, Sound Transit is committing $18.1 billion to the corridor to reach Ballard. Under the updated ST3 plan, light rail construction is fully funded from the Chinatown-International District to Seattle Center, with a projected opening date in 2042. To preserve the extension to Ballard, $300 million has been designated to advance design work all the way to Market Street.

This week, officials outlined what it would take to also build the line all the way to Market Street instead of stopping below the Space Needle.

To deliver the full extension to Ballard by 2042, Sound Transit says it must meet three key financial milestones: Continue reading →

New light rail plans keep West Seattle on track, add Graham Street Station to the mix, and will build the massively expensive tunnel needed to reach Ballard — but not reach Ballard

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(Image: Office of Planning & Community Development)

You are going to have to likely wait a lot longer than 2039 to take light rail to Ballard — but you will have a new destination in the Rainier Valley at Graham Street Station.

Thursday, the 18-member Sound Transit board agreed on a package of deferrals and cuts to address a projected $34.5 billion shortfall.

The body that includes ten members representing King County, seven representing Pierce and Snohomish Counties, and one state representative voted on updates to the “Sound Transit 3” plan as dismal economic forecasts and rapidly rising land and construction costs made it impossible to move forward on the full package.

The biggest compromise for Seattle riders will come with the planned Ballard extension — a meaty target with the current framework requiring $11 billion for a second downtown transit tunnel parallel to the existing one.

Under Thursday’s actions, the Ballard Link Extension’s segment to Seattle Center — essentially that very expensive tunnel — will be funded. However, the stretch from Seattle Center to Market Street is deemed “not affordable.” Under the new plan, Sound Transit will complete design for that leg but must hunt for funding before construction can begin.

Officials Thursday adopted a compromise that will build the “initial segment to Seattle Center” of the planned Ballard Link Extension but push the plan of completing the line onto the back burner.

Under the compromise, budget will be preserved to complete a design for the full Ballard extension and “identify potential cost savings and efficiencies” — and, possibly, identify new ways to pay for it all.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson who was part of Thursday’s vote admitted frustration but expressed optimism about support for exploring new options for delivering the full Ballard extension soon. Continue reading →

Nope, even the World Cup can’t bring 24-hour light rail service to Seattle

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(Image: Sound Transit)

As Seattle ramps up to host hundreds of thousands of fans for the slate of six games it is hosting in this summer’s men’s World Cup, Sound Transit says it plans to have a test of new late night bus service every 30 minutes between downtown and the airport in place before the tournament.

“This overnight pilot will ensure 24- hour transit access from Seattle to the airport,” Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine said in the announcement. “While our proposed regional overnight bus network is still in development, adding this pilot now provides expanded flexibility for airport passengers and employees as we prepare to welcome the world during the FIFA World Cup.” Continue reading →

‘Strategic closures’ — Expect lots of light rail service disruptions in Seattle to end 2025

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The cross-lake connection is coming (Image: Sound Transit)

Expect loads of light rail service disruptions in Seattle through November and December as Sound Transit crews complete repairs, maintenance, and important work to add a new second line through the city.

Sound transit says the “strategic closures” will begin this week:

Starting Nov. 8, Sound Transit will implement a series of strategic closures on the 1 Line to support repairs, maintenance, and critical 2 Line integration work. Passengers should prepare for delays and plan ahead during the following 1 Line service suspensions: Continue reading →

Amid handwringing over the latest depressingly awful economic forecasts, officials jockeying to keep West Seattle (2032) and Ballard (2039) light rail expansions on schedule

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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and city officials say key expansions of light rail to West Seattle and Ballard must be prioritized as Sound Transit wrestles with what is quickly becoming the bane of progressive government in 2025 — depressingly awful economic forecasts.

It is not clear how much difference easier permitting and streamlined construction guidelines can make. Options could include further-delayed openings, cut stations, and shortened routes.

Sound Transit officials said last week that the estimated costs to deliver the latest voter-approved package including transit projects across the three counties that pay for it have increased up to 25% over the current long-range financial plan. That forecast could mean Sound Transit would be billions short on the “Sound Transit 3” package including the Seattle light rail expansions.

With a diverse set of ST3 plans across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, Harrell, who sits on the Sound Transit board in his role as mayor, is calling on the regional public transit agency to prioritize Seattle as the city streamlines its permitting and construction policies to help ease the key projects. Continue reading →

With Sound Transit CEO vote Thursday, Constantine to deliver final ‘State of the County’ address

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Constantine after cutting the ribbon to open Capitol Hill Station in 2016

King County Executive Dow Constantine will deliver his final State of the County address Wednesday as he prepares to take a new job — leading Sound Transit.

Constantine has led the county since 2009 through years of unprecedented economic and population growth. Constantine also led King County as it struggled with the pandemic and the unrest of the Black Lives Matter movement. He announced late last year he would not seek reelection but pledged to continue “critical work of transit and transportation, climate action, behavioral health, affordable housing, arts and culture.”

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, with a growing roster of key endorsements, has been seen as the favorite in the race to replace him.

Constantine, who serves as chair of the Sound Transit board, has been tabbed as the next CEO to lead the $3.1 billion public transit agency. Continue reading →

Sound Transit’s Fare Ambassadors begin platform payment checks

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(Image: Sound Transit)

Sound Transit’s Fare Ambassadors are now checking for payment while you wait for the next train. The agency has rolled out platform fare checks at four downtown stations starting this morning. The plan is to spread the checks through the growing light rail system including Capitol Hill Station in coming months.

“With a little extra time and a lot more elbow room on platforms, Fare Ambassadors will be able to check more fares and provide better customer service,” the ST announcement reads.

Sound Transit says the new checks are part of efforts to make sure fares are paid — and educate riders.

They’re still working out the best way for the checks to take place on the plafform, Sound Transit says, and will be experimenting with different methods.

Meanwhile, fare inspections will continue onboard light rail trains. Continue reading →

With big decisions to be made on Ballard expansion and new line opening milestones still to hit for West Seattle and Judkins Park, Sound Transit in search of a new CEO

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(Image: Sound Transit)

As Sound Transit is struggling with crucial decisions that will shape its next stages of growth and expansion, the agency will also be searching for a new leader. CEO Julie Timm is stepping down after just over a year of leadership that saw Sound Transit struggle to address issues around a return to pre-pandemic ridership levels and big questions about how light rail will expand to serve key areas of Seattle.

Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm announced today she will be leaving the agency in order to return to the East Coast to take care of family matters. Since joining Sound Transit in September 2022, Timm has overseen a renewed emphasis on the rider experience as Sound Transit approaches the opening of several new extensions, starting with East Link next spring. Her focus and leadership in centering current and future riders in the agency’s capital and operating programs will benefit the region for years to come.

Continue reading →

Sound Transit: Trains every 15 minutes as summer construction season wraps up in Seattle

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(Image: Sound Transit)

It is a fact of life that Seattle summers bring transit delays as drier weather means important maintenance work can be completed. Sound Transit has announced light rail service through the city will be reduced to trains running every 15 minutes for about a month as it completes some catch-up maintenance work:

Just as one summer service disruption is ending, another is beginning. Passengers taking Link should note that trains will run every 15 minutes for the next few weeks for a maintenance project. We originally had expected to have 12-minute headways, but we have since had to move to 15 minutes to ensure reliability for our riders. We are working towards optimizing headways, while being mindful of safety through construction zones.

The reduced service will allow crews to reconstruct the platform edges and the tiles at Othello and Rainier Beach stations. Sound Transit says most of the existing tiles are cracked or broken, creating a safety hazard for passengers. Continue reading →

Bad timing — Sound Transit says downtown clock removal mishap could mean 336 hours of light rail service disruption

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(Image: Sound Transit)

Damage from work to remove a clock above Westlake Station will mean delays for light rail service through Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

Sound Transit said it expects two weeks of delays starting Thursday night as repairs take place:

During this period, passengers traveling southbound will need to transfer at Capitol Hill station to another train to continue their trips, while passengers traveling northbound will need to transfer at Stadium station. Trains through the tunnel will run in each direction every 30 minutes. Trains between Northgate and Capitol Hill stations and between Stadium and Angle Lake stations will run every 10 minutes. Because trains will be single tracking through the tunnel, the northbound platforms at Westlake, University Street, Pioneer Square, and International District stations are closed. Only the southbound platforms at those stations will be open for trains traveling in either direction.

“During this time, passengers should pay extra attention while they travel so they don’t get on the train going in the wrong direction and don’t stay on the train when they need to transfer,” the Sound Transit bulletin reads.

Sound Transit says the the downtown closure is necessary to allow time to investigate the damage caused last Tuesday “when a construction crew attempting to remove a clock at street level broke through the roof of the tunnel.”

While no one was injured at the time, subsequent examination of the damage showed that it was more significant than originally thought, necessitating the emergency service disruption for the safety of passengers. The closure of the northbound platform will allow Sound Transit personnel to more closely examine the damage and determine what repairs will be necessary.

Passengers traveling through the area should allow for additional time for their trip. Sound Transit says, and possibly should consider alternative modes of getting through the city until the repairs are completed.

UPDATE 5/1/2023: In a bulletin, King County Metro says the delays remain significant but are down to trains operating “every 15-20 minutes in the DSTT.”

 
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