All articles tagged with #sound transit
Sound Transit approved a pilot to install fare gates at 14 busy Seattle-area light-rail stations (late 2029 to early 2030) to curb fare evasion and help fund the ST3 expansion; riders would tap ORCA cards on exit, with ambassadors assisting and plans to accommodate low-income riders, while the $87 million project aims to generate about $30 million annually once fully in place and the pilot could run through 2034.
Sound Transit approved a pilot to install fare gates at up to 14 Link light-rail stations as part of retrofitting fare collection, with stations including Westlake, UW Capitol Hill, and Federal Way Downtown among those affected, aiming to improve fare enforcement in the coming years.
Sound Transit has again delayed the West Seattle Link light-rail extension, now targeting 2035 as budget shortfalls and cost-saving measures reshape the project, meaning West Seattle residents will wait nearly a decade longer for rail service.
Sound Transit’s light-rail service resumed Sunday after an out-of-service Link train derailed near the International District/Chinatown station late Saturday, with no passengers aboard and no injuries reported. The incident—happening as thousands were leaving a concert at Lumen Field—triggered about eight hours of suspensions on the 1 Line (Capitol Hill to SODO) and the 2 Line (Capitol Hill to Judkins Park), with buses substituting for trains. Recovery efforts and a root-cause investigation are underway; officials say this is only the second derailment of its kind since 2009.
Seattle’s light-rail system drew a record World Cup crowd on Monday with over 300,000 riders, but a loose latch on a rooftop hatch caused a power outage that stopped service on the 1 and 2 lines between Capitol Hill and Northgate for more than 15 hours, prompting shuttle buses and force transfers. Sound Transit conducted inspections after the outage, called the incident isolated, and noted June was the system’s busiest month ever with about 5.4 million rides.
Seattle’s Link Light Rail set an agency ridership record with about 280,000 riders on Friday, June 19, far exceeding the previous high and Thursday’s 236,000, as fans traveled to a World Cup match (USA vs. Australia) and a Mariners game. Service ran from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m., and officials note the surge shows transit’s role in moving large events, with counts based on preliminary APC data that may be refined as data is finalized.
After the 2 Line cross‑lake extension opened on March 28, Seattle’s Link light rail ridership jumped 44% to about 4.8 million in April (roughly 160,000 daily rides), making Sound Transit the most‑ridden U.S. light‑rail system and signaling further growth as ST3 expansions push toward about 600,000 daily riders in the 2040s.
Sound Transit approved a sweeping ST3 rebalancing to address a $34 billion budget shortfall over the next two decades, deferring or delaying major lines including the Ballard Link north of downtown and leaving about $2.5 billion in projects fully deferred. Graham Street Station was funded; Boeing Access Road remains unaffordable; Renton’s 700-stall parking garage was funded by transferring $100 million from the 4 Line. The agency will pursue cost savings, new financing tools, and independent oversight, plus an RFI to speed delivery, but there is no firm Ballard timeline as West Seattle Link continues toward design. Advocates protested Ballard’s deferral, arguing voters approved ST3; officials say ST3 is not canceled, just recalibrated.
The Sound Transit board approved a 25-year expansion plan for the Seattle area’s light rail network by a 16-2 vote, setting a framework to decide which projects—such as extensions toward Ballard and West Seattle—move forward over the coming quarter-century, with funding and phasing to be determined.
Seattle officials say Graham Street Station could be fully funded and built as Sound Transit rebalances ST3 amid a $34.5 billion shortfall, leveraging a federal grant plus local commitments to keep a 2031 opening, while Ballard Link and other projects face delays and new funding strategies are debated.
As Sound Transit nears a May vote to update ST3, Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss proposes reallocating North King County funds to finance a Ballard spur and pause the full second downtown tunnel, effectively keeping the tunnel funded but not fully built while creating a shorter Ballard connection. The move could save billions (analysts cite more than $4 billion in 2025 dollars) but would delay Ballard’s full build, risking decades of limited service for the neighborhood as Sound Transit grapples with a large funding gap (~$11–$13 billion through 2052) and federal approvals that have slowed Ballard’s environmental review. Supporters say every regional center would finally connect to the spine; critics warn Ballard riders would face transfers and longer trips without a complete tunnel.
At a Seattle City Hall forum, city and county leaders pressed Sound Transit to keep all ST3 light-rail expansions moving, arguing against indefinite deferrals of Ballard, Graham Street, and other stations and demanding 100% design plans with firm construction dates. Advocates floated funding tweaks (longer bond terms up to 75 years, state/federal grants, and a rental-car tax) alongside cost-saving design choices like trapezoidal station layouts to close a $34.5 billion funding gap while preserving regional connections to Snohomish, Everett, and Tacoma. The discussion also covered automated light-rail concepts, CID station planning, and the need for regional collaboration, as Snohomish County Executive Somers pushes a spine-first plan that delays some infill projects. A Sound Transit board vote on revised finances was anticipated later in May.
Sound Transit chair Dave Somers proposes a revenue-conscious revision of ST3 that preserves the light-rail spine to Everett and Tacoma while deferring or delaying several costly extensions, including Ballard Link and the Eastside line. West Seattle Link would move ahead, but the Ballard northern segment and the Rainier Valley infill station face delays or uncertainty, and the South Kirkland–Issaquah link is pushed to 2050. The Sounder N Line would end in 2033, and a T Line extension to Tacoma Community College would stretch to 2043, with a Sounder extension to DuPont deferred indefinitely. The 18-member Sound Transit Board has about three weeks to negotiate changes before a May vote to finalize a new ST3 plan.
Sound Transit unveiled a plan to close a $34.5 billion funding shortfall over the next two decades by categorizing ST3 rail projects into fully funded, partially funded, and deferred groups, delaying ambitious extensions like Ballard and West Seattle while preserving some lines and funding for design work; a May 28 board vote will determine which elements proceed, with lawmakers weighing new financing tools to bridge the gap.
Sound Transit’s 7.7-mile Ballard Link Extension faces renewed delays as the Federal Transit Administration won’t approve the Draft Environmental Impact Statement’s publication, pushing back a preferred alignment and potentially forcing a phased build. The holdup, tied to guidance on federal DEI-related orders, is driving up costs and prompting the board to consider cost-cutting moves, station consolidations, and alternative alignments while the project and its funding plan navigate a significant budget shortfall and lengthy NEPA review.