West Seattle Link Extension Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administrative have published the West Seattle Link Extension Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Final EIS informs the public, Tribes, agencies and decision makers about the preferred alternative and other alternatives, including potential environmental consequences, ways to avoid, minimize and mitigate potential impacts. 

The West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Draft EIS published in January 2022 evaluated both the West Seattle Link Extension and the Ballard Link Extension together as one West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Project. In July 2022, the Sound Transit Board directed that further studies be prepared for the Ballard Link Extension, to evaluate additional station options and other refinements (Motion M2022-57). Some of these project options and refinements require additional conceptual engineering and environmental review. Rather than delay completion of the environmental review process for the West Seattle Link Extension while additional review is conducted for the Ballard Link Extension, Sound Transit and FTA decided to move forward under separate environmental reviews for each extension. As described in the Draft EIS, the two extensions will operate as separate lines, and the extensions are stand alone projects with independent utility. Accordingly, this Final EIS is for the West Seattle Link Extension only. The Ballard Link Extension will undergo separate environmental review, building on the analysis that has already been completed. 

This West Seattle Link Extension Final EIS includes responses to comments received on the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Draft EIS that are specific to the West Seattle Link Extension or that would apply to both projects. Comments specific to the Ballard Link Extension as well as those that apply to both projects will be responded to as part of the environmental review process for the Ballard Link Extension Project. An electronic copy of the Final EIS can be accessed at the links below. The Executive Summary and a flash drive including the Final EIS, appendices, and technical reports are available at no charge. Final EIS hard copies are available for $25, and hard copies of the separately bound appendices and technical reports are available for $15 each by contacting Dominique Jones at 206-689-4783 or dominique.jones@soundtransit.org.