Public comment period for West Seattle, Ballard light rail project extended

West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions West Seattle Link Extension Ballard Link Extension

March 8, 2019

Comment period open until April 2

Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have extended the public and agency comment period on route and station alternatives for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions project until April 2. Comments received will help inform which alternatives should be studied in the Environmental Impact Statement, the next phase of project development. Comments can be provided online, via email, by regular mail, or voicemail.

The online open house is available 24/7 at https://wsblink.participate.online/. Comments can also be emailed to wsbscopingcomments@soundtransit.org. Written comments can also be mailed to Sound Transit, Lauren Swift, Central Corridor Environmental Manager, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104. Comments can also be called in at (833) 972-2666.

Feedback from this comment period will be shared with the Stakeholder Advisory Group and Elected Leadership Group as well as the Sound Transit Board to inform their recommendations on alternatives to study during environmental review. In May, the Board will identify a preferred alternative and other alternatives to study in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).

Sound Transit and FTA will prepare the DEIS, followed by a public and agency comment period in late 2020. The Sound Transit Board would then confirm or modify the Preferred Alternative after consideration of the environmental evaluation as well as public and agency comment. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) is anticipated to be complete in 2022, after which the Board will select the project to be built and seek a Record of Decision from the Federal Transit Administration.

When construction is complete in 2030 and 2035, respectively, the West Seattle and Ballard light rail extensions will provide fast, reliable light rail connections to dense residential and job centers. The project will also include a new light rail tunnel in downtown Seattle that will add regional system capacity to operate more trains and faster frequencies as light rail expands to Northgate, Bellevue, Redmond, Lynnwood, Federal Way, Tacoma, Everett and other communities.

More information on this project and subscriptions for project updates are available at https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/west-seattle-ballard-link-extensions.