Extending light rail to West Seattle and Ballard requires timely decisions to stay on the current schedule of opening the West Seattle extension in 2032 and Ballard in 2037. That is
why it was important that both the Seattle City Council and Sound Transit System Expansion Committee took actions last week to advance the project.
The Seattle City Council unanimously passed Resolution 32055 that clearly communicates the city’s position on the West Seattle and Ballard light rail extensions. This resolution
shows that the city has a unified vision for the future of light rail through Seattle and is ready to be a partner in this work. We appreciate the time the city council under the leadership
of Transportation Committee Chair Alex Pedersen, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, and staff at the Seattle Department of Transportation and other city agencies took to the listen to the
community’s preferences, which are reflected in the resolution.
Following the city council action, Sound Transit’s System Expansion Committee unanimously approved a motion, consistent with the Seattle resolution, on the preferred alternative
for consideration by the full board at its July 28 meeting. The motion also requested further work with the city of Seattle, King County, and other potential partners to identify potential
third-party funding sources if the project costs more than the agency’s realigned financial plan.
We believe both agencies’ actions strike the right balance of advancing the project while allowing a fixed amount of time for additional community engagement and technical work.
The actions taken, which will be considered by Sound Transit’s Board of Directors at its July 28 meeting, makes decisions about the preferred alternative where there is community
agreement, requests additional studies where more information is needed, and sets a schedule for deciding about the remaining station locations.
We will continue to advocate with Sound Transit Board members and city of Seattle elected officials on the importance of coming to agreement on this important project so we can
deliver light rail to Seattle neighborhoods and provide the needed capacity for light rail to Everett and Tacoma.
Original source can be found here.
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