Sound Transit Commits $18.1 Billion to Ballard Link as 2042 Opening Hinges on New Savings
Updated
Updated · soundtransit.org · Jul 31
Sound Transit Commits $18.1 Billion to Ballard Link as 2042 Opening Hinges on New Savings
1 articles · Updated · soundtransit.org · Jul 31
Summary
$18.1 billion in the updated ST3 plan funds the Ballard corridor from Chinatown-International District to Seattle Center and sets aside $300 million to finish design to Market Street.
The board adopted the plan after confronting a projected $35 billion funding gap, saying continued design and environmental work preserves a path to complete the full Ballard extension.
A 2042 opening for the full line to Market Street is possible only if Sound Transit finds about $1 billion by 2030, completes final design by 2032, and secures full construction funding by 2033.
The fully funded segment to Seattle Center is now targeted for 2042, delayed from 2039 by station changes, a revised construction timeline, and a longer environmental review.
Without added savings or financing capacity, service to Smith Cove, Interbay, and Market Street could slip to around 2060, underscoring the stakes of cost cuts, debt tools, and outside funding.