West Seattle residents will likely wait nearly another decade for light rail service, after Sound Transit pushed back the expected opening of the West Seattle Link Extension to 2035.
The delay is the latest in a series of timeline changes tied to a major budget gap at the agency. During the 2016 ballot campaign, Sound Transit promised a 2030 opening. A few months ago, the agency delayed the West Seattle expansion to 2032. Now, the projected opening is 2035.
The project is part of a broader Sound Transit expansion funded by taxpayers through increased sales taxes, car-tab fees and property taxes across Western Washington, including in West Seattle.
Earlier this year, Sound Transit identified a $35 billion budget shortfall. In response, the agency conducted surveys and held several meetings about how it would still complete promised projects while dealing with the budget crisis. Since the spring, that has included uncertainty about the planned 3.9 miles of track connecting West Seattle to SODO.
The extension is planned to run from Alaska Junction in West Seattle through SODO, with an elevated route shown in project renderings.
Sound Transit said the refined timeline is a cost-saving measure and is intended to provide a realistic delivery schedule. The agency said it remains committed to delivering the West Seattle Link Extension while staying “disciplined about finding cost and schedule savings.”
On the same day the delay was announced, Sound Transit also said it reached an agreement with Seattle City Light on technical design work. The agency said the work will relocate some transmission lines without construction on Sixth Avenue South, which had been part of the original plan.