August 2024
About this Project
The Ballard Link Extension project adds 7.1 miles of light rail service from Downtown Seattle to Ballard, includes nine new stations, a second Downtown transit tunnel, and a water crossing under or over Salmon Bay. This project is expected to be completed in 2039.
Station Context Area Planning
The City is partnering with Sound Transit on the Station Context area, which is the area within one to two blocks from the station. Station Context planning includes design choices for the station itself, the open space around the station, bus stops, and more. This involves community outreach and workshops.
Stations Planning Progress Report - Ballard Link Stations (January 2022)
Station Area Planning
The City is also working with communities to plan the broader Station Area, which usually includes areas about a half-mile from the station. The Station Area planning will:
- Plan walking, biking, and bus improvements to help you get to stations
- Identify opportunities for housing, shopping, and open spaces to create affordable, livable neighborhoods around new stations
- Establish priorities to inform project permitting
What's Happening Now?
South Downtown Hub Station Planning
The City has been partnering with Sound Transit in its planning for the South Downtown Hub Station in the Chinatown-International District (CID). The City participated in a series of information sessions and workshops in 2024 for the CID and Pioneer Square communities.
Read more about the February 2024 workshop
A second workshop was held in July 2024. A summary of that workshop will be posted when available.
Ballard Link Extension Street Concept Plans
Street concept plans show how a street could look in the future with specific improvements. These plans help guide future changes made by developers, property owners, City departments, or public agencies so that they work well and are comfortable for people using our streets. Street concept plans include ideas like lots of plants, distinct paving options, relocated curbs, and features like benches or unique lighting.
To learn more about how SDOT uses Street Concept Plans, visit the Street Illustrated Guide.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Department of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) will create a street concept plan for the streets around the future light rail stations in Ballard, with input from Sound Transit and community members. This street concept plan is intended to provide a vision and guidance for future improvements. The concepts included in the street concept plan will be used to develop designs for future projects.
Visit the Sound Transit website for more details on Ballard Link Extension planning.
Environmental Review
The City reviews Sound Transit’s Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension projects to ensure that Sound Transit’s environmental review adequately evaluates project impacts, proposes appropriate mitigation measures, and complies with the City’s legal requirements.
The EIS for both extensions were initially on the same environmental review timeline. However, given additional environmental review needed for project refinements for the Ballard Link Extension, environmental review for the two extensions will now proceed on different timelines.
Sound Transit will complete a new Draft EIS for the Ballard Link Extension to reflect action by the Sound Transit Board in March 2023 and additional Board action in July 2023. The alternatives will be updated, including analysis of the preferred alternative, as well as other refinements. The new Ballard Draft EIS will rely and build upon the existing work to date on the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension Draft EIS, including all previous scoping comments, public outreach and feedback and environmental analysis. The Ballard Link Extension Draft EIS publication is anticipated to be in early 2025 with the Final EIS likely published in 2026.
Ballard Link Extension Project Map
Graphic courtesy of Sound Transit.
For more information, please visit the Sound Transit Ballard Link Extension website.