Ballard’s light rail project initially was slated for completion in 2038. But under a new Sound Transit partnership agreement signed by Mayor Durkan today — which we previewed last week — the target date moves to 2035.
The agreement aims to identify a preferred alternative in the next 18 months as well as expedite the Environmental Impact Statement. Mayor Durkan is also joining the Sound Transit Board of Directors in an effort to improve coordination.
“We need better transit as quickly as possible. By expediting light rail to West Seattle and Ballard, we will be transforming our city for decades to come,” Durkan said in a news release. “As both mayor and a member of the Sound Transit Board, I will work to cut red tape to provide faster, more reliable transit service to neighborhoods sooner.”
West Seattle’s target date moves up to 2030 instead of 2033.
Of course, these are just targets, and 17 years is a long ways away. The Ballard project is particularly complex, relying on two new tunnels — one downtown and another in South Lake Union/Lower Queen Anne — and a movable bridge over Salmon Bay.