Sound Transit receives FTA approval to move forward on West Seattle Link Extension project

Sound Transit has received the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Record of Decision for the West Seattle Link Extension project, allowing the project to advance into the design phase. 

Sound Transit notes the 4.1-mile West Seattle light-rail extension was approved by voters in 2016 as part of Sound Transit 3, and FTA’s approval of environmental work is the culmination of the planning phase that began in 2017. In that time, the project team has worked closely with the West Seattle community and agency partners to develop an alignment and future station locations that will serve more than 24,000 riders a day and cut travel times from Alaska Junction to Westlake, Wash., in half while enhancing station access and the transfer experience from buses to light rail. 

With the FTA’s decision, Sound Transit will advance engineering and design on the route and station locations selected by the board in October 2024. At the same time, Sound Transit is continuing work to inform a financially sound West Seattle Link Extension project, including financial, programmatic and project-level measures to improve affordability.