About the project
Expanding regional light rail to West Seattle
The West Seattle Link Extension will add three new stations at SODO, Delridge, and Alaska Junction, providing fast and reliable light rail connections to West Seattle neighborhoods. This project is part of the regional transit system expansion approved by voters in November 2016.
Project map
The Sound Transit Board adopted an updated ST3 System Plan that advances the West Seattle Link Extension with cost-saving design refinements, including the removal of Avalon Station.
Connect with our team
If you have any comments or questions, you can reach out to the project team at westseattlelink@soundtransit.org or (206) 903-7229.
Current project status
Advancing WSLE through final design
On May 28, 2026, the Sound Transit Board voted to approve an updated ST3 System Plan – moving West Seattle Link Extension forward.
Sound Transit evaluated a range of project refinements to manage rapidly rising costs and reduce community impacts while still delivering light rail to West Seattle. We found more than $2 billion in savings and will move forward with bringing light rail to West Seattle.
We will continue engaging the community as final design progresses, we acquire the property needed to build the project and prepare for construction.
Project updates reduce costs and community impacts
The most significant change to the West Seattle Link Extension is the removal of Avalon Station. The updated project will add three new stations at SODO, Delridge, and Alaska Junction. Eliminating Avalon Station reduces project costs and community impacts by allowing more of the route to be in a tunnel, reducing the number of properties needed to build the project. The next step is confirming these design refinements with the Federal Transit Administration.
What’s next for the project?
As the project moves through final design, Sound Transit will continue engaging with communities on station design and access, development near stations, public art, and plans for construction.
Starting as early as this summer, crews will conduct a load test on the south end of Harbor Island to confirm soil conditions. This is an important step towards major construction, and the results help guide the design of a future light rail bridge over the Duwamish River.
We will continue to confirm the properties we need to acquire to deliver light rail to West Seattle. This work will happen in phases based on construction needs, and we will reach out directly to affected property owners, tenants, and businesses as more information becomes available. We are committed to working closely with impacted residents and businesses throughout the process to providing individualized support, relocation assistance, and benefits.
What does the Sound Transit Board’s decision and project refinements mean for property owners and tenants?
With the Board’s direction to move forward with the project, we will continue to confirm the properties we need to acquire to deliver light rail to West Seattle. This work will happen in phases based on construction needs, and we will reach out directly to affected property owners, tenants, and businesses.
We are committed to working closely with impacted residents and businesses throughout the process, providing clear communication, individualized support, and relocation assistance and benefits.
Please visit the online open house’s Property Acquisition and Relocation page to learn more.
West Seattle Link Extension project timeline
2016 Voter Approval of ST3
- Alternatives development
- ST Board identifies preferred alternative
- Draft Environmental Impact Statement
- ST Board modifies preferred alternative
- ST staff conduct further studies
- Ongoing environmental review
- Final Environmental Impact Statement (2024)
- ST Board selects project to be built (2024)
- Federal Transit Administration issues Record of Decision (2025)
- Finalize station and route designs
- Hire artists and create public art
- Secure land use and construction permits
- Acquire and relocate properties needed to build the project
- Plan for construction and prepare work site
- Demolition and clearing where necessary to build and operate the light rail guideway
- Earth work such as stormwater systems, column footings, retaining walls and tunneling
- Guideway and station construction
- Ongoing conversations with anyone affected by construction
- Safety education
- Testing and preparations
2035 Anticipated Start of Service
November 2016: Sound Transit 3 Voter Approval
- Historic Sound Transit 3 (ST3) ballot measure wins voter approval, authorizing funding for the next phase of high-capacity transit investments across the central Puget Sound region. ST3 includes 62 new miles of light rail, completing a 116-mile network with over 80 stations.
- Key projects are the West Seattle Link Extension and Ballard Link Extension (BLE), Bus Rapid Transit on the Eastside, expanded express bus service, increased capacity for the Sounder South line, and station access improvements for all modes of travel.
2017 – 2019: WSBLE Alternatives Development
- October 2017: Sound Transit begins planning West Seattle Ballard Link Extension (WSBLE) as part of the Federal Transit Administration’s environmental review process.
- January 2018: Sound Transit hosts the first Stakeholder Advisory Group and Elected Leadership Group meetings to introduce the project and share what to expect in the alternatives development phase.
- February – April 2019: Sound Transit hosts scoping open houses and a comment period to collect public feedback on the alternatives evaluated to date and topics to study in the Draft EIS.
- March 2018 – February 2019: Sound Transit develops and refines alternatives based on technical evaluations and feedback from the public, Stakeholder Advisory Group, Elected Leadership Group, and Sound Transit Board of Directors. The project undergoes three levels of evaluation and screening to help further refine alternatives.
- February – March 2019: Sound Transit hosts scoping open houses and a comment period to collect public feedback on the alternatives to date and topics to study in the Draft EIS.
- May 2019: The Sound Transit Board reviews the alternatives, evaluation results, public feedback, and recommendations of the Elected Leadership Group and identifies the preferred alternative and other alternatives to study in the WSBLE Draft EIS.
- May – October 2019: The Sound Transit Board directs staff to conduct initial assessments on additional route and station options suggested during the public scoping period to establish whether further study in the WSBLE Draft EIS is appropriate.
2019 – 2023 WSBLE Draft EIS
- May 2019 – December 2021: Sound Transit develops WSBLE Draft EIS. This document describes the alternatives and how each alternative might affect the natural and built environment and transportation systems during the construction and light rail operation.
- November 2019 – January 2020: Sound Transit gathers public feedback about WSBLE station planning. Sound Transit hosts neighborhood forums and community briefings throughout the project corridor.
- November 2021 – May 2022: Sound Transit kicks off Community Advisory Groups to review and discuss WSBLE Draft EIS findings with community members throughout the corridor. Meetings are online and open to the public.
- January 2022 – April 2022: Sound Transit and the FTA publish the Draft EIS and open the 90-day public review and comment period, accepting feedback via email, mail, voicemail, comment form, virtual public hearing, and an in-person open house. Sound Transit receives over 5000 comments. Review the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions Public and Agency Comment Summary Report for more information. Additionally, in partnership with the City of Seattle and King County, Sound Transit publishes the WSBLE Station Planning Progress Report alongside the WSBLE Draft EIS to help communities understand the opportunities and challenges of the different alternatives.
- July 2022: After reviewing the Draft EIS and the comments from Tribes, the public, and agency partners, the Sound Transit Board identifies the preferred alternative for WSLE and requests further studies for BLE. Read the July 2022 Board Motion and press release for more information.
- August 2022 – March 2023: Sound Transit conducts further studies, including analysis and engagement events, six workshops and open houses, and three online surveys for WSBLE. Read the Further Studies Executive Summary for more information and to review results.
- March and July 2023: The Sound Transit Board identifies a preferred alternative for the BLE. The WSLE Final EIS incorporates refinements to WSLE alternatives from further studies. Read the March Board Motion, July Board Motion, and press release for more information.
- May 2023: The WSLE and BLE projects proceed on different timelines; BLE needs additional environmental review for project refinements from the Sound Transit Board action in March 2023. WSLE progresses on its established path.
2023 – 2025: West Seattle Link Extension Project Final EIS
- Fall 2023 to Spring 2024: Sound Transit and the City of Seattle collaborate on WSLE planning events to gather feedback, update travel patterns, and learn more about community priorities. Events include community briefings, online surveys, drop-ins, in-language focus groups, and open houses in the neighborhood. Read the WSLE Station and Access Planning Engagement Report to learn more.
- September 2024: Sound Transit and the FTA publish the WSLE Final EIS.
- October 2024: The Sound Transit Board selects the route and station locations for the WSLE.
- April 2025: The FTA issues the Record of Decision (ROD).
2025 – 2026: Cost-Saving Analysis and Design Refinements
- Early 2025 to Mid-2026: Sound Transit evaluates and vets a range of project design refinements to reduce project costs and community impacts.
- May 2026: The Sound Transit Board votes to approve an updated ST3 System Plan that includes funding to complete WSLE final design and construction. The project refinements approved as a part of the updated plan reduce project costs by more than $2 billion and meaningfully reduce community impacts while keeping the focus on delivering reliable light rail service to West Seattle.
Equity and inclusion
Sound Transit is committed to centering communities along the project corridor and engaging communities of color and low-income and other vulnerable populations throughout the community engagement process. During the environmental review process, Sound Transit conducted an environmental justice analysis, which was included in the WSLE Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The analysis:
- Describes the demographics of the project corridor.
- Evaluates whether the projects would result in disproportionately high and adverse effects to communities of color and low-income communities.
- Considers potential project benefits such as improved access to opportunity.
- Documents our efforts to involve communities of color and low-income populations in the planning process and what we have heard so far from outreach efforts.
Sound Transit and the City of Seattle also partnered on a Racial Equity Toolkit (RET) process for the projects. The RET lays out a process and a set of questions to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of the projects to advance racial equity. The RET process began early in project development, informing data analysis, technical evaluation and the focus and extent of community engagement. Our RET report on the process, requirements, outcomes, findings and community feedback is available for your reference.
Stations
As approved in the updated ST3 System Plan, WSLE adds three new stations at SODO, Delridge, and Alaska Junction. This updated plan removes the Avalon Station, reducing project costs and community impacts by allowing more of the route to be in a tunnel, reducing the number of properties needed to build the project. We will confirm this design refinement with the Federal Transit Administration.
Ongoing work on station planning and design
As the project moves through final design, Sound Transit will continue engaging with communities on station design, safety, access for people walking, biking, and rolling, transit-oriented development, and public art that reflects the values and character of the neighborhoods we serve. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to help shape the future of light rail in West Seattle.
Connecting to the station
For passengers coming to the station by bus, taxi, rideshare, or drop-off, the transfer to light rail should be a simple and intuitive experience. Sound Transit and its agency partners prioritize walking, rolling, biking, and bus transfers over other vehicle modes. Design considerations may include enhancements to neighboring bus stops, drop-off areas, and Paratransit, as well as potential features such as slow streets, transit-only streets, and mobility hubs.
Living and working near the station
Adding a light rail station to a neighborhood introduces new opportunities to add different types of housing, new shopping, employment opportunities, and public open space or other recreational amenities. Sound Transit works with partners to redevelop property acquired for light rail construction that is not needed for permanent transit operations. We prioritize affordable housing and other uses that benefit communities. Learn more about our transit-oriented development program.
Working with the City of Seattle and other agency partners
Sound Transit is responsible for the design of the station and the City of Seattle is responsible for shaping the “station area”—the neighborhood around the station. Sound Transit and the City may partner on improvements within the “station context”—typically two or three blocks from the station itself. In addition to the City of Seattle, we also partner with King County Metro to ensure integration with future service plans, and coordinate with the Port of Seattle at specific stations that intersect with Port facilities and interests.
Find out more about the City of Seattle’s West Seattle Junction station area planning, City of Seattle’s Transportation Plan, the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, and the King County Long-Range Plan, which affect future plans for station areas.