WEST SEATTLE LIGHT RAIL: Feds issue ‘record of decision’ for project

| Sound Transit | West Seattle news

The Federal Transit Administration had most recently set today as the target date for its Record of Decision on Sound Transit‘s West Seattle Link Extension project, and at day’s end, ST announced the FTA has indeed just issued the ROD. As ST explains in its announcement, this ends the environmental-review phase and allows the project to move into final design. As noted at last week’s ST Board meeting, though, the agency has some milestones of its own ahead, including revising cost estimates and making funding decisions.

Jim April 29, 2025 (7:35 pm)

Of course they did! Most expensive rail project in the world for the distance what a joke

DC April 30, 2025 (9:20 am)

Wonderful news! Hopefully Seattle will stay below the radar of Trump admin’s anti-transit scrutiny.

Scarlett April 30, 2025 (2:29 pm)

Calling this $7 billion albatross a finger at the Trump administration is a bit like called these cosplay 401K protests against the administration, a French revolution “to the barricades” moment.

CT April 30, 2025 (10:38 pm)

definitely better than going the “buses only” route that folks who cosplay as transit advocates push. unless you want auto manufacturers to be the sole beneficiaries while everyone sits idling on car choked roads killing our sea life at record pace :)
- Scarlett May 1, 2025 (8:14 am)
  
  Tell that to the thousands who’d love to see a bus in their neighborhood and will see no benefit from this toy train. I’ve been riding the bus all my life and I know how it actually transforms cities, so no, I’m not a cosplay transportation advocate.
heartless May 1, 2025 (6:35 pm)

Scarlett continues to epitomize the perfect being the enemy
of the good: seems to hate Trump, opposes protests. Seems to be for
transit, opposes light rail. Some day they might learn that inching
towards good is infinitely better than solipsistic armchair
pefectionism. Some day.
- Burgerman May 3, 2025 (10:39 pm)
  
  Very well said, heartless. I think you might be the first person that’s ever shut her down and called her behavior out accurately.

Au Contraire April 30, 2025 (9:13 pm)

This is not wonderful news for the families and businesses, transitional housing, health club, and day care in the bloated $7 billion dollar, 4 mile path. The families are all in a horrible limbo, can’t sell their homes and are stuck. Rethink this loony link.

K May 1, 2025 (6:40 am)

When I-5 was built it displaced thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of residences. Roads will always displace more people than grade-separated mass transit. There is no displacement-free option
- TS May 1, 2025 (4:34 pm)
  
  Exactly, and I-5 continues to render a huge swath of land around it nearly uninhabitable, while once the light rail construction dust is settled there will be no such problem. Imagine how much worse the pain will be in another 20 – 50 years when we get another another shot at building rail! It’s not getting cheaper and it’s not getting easier. The only thing better than building public infrastructure now, is building it yesterday.
Derek May 1, 2025 (6:24 pm)

More families. More businesses after light rail is complete, you know this right?