Seattle’s Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration will release the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ballard Link Extension light rail project on December 11, 2026. The public comment period will run until February 9, 2027. The Ballard Link Extension involves a 12.4 km light rail branch off the 1 Line from SODO to Ballard, including secured and unsecured segments detailed in the draft EIS.
Ballard Link Extension Route and Features
The extension includes a 5.3 km tunnel and up to nine stops, connecting several Seattle neighborhoods: SODO, Chinatown-International District, South Lake Union, Uptown, Interbay, Seattle Center, and the Ballard area. It provides a
second route through Downtown Seattle, interchanging with the 1 and 2 lines at Westlake station and serving employment and residential centers across the corridor.
Project Funding and Scope
Construction funding is fully secured from SODO to Seattle Center under the Sound Transit 3 expansion plan approved by voters in November 2016. Funding remains to be secured for the segment extending from Seattle Center to Market Street in Ballard, which is included in the draft EIS. Sound Transit aims to reduce costs, improve financial capacity, and secure remaining funding to open the full extension simultaneously.
Sound Transit Board Review and Public Involvement
The Sound Transit Board will review the draft EIS analysis
and all public, agency, and Tribal comments during 2027. The Board will then confirm or modify the preferred project option and prepare a final EIS for decision-making. The draft EIS covers both secured and unsecured construction segments, guiding forthcoming project decisions.
