Seattle’s Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration will publish a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Ballard Link Extension light rail project on December 11, 2026. Public feedback on the draft EIS will be solicited by February 9, 2027.
Project Scope and Route
The Ballard Link Extension will branch off the existing 1 Line and run 12.4 km from SODO to the Ballard area. It includes a 5.3 km tunnel and will serve up to nine stops. The extension provides a second route through Downtown Seattle, interchanging with the 1 and 2 lines at Westlake before heading northwest to Smith Cove and
Ballard.
The line is designed to provide fast and reliable light rail connections to the Chinatown-International District, Downtown, South Lake Union, Uptown, Interbay, and Ballard neighborhoods.
Funding and Construction Phases
Construction funding is fully secured for the segment from SODO to Seattle Center under the Sound Transit 3 plan approved by voters in November 2016. The draft EIS also covers the next stage from Seattle Center to Market Street in Ballard, but funding for this section is not yet secured.
Sound Transit Commitments and Board Review
Sound Transit is committed to reducing project costs, increasing financial capacity, and securing remaining construction funding to open the full extension simultaneously. The Sound
Transit Board will consider the draft EIS analysis and public, agency, and Tribal feedback before finalizing or modifying the preferred project option in 2027.
Sound Transit will then prepare a final EIS to support a board decision on what to build.
Neighborhoods Served and Background
The Ballard Link Extension serves dense residential and employment centers in multiple neighborhoods, including Chinatown-International District, Downtown Seattle, South Lake Union, Uptown, Interbay, and Ballard. This project is part of the Sound Transit 3 system expansion plan approved by voters in November 2016.
