Link light rail

Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm discuss the Federal Way Link light rail opening in early December, Katie Wilson's transition team and early hires, and the Seattle City Council's vote to approve a controversial labor contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild.

Tabling a second light rail tunnel through Downtown Seattle and redesigning Ballard Link to use the existing tunnel could save $4.5 billion, and Sound Transit has been too quick to dismiss the idea, Scott Kubly argues. The money saved could reduce delays and fund important transit upgrades elsewhere.

In this short video, Hanoch Yeung of Best Side Cycling shares vignettes of Federal Way Link opening day events, some in-motion clips along the route, and elements of the station grounds at the there new light rail stations.

Sound Transit's analysis, prompted by a request from King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, looks at ways to get to Ballard without a new tunnel under Downtown Seattle. While the potential cost savings could be as much as $4.5 billion, the idea of delaying Ballard Link even further on top of significant risk factors makes additional consideration by the board unlikely.

The board motion advanced this week asks for one final look at where fare gates would make sense in Sound Transit's light rail system before implementing a potential pilot program before the end of 2026.

Transit riders and elected officials alike celebrated light rail's arrival in South King County, as Sound Transit held a grand celebration to tout its three new stations and cut the ribbon in Federal Way.

The three stations of the eight-mile Federal Way Link light rail extension open December 6. Here's your guide to the new line and the opening day festivities.

With three “downtown” stations and counting, Sound Transit must overhaul its station naming policy and name its stations less confusingly so that riders can easily navigate a growing system.