Sound Transit Outlines Promising Everett Link Cost Reductions, Bleaker Seattle News

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Ballard Link’s cost nearly doubled, surpassing $20 billion in new agency estimates.

Sound Transit planners presented the results of months of deep diving into ways to reduce costs on two major light rail extensions last week, with some good news and some bad news. As costs continue to creep up on projects across the board, finally connecting the light rail “spine” into Everett still looks affordable for Sound Transit, with some strategic moves. But Seattle’s short light rail line between SoDo and West Seattle remains well above initial cost estimates, despite significant value engineering work.

The presentation was the first comprehensive look at the work Sound Transit’s capital team has been doing to bring costs down since the announcement that the agency’s constellation of system expansion projects around the region faces a $20-$30 billion gap through 2046. That shortfall is on top of another $10 billion needed expenses to maintain reliable operations and projected decreases in revenue. That capital work, led by Deputy CEO Terri Mestas, includes scouring projects already in planning for ways to deliver them more cheaply.

Without bringing costs down, the region is heading toward a showdown at the Sound Transit Board of Directors. Elected leaders in Pierce and Snohomish Counties have long been pushing to complete the “spine” of the light rail network between Tacoma and Everett, and some have admitted they would delay Seattle projects to do it. Meanwhile, Seattle’s board contingent is pushing to advance the next two in-city lines to Ballard and West Seattle.

But all projects are not created equal, with the urban lines facing much bigger cost pressures due to more complicated alignments and steeper land costs in the densely built core of Seattle. So unless the capital team is able to pull a rabbit out of a hat, a clash over slashing Sound Transit 3 (ST3) projects may be inevitable.

We now have the project-level breakdowns for Sound Transit 3 light rail projects, outlining the - billion shortfall the agency is facing through 2046.

Ballard Link's 2025 $ estimate is now .6 billion, a full 90% increase.

The Boeing Access Road infill station is now at 5 million.

— Ryan Packer (@typewriteralley.bsky.social) 2025-09-15T21:00:36.987Z

https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/09/16/sound-transit-outlines-everett-link-cost-reductions-bleak-seattle-news/