The West Seattle light rail route has been chosen. But can Sound Transit afford it?

Sound Transit has chosen a light rail route to West Seattle. Construction on the 4.1 mile West Seattle Link extension is expected to start in 2027, with service slated to begin in 2032.

But in the meantime, the agency must come up with the money to actually pay for it.

"Today marks an important milestone in delivering light rail to West Seattle,” Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine said in a statement, filled with just enough wonky jargon to water down any enthusiasm for the moment. “Through the board-directed work plan, our action today allows Sound Transit to use the design process to address cost pressures, reduce impacts, and prepare projects for construction, fulfilling our promise to the voters.”

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In other words, the Sound Transit Board has approved a new light rail route into West Seattle (which was previously approved by voters), but it will be more expensive than previously thought. The new light rail route comes with a price tag of between $6.7 and $7.1 billion (in 2023, it was estimate to cost $4 billion), so the agency is looking for "financial opportunities" to account for that.

The Sound Transit Board passed a resolution this week outlining several potential money sources, including grant revenues, federal loans, strategic property acquisition, and improving cost efficiencies. The motion doesn't explicitly propose additional taxes, which currently fund about 63% of the agency's construction and operations, but does mention "new revenue sources."

The goal of a West Seattle light rail connection was part of ST3, which voters approved by 54% in 2016. To pay for 62 more miles of light rail track and 37 new stations, ST3 hiked the local sales tax by .005%, imposed a .0008% excise tax on vehicles, and a 25 cent property tax per $1,000 of a home's value.

"We must also match our ambitions with accountability," Sound Transit Board member and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a statement. "As a board, our role is to ensure that construction impacts and rising costs do not overly burden community as we work to deliver these transformative projects."

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The West Seattle line will branch off of the existing SoDo station and connect to stops in Delridge, Avalon, and the Alaska Junction. Sound Transit says commuters can expect to travel from the Alaska Junction at the end to Westlake Station in 16 minutes. The agency also says the new line will cause a 50% reduction in current travel times.

Additionally, Sound Transit maintains the West Seattle line will encourage affordable housing around stations, and provide a new travel option when the West Seattle Bridge goes out, or is packed with traffic.

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While Sound Transit has chosen a light rail route to West Seattle, the plan still has to go through a few government processes, such as a federal environmental review and approvals from the Federal Transit Administration. Those developments could come by the end of 2024.