The vote comes as the region’s transit agency faces rising construction costs, inflation and lower-than-expected revenue forecasts.
SEATTLE — The Sound Transit Council on Thursday approved a long-term plan to address Projected funding gap reaches $34 billionformally acknowledging that major transportation projects approved by voters nearly a decade ago will not all be delivered on their original schedule.
The board approved the resolution in a 16-2 vote after hours of public comment and debate at Seattle’s Union Station.
The vote comes as the region’s transit agency faces rising construction costs, inflation and lower-than-expected revenue forecasts that are putting a financial strain on the Sound Transit 3 expansion plan.
The meeting was packed, with many transit advocates and riders urging board members to preserve projects promised to voters under the ST3 package approved in 2016. The measure authorizes taxes to fund major transportation expansion projects, including light rail extensions to West Seattle, Ballard, Tacoma and Everett.
Supporters of the resolution say it sets out a realistic roadmap for moving projects forward within the agency’s current financial constraints. Critics argue that voters approved a concrete vision and warned against scaling back or delaying key projects.
One of the most talked about proposals of the evening involved ballard link extension.
Board members rejected an amendment that would have prioritized construction of the Ballard-to-Downtown Seattle segment using existing North King County funds while reserving funds for a future second downtown transit tunnel.
Supporters believe the proposal could speed up meaningful transit service in Ballard. Opponents say it risks disrupting the wider regional system.
Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin was among those opposed to the amendment, arguing that prioritizing Ballard in this way could jeopardize the entire transportation network and regional commitments.
The board ultimately rejected the proposal.
Another Ballard-related amendment passed on a 13-5 vote.
The measure requires Sound Transit to provide the public with a fixed date or date range for when fare service is expected to begin at Smith Cove, Interbay and Ballard stations. The agency has until August 1, 2026 to provide this information.
Supporters said the amendment would enhance accountability and provide greater transparency to taxpayers and voters who have waited years for updates to project timelines.
Some board members worried that committing to a specific date too early could further erode public trust if future delays force changes to those timelines.
The approved resolution identifies projects that are fully funded, those that may need to be delivered in phases and those that require additional funding to move forward.
Transportation advocates at the meeting said they remained concerned about the delays but urged the board not to abandon major projects.
“The Build a Damn Train coalition wants to see the light rail lines not be cut,” Kirk Hovenkotter, executive director of the Transportation Options Alliance, told the board. “To keep projects going because they’re only going to get more expensive the longer we wait, and for the board to remember that we’re in this together as a region.”
The resolution now serves as a framework for Sound Transit to balance its long-term expansion plans with current financial realities.
Projects delayed due to lack of resources:
- Tacoma Dome Link Extension Parking Lot
- Everett Link Extension Parking Lot
- Stride Bus Rapid Transit Parking Lot
- North Sammamish Park and Ride
- Edmonds and Mukilteo parking and access improvements
- Shoulder Bus Project
- SR 162 Corridor Improvements
- Sounder South Platform Extension
- Traffic improvements at Sounder South Station
- ST Express bus base, remaining
List of projects fully funded to complete construction:
- Tacoma Dome access improvements
- West Seattle line extension, no Avalon station
- Renton Transit Center Parking Lot
- Tacoma Dome Link Extension
- Everett Link Extension, Phase 1
- Everett Link Extension, Phase 2
- Ballard Link Extension, first section to Seattle Center
- TCC Tacoma Link Extension (now 2043)
- South Kirkland–Issaquah Connection (now 2050)
- Link Operations and Maintenance Facility South
- Link Operations and Maintenance Facility North
- Graham Street Station
- Sounder repair base
Projects partially funded through the planning and design stages:
- Ballard Connect Extension, final design stages
- Boeing Channel Station, final design stage
- Sounder South Additional Trip (Partially Funded)
- DuPont sounder expansion, planning stages
- Regional Parking Fund
- ST Express Bus Base (partially funded)
- High Capacity Bus Corridor Study/ST4 Planning (Partially Funded)
Projects that cannot be undertaken within current resource limits:
- Ballard Link Extension, Seattle Center to Market Street
- Boeing Channel Filling Station
- Sounder extra travel
- DuPont Sounder Expansion, Final Design and Construction
- High Capacity Transit Corridor Study/ST4 Planning
