Link light rail

As the Sound Transit board approaches the point of grappling with how to rebalance the entire Sound Transit 3 package, transit advocates are urging them to look for new solutions outside of project delays or cancellations.

The Saturday and Sunday closures through Downtown Seattle come ahead of additional maintenance work planned later this fall and winter.

Before moving ahead with building a second Downtown Seattle light rail tunnel as planned, Sound Transit is taking a second look at putting a third line in the existing tunnel instead. Doing so would entail some major tradeoffs, which the agency intends to fully lay out in its study.

Since voters approved West Seattle and Ballard Link in 2016, the two projects have been caught in a perfect storm of factors that led to the eye-popping cost estimates that we have today. While the path forward looks bleak, there are signs that Sound Transit is learning from its mistakes.

Some Sound Transit boardmembers have questioned the necessity of building a second light rail tunnel in downtown Seattle, arguing that routing Ballard Link through the existing tunnel could save billions. However, that arrangement introduces huge challenges of its own. Here's why a second tunnel is key to future plans.

Costs are going up on all Sound Transit 3 projects, with West Seattle Link now expected to cost up to $7.9 billion, Everett Link $7.7 billion, and Ballard Link more than $20 billion. Sound Transit has been able to identify cost-saving opportunities in Everett, but Seattle is in a tough position.

Eyeing upgrades happening at other transit systems around the country, Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine is set to propose further analysis of implementing fare gates at stations. The agency hopes to increase fare compliance on Link light rail, shoring up a revenue source.

With the long-awaited inaugural "live wire" test successful, Sound Transit will continue tests on the Lake Washington bridge for another 10 to 12 weeks, followed by several months of running empty trains. Monday's test was a crucial milestone to stay on track for a full 2 Line grand opening next spring.