Sound Transit Board Removes Key Committee Chair Ahead of Pivotal Year

Claudia Balducci, the second longest serving member of the Sound Transit board, will no longer be a member of the committee she's lead since 2018. The swap out comes just as the board faces critical decisions around the future of the Sound Transit 3 expansion plan, work that will largely be hashed out in policy committees.

Sound Transit’s 2 Line Will Finally Connect Across I-90 on March 28

Eagerly awaited by transit riders, the full 2 Line light rail connection will finally bridge Seattle and the Eastside and bring expanded train service all the way from Redmond to Lynnwood. The expansion will bring stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island online.
A before and after image shows Eastgate now (low-slung sprawl) and after an urban transformation with midrise and some highrise towers

Op-Ed: Light Rail Could Transform Bellevue’s Eastgate into Urban Oasis

Adding a light rail stop next to Bellevue's decommissioned airport could unlock more than 100 acres for dense urban development, boosting the potential of the planned line to Issaquah. Like Bel-Red or the Spring District, Eastgate could be the next Bellevue neighborhood to transform with transit-oriented development.

Op-Ed: How to Close Sound Transit’s 35-Billion-Dollar Gap Without Breaking the System

Sound Transit needs a systematic strategy for closing its $35 billion funding gap. Delivering the expansions promised to voters is possible, but requires political leadership and an appetite for a sea change within the agency. A former SDOT director offers a road map.
A crowded northbound train unloads at U District Station with dozens waiting on the platform for the southbound train.

Seattle Braces for Downtown Light Rail Closure and I-5 Bridge Work

1 Line light rail service will be disrupted starting 10pm Friday through Sunday, January 11, as Sound Transit conducts signal work in preparation for the 2 Line extension. Stations from Capitol Hill to SoDo will be closed with replacement bus service offered. WSDOT is also launching Revive I-5 work on the Ship Canal Bridge this weekend.

Crosslake Light Rail Approaches One of Its Final Milestones

With simulated light rail service across I-90 less than a month away, Sound Transit appears poised to beat its deadline of opening the full 2 Line by May 31. Simulated service will also bring increased train frequency between International District and Lynnwood, a big boost for riders.
Illuminated Space Needle in front of a city of lit windows with a darkening sky.

Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve

Ring in the new year with free transit on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.
A recessed station open to the air through concrete supports

Sound Transit Board Sets Aside Idea of Skipping Second Downtown Tunnel

The cost of additional delay and reduced resiliency in the light rail system were cited as reasons to set aside the idea of dropping Ballard Link's planned tunnel under Downtown Seattle. But the discussion is likely to set up a broader debate of just who benefits from that tunnel -- and who pays for it.