News & Updates
Crosslake 2 Line Pushes Sound Transit to Most-Used Light Rail System in US
06/06/2026
Light rail ridership in the Seattle region has exploded following expansion of the 2 Line across Lake Washington, which connected Bellevue and Seattle for the first time on March 28. The boost was so pronounced that Sound Transit leapfrogged its peers to become the most ridden light rail system in the United States.
Sound Transit study suggests fare gates at 14 busy stations by 2030
06/05/2026
A new Sound Transit study suggests that the agency install fare gates inside as many as 14 busy light rail stations, in hopes of making money within five years or faster. The most promising sites are downtown Lynnwood, Redmond, Bellevue and Federal Way; at SeaTac/Airport; and nine stations in the Seattle core from Northgate to … Continued
Ballard light rail idea rejected while Sound Transit OKs other lines
05/29/2026
In a setback for thousands who want light rail to reach Ballard, the Sound Transit governing board voted Thursday to keep its austerity plan to build first from Sodo through downtown, and stop the line short at Seattle Center.
Sound Transit officials chase more money to close $35B funding gap
05/17/2026
Sound Transit’s need to climb out of a nearly $35 billion shortfall, dramatized this month by proposals to drop or postpone promised light rail stations, will include stepped-up efforts to gather money.
Amid light rail money crunch, what now for West Seattle, Ballard, Everett?
05/17/2026
In the weeks since Sound Transit fulfilled its mission to cross Lake Washington, with the world’s only passenger trains on a floating bridge, the community’s grand-opening high is wearing off.
Sound Transit Insists It Has No Idea When Light Rail Will Reach Ballard
05/15/2026
Just weeks before a vote to overhaul the voter-approved Sound Transit 3 (ST3) expansion plan, agency leaders are insisting that estimating opening dates for deferred stations like those in Seattle’s Ballard, Interbay, Hillman City neighborhoods is impossible. Nonetheless, estimates for opening dates remain a core request from the Seattle delegation on Sound Transit’s 18-member board.
Seattle light rail finally opens across Lake Washington
03/28/2026
Just like that, Seattle’s light rail became a region-encompassing, 58-mile system Saturday, with the not-so-simple crossing atop a floating bridge.
Three More Takeaways from a Pivotal Sound Transit Board Retreat
03/23/2026
Last week’s Sound Transit board retreat will likely stand out in history for the moment that it became clear that bringing light rail to Ballard will be much tougher than originally anticipated, thanks to a significant long-term funding gap. The three different approaches put in front of the board all falling short of getting to … Continued
Sound Transit Board Abruptly Removes Key Committee Chair Ahead of Pivotal Year
01/26/2026
Claudia Balducci, the second longest serving member of the Sound Transit board, was removed from her post as chair of the board’s System Expansion committee last week, just as the board prepares to fully reorient its system plan to address a $34 billion budget hole. Balducci, a King County Councilmember, had been leading that committee … Continued
When will light rail service start between Bellevue and Seattle?
01/23/2026
Light rail service between Seattle and the Eastside will start March 28, a long-overdue connection that will provide congestion-free rides across Lake Washington to work, entertainment, college, sports events and the airport.