Sound Transit completes environmental review for Lynnwood light-rail extension

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Sound Transit

The Federal Transit Administration issued its formal Record of Decision (ROD) for Sound Transit's Lynnwood Link extension, which will extend light-rail from the Northgate neighborhood in Seattle to Lynnwood in Snohomish County.

 

With the ROD in hand, Sound Transit says it can continue the process to compete for the federal funding that is necessary to help pay for the project. As part of that process, Sound Transit will take the next steps toward detailed design work on the 8.5-mile light-rail line. The decision keeps the project on track to begin construction in 2018 and open in late 2023.

Trains will run along the I-5 corridor from Northgate to the Lynnwood Transit Center with stations at Northeast 145th Street, Northeast 185th Street and the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center at 236th Street Southwest.

A trip from Lynnwood to downtown Seattle will take 28 minutes and is estimated to carry 63,000-74,000 riders each weekday by 2035.

Sound Transit is also planning for potential future stations at Northeast 130th Street in Seattle and 220th Street Southwest in Mountlake Terrace. The light-rail tracks in those areas will be built to accommodate construction of future stations without major impacts to service.

Cost estimates for the project range from $1.5 billion to $1.7 billion. A final budget will be established in 2017, with construction scheduled to begin in 2018 and open for service in 2023.

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