6/29/2012

Passenger Rail Article
Sound Transit's board adopts $2.1 billion light-rail budget, schedule

Yesterday, Sound Transit’s board adopted a $2.1 billion lifetime budget and schedule to extend light rail from the University of Washington to the Northgate area north of Seattle.

Agency officials expect to break ground on the North Link project this summer and open the line for service in 2021.

The 4.3-mile line will feature stations at Northgate Mall, the Roosevelt neighborhood and University District near the campus’ west side.

Voters approved building North Link as part of the 2008 ballot measure that included 36 miles of light-rail extensions to the north, east and south of Seattle. An extension from Northgate to Lynnwood is scheduled to open in 2023. North Link will connect with the University Link light-rail line at the University of Washington Station near Husky Stadium. University Link is scheduled to open in 2016.

North Link is expected to carry more than 62,000 riders each weekday by 2030.

Also yesterday, the board adopted station names for five new light-rail stations. For University Link, the stations will be named “Capitol Hill” and “University of Washington.” For North Link, the new station names are “U District,” “Roosevelt” and “Northgate.”