West Seattle Light Rail route finalized

SEATTLE — A tunnel to West Seattle could see light rail taking people from West Seattle to downtown in less than 30 minutes, maybe even less than 20. 

Sound Transit’s Board finalized the routes and stations that will make up the West Seattle line of the link light rail.

A station could be placed at, or very near, the current SODO Lander St Station, a next potential stop would be at SW Delridge and SW Andover St, and after that would be SW Genesee and SW 35th ST, with the final stop at SW Alaska and 41st.

“I think it’s going to reduce a lot of the traffic congestion,” said Matt Clark who says he has lived near Delridge and SW Andover for nearly three decades.

In that time, he says it’s gotten busier and busier. If light rail comes through he sees good and bad coming with it, “I am concerned about collateral damage to homes and some of the businesses.”

Rachelle Cunningham, Sound Transit Spokesperson acknowledges that the project could mean a takeover of some properties along the route into West Seattle, “This is a hard thing we would like people to know we hear them we understand their concerns. We have folks at our rail properties division that are there to work with them through every step of the process.”

Sound Transit’s board has nailed down the route for the West Seattle Link, and that authorizes the project to move forward with the final design phase.

For each section of West Seattle where a station could land, light rail could be transformative and controversial. Cunningham says the route was selected for several reasons including one that’s critical, “there were fewer residential property impacts to this one as well.”

At a recent Sound Transit meeting, public comments included warnings about the impact of building the West Seattle Link with several residents from West Seattle, and business people from SODO voicing concern about Sound Transit’s project.

The project’s price tag is between $6.7 and $7.1 billion.

In 2020 the closure of the West Seattle Bridge threw traffic into chaos. Traffic volume was down with the pandemic, but getting in and out of West Seattle sometimes could take 30 minutes, even 40 minutes on alternate routes.

Residents would have an alternative to cars, buses, and even bikes with the light rail.

Construction on the new 4.1 miles of light rail could start in 2027, with light rail running in 2032.

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