Save Ballard Rail

History of Ballard Light Rail

Today

We’re waiting for the new date for light rail to Market St!

Sound Transit committed to providing this date by August 1st.

June 25, 2026

Promposal

We want a date! Save Ballard Rail holds a promposal at the Sound Transit Board Meeting asking for a date.

May 25, 2026

ST3 Realignment: Ballard Link Extension is in cryogenic chamber.

Wins:
1. Sound Transit has allocated funding for planning the entire Ballard line.

2. Sound Transit will provide an ETA for building to Market St by August 1st.


Losses:
1. Sound Transit voted against the Ballard starter line proposal, thus prioritizing redundancy over Ballard ridership.

2. Ballard’s future is in limbo as there are no concrete commitments to building Ballard Rail by the 2030s.

You can read more about the realignment on Publicola!

April 19, 2026

Hundreds turn out for Save Ballard Rail March

April 4th, 2026

Save Ballard Rail is formed!

March 18, 2026

Sound Transit Board Retreat: Board discusses its fiscal challenges and proposes indefinitely delaying rail to Ballard.

The Sound Transit board discuss proposals to handle a $34.5 billion budget shortfall at their retreat.

October 3rd, 2023

Sound Transit separates the planning for West Seattle and Ballard via EIS

An Environmental Impact Statement is made for West Seattle independent of Ballard to prevent delays to West Seattle’s light rail stations.

2021

Light rail to Market St in Ballard is delayed to 2039

Sound Transit conducted a realignment of the ST3 plan due to budget shortfalls.

2018

Sound Transit starts the draft EIS for the Ballard-West Seattle line

2016

Voters approve Ballard Link Extension by ballot measure

The Sound Transit 3 Plan was approved by voters in 2016. The plan included a light rail line from West Seattle to Ballard. The expected completion date of the light rail line to Market Street was 2035.

1997-2005

The red monorail train passing over 5th Avenue
Photo taken by Klaus with K

Seattle Monorail: Seattle approves an elevated monorail system and later abandons it

The Seattle Monorail was originally supposed to build to Ballard. It faced opposition and budget concerns. The monorail kept appearing on the ballot for years even surviving a recall measure. However, after budget concerns and loss of political will, it was finally abandoned after a 5th ballot initiative.

1968 & 1970

Forward Thrust: Seattle narrowly votes against building an extensive subway system using federal grant money

The ‘Forward Thrust’ ballot initiatives proposed an extensive subway system using federal grant money. The initiative needed 60% of the vote and narrowly failed in 1968 and then again in 1970. The federal grant money was later awarded to Atlanta to build the MARTA transit system.

The subway system included a station in Ballard.

You can read more details here.

1919-1941

Seattle Municipal Street Railway

aka Street Cars

Seattle ran an extensive street car network across the city. It was later replaced by buses.


You can read more about the history of the streetcar network here (or if you’re using an SPL library card here).

1911-1912

The Bogue Plan: Seattle’s first rapid rail transit system was proposed but failed by ballot measure

Virgil Bogue submitted a proposal of a rapid rail network in Seattle including rail to the Ballard area. Its projected completion date was 1935.

The original proposal can be found here and a fun Seattle Times article is here. You can read it here with a Seattle Public Library card.


PS: You can read the Seattle Times online using your Seattle Public Library card.