{"id":390,"date":"2026-07-26T07:52:41","date_gmt":"2026-07-26T07:52:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saveballardrail.org\/?page_id=390"},"modified":"2026-08-16T04:18:51","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T04:18:51","slug":"history-of-ballard-light-rail","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/saveballardrail.org\/history-of-ballard-light-rail","title":{"rendered":"History of Ballard Light Rail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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July 31, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Sound Transit provides new date range for Ballard Rail completion: 2042 – 2060s<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sound Transit has said that Ballard Rail will be complete by the 2060s if no additional funding is secured. In the best case scenario, they said it will be complete by 2042 provided they secure funding by 2033.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Read their announcement here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read our response here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

June 25, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Promposal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We want a date! Save Ballard Rail holds a promposal at the Sound Transit Board Meeting asking for a date.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

May 25, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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ST3 Realignment: Ballard Link Extension is in cryogenic chamber. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Wins:
1. Sound Transit has allocated funding for planning the entire Ballard line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Sound Transit will provide an ETA for building to Market St by August 1st.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Losses:
1. Sound Transit voted against the Ballard starter line proposal, thus prioritizing redundancy over Ballard ridership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Ballard’s future is in limbo as there are no concrete commitments to building Ballard Rail by the 2030s.
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You can read more about the realignment on Publicola<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

April 19, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Hundreds turn out for Save Ballard Rail March<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

April 4th, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Save Ballard Rail is formed!<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

March 18, 2026<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Sound Transit Board Retreat: Board discusses its fiscal challenges and proposes indefinitely delaying rail to Ballard.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sound Transit board discuss proposals to handle a $34.5 billion budget shortfall at their retreat<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

October 3rd, 2023<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Sound Transit separates the planning for West Seattle and Ballard via EIS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

An Environmental Impact Statement is made for West Seattle independent of Ballard to prevent delays to West Seattle’s light rail stations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2021 <\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Light rail to Market St in Ballard is delayed to 2039<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sound Transit conducted a realignment<\/a> of the ST3 plan due to budget shortfalls. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2018<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Sound Transit starts the draft EIS for the Ballard-West Seattle line<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2016<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Voters approve Ballard Link Extension by ballot measure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1997-2005<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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\"The
Photo taken by Klaus with K<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seattle Monorail: Seattle approves an elevated monorail system and later abandons it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1968 & 1970<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Forward Thrust: Seattle narrowly votes against building an extensive subway system using federal grant money<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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.
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The subway system included a station in Ballard.
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You can read more details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1919-1941<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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Seattle Municipal Street Railway

aka Street Cars<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seattle ran an extensive street car network across the city. It was later replaced by buses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


You can read more about the history of the streetcar network here<\/a> (or if you’re using an SPL library card here<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1911-1912<\/p><\/div><\/div>

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The Bogue Plan: Seattle’s first rapid rail transit system was proposed but failed by ballot measure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> and a fun Seattle Times article is here<\/a>. You can read it here<\/a> with a Seattle Public Library card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


PS: You can read the Seattle Times online using your Seattle Public Library card. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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