Sound Transit board will choose a preferred route this fall for the Lynnwood Link

Joni Earl, CEO
Sound Transit

From the CEO Report by Joni Earl

Another major project we have going is the 8.5-mile extension of Link light rail from Northgate to Lynnwood. The Lynnwood Link trains will run in the I-5 corridor and by 2035 are expected to carry about 60,000 to 70,000 riders a day.

On Thursday, the Sound Transit Board held a special workshop here at Union Station to discuss the extension’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement that was released this summer. The DEIS evaluates the light rail route and station alternatives and describes the project's potential effects on the environment, nearby properties and transportation. The 60-day comment period for the document ends on Monday.

At Thursday’s workshop, Sound Transit staff went over the Draft EIS along with its findings and public comments. The Board is expected to choose a preferred route alternative this fall, which will then advance into preliminary engineering and the Final EIS.

Construction on the Lynnwood Link Extension is expected to begin around 2018 with train service starting in 2023.