The Sound Transit Expansion Committee held its meeting on Thursday, April 10, 2025, where a key agenda item, Resolution No. R2025-10, concerning significant budget amendments for the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension projects, was discussed at length but ultimately forwarded to the full board without a recommendation. The next board meeting is set for April 24, five days prior to the current date for the Federal Transportation Administration to issue its Record of Decision.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) needs to issue a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Sound Transit West Seattle Link Extension because it's a crucial step in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The ROD signifies that the federal environmental review is complete and allows the project to move forward into final design and construction.

Here’s why the FTA’s approval matters:

• Environmental Compliance: The ROD confirms that the project has met all federal environmental requirements, including mitigation plans for potential impacts.

• Funding Eligibility: Federal funding for transit projects often depends on completing the NEPA process, and the ROD is a key milestone for securing financial support.

• Property Acquisition & Construction: Sound Transit cannot begin acquiring property or start construction until the ROD is issued.

• Project Definition: The ROD finalizes the selected route and station locations, ensuring alignment with federal regulations and community feedback

The resolution sought to amend the Adopted 2025 Budget to advance the West Seattle Link Extension project into the Final Design phase by:

• Increasing the authorized project allocation by $61,400,000, from $270,340,863 to $331,740,863.

• Increasing the adopted 2025 annual project budget by $44,350,000, from $94,926,236 to $139,276,236.

Additionally, the resolution aimed to advance the Ballard Link Extension project through the completion of the Preliminary Engineering phase by:

• Increasing the authorized project allocation by $7,400,000, from $806,619,999 to $814,019,999.

• Increasing the adopted 2025 annual project budget by $3,700,000, from $96,298,561 to $99,998,561.

Overall the additional funds would amount to more than $105 million.

The cost of the West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions has significantly increased. Sound Transit initially estimated the cost at $7.9 billion in 2019, but recent projections indicate that the total cost has surpassed a range from between $9 billion to $12 billion. The increase is attributed to rising costs for land acquisition, labor, and construction materials.

For the West Seattle Link Extension, the cost has jumped from $4 billion to between $5.1 and $5.6 billion, marking a 28% to 40% increase. The Ballard Link Extension, which includes nearly 8 miles of light rail and nine new stations, is also experiencing budget challenges

During the meeting, Committee Chair Claudia Balducci and other board members voiced significant concerns and confusion regarding the substantial budget increases requested for the West Seattle Link Extension, particularly at a stage where the final costs and affordability of the project are still being determined. Chair Balducci specifically questioned the overlap between the different budget figures presented and emphasized the need to avoid repeating past issues with project costs escalating without a clear understanding of the overall financial implications.

Board Member Nancy Backus also expressed difficulty in understanding the budget amendment and its implications for future decisions, noting that the amounts seemed considerable for a project still undergoing cost assessment. She raised concerns about the expense of contracts associated with these projects and the need for deeper oversight.

Despite presentations from staff attempting to clarify the breakdown of the requested funds for program management support services (PMSSS) and engineering design services (EDS) for both projects, the committee members continued to express a lack of complete understanding.

Acknowledging the complexity of the financial mechanisms and the need for greater transparency, outgoing CEO Goran Sparrman committed to working with staff to provide a clearer and more straightforward explanation of the budget adjustments and the services they would fund before the full board meeting on the 24th.

Ultimately, due to the unresolved questions and concerns, Chair Balducci moved to forward Resolution No. R2025-10 to the full board without a recommendation from the System Expansion Committee. This motion was seconded by Board Member Angela Birney and passed.

This outcome indicates that the full Sound Transit Board will need to engage in further discussion and receive additional information before making a decision on these significant budget amendments for the crucial West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension projects. The lack of a recommendation from the System Expansion Committee underscores the complexities and financial scrutiny surrounding these major transit expansions.