Sound Transit gives priority to service between officially designated "urban centers" as shown on the map at http://psrc.org/projects/vision/currentplans.htm. The official designation is made by the regional planning agency, Puget Sound Regional Council.

In City of Seattle north of the Ship Canal, only the University District and Northgate are designated as "urban centers," and Sound Transit light rail is funded to go to these places.

Transit service to Ballard is primarily the responsibility of Metro Transit, which now has the same sales tax funding as Sound Transit, nine-tenths of 1 percent. Metro is planning better, more frequent bus transit between Ballard and downtown Seattle, called RapidRide, to begin in 2012.

John Niles

Seattle