Seattle Light Rail's $7 Billion West Seattle Extension Sparks Debate Over Transit Investment Priorities

Seattle, WA – A recent tweet by Grant Slatton has ignited a public discussion regarding Sound Transit's substantial investment in light rail expansion, particularly the West Seattle Link Extension, which is projected to cost up to $7 billion. Slatton's post, made on social media, contrasted this figure with the potential for funding extensive bus services.

"seattle is gonna spend $7B to get light rail to my neighborhood in a decade or two," Slatton stated in his tweet. "for the same price we could fund 1 minute frequency buses with dedicated bus lanes for 100 years starting tomorrow."

The West Seattle Link Extension, a key component of Sound Transit's voter-approved ST3 plan, is estimated to cost between $6.7 billion and $7.1 billion. This 4.1-mile extension will connect SODO, Delridge, and West Seattle with four new stations, aiming to significantly reduce peak-hour travel times to downtown Seattle. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027, with an expected completion in the early 2030s.

Sound Transit's overall expansion efforts, part of the ST3 package approved in 2016, have seen significant cost increases. The agency recently reported that its long-term capital program costs could rise by an additional $22 billion to $30 billion, attributed to factors such as construction inflation, supply chain disruptions, and escalating right-of-way acquisition expenses. The West Seattle Link Extension's price tag nearly doubled from earlier estimates, becoming a focal point of these budgetary concerns.

In contrast, Seattle has invested in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects, offering a more cost-effective alternative for enhancing public transportation. The recently launched RapidRide G Line, serving Madison Street, cost approximately $144 million. This project features 2.8 miles of dedicated bus lanes, all-door boarding, and frequent service, with buses arriving every six minutes during peak hours. BRT systems are generally lauded for their flexibility, lower implementation costs, and ability to improve service frequency and reliability without the extensive infrastructure demands of light rail.

The comparison highlighted by Slatton's tweet underscores a long-standing debate in urban planning: the balance between high-capacity, fixed-guideway systems like light rail and more adaptable, lower-cost bus-based solutions. While light rail offers significant long-term capacity and congestion relief, BRT can provide rapid improvements and broader network coverage for a fraction of the cost, potentially addressing immediate transit needs more quickly.