West Seattle’s long-promised light rail line just got a serious shove toward reality, with Sound Transit’s Executive Committee voting Thursday to recommend more than $400 million in new contracts and budget authority to push the West Seattle Link Extension into final design.
The move would carry the project beyond its current roughly 30 percent design level and into the nuts-and-bolts phase of permitting and right-of-way work. It is not a done deal yet - the full Sound Transit board still has to approve the package later this month - but for West Seattle residents, it is the most concrete progress they have seen in months.
Executive committee action
This afternoon, the Executive Committee signed off on a bundle of motions that together would commit a little more than $400 million to advance the project, according to the West Seattle Blog. The money is primarily aimed at pushing design work well past the 30 percent mark and shoring up agency staffing so progress does not stall between phases.
Committee members heard staff outline how the new consultant and design contracts are intended to produce construction-ready bid packages and more precise cost estimates. In short, the agency is trying to get its homework done before the truly expensive part - building the thing - begins.
Primary contracts named
Sound Transit documents for the meeting show that the package includes a Phase 2 civil engineering contract modification with Jacobs Engineering. The Phase 2 award is $238,740,159 plus a 20 percent contingency, for a Phase 2 not-to-exceed amount of about $286,488,191, according to Sound Transit.
The motions are tied to a budget resolution that would increase the West Seattle Link Extension’s authorized project allocation by roughly $406,872,063, per Sound Transit. Staff emphasized that even as they lock in this design work, hunting for cost savings remains a top priority.
Staffing and consultant support
The meeting slide deck also highlights a Phase 2 program-management support services (PMSS) contract extension with Connect Seattle Partners for about $44.35 million plus a 10 percent contingency - a not-to-exceed figure of roughly $48.79 million - along with other consultant, contingency and third-party reserves that together make up the approximately $406 million package described in the presentation.
Those same slides describe consultants as working “as extensions of Sound Transit staff,” with the caveat that direct hires would replace consultants if the agency can build more in-house capacity. The presentation also shows the current construction cost estimate sitting in the $4.9 billion to $5.3 billion range, a reminder of why the board is pressing hard for tighter cost controls before shovels hit the ground.
Price tag and timeline
Planning documents and outside analysis continue to point to 2032 as the target in-service date for the West Seattle Link, though analysts warn the schedule is fragile given the agency’s funding gap, according to The Urbanist. That collision of hefty price tags and limited resources drove the board’s decision to adopt a revised ST3 plan last month and is now fueling the sprint to convert design work into construction-ready packages.
For riders, that translates into more public meetings, environmental and permitting notices, and a steady stream of outreach as the project slowly shifts from concept to construction.
Next steps
The committee’s motions now head to the full Sound Transit board for a scheduled June 25 vote. If the board signs off, the contracts would clear the way for final design and early enabling work to move ahead, as reported by the West Seattle Blog.
Sound Transit staff caution that delaying the awards could create gaps that slow critical-path work. The upcoming board vote will be the clearest signal yet of whether the latest round of cost controls and outside funding efforts is enough to keep West Seattle’s rail line on something resembling a near-term construction track.
Community context
West Seattle neighborhoods have been gearing up for this phase for a while. Community forums and local leaders have pressed Sound Transit to get final design underway, according to coverage of the light rail showdown. Advocates argue that advancing design is essential to nail down mitigation measures and limit disruption when the heavy construction finally starts.
For now, the Executive Committee’s vote gives the project a shot of momentum. Whether that translates into a smooth glide toward a 2032 opening will depend on the full board’s decision - and on how much additional money and savings Sound Transit can scrape together along the way.
