Seattle receives $813M for rail extension

Acting FTA Administrator Sherry Little and Sound Transit officials were on hand to sign an $813 million full funding agreement for the University Link Extension in Seattle.

The line will provide access to 30,000 University of Washington students and 29,000 faculty and staff, ease congestion along Seattle’s most heavily-traveled north-south corridors and provide better access to the area’s largest urban centers — downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and the University of Washington District.

“Well planned, cost-effective transit is a vital part of Seattle’s transportation system,” said Peters. “This new extension will make a big difference to those living, going to school and working in the city.”

The 3.1-mile project will open by April 2017. By 2030, the line is expected to carry 40,200 daily riders. The total project cost is $1.9 billion.