FTA allows Sound Transit to advance Federal Way light-rail extension

(Source: Progressive Railroading 04/11/2019)

Sound Transit yesterday received approval from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to advance its light-rail extension project to the engineering phase — a step toward securing a critically important federal grant. 

With FTA’s approval of Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension project into the engineering phase, FTA locked in the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) funding at $790 million, the amount requested by the transit agency, according to a Sound Transit press release

The project earned an FTA rating of “medium-high” in the annual federal review of transit projects seeking grants. Sound Transit now will work with the FTA to demonstrate the transit agency’s readiness and capacity to achieve the project’s scheduled 2024 completion.

The Federal Way Link Extension would extend the light-rail line nearly 8 miles from Angel Lake Station in SeaTac, Washington, to the Federal Way Transit Center bus station in Federal Way. The project includes building three stations and adding 3,200 parking spaces along the route. 

Demolition and utility relocation work is scheduled to begin this fall, with major construction activities beginning in 2020.