Tacoma Dome Link Extension project updates
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Overview
The Tacoma Dome Link Extension will add nearly 10 miles to our regional light rail system via mostly elevated tracks between Federal Way and Tacoma. This project includes four new light rail stations in the South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma/Portland Avenue and Tacoma Dome areas.
These stations will also provide connections to other regional transit services like Sounder, Tacoma Link, ST Express, King County Metro, Pierce Transit, Intercity Transit and Amtrak.
Stations will feature pickup and drop-off zones and provide convenient access for pedestrians, cyclists, and riders arriving on paratransit and other modes. The future South Federal Way and Fife stations will each offer approximately 500 parking spaces.
Benefits of the TDLE
When Tacoma Dome Link starts, it will offer fast and frequent travel to destinations across the region, including:
- South Federal Way to Tacoma Dome Station in 20 minutes
- Fife to Tacoma Dome Station in 6 minutes
- Tacoma Dome Station to Sea-Tac Airport in 35 minutes
Current project status
The Tacoma Dome Link Extension (TDLE) project is currently in the environmental review phase of planning. As part of this phase, Sound Transit develops conceptual design and prepares an Environmental Impact Statement that evaluates the potential impacts of the project. Through this work, we found the need to consider more station options in Fife and an additional route and associated station options in the South Federal Way/Milton area. There are no other alternatives being proposed in Tacoma.
The Sound Transit Board will review these potential additions before acting on March 23 to identify if they should be studied in the EIS.
It would take additional time to bring the potential station options and additional route alternative up to the same level of evaluation as the existing alternatives. If the Board identifies additional alternatives for study, Sound Transit anticipates publishing the Draft EIS in 2024. A Draft EIS analyzes and documents a project's potential impacts to the natural and built environment, and it proposes ways to mitigate unavoidable impacts. When the Draft EIS is published, there will be an opportunity to make formal public comments on the project that will be sent to the Sound Transit Board for consideration. This delay would also impact the start of service for the Tacoma Dome Link, which we now anticipate opening in 2035.
When we publish the Draft EIS, we’ll invite the public to review and make formal comments. We’ll share the news through our digital channels, and we’ll also mail postcards to residents, businesses and property owners before the public comment period.
Questions or comments before then? We're always here to help. You can contact the project team at tdlink@soundtransit.org.
We encourage you to sign up for project email updates for all the latest news as the TDLE develops.
What can I expect as a project neighbor?
- If you're a resident, business or property owner near a potential TDLE route or station, signing up for email updates is the first step to ensuring you're always up to speed on the project. If you have any questions or you'd like to set up a meeting to learn more, contact the project team at tdlink@soundtransit.org.
- The Draft EIS will identify potentially affected properties. You'll have opportunities to comment on those findings after we publish the Draft EIS. The Sound Transit Board carefully considers the feedback we receive through this formal comment process.
- After considering the Draft EIS and comments received, the Board will modify or confirm the "preferred alternative". A preferred alternative is a statement of where the agency is leaning based on information available at the time. It's not a final decision.
- The Board will make a final decision on routes and stations and the project to be built after we issue the Final EIS.
