Sound Transit applies for $1 billion grant for Lynnwood light-rail extension

[Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:45 p.m. CST.]

Sound Transit's board late last week approved its application for a $1.17 billion federal grant to help fund the Lynnwood Link light-rail extension.

The $3.07 billion project calls for extending light rail 8.5 miles from Seattle's Northgate neighborhood to a transit center in Lynnwood, Washington.

The submission of the full funding grant agreement application (FFGA) came after Sound Transit completed the steps required under the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program, which is also known as "New Starts."

Once those requirements are completed, the grantee is eligible to apply for and execute an FFGA with the FTA.

After the FTA has reviewed the project and negotiated and prepared the FFGA with Sound Transit, the application must be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Transportation and other members of the President Trump's administration.

Meanwhile, Sound Transit's board approved the Tacoma Dome Link extension and established a $125.7 million budget for the project's preliminary engineering work.

The Tacoma Dome project involves extending light rail 9.7 miles to the cities of Federal Way, Milton, Fife, Tacoma and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Reservation. The extension would connect Pierce and South King counties to Sound Transit's regional network.

The Tacoma Dome project includes construction of a new light-rail operations and maintenance facility to accommodate additional fleet capacity. The specific location of the facility will be determined during project development.

Sound Transit's board has executed a $10.3 million contract with HDR Engineering to begin project development services.