advertisement

---

Today, Sound Transit will kick off a series of six open houses to enable the public to view plans for the North Link light-rail project. The line will be the first expansion of the Central Link initial segment that’s currently under construction.

In May, the Sound Transit board recommended a preferred North Link route running from downtown Seattle to First Hill, Capitol Hill, the University District, Roosevelt and Northgate. The agency will host open houses in each area throughout October and again in early 2005 to obtain public feedback on station design.

Sound Transit also is completing North Link’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and conducting preliminary engineering on the route. The report is expected to be complete in spring; an approved route and cost estimates are expected to be complete in mid-2005.

By 2030, the entire Central Link line is expected to serve more than 150,000 passengers daily.

Meanwhile, because of an expected population increase of 1.2 million people in the Puget Sound region during the next 20 years, the Sound Transit board has asked agency officials to develop a region-wide plan to meet future transportation demands. The agency currently is updating its long-range system plan and expects to release a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement next month.