Cantwell Celebrates Grand Opening of Federal Way Link: “Fast, Traffic-Free, Affordable”

Cantwell Celebrates Grand Opening of Federal Way Link: "Fast, Traffic-Free, Affordable"

Federal Way Light Rail expansion connects South King County residents to new work, education & recreation opportunities

FEDERAL WAY, WA - Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, joined local leaders and elected officials to celebrate the grand opening of the Federal Way Link Light Rail expansion.

"The extension of this is a $2.5 billion investment, 40% coming from the Federal Transit Authority - over a billion dollars. This $1 billion did not come easy. During the first Trump Administration, the Department of Transportation was obstructing $790 [million] of capital investment for the project, and we had to make it clear to then-Secretary Elaine Chao that this was the top priority for the Washington delegation. And [we] got that grant through in 2020," Sen. Cantwell said. "The next year we had to push against opposition for the American Rescue Plan, which provided [over] $150 million for the project, and we got that done."

"We're here to celebrate that this fast, traffic-free, affordable transportation infrastructure is going to pay dividends for generations to come," Sen. Cantwell continued. "Providing affordable options for the airport workers who live in this region to get to work, and certainly another option for South Puget Sound residents to travel to the airport without having to drive. We want to enjoy our vibrant region, not to spend time in I-5 traffic."

With this extension, the 1 Line adds three new stations and extends to 41 miles in length. Trains will leave from the new stations every eight minutes during peak hours. The expanded line will allow Federal Way residents to reach downtown Seattle in 50 minutes, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in just 16 minutes.

The Federal Way Link project included construction of 7.8 new miles of rail and the three new stations -- Star Lake, Kent Des Moines, and Downtown Federal Way:

• Star Lake Station will house 1,200 stalls of new parking and is anticipated to act as a park and ride.
• Kent Des Moines Station is located across the street from Highline College, which serves 14,600 full and part-time students. This week, Highline College announced it would match funds up to $50 loaded onto Highline-issued ORCA cards for students. The new light rail stop will also benefit airport workers who participate in Airport University, a partnership between the Port of Seattle and Highline, South Seattle, and Green River colleges that offers classes for airport workers to help advance their careers. The station includes 500 new parking stalls and will act as a transfer station, serving multiple King County Metro bus routes. Kent Des Moines Station will also connect the light rail and Sounder train with a new King County Metro Route into downtown Kent. Sound Transit awarded a notice of intent to Mercy Housing in 2023 to build at least 175 units of affordable housing with the goal to deliver over 230 units offered to residents earning up to and between 30-80% of median income near the transit station.
• Federal Way Downtown Station includes 1,500 parking stalls and is expected to draw the most riders of the three new stations. Sound Transit is currently advancing four large sites to become affordable housing near the station. Federal Way is also working toward the redevelopment of multiple vacant parcels adjacent to the new parking garage that would add as many as 1,600 homes and hundreds of thousands of square feet of new office and retail space to downtown Federal Way.

By 2028, Sound Transit projects that the Federal Way Extension will carry 18,000 to 23,000 passengers per day.

In addition, the Federal Way Link can ease the cost burden congestion imposts on commuters. One study found both that Seattle is the 19^th-most congested area in the entire nation, and that congestion costs the average commuter $770 per year. Expanding transit options can ease congestion and costs for commuters.

The total cost of the Federal Way Link project was $2.5 billion. It was funded in part by a $790 million grant and a $61.4 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program, $158.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding supplemented by additional CIG relief, and a $629.5 million Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) subsidized loan. In 2021, Sound Transit worked with the U.S. Department of Transportation to refinance five TIFIA loans including the Federal Way Link project loan, which saved the agency more than $500 million.

As Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee chair from 2021 to 2024, Sen. Cantwell worked to increase funding for transit programs by 50% to $89.9 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $8 billion over 5 years for the CIG Program to fund transit expansion projects across the country. However, transit funding is at risk as Congress considers a surface transportation reauthorization next year, with the Trump Administration considering the complete elimination of transit funding.

A transcript of Sen. Cantwell's remarks at today's grand opening is HERE; photos are HERE.