The Everett Link Extension: Setting the Stage for Greater Connectivity Across Seattle
Enhanced Connectivity
Providing services that will significantly improve travel times for commuters and residents, facilitate connectivity from Everett to downtown Seattle, and improve overall transit accessibility across the region
Stakeholder Engagement
Collaborating frequently with multiple stakeholders—including the Cities of Lynnwood and Everett, Snohomish County, WSDOT, Snohomish County Public Utilities District, and the FTA— to implement design feedback and resolve challenges quickly
Complex Scheduling
Managing multiple schedules over the course of the project to ensure that the Everett Link Extension and Operations and Maintenance Facility North will be completed in compliance with federal funding timelines
Kimley-Horn is providing services for Sound Transit’s Everett Link Extension (EVLE), a 16-mile, seven-station light rail extension that will connect the city of Everett to the Seattle region’s growing light rail network. Our team is leading the planning and environmental project phases as well as public outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts. Our project services have included:
- Station area planning
- Interagency coordination
- NEPA documentation
- Preparing capital investment grants
- Architectural, engineering, and design support for rail and passenger facilities
A critical project element is the siting and programming of Sound Transit’s Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) North, which will support Sound Transit’s northern system expansion by providing storage and maintenance for more than 150 light rail vehicles.
Engaging Community and Regional Stakeholders
Since 2020, our team has held weekly and monthly meetings with various agencies across three jurisdictions—including the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Puget Sound Regional Council, the Cities of Everett and Lynnwood, and Snohomish County—to gather critical input on the EVLE extension. We also conducted eight meetings with elected officials from local jurisdictions, seven meetings with community representatives, and numerous one-on-one briefings with community members, local governments, and agencies.
During the early State Environmental Policy Act scoping period in 2021, we received more than 7,000 comments through online and in-person open houses. In 2023, our team hosted an online open house that received over 13,300 visits, two virtual public open houses that were attended by a total of 127 people, and an in-person open house with approximately 1,600 attendees. Through public feedback, the team identified key priorities for the community and refined the project’s design to reduce environmental impacts and improve passenger experience.
Connecting the Greater Seattle Area
The EVLE project is currently in the environmental review phase of planning, and Kimley-Horn is leading efforts to evaluate the alternatives identified for study by the Sound Transit Board of Directors in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A total of 17 alignment alternatives and 18 station location alternatives are under consideration, along with three OMF sites.
With the environmental review process, our team continues to partner closely with elected officials, community representatives, and local governments and agencies to consider project benefits as well as potential environmental impacts and the subsequently needed mitigation measures. Projected to open between 2037 and 2041, the EVLE project will greatly improve the ease and access of traveling for commuters and residents in Everett and Seattle, furthering transit connectivity across the region for years to come.
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