Proposal: Alternative Lightrail Route that includes Ballard

Okay so I was chatting with a coworker at lunch today (yes, we’re nerds) and we came up with this very rough map of a Lightrail Loop (something a kin the Yamanote Line in Tokyo).

It would merge tracks with UW station in order to serve as a transfer hub for those that want to go east/West. Of course grade is an issue given Seattle’s terrain and the rail crossing at Northgate is a logistical nightmare. Ideally the stations being built in places like Ballard would be able to accommodate future lightrail coming from South of the Ballard cut.

Here are the stations:

1. University of Washington (pre-existing)

2. Fremont/Wallingford

3. Ballard

4. Crown Hill

5. Greenwood-North

6. Northgate (pre-existing)

7. Lake City

8. Magnuson Park

9. U-Village

I’m curious about what some of y’all would think about this?