Ballard Link Community Forum was packed.

Even more people than the last one 6 months ago, completely filling the Nordic Museum’s Great Hall with a large contingent forced to stand. Impressive organizing efforts by Save Ballard Rail. A good turn out of local politicians, including city council members Strauss (obviously) and Rinck, as well as Mayor Wilson. ST CEO Constantine made it this time.

My take aways:

• The narrative ST is presenting is that they are continuing with the course as it was planned without the budget shortfall, with the hope that they figure the finances out before they have to start paying for items that are unfunded. The first such deadline is in 2030.
• They are committed to not making any major changes to the project, and effectively disregarded any of the bolder budget saving ideas that have been floated (automated light metro, elevated through downtown, delay the second tunnel, etc.). They claim to have considered them internally, but determined that the options are either “infeasible” or do not offer much in the way of savings, though details were limited.
• ST hopes to save costs with, design tinkering, construction efficiencies, and dropping stations. Basically what was done with WSLE. SLU station seems functionally done already: it’s cut from the current plan, and they don’t appear to have the appetite to try and revive it.
• They also will you new financing tools, in particular 75-year bonding authority from the state was discussed.
• They didn’t give a detailed break down, but the implication was that the above would still not be enough to close the gap. Ultimately it seems their big hope is that they will get bailed out by a more transit friendly federal government. All politics is national now, I guess.
• Crowd did not like CEO Constantine, strongly applauding shots taken at him by questioners.