A Transit and Land Use Planning Shift in Federal Way, Washington

A pair of articles updates the status of concurrent transit and land use planning efforts around the planned Link extension to the city of Federal Way, located between Seattle and Tacoma.

First, Stephen Fesler details the initial stages of a subarea planning process for the "City South" area in Federal Way. The plan is already being touted as a way to "[expand] the status quo land use or moving toward development of a mixed-use, transit-oriented district," but four distinct alternatives are currently under consideration, according to the article. Federal Way recently wrapped up an initial online open house to solicit feedback on the subarea plan.

In the second article, Doug Trumm reports that the U.S. Department of Transportation had agreed to fund the Federal Way Link extension to the tune of a $790 million grant and a $629 million loan.

"With $1.4 billion in federal backing, the 7.8-mile extension should be able to advance as planned to a 2024 opening. Major construction will start next year," reports Trumm.

Trumm sets the funding announcement in context of the Trump administration's reluctance to fund Congress-approved allocations for transit. With the Federal Way funding on the way and the Lynwood Link receiving tardy funding that slightly delayed its opening, Seattle region transit projects seems to have escaped its worst fears for transit projects under the Trump administration's control of the U.S. Department of Transportation.