Op-Ed: Land Value Capture Could Fund Ballard Light Rail

An opinion piece proposes using tax-increment financing (TIF) to help fund Sound Transit’s delayed Ballard light rail extension, which faces a $7–9 billion funding gap. The author argues that capturing increases in property values around future stations could generate billions for the project over 30 years, citing King County Assessor data showing land values rising faster near existing light rail stations. While regional in scope, this analysis focuses on Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and does not directly address Burien impacts or policy.