Studies to determine the feasibility of bringing light rail to West Seattle and Ballard will be included in the "Roads and Transit" plan that will be put to voters in the autumn.

The Sound Transit board of directors accepted the study proposals and made them part of a whole package of transportation projects the agency will ask voters to approve next fall. It's called the Roads and Transit.

One possible light rail extension to be studied would run from downtown Seattle to West Seattle, Burien and Renton.

Another light-rail line could be built to connect Ballard to the University District as well as downtown Seattle.

Other extensions to be studied include Bellevue to Issaquah; University of Washington to Redmond via Highway 520, and north to Everett.

Sound Transit is now building about 19 miles of light rail line connecting downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport.

If approved by voters next fall, the Roads and Transit proposal would add another 50 miles of new track to the Link light rail system. None of those extensions would come to West Seattle or Ballard in this second phase of system development. There would only be money for feasibility studies for the west side of Seattle.

The proposal would include a new streetcar line connecting downtown Seattle to the International District, First Hill and Capitol Hill.

There also would be money to invest in parking and other enhancements on Sound Transit regional express bus routes and at Sounder commuter rail stations.

The list of projects to be included in the next stage of transit investments was approved unanimously by the Sound Transit board of directors April 26.

The feasibility studies and expansion projects would be paid for by a regional sales tax increase of 5 cents on a $10 purchase.