Sound Transit officials give update on light-rail lines

SEATTLE — As traffic congestion thickens, leaders at Sound Transit want commuters to know that they’re already at work trying to make a huge regional transit plan a reality.

To pull it off, though, they said they’ll need cooperation from other local governments and more efficiency within their own agency. They called a Thursday press conference to talk about how they’re approaching the $54 billion Sound Transit 3 package voters passed in November.

“We need to get going now because the congestion is overwhelming,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, who serves as Sound Transit’s board chairman.

Things are bound to get worse, whether you’re driving a car, riding a bus or hauling freight in a big rig. In 2016, the central Puget Sound region added roughly 1,000 new people every week, Somers said. Snohomish County is projected to grow by 200,000 over 20 years.

As the region’s population swells, it has seen a faster rate of transit ridership than any other large U.S. metro area, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council report released Thursday. Only New York City added more total transit riders.

Sound Transit 3, or ST3 for short, would add another 62 miles of Link light-rail lines, more than doubling the existing network. Within a quarter century, it’s slated to reach Everett, Ballard, West Seattle, Tacoma and various Eastside destinations.

The agency released projected timelines for major segments, which involve years of permitting and environmental studies before turning a shovel of dirt.

Initial work on a light-rail extension from Lynnwood to Everett is due in 2020, with construction in 2029 and service in 2036.

Initial planning for bus rapid transit on I-405 and Highway 522 is due to start this year in preparation for service in 2024. Parking and other improvements at Sounder rail stations in Mukilteo and Edmonds are on a similar timeline.

The agency expects to break ground next year on light rail from Northgate to Lynnwood, with service in 2023.

Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff unveiled no contingency plans Thursday to cope with potential state or federal funding challenges.

A budget outline President Donald Trump released in March would eliminate more than $1.1 billion in federal grants Sound Transit had all but secured for light rail to Lynnwood.

It’s unclear whether Congress has any appetite to yank away federal dollars from agencies in Puget Sound or other parts of the country.

Rogoff noted that ST3 is a 25-year plan that should outlast any four-year presidential term.

In Olympia, Democratic and Republican lawmakers are pushing competing proposals to ease surging car-tab fees to help pay for ST3. Both approaches require Sound Transit to ditch an outdated vehicle depreciation schedule for determining motor vehicle excise tax.

A GOP plan would result in Sound Transit losing several billion dollars in revenue over 25 years. Democrats want the agency to use a newer depreciation schedule and credit consumers with any savings. Officials have said that course of action would reduce funding by $780 million through 2029.

Reporter Jerry Cornfield contributed to this report.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.

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