Letter: Everett deserves the light rail we’ve been paying for

Published 1:30 am Monday, April 20, 2026

Everett’s light rail is at risk – and so is every tax dollar this community has already paid toward it.

For over a decade, Everett residents have contributed to ST3, expecting the spine and the full set of originally planned Everett stations to deliver on the regional vision Everett has invested in and deserves. Everett’s segment is among the most cost-efficient in the entire ST3 package, yet it risks being the one that pays the price for problems it didn’t create. That matters.

Mayor Cassie Franklin and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, serving as board members and board chair, are already advocating for our region. But they need our voices behind them. Contact the Sound Transit Board directly and make clear that Everett expects to be fully represented — and fully delivered.

If Everett is delayed or scaled back, the dollars we’ve already contributed won’t come back; they will simply be spent elsewhere, and we will wait longer and likely pay more.

Now is the time to stay engaged. The Sound Transit Board meets every fourth Thursday from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., in person and virtually. Written comments can be submitted at any time to meetingcomments@soundtransit.org. Show up, speak up, and help ensure the spine and its promised Everett stations are completed as paid for and promised.

Kevin L. Ballard

Everett