Snohomish County voters seemed to be approving a $17.9 billion transit measure proposed by Sound Transit to bring light rail and additional bus service to Snohomish County, according to the early vote returns this evening.
The measure needs a simple majority to pass in the Sound Transit district, which spreads over Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. State officials have yet to release a combined result of the measure in the three counties.
Sound Transit’s Proposition 1 would result in a new half-cent sales tax hike per dollar spent, or 5 cents on a $10 purchase, according to the transit agency. The measure would expand bus, train and light rail projects in the three countries over the next 15 years. Light rail would come to Lynnwood by 2023, and Snohomish County would see a substantial increase in bus service over the next few years, Sound Transit officials said.
The transit-only proposal appeared on the ballot a year after voters decisively rejected a different package of road-and-transit projects. The 20-year, $17.8 billion package overwhelmed voters, critics said.
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