$54 billion transit plan headed to voters

The latest Sound Transit plan, called Sound Transit 3, is headed to the voters this fall, with a $54 billion price tag. The latest Sound Transit plan, called Sound Transit 3, is headed to the voters this fall, with a $54 billion price tag. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close $54 billion transit plan headed to voters 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A sweeping $54 billion regional transit plan is one big step closer to final passage, despite no shortage of naysayers calling it too expensive and too soon.

“We have a plan,” announced Sound Transit board chair Dow Constantine after counting 18 yes votes in a roll-call vote Thursday afternoon.

With cheers and applause after the vote, the light rail-heavy Sound Transit 3 proposal heads down the tracks to voters in the fall.

The plan comes after a lengthy process that considered dozens of potential projects before releasing a draft of the plan in March that leaned heavily on light rail but also included rapid transit bus expansion, Sounder train expansion and additional park-and-rides.

Online, the draft racked up more than 35,000 comments, as well as more than 2,000 written comments, Constantine said before the vote.

Once more, Constantine and other board members praised the plan that aims to roughly double the amount of light rail available in the region.

“What strikes me about this is (Sound Transit 3) ensures we won’t be playing catch-up years from now,” said Fred Butler, board member and Issaquah mayor. “It ensures we’re planning for the future today.”

The plan got a few last-minute additions before Thursday’s vote, including new light rail stations in North Seattle and South Kirkland, and an amendment that is heavy with language defining just what the organization means by “transit-oriented development” along new routes.

Those changes are in addition to an earlier timeline for many of the projects, including light rail to West Seattle, Ballard, Redmond, Everett and more.

Opponents to the plan spoke up loudly before the vote, with more than 20 opponents dressed in red shirts with anti-ST3 sentiment taking their turn to tell the board why the plan should be opposed.

“It’s the wrong technology,” said Don Davidson, a former Bellevue City Council member, after the vote. “Bus rapid transit is the technology of the future.”

Davidson’s sentiments echoed what many opponents said of the plan, including criticism of the steep cost of $54 billion.

An expert review panel presented comments to the board as well, including a note that Sound Transit should provide a tool so homeowners can calculate the potential tax impacts of the proposal themselves, an issue many opponents raised.

Others argued that the pricey new plan was premature.

“It’s absurd of you to claim that $54 billion is a good step and a reasonable price for going beyond the still-incomplete but fully funded results of Sound Move and ST2,” said John Niles, a longtime transportation thinker who is also involved with the Coalition for Effective Transportation Alternatives.

Even with the big nod from the Sound Transit board, the plan has a long path to approval. It’s likely that groups on both sides of the issue will spare no expense in lobbying support for their position before the November ballot.

Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, business and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.