Sound Transit approves faster timeline for next phases of light rail Draft plan to go for final board approval June 23, to voters in the fall

Sound Transit's next 25-year regional mass transit plan moved ahead Thursday with board approval of updated timelines for several rail lines. Sound Transit's next 25-year regional mass transit plan moved ahead Thursday with board approval of updated timelines for several rail lines. Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Sound Transit approves faster timeline for next phases of light rail 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Sound Transit board on Thursday gave its unanimous nod to getting expanded regional light rail online several years sooner under a draft plan.

The draft Sound Transit 3 25-year regional transit plan, initially released in March, includes significant expansion of the Link light rail system, adding Everett, DuPont, Issaquah, West Seattle and Ballard and bears a price tag estimated at $50 billion.

But stakeholder reaction to long timelines for many of the plans pushed the board to move up the schedule for several lines.

Those lines (detailed below) are moved up anywhere from two to five years in the updated draft, along with other changes that included elevating the Ballard line along 15th Avenue.

Thursday’s vote only approved the changes to the draft plan, however. The work now falls to Sound Transit staff to craft the final plan document, due before the board for approval at its June 23 meeting.

Voters will get their chance to give the ST3 plan a thumbs up or down in a fall vote.

Still, Thursday’s vote was a major milestone for many members of the board.

“When we started this process, I’m not sure I believed we could get to where we are today,” said Fred Butler, board member and mayor of Issaquah. “I believe that with the amendments we have started, we have a realistic and reasonable package.”

Though it leans heavily on light rail, the draft $50 billion plan also includes added commuter rail, bus rapid transit, parking, stations and more. Overall, the plan would more than double the light rail system in the region, ending with 116 miles of track over four lines.

Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine said he would spare a major speech for the June 23 vote, but, like Butler and others, he marked the day as “momentous.”

“You are setting down the template for the growth and development of this region for the next several generations,” he said.

Members of the public and other organizations generally spoke in favor of the updated timeline, though each offered one or another addition, change or critique of the plan. That included comments from Renton City Council member Ruth Pérez, who asked for consideration of a provisional line to her city, should funding allow it, “so Renton will not be 25 years behind every city in King County.”

Redmond mayor and Sound Transit board member John Marchione called for caution in trying to do too much with the conservative plan, and noted that a year after the board passed ST2, the Great Recession took hold and led to significant cutbacks.

Here are the updated timelines, directly from Sound Transit:

Everett via the Southwest Everett Industrial Center would open 5 years sooner, in 2036

Downtown Redmond would open 4 years sooner, in 2024, only one year following the completion of the voter-approved East Link light rail extension

Federal Way would open 4 years sooner, in 2024

Tacoma would open 3 years sooner, in 2030

West Seattle would open 3 years sooner, in 2030

Seattle's Ballard extension would open 3 years sooner, in 2035, and will be elevated along 15th Avenue

The Tacoma Link extension to Tacoma Community College would open 2 years sooner in 2039

New light rail stations at Seattle's Graham Street and Tukwila's Boeing Access Road would open 5 years sooner, in 2031

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.