This week, the Sound Transit Board gathered in Tacoma to discuss the Enterprise Initiative: a comprehensive agencywide effort to ensure that project delivery and operations are affordable going forward while delivering on the objectives of the ST3 plan. Our mission remains clear: delivering safe, reliable, and connected mass transit while addressing unanticipated financial hurdles.
The challenge: A $34.5 billion gap
Since the approval of ST3, the world has changed. Unprecedented inflation, rising construction and labor costs, and a pandemic combined with improved cost estimating created a significant gap in our long-term budget. Current estimates show a funding gap of approximately $34.5 billion over the next 20 years.
We are committed to using all the tools at our disposal to deliver the ST3 program to close this gap. To do that, we launched the Enterprise Initiative (EI) in May 2025 — a proactive effort to find cost savings and project efficiencies across the entire agency.
The latest: Navigating trade-offs
The Enterprise Initiative is a three-step process to align our finances and project plans:
Step 1: Understanding the measure of the challenge.
Step 2 (Where we are now): Developing possible approaches that represent trade-offs between priorities.
Step 3: Updating the ST3 system plan to reflect a balanced, affordable path forward.
At this week's retreat, staff presented the Board with three approaches to illustrate trade-offs. These approaches are not decisions; rather, they exist to help the Board understand the policy considerations of different strategies. By looking forward, we can create a system plan that navigates an upcoming financial crunch to maintain momentum on ST3 projects.
The Board’s work is guided by four core principles:
Advance regional connectivity.
Support future growth.
Prioritize the passenger experience.
Protect public investments with fiscal integrity.
Beyond construction costs, we are assessing every tool available to make our projects more affordable. You can find more information and related documents on our Achieving long-term affordability webpage.
Shaping the future together: Our engagement commitment
We are committed to transparency. We want you to understand the scale of the challenge and have a say in how we solve it.
Our equity commitment: Transit is a lifeline. We will specifically engage with communities most affected or historically underserved to ensure our path forward is equitable. We’re providing translated materials in priority languages and ensuring all digital and in-person experiences are ADA-accessible.
How you can get involved
Take the survey: In the coming weeks, we will launch a survey to gather your feedback on specific trade-offs.
Join a transit town hall: We are partnering with the Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) to host public forums across the region. Join one of our first meetings:
March 30 in Bellevue.
April 14 in Everett.
April 27 in Tacoma.
Additional opportunities for in-person and online engagement will be listed on our website once plans have been finalized.
Sign up for updates: Visit www.soundtransit.org/subscribe to stay informed and learn about upcoming events and forums.
The road ahead
We are moving forward with urgency. The Board has directed the agency to address this shortfall and submit an updated system plan by June 2026.
Now: We will refine the approaches based on this week’s Board feedback and prepare to launch public engagement.
Next: We will gather your feedback via surveys and town halls to inform the Board’s deliberations.
Later: This work will culminate in a new Regional Transit Long-Range Plan and a balanced Long-Range Financial Plan to guide our progress through 2046.
Stay tuned
We will provide more frequent updates as this work continues through spring. We are confident that by working together, we can navigate these challenges to keep our plans moving.
Sign up for project alerts to stay informed.
Feedback? Reach out to the team at EnterpriseInitiative@SoundTransit.org