The Download, Volume 1 – Reflecting Back and Looking Ahead
2025 was a big year for Sound Transit and for advancing the agency’s vision: Enthusiastically transforming the map of Central Puget Sound and connecting people to opportunity through safe, secure, clean, frequent, reliable transit.
We are indeed connecting more people to more opportunities than ever before. A big thank you to our dedicated staff and board members, past and present – and to the voters of the Sound Transit district, who have repeatedly embraced the need to think big and act boldly.
I was fortunate to take the helm as CEO in April. After four terms as King County Executive, and nearly two decades on the Sound Transit Board, I’ve invested much of my adult life into making the vision of a three-county, high-capacity transit network a reality.
Moving from Executive to CEO has brought the opportunity to dive deeper into the details of that work, and to collaborate with an engaged board to help chart the path toward further success.
Transition and Progress in 2025
I became CEO just as we were preparing to open the 2 Line extension to Downtown Redmond. Many thanks to interim CEO Goran Sparrman for shepherding that project, and to our Eastside city partners for their embrace of a better, cleaner, smarter, more connected future.
In August, we broke ground on the base for STRIDE, our all-electric, 46-mile bus rapid transit network that will connect 11 cities along I-405, Hwy 522 and more.
Then, on December 6, we opened Federal Way Link, adding three new stations and eight more miles of rail. The tenacity of Project Director Linneth Riley-Hall and her team brought the expansion online hundreds of millions of dollars under budget and set the stage for expansion south to Tacoma.
Meanwhile, our rigorous new maintenance and upgrade program is already paying dividends, with fewer and briefer service interruptions. Our increased emphasis on clean, secure operations will continue to improve the rider experience.
More Big Moments in 2026
Earlier this month we completed main testing on the I-90 floating bridge and are now training operators in preparation for passenger service. When we open in the spring, it will be another major step forward for the agency and region.
The Pinehurst infill station in North Seattle is on track for a spring opening as well, and work will soon begin on our newest light rail base in Federal Way.
In June and July, we will welcome the world to our region for the World Cup.
We will also do important work to bring our long-term program into balance next year. We will create a new system plan, a new long-range plan, and a new financial plan. This work will set us on a more sustainable financial trajectory to deliver what voters mandated and what our region deserves
Shaping Our Region for the Better
We’ve accomplished so much in such a relatively short time. We went from no regional light rail in 2009, to 55 miles as of the December opening in Federal Way, to what will be 63 miles when we connect Downtown Seattle to Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond in the coming months.
The fact is, transit is the best way for us to keep moving throughout a growing Central Puget Sound. But more than that, transit helps us determine how we will grow as we welcome more than a million new residents. By continuing to grow our transit system, we are knitting communities together, creating many more viable places for new homes and businesses, and expanding opportunities for individuals and families to succeed.
My own family arrived here 120 years ago – on the train. My grandparents’ generation traveled back and forth on the old Interurban from their home in Everett to opportunities for education at the University of Washington and depression-era jobs in Downtown Seattle. We owe it to the next generations to build the infrastructure they will need.
Dedication to Persevere
Despite the inevitable challenges in doing something at this scale, Sound Transit is on track for success. It will not be easy — it never is. But together, we will get it done.
Thanks to the operators and maintenance crews, the security officers and fare ambassadors, the planners and engineers, and all our other staff and partners. Thanks as well to our board members, with special appreciation to those outgoing, whose service has brought us this far.
And of course, a special thanks to all our riders who use and rely on our service. It is an honor to serve as your CEO. I look forward to a great 2026.