Sound Transit is committed to delivering all the projects in ST3.
At the May 7 meeting of the Sound Transit Board’s Executive Committee, staff presented a proposed update to the ST3 System Plan. It incorporates feedback from a series of Board workshops, committee meetings, public town halls, and community engagements over recent months.
The full Board will consider a version of the proposed ST3 System Plan, and Sound Transit’s complete public engagement report, at its May 28 meeting.
In this proposal, no projects are canceled, and all light rail projects will continue to move forward.
To navigate financial constraints, the proposed System Plan classifies all ST3 capital projects into one of three categories:
Affordable within existing resources
The following projects and investments are affordable within the agency’s Long-Range Financial Plan and consistent with Financial Policies and subarea equity. Fully funded projects are listed in planned opening sequence, except for maintenance facilities, which will be phased as required to support system operations.
Fully funded projects |
|---|
Tacoma Dome Access Improvements |
West Seattle Link Extension, no Avalon Station |
Tacoma Dome Link Extension |
Everett Link Extension, phase 1 |
Everett Link Extension, phase 2 |
Ballard Link Extension, initial segment to Seattle Center |
TCC Tacoma Link Extension (now 2043) |
South Kirkland – Issaquah Link (now 2050) |
Link Operations and Maintenance Facility South |
Link Operations and Maintenance Facility North |
Sounder Maintenance Base |
Partially funded projects or projects funded through planning and design |
|---|
Ballard Link Extension, final design phase |
Boeing Access Road Station, final design phase |
Graham Street Station, final design phase |
Sounder South additional trips (partially funded) |
DuPont Sounder Extension, planning phase |
Regional Parking Fund |
High-capacity transit corridor studies/ST4 planning (partially funded) |
ST Express Bus Base (partially funded) |
Construction not currently affordable within existing resources
Construction of the following projects is not currently funded in the agency’s Long-Range Financial Plan, and the Board will evaluate options for restoring additional funding for these projects as cost and revenue uncertainties are resolved. Projects in this category will be given funding based on available agency capacity and subarea finances at the time resources become available. Light rail projects will be funded to final design.
Construction not currently affordable |
|---|
Ballard Link Extension, Seattle Center to Market Street |
Boeing Access Road Station |
Graham Street Station |
DuPont Sounder Extension, final design and construction |
High-capacity transit corridor studies/ST4 planning, remainder |
Sounder South additional trips, remainder |
Defer until resources identified
The following projects are not funded in the agency's Long-Range Financial Plan. If additional party funding becomes available for these projects, the Board will consider allocating agency resources to advance delivery.
Deferred projects |
|---|
Tacoma Dome Link Extension Parking |
Everett Link Extension Parking |
Stride Bus Rapid Transit Parking |
North Sammamish Park-and-Ride |
Bus on Shoulder project |
Edmonds and Mukilteo Parking and Access Improvements |
SR 162 Corridor Improvements |
Sounder South Platform Extensions |
Sounder South Station Access Improvements |
ST Express Bus Base, remainder |
The proposed System Plan update keeps projects moving. By building the projects that are ready and advancing planning for projects further down the pipeline, the agency can maximize progress within the resources available today.
Sound Transit is also committed to growing those resources, and to finding further cost savings, which both become more likely as design advances.