Sound Transit Board Adopts 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan, reinforcing agency’s environmental commitment

The Sound Transit Board today formally adopted the agency’s 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan, setting measurable climate, community impact and operational reliability goals that guide the regional transit system’s growth through 2030 and beyond. 

The plan outlines how the agency integrates sustainability into every stage of planning, designing, building, and operating a growing regional system that connects residents to the places they live, work, and play. The adopted motion further strengthens these commitments by sunsetting the purchase of fossil fuel-powered revenue vehicles and equipment by 2030, advancing fleet electrification and reducing emissions across operations. 

“The 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan — implemented through our nationally and internationally recognized sustainability program — reflects that vision by defining how we embed sustainability into every aspect of our work as we design, construct, and operate our regional transit system,” wrote Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine in a letter introducing the plan. “As our system grows to connect more people, it is also shaping how people live, work, and move around the region, and our 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan ensures we will support that progress for generations to come.” 

The new plan establishes clear objectives and implementation strategies in the following areas:  

Advancing equity 

• Expanding civil rights, equity, and inclusion trainings for employees; increasing fare affordability and access; and providing support and resources for small and disadvantaged businesses.  

Building sustainable infrastructure and operating resiliently 

• Building agency resilience to climate change and other natural hazards, ensuring safe and reliable service during power outages, and reducing the environmental impacts and GHG emissions associated with material use and construction.  

Continuously improving agency governance and business practices 

• Attracting, developing, and retaining talented employees and contractors; improving safety compliance and reducing the environmental impacts of agency procurements; and strengthening the agency’s sustainability funding portfolio to support long-term goals. 

Growing ridership and strengthening communities 

• Advancing community development, strengthening, and formalizing community engagement vision and priorities, and expanding multimodal access to Sound Transit stations.  

Protecting and restoring the environment 

• Protecting native habitats and wildlife, reducing environmental impacts from agency facilities, and minimizing surface water impacts on agency-owned and maintained properties. 

Reducing air pollution and GHG emissions  

• Reducing emissions across operations, transitioning key fleets to zero-emission technologies by 2030, and achieving zero-emission fleets and facilities by 2050. 

This plan establishes clear, time-bound, and enforceable climate goals and embeds sustainability across every stage of project delivery and operations. It advances decarbonization by committing the agency to greenhouse gas neutrality for rail and facilities by 2030 and zero-emission operations by 2050, while grounding fleet and infrastructure decisions in cost, reliability, and service performance. 

Implementation of the plan will be overseen by agency leadership and tracked through annual reporting to the Board. Clear performance metrics will measure progress towards agency targets, while ensuring transparency for riders and regional partners. By linking climate action with equity, workforce development, and community resilience, the plan reinforces clean, reliable transit as a regional priority.  

Read the 2026–2030 Sustainability Plan on the Sound Transit website: 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan.

In 2004, the Sound Transit Board adopted an Environmental Policy that guides the agency in increasing its focus on sustainability. Since then, the agency has expanded its sustainability commitments through successive plans and policies. The 2026-2030 Sustainability Plan builds on that foundation, aligning environmental stewardship with system expansion and regional growth.