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Sound Transit kicks off celebration of five years of service -- announces agreement with Amtrak

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"Over the past five years, Sound Transit has helped people get where they want to go more than 30 million times. Now that's something worth celebrating." With those words, Sound Transit Board Chair/Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg officially began a weeklong series of events to celebrate the agency's fifth anniversary of delivering regional transit service.

 

"There's no better way to kick things off than with more good news," added Ladenburg, "Today, I'm pleased to announce an agreement between Sound Transit and Amtrak Cascades. We're creating a program called RailPlus that will give commuters between Everett and Seattle even more choices and flexibility." (See enclosed companion news release)

Sound Transit's regular commuter service officially began at 3:53 A.M. on September 20, 1999 when ST Express Route #574 left the Lakewood Transit Center en route to Sea-Tac Airport. Since that time:

  • the ST Express regional bus service has expanded to 19 routes and now carries more than 29,000 passengers every weekday;
  • Sounder commuter rail service began in September 2000 and now carries more than 3,000 riders per weekday;
  • Tacoma Link Light Rail went into service August 2003 and immediately met its 2010 ridership goal by carrying more than 2,000 passengers every weekday.
  • Regional Express and Sounder together have so far built more than 10,000 new Park-and-Ride spaces in the region with another 3,000 in the works.
  • More than $720 million in construction contracts are under construction right now on the Central Link light rail line.
  • Sound Transit buses and trains have carried more than 30 million passengers - enough people to fill Safeco Field 600 times, or to fill the Tacoma Dome 1,300 times!

To mark the occasion, the Executives of King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties have issued proclamations declaring the week of September 20 "Sound Transit Week." The week will be marked with events to show Sound Transit's appreciation to its customers, staff and partners (seen enclosed schedule).

 

 

 

Sound Transit's regional network of express buses, commuter rail, light rail and transit facilities connects communities in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

 

 

 

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Sound Transit
Five Years of Service


In the past five years, Sound Transit trains and buses together carried more than 30 million passengers. That's enough to fill Safeco Field 600 times.

  • ST Express buses transport more than 29,000 passengers every weekday on 19 regional routes.
  • In just one year, Tacoma Link light rail trains already carried more passengers than the agency had estimated in the year 2010. The trains carry more than 2,300 riders a day and will pass the one million mark in 2004.
  • Sounder trains move more than 3,000 commuters every weekday from Everett and Tacoma to Seattle and back.
  • More than $720 million in construction contracts are under construction right now on the Central Link light rail line.
  • Regional Express and Sounder together have so far built more than 10,000 new park-and-ride spaces in the region with another 3,000 in the works.

 

Sound Transit capital projects completed so far include:

  • Ash Way Park-and Ride
  • Pacific Avenue Overpass
  • Lynnwood Transit Center
  • Lynnwood SR-99 transit project
  • Bellevue Transit Center
  • Overlake Transit Center
  • I-90/Sunset Interchange
  • South Hill Park-and-Ride
  • DuPont Station park-and-ride
  • Tacoma Dome parking.
  • First round of track and signal improvements in Sounder's Seattle-Tacoma corridor
  • Nine Sounder stations from Tacoma to Everett
  • Tacoma Link light rail.

 

 

 

Sound Transit's regional network of express buses, commuter rail, light rail and transit facilities connects communities in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sound Transit's 5th Anniversary of Service Celebration

Schedule of Events:

 

Friday, September 17, 2004

Fifth Anniversary of Service Celebration kick-off/announcement - King Street Station Sounder Platform, 12:30 pm.

Sound Transit will kick-off its Fifth Anniversary of Service Celebration which will include special guests and a special service announcement.

 

Saturday, September 18, 2004

ST Express Puyallup Fair Service- Staff will be out at bus stops greeting/directing bus riders

 

Sunday, September 19, 2004

Sounder Mariner Home Run Service- Sounder Home Run service will continue beginning in Everett and Tacoma to Seattle

 

ST Express Puyallup Fair Service- Staff will be out at bus stops greeting/directing bus riders

 

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Rider appreciation outreach will take place at the Tacoma Dome bus platform, Bellevue Transit Center, Everett Station (Sounder and bus platforms) and Tacoma Link at Tacoma Dome Station.

 

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Staff appreciation day

 

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Wave Fest- 4pm - 7pm, Union Station Great Hall- Open house celebration showcasing Sound Transit and its partners (transit and private) and what has been accomplished in the past five years.

 

Saturday, September 25, 2004

ST Express Puyallup Fair Service- Staff will be out at bus stops greeting/directing bus riders

 

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Seahawk Sounder Service

Sound Transit will kick-off Seahawk Service from Everett and Tacoma to Seattle.

 

ST Express Puyallup Fair Service- Staff will be out at bus stops greeting/directing bus riders

 

 
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Sound Transit plans, builds and operates regional transit systems and services to improve mobility for Central Puget Sound.