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Valenta chosen to head Sound Transit public art program

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The work of Carol Valenta in incorporating public art into the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel stations, the Northgate Transit Center and other transit and water quality facilities in the region has drawn national and even international attention. Now Valenta will face the challenge of incorporating public art into the function and design of new transit stations and facilities throughout the region as administrator of the public art program for Sound Transit, the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority. 

Valenta has already launched Sound Transit's STart public art program, working with the agency for the past year through a contract with King County. One goal of the STart program is early involvement with architectural and design teams to incorporate art into the overall design and function of new or expanding transit facilities. Eleven artists have already begun work with design teams for Sound Transit's Link light rail, Sounder commuter rail, and Regional Express bus programs. 

Besides the aesthetic benefits of public art, the STart program will use art to provide landmarks and symbols to help people in finding their way at facilities, and to tie transit facilities to the communities in which they are located.

Sound Transit is on track to implement a three-county regional transit system plan known as Sound Move, including the Sounder commuter rail system between Everett and Tacoma/Lakewood; Link light rail, connecting the cities of Seattle, Tukwila and SeaTac, and a 1.6 mile system connecting downtown Tacoma with the Tacoma Dome commuter station; and Regional Express, a system of 17 new, fast limited-stop bus routes that will connect the major metropolitan areas of Bellevue, Everett, Tacoma and Seattle with numerous cities and communities. More information about Sound Transit - and the STart public art program - can be found on the web at www.soundtransit.org.


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