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As a project stakeholder, you’ve heard a lot about the Sound Transit Board’s ongoing work to advance our voter-approved projects in a challenging fiscal environment.
In early 2020, the Board launched a process called realignment to review options for addressing the significant affordability gap affecting our future transit expansion projects not yet under construction. Most recently forecasted at $6.5 billion, this gap means that completing many of these projects on their original schedules won’t be affordable.
On Thursday, Aug. 5, the Board adopted a new flexible framework to support moving forward with projects as rapidly as possible. Learn more about the Board’s action in our Platform blog post.
Updated I-405 BRT project timeline
Based on current revenue projections and cost estimates, the Board’s adopted plan identifies:
- 2026 as the timeframe we can afford to open service on the south Stride bus rapid transit line from Burien to Bellevue (the S1 Line), and complete construction of the NE 85th station on the north line.
- 2027 as the timeframe we can afford to open service on the north line from Bellevue to Lynnwood (the S2 Line).
- 2034 as the timeframe we can afford to provide parking at NE 44th and the South Renton Transit Center.
- 2035 as the timeframe we can afford to provide additional parking at Kingsgate.
We’ll track project costs very closely as we work with partner jurisdictions and stakeholders to advance this project. The project’s ultimate timeline will come into greater focus as we advance project design and property acquisition, including examining cost-saving options.
Our path forward will be shaped by determined efforts to secure expanded funding. Close collaboration with partners will be required to deliver projects as rapidly as possible.
Learn more about the realignment process and increased construction cost estimates at soundtransit.org/realignment.
Next steps
Upcoming work to advance the I-405 BRT project includes:
- Board selects Bus Base North project to be built (scheduled August 2021).
- Board selects I-405 BRT project to be built (scheduled September 2021).
- Begin final design phase.
We hope you’ll continue to participate in our work to move this important project forward.
Questions? Please feel free to reach out to Ivonne Rivera Martinez at ivonne.riveramartinez@soundtransit.org or 206-553-3412.
Thank you,
Bernard van de Kamp
East Corridor Development Director
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