Sound Transit Approves ST3 Budget, Including Light Rail Delays

OLYMPIA, WA — Sound Transit has approved its St3 "realignment" plan delaying the construction of several light rail projects in an effort to adapt to a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall.

As Sound Transit explains, the agency is facing a roughly $6.5 billion affordability gap which the delays should help address. The funding gap came from several sources, including inaccurate early cost estimates, and the rising costs of both land and construction, the Seattle Times reported.

Thursday, following 17 months of discussion, community engagement and planning, the Sound Transit Board voted unanimously to adopt hybrid realignment plan, which the board says will include some built-in delays, but also leaves the agency flexible, able to speed up the constriction of priority projects if the opportunity arises.

Though the new schedule means most link expansion projects will now be facing multi-year delays, transit advocates have largely reacted positively to the hybrid proposal, which included less severe delays than earlier resolutions.

What remains the same?

Projects that are already under construction will be completed on time, Sound Transit said. Those include the new light rail stations in:

• Northgate
• Lynnwood
• Bellevue
• Redmond
• Federal Way
• Tacoma (Hilltop Station)

The Sounder's Puyallup Station garage will also be completed on schedule. Several light rail stations in the Seattle area will also remain on track.

Thanks to late amendments to the ST3 realignment plan, Seattle's Northeast 130th light rail station will be completed on time in 2025, the Seattle Times reported. Rainier Valley's Graham Street station and the Boeing Access Road station also remain on track to open in 2031, per the Times.

Which projects were delayed?

The following light rail projects are slated to be delayed under the proposed affordable schedule:

• Lynnwood/SW Everett (2037)
• Lakewood/S Tacoma (2032)
• TCC Tacoma Link (2041)
• Everett (2041)
• S. Kirkland/Issaquah (2044)
• SODO (2037)
• Ballard (2039)
• Edmonds & Mukilteo (2034)
• SR 162 (2045)

Delays unrelated to finances

Finally, some ST3 projects have been delayed for reasons unrelated to budget concerns. According to Sound Transit, the following projects were delayed for a variety of other reasons, including environmental review slow-downs, 3rd party negotiations and right-of-way acquisition:

• Bus Base North (2025)
• OMF South (2029)
• 405 Stride S. (2026)
• 405 Stride N. (2027)
• 522 Stride (2026)
• Alaska Junction/SODO (2032)
• Kent/Auburn/Sumner (2025)
• Tacoma Dome (2032)

>> Read more from Sound Transit on how these changes will be implemented.