Reminder: Sound Transit to hold open house in Everett Monday on ST3 plan

Sound-Transit-logoThe community is invited to attend an open house Monday, April 25 in Everett sponsored by Sound Transit, which is seeking public input on the ST3 draft plan. You can hear presentations, learn more about the plans and leave your feedback.

You are also invited to take an online survey at soundtransit3.org. You can also email the Sound Transit Board directly.

The meeting will run from 5:30-7:30 pm, with a presentation at 6 p.m. at Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave., Everett.

The ST3 Draft Plan includes additional mass transit expansions — 58 miles of light rail and 39 stations. Over a 25-year period the draft plan would complete the regional transit spine to Everett, Tacoma and downtown Redmond, while also adding new lines to the system reaching West Seattle, South Lake Union, Ballard and a new Eastside line linking downtown Bellevue, Eastgate and Issaquah. The plan also emphasizes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in the I-405, SR 518 and SR 522 corridors in an effort to dramatically improve the speed, reliability and frequency of buses, with service up to every few minutes in peak hours.

Comments received during the public comment period, which runs through April 29, will help the Sound Transit Board adopt a final plan in the June time frame for voter consideration Nov. 8. In addition to the Everett meeting Monday, there will also be meetings as follows:

  • West Seattle—April 26, West Seattle High School, 3000 California Ave. S.W.
  • Redmond—April 27, Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 N.E. 80th St.
  • Federal Way—April 28, Todd Beamer High School, 35999 16th Ave. S.
  • Seattle (daytime)—11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 28, Union Station, 401 S. Jackson St.

Through April 29 residents can also provide comments on the draft plan by emailing soundtransit3@soundtransit.org; mailing 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104; or calling 206-903-7000. Information can be provided and comments submitted in alternate languages by calling 1-800-823-9230. Accommodations for people with disabilities can be arranged by calling 1-800-201-4900 / TTY Relay 771 or emailing accessibility@soundtransit.org.

The ST3 Draft Plan’s $50 billion cost would be funded in part by $28 billion in new voter-approved sales, MVET and property taxes. The estimated additional costs of the new taxes for a typical adult in the Sound Transit District are approximately $200 annually or $17 a month. Additional information on funding for ST3 can be found at https://soundtransit3.org/document-library.

The projects would be delivered in steady succession over the plan’s 25-year period. The timeline reflects the significant time requirements for building major infrastructure projects and the scale of the light rail extensions and capital investments, which are more than double Sound Transit’s first two phases. The major investments require revenues collected over the full 25-year period as well as bond sales and federal funding.

Current Sound Transit construction includes light rail service to Northgate, scheduled to open to Northgate. By 2023 Sound Transit is on track to extend service further north to Lynnwood, south to Kent/Des Moines and east to Redmond’s Overlake area.

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