Introduction

Sound Move achievements:

New light rail from Downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport opens 2009; extension to UW opens 2016

74 miles of Sounder commuter rail with 10 stations

ST Express bus routes offer all-day, two-way service around the region

Tacoma Link light rail connects Tacoma Dome Station to Downtown Tacoma

More than $800 million invested in transit centers, HOV direct access ramps and park-and-ride lots

PugetPass easy transfer fare system

Sound Transit proposes to improve and expand the regional mass transit system. The agency has been working since 1996 on the first phase of a regional mass transit system in the Central Puget Sound region that includes Link light rail, Sounder commuter trains and ST Express buses. This initial phase, called Sound Move, was approved by voters in 1996 in response to burgeoning growth and traffic problems.

Sounder commuter trains currently operate in a 74-mile corridor from Everett to Tacoma, with construction of an eight-mile extension to Lakewood underway. ST Express buses operate on every major highway in the region. Link light rail serves Downtown Tacoma, and it will open for service between Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport in 2009. Together, these services carry more than 14 million riders a year reliably around the region to jobs, shopping, school, sporting events and other places they need to go.

Construction of the Link light rail extension between Downtown Seattle and the University District is expected to begin in late 2008, with service to start in 2016.

Even with those investments, however, improving transportation continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing this region.

Another one million people are expected to call this region home in the next 25 years. That's about a 30 percent increase in population and is more than the current combined populations of Seattle, Bellevue, Everett and Tacoma. Put another way, the population of the Central Puget Sound region is growing by more than 40,000 people per year.

By the year 2030, growth will lead to a 35 percent increase in employment and a 30 percent increase in vehicle travel in the region. By 2030, the typical commuter could spend nearly an entire work week of additional time stuck in traffic. Weekday rush hour could last from breakfast through dinner, strangling the movement of traffic and freight, jeopardizing our economy, and hurting the environment.

With a strong mass transit foundation in place and more growth on the way, additional investment is needed to ensure mobility for people and to help the Central Puget Sound region's transportation system run smoothly. An expanded mass transit system that builds on what we have is more important than ever.

In response, Sound Transit is proposing a plan that builds on the Sound Move program called Sound Transit 2. The Sound Transit 2 Plan (ST2) would expand the existing light rail system to serve three major travel corridors. Link light rail would extend from North Seattle into Snohomish County, across Lake Washington into East King County, and south of Sea-Tac International Airport to Federal Way. ST2 would also expand Sounder commuter rail and ST Express regional bus service significantly. A map showing ST2 Regional Transit System Plan improvements can be found here.

The ST2 Plan was developed through an open public process over a four-year period. During that period, Sound Transit coordinated closely with cities and counties and conducted substantial public outreach. With more jobs and people on the way, the time is now to continue building our transportation future.