The "affordable ST3" plan still leaves $11-$13 billion in projects unfunded, as Sound Transit board members vow to look for additional revenue and cost savings. With a May 28 board vote fast approaching, the rebalancing proposal looks mostly baked at this point.
To unlock a novel funding source intended to fund 15% of the cost of a new pedestrian bridge, Bellevue needed five different levels of government to sign off. This week, the final vote at the King County Council put the City on the path to approval.
A proposal to close a $34.5 billion gap in the voter-approved ST3 plan is on a fast track to a Sound Transit board vote on May 28. Developed by Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers, it would prioritize completing the regional rail "spine" while deferring and delaying multiple other major projects.
"It may take a few generations to solve the problem," Walsh told his colleagues, seeming to blame people hit by drivers while walking in Federal Way. His comments are far from being an outlier in the pedestrian-hostile city.
Bellevue Transportation Director Andrew Singelakis told city councilmembers he'd like to see spending on vehicle mobility ramp up from 10% to 25% of the city's spending on transportation. That looks to be at odds with Council, which is focused on safety investments.
The former entrance to the Battery Street Tunnel could become a gathering spot in one of Seattle's densest neighborhoods, but funding hasn't yet been identified to pay for construction of a full park yet.
One of Seattle's most dangerous, crash-prone streets will see a big jump in transit riders once construction on West Seattle Link light rail gets fully underway, closing the SoDo busway. Upgrades at two key intersections are just the start of mitigation work.
Facing a cost-cutting scenario from Sound Transit that may see trains stop short of Tacoma, South Sound leaders on the board look to be laser focused on delivering that light rail connection. The agency might need to get creative with other projects in South Sound.
A letter from the state's Commerce Department officially starts the clock on a requirement for Bainbridge to update its housing growth plan. If it's still not up to snuff after the deadline, the door could open to any affordable housing project being approved, regardless of zoning.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the biggest rail project in the Sound Transit pipeline is months overdue, with delays stemming from a Federal Transit Administration review to blame. Until that document is released, the board can't advance the project into final design.