Sound Transit’s “Daring Feat “:Problems

The Friday, March 27th Seattle Times culminated a week of using itsTraffic Lab project to expound on the benefits of Sound Transit’s 2 Line March 28th cross lake debut: A “Daring Feat” of light rail trains “Riding on Water”. This post is another attempt to detail its problems.  It began after a 3-year attempt failed to persuade the Bellevue City Council to disallow the 10 permits in the Sound Transit 2008 DEIS they needed to implement East Link. 

That failure led to this blog in 2012.  It began with a post “doubting” Sound Transit's 2008  DEIS claim East Link would have a peak-hour capacity of up to 18,000 to 24,000 people per hour (pph)”. That Sound Transit's confiscation of the I-90 bridge center roadway for light rail precluded 2-way BRT routes with 10 times light rail capacity,10 years sooner, at 1/10th the cost.

Sound Transit's light rail route into Bellevue also ignored Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation's environmental policy that “Precluded approval of a transportation project that adversely affects waterfowl and wildlife refuges unless the impact is de minimis”.  They spent millions shielding homes across Bellevue Way but nothing to protect the quiet solitude of the Mercer Slough Park. The route into Bellevue needlessly destroyed the city’s persona as “the city in the park”. The Washington Department of Ecology also raised concerns the stormwater from the tracks could pollute Lake Washington.

Sound Transit’s decision to limit 2 Line operation to 2 cars trains every 8 minutes will  limit capacity to ~2500 riders per hour, a fraction of DEIS predictions.  Rather than use East Link  to add transit capacity into Seattle, it will be used to replace existing bus routes. Cross lake commuters forced to transfer to and from light rail on Mercer Island will inundate the city.  Being the last eastside station those transferring there and island commuters attempting to board will likely lose access during peak commute.

Routing the 2 Line on the cross-lake extension adds to Sound Transits operating costs. At light rail car costs of $30 per mile, the 2 car, 30-mile trip from CID to Downtown Redmond and back will cost  $1800. Sound Transit’s schedule for trains every 8 minutes during peak times and 10-15 minutes off peak from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. will require about 120 trips for a cost of $216,000 daily. The resulting cost per rider awaits the ridership results, something they’ve refused to release in the ridership report for beyond December. 

Sound Transit’s decision to use 2 Line for half the trains to Lynnwood complicates its operation. 2 Line trains returning from Redmond will have to merge with 1 Line trains from Federal Way.  Safe operation typically requires 4 minutes between trains.  Assuring a safe interval between the two trains when they merge to enter the DSTT could  limit their schedule and reduce capacity.  

 

The bottom line is that any benefits from Sound Transit’s “Daring Feat” of trains “Riding on Water” are not without many problems.  One problem being the Traffic Lab may herald the number of opening day riders but unable to report on the number of commuters the following week. 

 

 

 

 

ST’s West Seattle Link Cost Work Plan

 The video of the System Expansion Committee Marlch 12th meeting included the following presentation.

8. Reports to the Committee

• West Seattle Link Extension Cost Workplan update

 

The presentation was for information only and no action was required by the committee. It included charts showing “Prior Board Actions” in October 2024, directing staff to develop a work plan to reduce costs. The result was a June 2025, 6 month contract with Engineering & Design Services (EDS) that in November 2025 was extended for an additional 6 months.  

 

Charts showed the results. Capital delivery cost savings levers reduced the cost from $7.1B–7.9B in Fall 2024 to $4.9B- 5.3B in Mar 2026. The major reason being the extension would no longer have an Avalon station. Discussion about  the  lack of parking for access resulted in comments that their goal was to get people out of  cars and use other modes, with examples of no transit parking in Seattle or Downtown Redmond. (The presentation didn’t include predicted West Seattle Extension ridership.)

 

Sound Transit didn’t include how much the cost reduction effort had cost.  In December they’d approved spending up to $1 billion in MATOC funding for up to 7 years for 22 companies. Apparently EDS was not included in MATOC funding,  

 

The March 6th release of the January System Expansion Monthly Status Report provided additional  project details.  The West Seattle status was “Red” meaning “concern” over cost and schedules and a half page summarizing current status.  

 

The last detailed status report was the August 2024 release of the Agency Capital Progress: Capital Program, June 2024.  The 4 page report included charts showing Sound Transit had incurred $57.3 million in funding the extension.  That Year to Date (YTD) staffing totaled 54.5 Monthly Average Full Time Equivalent (FTE) with 23.3 FTE Staff FTE 31.2 consultants.  (And an ST Staff of 1500 with a 1$B budget)

 

As with their MADOC funding, Sound Transit’s staffing level raises the question as to why did they need outside consultants for a cost reduction work plan.

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Why an Operations and Maintenance Facility South?

The video of the March 12th Sound Transit System Expansion Committee showed them unanimously approving the following:

For recommendation to the Board

B. Motion No. M2026-11: Authorizes the chief executive officer to (1) execute a progressive design‑build contract with Hoffman Construction Company of Washington for all phases of design and construction of the Operations and Maintenance Facility South Buildings and Yard and to exercise the option to include all phases of the OMF South Main Line and Test Track, and to advance certain individual early work construction packages as needed and (2) to authorize funding for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of OMF-South Buildings and Yard and the Main Line and Test Track and for amounts for early works packages under of the Contract, for a total authority to contract in the amount not to exceed $318,205,477, with an approximate 10% contingency of $31,794,523, totaling $350,000,000, contingent upon adoption of Resolution No. R2026‑05.

 

C. Resolution No. R2026-05: Amending the Adopted 2026 Budget to progress the Operations and Maintenance Facility South project by a) increasing the authorized project allocation by $350,000,000 from $524,729,393 to $874,729,393 and b) increasing the adopted 2026 annual project budget by $32,000,000 from $175,471,265 to $207,471,265.

 

The presentation detailed the OMF South Project Scope as a Progressive Design Build approach used by other organizations, potential cost savings  and OMF South Delivery Steps. The presentation took about 7 minutes and the discussion another 5. The result being the expansion committee unanimously recommended Sound Transit authorize spending nearly $875 million on a facility that will begin maintaining light rail trains in 2032.  

Typical of Sound Transit the committee never asked a critical question, Sound Transit already has a OMF in the Bel-Red area on east side.  It began with an April 2018 “ground breaking” and Sound Transit plan to spend $450 million on the OMF.  When completed in 2020, the  OMF would “assure a safe, clean, and comfortable ride for passengers, with light rail cars cleaned every night and regularly pulled out of service to perform routine maintenance”.  That it could do so on a light rail car fleet  of the 214 vehicles needed to accommodate ST3 light rail extensions. 

It's not clear when the OMF was completed or what it ended up costing. It is presumably being used to maintain the current 2 Line trains. However, its purported 214-vehicle capacity could surely provide needed light rail train vehicle maintenance and  would presumably do so until 2032 when OMF South could begin service. 

The bottom line is the Sound Transit Board needs to ask why an “Operations and Maintenance Facility South?”

Sound Transit’s Colossal Failure Continues

The video of the March 5, 2026 recent Rider Experience and Operations Committee Meeting included approving the folloowing:

 

For Recommendation to the Board

C. Resolution No. R2026-04: Adopting Part Two of the 2026 Service Plan and approves major service changes to ST Express routes. 

 

It was another example justifying state Rep.Jacobsen’s depiction of Sound Transit as a “Collossal Failure”. That a staff with more than 1500 positions, an annual budget of more than a billion, and an 18 member board of directors, continuing to demonstrate an inability to provide effective public transit.  

 

Public transit should be used to provide those unable or unwilling to drive with access from near where they live to near where they want to go.  The goal being to attract sufficient numbers to reduce congestion on roadways into Seattle for those wanting to drive, and to do so in a cost effective manner. 

 

The resolution approval followed a detailed explanation of Sound Transit plans to use 1 and 2 Line light rail trains to replace ST Express routes into Seattle. The service plan introduction included the following; 

 

Part two, the Bus Service Plan, proposes minor and major ST

Express bus service changes. We hosted public engagement

on these changes in fall 2025. Board consideration will occur in

early 2026. Board action is required for the major service changes

proposed in the plan. The bus changes will come in fall 2026 at

the earliest, after the FIFA World Cup 2026.

 

The resolution approval raises some questions.  Plans to recommend such a significant change would seem to be under the purview of the Sound Transit’s System Expansion Committee. Also, why recommend board action at a March meeting to delay the changes until fall, after the FIFA World Cup? 

 

The majority of the service plan changes were to use 1 and 2 Line light rail trains to replace buses into Seattle. On the east side they’ll “”Discontinue” Route 550 and 554”, Route  556 will be routed to South Bellevue T/C..They’ve arranged with King County Metro to terminate cross lake routes on Mercer Island. 

 

Delaying the changes until 6 months after 2 Line debut in March will further detract from its limited "benefits” 

Representative Jacobsen is Right

 

 

A Google search of YouTube Sound Transit videos resulted in a video of the following presentation regarding their activities in Olympia.

 

Rep. Jacobsen: ‘Colossal failure’ Sound Transit’s $35 billion hole | 'No one is above the law'

 

Her 2 minute video included examples of Sound Transit incompetence was described as follows:

 

Rep. Cyndy Jacobsen, R-Walla Walla, spoke on the House floor against Senate Bill 6309, questioning why the Legislature would give Sound Transit greater power. “They are $35 billion in the hole, and we’re going to let them write their own rules?” said Jacobsen. The bill would let Sound Transit deviate from existing local zoning regulations, including height limits and setback requirements. Local governments would be required to accept the agency’s permit applications, even if Sound Transit doesn't own the property. 

 

The entire Sound Transit service area should hope Rep Jacobsen succeeds. Senate Bill 6309 typifies Sound Transit’s legal machinations. Its an 11 page document filled with “mind numbing” legalese detailing changes to existing laws:  Sound Transits response to  “No one is above the law” is to use its 30-person legal staff, part of its more than 1500 positions and billion dollar budget, to convince legislators to “change the law”.

 

They’ve apparently already persuaded legislators to “change the law” by allowing Sound Transit to issue 75 year maturity bonds to fund the ST3 extensions.  Typical of Sound Transit they’ll probably pay interest-only on the bonds for the first 25 years and leave it to our grandchildren’s grandchildren to pay off the principal.  

 

The bottom line is Representative Jacobson is right. Passing Senate Bill 6309 just adds to the problem facing the area’s commuters and their descendants.

 

 

 

Issaquah Commuters Don’t “Get It”

The February 26^th Sound Transit Board meeting video included a Public Comment period where some 15 Issaquah residents showed up in purple T-shirts to advocate, “Save Issaquah Light Rail”. The Prop 1 ST3 voters approved in 2016 had included a 4 Line light rail route between Lynnwood and Issaquah. However, the Issaquah presenters were concerned the 4 Line, whose revenue service date had been delayed until 2044, may not be implemented.

They apparently weren’t aware Issaquah commuters along with the rest of the I-90 corridor commuters have a far more immediate transit problem.  The March 28^th, 2 Line debut into Seattle.   Sound Transit plans to continue to, at least initially, use 2-car trains every 8 minutes during peak commute for the cross-lake route.  Assuming each 74-seat car can accommodate 150 riders, 2 Line capacity would be limited to 2250 riders per hour.  

Sound Transit also intends to use the 2 Line to replace bus routes into Seattle. ST550 from Bellevue will be terminated and all I-90 corridor buses will be terminated on Mercer Island. It’s not clear how many of the current 2 Line or ST550 boarders will choose to use the 2 Line for the commute into Seattle. 

The Issaquah commuter problem, along with the other I-90 corridor transit riders and Mercer Island commuters will be they are  the last eastside station with access to the 2 Line trains.  Whatever current 2 Line or former ST550 commuters use 2 Line into Seattle will reduce access to those attempting to get on at Mercer Island station. With 2250-riders-per-hour 2 Line capacity, a “likely” frequent loss of access.

The bottom line is Sound Transit’s decision for 2-car trains for 2 Line is a far more immediate problem for Issaquah commuters than any decision regarding any 4 Line delay or loss.