What Terri Mestas Didn’t Do

The June 11^th Seattle Times Traffic Lab article, “Sound Transit’s star project executive leaving amid turbulent time for agency” detailed her accomplishments during her two years here.  CEO Dow Constantine credited her with “The team she assembled will benefit Sound Transit for years to come”.  Presumably referring to her recommending the Board spend up to $1 billion and seven years with 22 companies on MATOC.

What Mestas didn’t do was recognize that improving Sound Transit, potentially saving billions, doesn’t change the fact the ST3 extensions she’s improving won’t reduce the area’s congestion.  That what benefits Sound Transit is funding projects that won’t benefit the area it serves.  

 

4-car light rail trains using the extensions don’t have the capacity to reduce peak hour congestion and cost too much to operate off peak. Using trains to replace bus routes into Seattle reduces transit capacity into the city, does nothing to reduce GP lane congestion and reduces access for current riders.  The more the extensions, the more the train operating cost, lost capacity and access. 

 

Mestas apparently didn’t recognize providing access to light rail trains doesn’t assure ridership. The 8948 Lynnwood and 7702 Federal Way February boardings were far less than the 35,000 and 25,000 predicted. The cost of implementing light rail extensions to Everett and Tacoma and operating trains on the extensions would fail any rational cost/benefit analysis. Yet still meets Sound Transit version of what was  "Affordable" 

 

Mestas planned to reduce costs for a second Duwamish Waterway bridge and station costs for West Seattle Link, limit Ballart extension from Sodo through a second tunnel to  Seattle Center rather than to Ballard. Yet apparently didn’t consider saving billions by not boring a second tunnel or second bridge.

 

Both areas already have bus service that provides far greater access to transit into downtown Seattle with far more convenient stops for exit in the city as well as better access for return trips.  (King County Executive Zahilay’s plans in an accompany article for expanding KCM service in the area could include additional access as needed)

 

The bottom line is when Terri Mestas leaves there will be a MATOC contract with 22 companies for up to a billion, a staff that has grown from 1,635 in 2025 to 1,914 in 2026,  a budget increase from $960,549,000 to $1,138,903,000, and plans to spend untold billions on a second tunnel and bridge.

So far, not much for someone who was hired to “potentially save billions”.