ST August Agency Progress Report Starter Line Debacle Details

Sound Transit uses monthly Agency Progress Reports to summarize projects and major contracts status, risk, and performance of capital projects. The front page of the Oct 4^th release of the August report heralded "The Sound Transit Board approves Spring 2024 opening of the East Link Starter Line”. The report’s Executive Summary included the following:

Sound Transit Board approves Spring 2024 opening for eight 2 Line Stations 

At its August meeting, the Sound Transit Board approved opening the Link 2 Line with passenger service on an initial eight- station segment between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology stations in the Spring of 2024. 

As proposed, and opening prior to the full 10-Station 2 Line which connects Seattle and the Eastside with track running on the I-90 floating bridge, the East Link Starter Line will run with two-car trains every 10 minutes, 16 hours a day. The final service level will be approved by the Sound Transit Board as part of the 2024 Service Plan. This action is expected in October. 

The Board’s action included provisions to meet ridership demand on the 1 Line, including maximizing peak-hour service, adding bus service in Snohomish County and support for Lynnwood passengers until the opening of the full East Link Extension. 

Existing ST Express and King County Metro routes including Route 550, B Line, and other local routes are anticipated to continue operating on their current routes until the full 2 Line opens in 2025. 

The Sound Transit Board authorized up to $43 million from the existing East Link Extension $3.68 billion budget to fund the activities necessary to open the East Link Starter Line in Spring 2024. 

The East Link Starter Line began with an August 30^th, 2022, Seattle Times Opinion by Claudia Balducci, Sound Transit System Expansion Committee chair, "Don't delay opening of the Bellevue-to-Redmond light rail starter line”.   Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm’s December 8^th post, “East Link opening timeframe update” provided details and schedule.

 

The August  report raises several concerns.   For example, the decision to attract ridership with a schedule of 2-car trains every 10 minutes for 16 hours a day will add a substantial cost. Sound Transit budgets light rail car operating costs as ~$30 per mile. Each 2-car-train round trip on the 7-mile extension will cost $840.   The operating schedule requires 96 round trips or $80,640 a day.  

 

Another concern is, except for parking at Redmond T/C and Bel-Red/130^th station, access to the Starter Line is limited to those within walking distance of the “eight-station segment”.  A deterrent for many potential transit riders. Especially since the report confirms CEO Timm’s blog statement "Existing bus routes will continue" operating on their current routes until the full 2-Line opens in 2025.  

Those riders will still have access to multiple stops within walking distance of where they live along the entire 7-mile link. All providing access at a tiny fraction of the cost of a single light rail station. They also benefit from not having to transfer to and from route 550 at South Bellevue for the commute into and out of Seattle. 

 

However, the Executive Summary report indicates that access will end when the “full 2 Line opens in 2025“.  It’s unclear when in 2025 since the Progress Report’s "Link Light Rail Program Overview" for the East Link Extension includes a Recovery Plan Float to RSD that extends to the end of the year.  A Risk Management issue that may impact schedule is “significant contractor claims on E130 and E750” dealing with replacing track attachments and installing power lines for trains.  Whatever the date, the lack of access with dissuade many commuters.

 

The Progress Report announcement, “The Sound Transit Board has authorized $43 million to fund the activities necessary to open the East Link Starter Line” reflects a “substantial” increase from an earlier $6 million cost estimate. Those “opening activities” must really be something. 

 

The bottom line is Sound Transit’s August Agency Progress Report is a recipe for Starter Line “opening festivities” whose cost and subsequent daily operating costs will dwarf the farebox revenue from ridership limited by the option commuters have to use existing buses.  It’s when they lose that option, they and all the other I-90 corridor commuters will experience the folly of allowing Sound Transit to confiscate I-90 Bridge center roadway for East Link and use it to replace bus routes into Seattle.