Real Sound Transit Savings

The previous post concluded the Seattle Times Traffic Lab was abiding Sound Transit spending millions extending 1-Line to Tacoma Dome for boardings that will end peak hour access for current riders.  This post details Sound Transit is spending up to $500 million over 7 years for “environmental services” on Sound Transit Projects that won’t reduce congestion.

The video of the June 26^th Sound Transit Board Meeting showed them unanimously approving the following agenda Business Item:

 

E. Motion No. M2025-32: Authorizing the chief executive officer to execute 15 individual Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MOTAC)  for five years, each with two one-year options to extend, with Akana, Atlas, CDM Smith, Confluence Environmental Company, Cordoba Corporation, ESA,Haley & Aldrich, HNTB Corporation, Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Parametrix, RSI Remediation, LLC, Stell Environmental Enterprises, Inc., TRC Environmental Corporation, and WSP USA Inc. to provide Sound Transit with environmental services such that the aggregate total amount of the 15 contracts does not exceed $500,000,000 over the potential seven-year period, 

 

This for a Sound Transit Board who in March approved a 2025 Adopted Budget and Financial Plan spending $957,5 million funding a 1572-position staff.  It continued the years of staff funding and the years and millions spent on transit advisory groups (TAG) and other outside consultants. The 256-page 2025 budget includes Appendix K, Project Detail Pages120-240 of System Expansion Funding details. Scope, Authorized Allocation, and Budget, for 13 Sounder and 20 Link Light Rail Projects were included, presumably reflecting the years of TAG and outside consultant advice.  

Yet Megaproject Manager, Terri Mestas, clearly believes Sound Transit needs to pay some 15 outside companies up to $500 million for advice on how to better implement the Appendix K projects.  It’s not clear who decides which outside company gets which project and why. Also, who monitors the outside company’s performance?  

Mestas apparently doesn’t recognize that saving money and time implementing many of the remaining projects doesn’t change their efficacy.  For example, saving money and time doesn’t change the Lynnwood Link ridership that indicated the Everett and Tacoma light rail spine extensions won’t attract the riders needed to justify the costs of extending light rail tracks and light rail train operating costs.  

That the Starter Line failure to attract projected riders should raise concerns with potential Ballard and West Seattle extensions. Both service areas already have KCM coverage with far better access for commutes into Seattle and more convenient stops there. 

The bottom line is Mestas spending the MATOC money to reduce the cost of I-Line extensions to Everett and Tacoma, and light rail service from Ballard and West Seattle doesn’t change the fact that not doing the extensions or implementing light rail service could save billions.