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.
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.
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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