Sound Transit's Winning Streak?

The July 10th, Seattle Times front page Traffic Lab article heralded "A glitch interrupts light rail winning streak".  The result of Sound Transit improving reliability by having trains slowed or stopped "only 8 hours" a month.  CEO Dow Constantine called the incident, "something that can be prevented from ever happening again".

The paper's July 11th, Traffic Lab article questioned "Did record light rail crowds pay their way."  Between 58% and 74% participated on June 19th when U.S. Soccer Team and Mariners hosted games, comparable to 61% in 2025 and earlier this year.  The article included Constantine's statement, "These new ridership records are a resounding endorsement of the value light rail adds to our and its quality of life".

Neither the Traffic Lab's claim for light rail winning streak nor Constantine's using "new ridership records for game days" recognize the costs of providing that service. Fares paid nearly 40% of light rail trains when the route was from UW to SeaTac airport.  Light rail extensions did nothing to increase light rail train capacity they only increased the operating costs.

For example, the 8.5-mile Lynnwood Link extension added 17 miles to the extension's round trip, 68 vehicle vehicle miles for the 1 Line rout-car trains, 34 for 2 Line two-car trains,  Sound  Transit's operating schedule  results in 125 four-car 1 Line trains and 125 two-car 2 Line trains, 8500 and 4250 vehicle miles, 12,750 total.  Assuming Sound Transit's $30 typical vehicle mile costs results in the Northgate-to-Lynnwood adding $382,500 to weekday operating cost.  The 16-mile Everett extension would add nearly twice the miles for round trips to Lynnwood, adding more than $750,000 daily to train operating costs.

Sound Transit's Ridership reported the four Lynnwood stations had 11,848 total boardings in June. (A fraction of the up to 35,000 projected.) If all the boarders payed the $3.00 fares the $35,544 would still leave Sound Transit with a $346,956 cost. The fares paid by the likely number of riders added by the 16-mile extension to Everett would double that cost. (A similar analysis of the Federal Way ridership and likely  ridership for extension would result in similar aded costs.)

The bottom line is Sound Transit's winning streak consists of  a year of light rail extension ridership far below predictions with high operating costs.  To the extent the trains replaced far less expensive  bus results the result was also less transit capacity into Seattle.