Passions escalate as Sound Transit ponders project delays
SEATTLE — Tensions are rising as leaders of Sound Transit near critical decisions on which projects of a voter-approved expansion are delayed, and for how long, due to a surge in costs.
The Board of Directors has known for more than a year that the Sound Transit 3 plan is unaffordable. They are expected next month to settle on what to do about it.
It could mean hard choices that would put the regional transit authority on a course to delay many projects, including extending Link light rail service to Everett and Tacoma.
On Thursday, during a special meeting of the board, passions ran high as representatives from Snohomish and Pierce counties lobbied to proceed in July — in ways they hope keep those extensions on track — while those from King County pushed to extend discussions until next year.
“If we don’t adopt a plan in July — or soon after — that we agree on and covers all the projects, we will be battling month-to-month on spending decisions on every individual project,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said after the meeting.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/passions-escalate-as-sound-transit-ponders-project-delays/
