'Build the spine': SnoCo leaders say Everett light rail is a priority
EVERETT — Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin had a simple message for attendees at a Tuesday town hall discussing how to address the financial challenges of Sound Transit’s massive light rail expansion. Build the spine. The spine is the term used to describe the north-south regional transit light rail system that will eventually connect Everett to Tacoma
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People packed the town hall Tuesday, hosted by the nonprofit Transportation Choices Coalition as Sound Transit is considering deferring or delaying light rail projects voters approved in 2016 as part of the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure. The agency faces a multi billion-dollar shortfall to fund that measure thanks to rapid inflation, tariffs, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and added right-of-way costs.
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That $34.5 billion shortfall is across all of the Link light rail extension projects voters approved in 2016. The most significant cost increases come from the Ballard Link Extension; its estimated costs nearly doubled from about $12 billion to as much as $22.6 billion. The West Seattle light rail extension nearly doubled as well, from $4.1 billion to as much as $7.9 billion. (Those numbers assume no cost saving measures are taken. The agency has identified some significant potential savings for West Seattle extension, The Urbanist reported in March, a project further along in the design process).
In contrast to the Seattle projects, the Everett Link Extension did not see as significant cost increases. Its original bill of $6.5 billion has increased to as much as $7.7 billion. Tacoma’s extension also saw a less extreme increase than the Seattle projects, which will likely see higher property acquisition costs because of the denser built environment.
https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/04/15/build-the-spine-snoco-leaders-say-everett-light-rail-is-a-priority/