WASHINGTON — A slew of transit and labor advocates rallied Thursday to advocate for the expansion of light rail.
Planned expansions have been plagued with delays and budget issues, prompting advocates to fear they might be called off.
Traffic can be more than just a headache; it can be a hazard.
“They’re just making a wreck, they don’t know how to drive. They’re just giving them driver’s licenses,” Quisha Massey, a driver who is sick of the region’s traffic, said. “You’ve got to pray before you get on the road.”
Every year, it just gets worse.
“We have grown so rapidly,” Lei Castillo, who has lived in the area more than 50 years, said. “There’s got to be some resolution to our traffic problem.”
According to the advocates behind the newly-launched “Build the Damn Train!” campaign, the solution to traffic is light rail expansion.
“The message from voters, riders and the public is clear,” Kirk Hovenkotter of the Transportation Choices Coalition said. “Build the damn trains.”
The group met outside Union Station and cited numerous setbacks in Sound Transit’s light rail expansion, which was approved by voters in 2016. That sweeping expansion is known as Sound Transit 3, or ST3.
The Everett Link Extension was slated to open by 2036, but is now expected to open sometime between 2037 and 2041.
A West Seattle Link was expected to open in 2030, but is now slated for 2032. The Tacoma Dome Link Extension was projected for 2030, but now stands at 2035.
With each delay, costs continue to rise.
“They have been working on it for so many years now,” Castillo said. “As taxpayers, where is our money going?”
The “Build the Damn Trains” rally came hours before the Sound Transit board of directors met for a retreat aimed at addressing its budget shortfall.
According to meeting documents, COVID, inflation, rising costs for materials and labor and other factors mean the project will cost up to $20 billion more than initially expected.
Hovenkotter and his team argue that it doesn’t matter; the public deserves to get what they voted for.
“Commuters are diligently paying their taxes to fund the promise of light rail,” he said. “They are sick and tired of the Sound Transit board wavering on whether they build the light rail voters approved in 2016.”
According to meeting documents, Sound Transit will iron out a plan to move forward sometime in 2026.
The agency released the following statement to KIRO 7:
“The campaign demonstrates ongoing public support for ST3 projects. Sound Transit is working hard to equip our board with the tools they need to address cost issues and ensure the agency can continue growing and operating a world-class regional transit system.”
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