Light rail to Tacoma Will be up for vote
DAVID WICKERT; The News Tribune
The Sound Transit board on Thursday approved a plan to add 50 miles of light rail across the Puget Sound region, if voters approve the tax increases to pay for it.
Here’s what you need to know:
The plan: It would extend light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to the Tacoma Dome, connecting to the existing Tacoma Link service.
It also would extend light rail north to the 164th Street/Ash Way area of Snohomish County and east to Redmond in King County. And it would include more parking and other improvements to transit facilities.
The cost: That depends on how you count. The construction plan would cost $10.8 billion in 2006 dollars.
But when inflation is taken into account, construction would cost an estimated $17.5 billion over 20 years.
The measure also includes about $1.5 billion for operations and maintenance in 2006 dollars.
Funding: The measure would require a sales tax increase of 0.5 percent, or 5 cents on a $10 purchase.
What’s next: Voters will get the final say on the measure, part of a larger roads and transportation package that will be on the November ballot.
More information: www.soundtransit.org.
