Pierce County leaders demand commuter options from Sound Transit for light-rail delay
The Pierce County Council chairperson and Tacoma’s mayor are pressing Sound Transit to “provide transportation options” to South Sound residents now that the extension of the regional light-rail line has been delayed.
County Council Chair Ryan Mello and Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards issued a news release Friday in response to Sound Transit’s announcement earlier in the week that the light-rail connection from Seattle to Tacoma would be delayed three years.
The $3.3 billion project, which was part of the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, now is scheduled to be completed in 2035.
The delay is a result of Sound Transit project planning issues, not funding, which means there won’t be an additional tax burden on residents, but residents will need to wait longer for transit, the news release said.
“This is disappointing and now, five years after it was promised to voters of the South Sound, we have to wait again,” Mello said in the release. “I am deeply disappointed and frustrated. I believe Sound Transit must work to provide transportation options to the South Sound sooner rather than later; it is not an option to accept the delay with no mitigation.”
Mello and Woodards said they would work with their county and city council colleagues to draft a formal letter to Sound Transit.
“We understand issues arise in projects, especially one in the size and scope of (Sound Transit 3); however, that doesn’t change the fact we need and deserve reliable transportation through the Puget Sound region now,” Mello and Woodards said in the news release. “Pierce County residents are paying Sound Transit taxes and have been for years with little value in return in the short term.”
The Pierce County Council will discuss the letter at their meeting Tuesday. The City Council will bring forward a letter for discussion at their meeting March 14.
“I look forward to working with County Council Chair Mello, the Pierce County Council and Sound Transit to find solutions for our community, because having no clear remedy to this delay is unacceptable,” Woodards said in the news release. “One in four Pierce County workers travel to other counties for employment each day and, of those, more than 80% work in King and Snohomish counties, adding well over a hundred thousand drivers to the I-5 corridor. Light rail is a vital connection for Tacoma to the rest of our region, and Sound Transit needs to be prioritizing solutions that show the South Sound the benefits of public transportation.”
Mello pledged to work with his colleagues on the Pierce County Council to find interim steps South Transit could take to address transportation needs.
Some of the initial options include:
Increasing opportunities for people to use Sounder commuter rail, including more daily runs to the South Sound, an extension to DuPont as quickly as possible, and better, safer station access.
Increasing Sound Transit ground transportation options with an expansion of express-bus services and frequency between Pierce County and King County.
Partnering with Pierce Transit to increase point-to-point transportation options like dial-a-lift or the Pierce Transit runner to connect to Sound Transit express-bus stations and Sounder train stations.
