Sound Transit board sends $54B transit measure to November ballot

The Sound Transit board is sending a $54 billion package to the November ballot. A three-county light rail expansion is the centerpiece of the ST3 measure.

Fast facts:

• After the vote, the next stop for the $54 billion project will be the November ballot.
• If Sound Transit 3 is passed by voters, tracks and stations will run north, south, east, and west, connecting every major city in the region, except Olympia.
• The plan adds 62 miles of light rail, with stations serving 37 additional communities.
• Light rail extensions would run from Tacoma to Seattle, out to West Seattle and up to Ballard. Further north, light rail would extend up to Everett via Paine Field.

Additional plans for bus rapid transit up I-405 and I-5 would make a complete connection around the Sound.

Original estimates had ST3 being completed by 2041, but last month, the Sound Transit Board shortened the time frame.

The board thinks the project could reach Everett by 2036, and the light rail extensions to Tacoma, West Seattle and Ballard would be completed in the 2030s.

That’s if the cities streamline building permits and expedite route approval. To pay for ST3, there would be increases in sales and property taxes, along with a new motor vehicle excise tax.

Sound Transit estimates it would cost the average person $200 more per year.