Von Reichbauer announces proposal to immediately move forward with Federal Way light rail planning

February 6, 2012

Summary

Sen. Tracey Eide calls for strong local partnership to extend light rail service

Story

State Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, joined King County Council Member Pete von Reichbauer and two other members of the Sound Transit Board today to support a proposal to establish a shovel-ready plan for extending light rail to Federal Way.

“Connecting South King County’s largest population and employment center to the regional light rail system is not only critical to local residents but to the entire region and state,” said von Reichbauer. “Sound Transit has never stopped working to find a way to get light rail to Federal Way. This proposal calls for acting on our commitment by moving forward immediately with the engineering and environmental review needed to get the project shovel-ready. This would include the Sound Transit Board making a final alignment decision. While we develop a specific route and cost estimate we will work with any and all partners to meet the challenge of funding construction.”

At a news conference today von Reichbauer announced he is submitting a proposed amendment to the Sound Transit Board’s 2012 Budget that will move forward with conceptual design and environmental review not only for the South 272nd Street light rail extension regional voters approved in 2008, but all the way to the Federal Way Transit Center area. While significant hurdles remain for establishing funding to complete the voter-approved plan, Sound Transit Board Chair Pat McCarthy and member Dow Constantine voiced support for von Reichbauer’s proposal to think big and not underestimate the power of forging strong partnerships.

"This is a huge step forward to bringing light rail to Federal Way and I'm very excited about this announcement,” said Eide. “For months I've been working with Joni Earl, Council Member von Reichbauer and the Sound Transit Board to accelerate the process of bringing light rail to Federal Way. The City of Federal Way needs to be a committed partner in identifying a light rail route and seeking funding, including potential partnerships at the state and federal levels.”

“My priority continues to be finding a viable solution to meet Federal Way’s transportation needs. This proposal keeps us moving forward while we all work together to address the funding gap, and it assures the people of South King County that Sound Transit continues to be committed to delivering light rail as promised,” Eide said.

Von Reichbauer’s proposal to fully fund the environmental review process includes an intensive process to involve residents of Federal Way and throughout South King County in shaping the extension.

The agency’s adopted 2012 budget includes funding for a full environmental process, culminating in a final environmental impact statement and record of decision, between South 200th Street and Kent/DesMoines, as well as a more limited analysis of options between Kent/DesMoines and South 272nd Street. Von Reichbauer’s proposal would add $24 million to the 2012 budget of $17.5 million to extend the full environmental process all the way to the Federal Way Transit Center.

The earlier assumption was that Sound Transit would undertake the full environmental process after continued monitoring of the economic recovery gave us greater assurance that a double-dip recession wouldn’t undermine the process. The proposal is based on a number of factors. Eide and von Reichbauer believe that economic conditions justify moving forward immediately with the planning needed to connect King County’s third-largest city to the regional light rail system. In addition, they believe that establishing a route to South 272nd Street requires deciding how that route would continue onward to the Federal Way Transit Center at the same time.

“I am 100 percent behind Board Member von Reichbauer’s proposed budget amendment,” said McCarthy, Pierce County Executive, who on Jan. 1 became the chair of the Sound Transit Board. “Getting a record of decision all the way to the heart of Federal Way will not only expedite light rail service to Federal Way but support our long-term vision of serving Pierce County.”

“The three counties and 52 cities in the Sound Transit District are all grappling with significantly reduced revenues in our economy. But Sound Transit has met big challenges before, and today's action will poise us to do so again. We should all work together to make sure that Federal Way is the 12th city to get light rail service as soon as possible,” said Constantine, King County Executive.

Extending planning efforts beyond the points where costs and funding levels were uncertain is a strategy that has already proven pivotal to expediting Sound Transit’s extensions to the University of Washington, Northgate and South 200th Street — not to mention reaching Sea-Tac International Airport within six months of opening the initial Link segment. In each of those instances, successful efforts to establish construction funding took place at the same time planning work moved forward. In 2011 Sound Transit received a record of decision for a route to extend light rail between Redmond’s Overlake and downtown areas when funding is available.

As a result of the national recession, current independent forecasts predict a 25 percent reduction in Sound Transit’s available revenues through 2023 for moving forward with voter-approved expansions. While all five of Sound Transit’s geographic subareas face major challenges, the challenges are greatest in South King County, where revenues are currently projected to be 32 percent lower than the original forecast. A public process Sound Transit launched in 2010 for realigning the scope and timing of Sound Transit 2 expansions has consistently communicated that current funding projections are insufficient to reach South 272nd Street by 2023.

Under von Reichbauer’s proposal, the planning work launched in 2012 will include conceptual engineering work and the development of the draft and final environmental impact statements necessary to make an alignment decision and receive the federal record of decision needed to move forward with construction after identifying necessary funding. State legislation or additional authority from voters would be required to move forward with construction south of South 272nd Street.