Greetings, Seattle Metro Chamber members,
Passing the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, which was approved by voters in 2016, is one of the achievements I’m most proud of. Working with a coalition of business leaders – including this Chamber – alongside labor, transit advocates, and local government, we made a generational commitment to light rail throughout our region, as well as a foundational investment in more equitable access to jobs, housing, and education, and reduced climate impacts. We went big and it paid off.
This year, Sound Transit’s Board is crafting the details of a major piece of ST3: the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions. These light rail extensions are the most consequential public works program in the history of Seattle, and they have major implications for how the rest of the line serves riders coming from East King County, Snohomish County, and Pierce County. For example, the new downtown Seattle transit tunnel – part of this project – will provide capacity for light rail to Everett and Tacoma.
The West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions also have tremendous opportunity for transformation – including housing and jobs near the new stations. At the same time, there will be significant, years-long construction impacts to existing communities. Balancing long-term opportunity and shorter-term disruption is a critical consideration for each of the big components of ST3, including extending light rail lines north to Everett, east to Issaquah, and south to Tacoma.
Because of the regional significance of the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extensions – and the tone these decisions will set for the rest of the ST3 package – for the past six months, the Chamber has convened stakeholders along the corridor: from West Seattle to SODO, through downtown, Seattle Center, and Ballard. We built a coalition with meaningful communication, input and outreach over a six-month period – one where stakeholders could share their perspectives with each other and key public leaders. We did the good, hard work up front, and made sure it continued between meetings.
We took this responsibility on because we know our region is stronger when we can reach agreement on these big decisions together. We also know that to stay on schedule to open the West Seattle extension in 2032 and Ballard in 2037, we need timely decisions about where stations will be located and light rail routes between stations.
Both the Seattle City Council and Sound Transit System Expansion Committee took actions in July to advance the project. We knew this would be no small feat for a project that includes:
- 12+ miles of new light rail track
- 13+ new or expanded stations
- New light rail-only downtown tunnel
- 2 water crossings
So, I’m happy to report that the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution that shows that the city has a unified vision for the future of light rail through Seattle and is ready to be a partner in this work. Following that action, Sound Transit’s System Expansion Committee, and subsequently the Board of Directors, unanimously approved a motion consistent with the city’s resolution.
Unanimous votes are not an accident. Unanimous votes are achieved when the work is done on the front end. The Chamber and its partners built community awareness and support along the corridor – and the result is our elected leaders voted in favor of selecting preferred route and station alternatives where consensus was clear. Importantly, the Sound Transit Board also gave itself time to work through some of the areas where community support around an alignment is still coalescing. We applaud the board for that.
We appreciate the time that Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, staff at the Seattle Department of Transportation, Sound Transit’s System Expansion Committee Chair Claudia Balducci, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and all Sound Transit Board members and staff took to listen to the community’s preferences.
Last week it was disappointing to learn the light rail projects under construction will open later than planned. We appreciate Sound Transit’s transparency about the challenges it is encountering, and we encourage it to tightly manage what is within its control, as well as carefully navigate what is not, like the concrete work disruption. As the new CEO Julie Timm joins the agency next month, we will continue our advocacy for corrective actions to ensure future ST3 projects are delivered as committed to voters.
While our work advocating on your behalf on the remaining decisions is clearly not done yet – we are taking a moment to celebrate these recent unanimous votes and stakeholder achievements. Because when we take the time to do stakeholder outreach right, we have a better chance at bringing a region-changing project to fruition.
Onward, Rachel
Rachel Smith
President and CEO
Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce
