For Immediate Release
March 24, 2016
Contact:
Kent Patton
425-388-3883
425-330-1858
Kent.Patton@SnoCo.org
Statement
from Sound Transit Board Members
Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive
Dave Earling, Mayor of Edmonds
Paul Roberts, Everett City Council
Supported by Ray Stephanson, Mayor of Everett
“Connecting job and population centers by completing the Link Light Rail “spine” has always been a consensus priority of Sound Transit. Having reviewed the Sound Transit 3 proposal, we appreciate that these commitments have been recognized by including both the job center near Paine Field and Everett in the plan. We are encouraged that the overall goal of completing the “spine” is met in the draft proposal. We are concerned that the draft proposal currently states that it will take 25 years for Link Light Rail to Everett to be completed. In 20 years, an additional 200,000 people will have moved to Snohomish County, adding even more gridlock to I-5 and I-405. This gridlock slows commerce for the entire region and will affect job centers in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. We will work with our regional partners to move the completion of the “spine” forward to an acceptable timeframe.”