With a Sound Transit meeting set for Monday to hear from people in the Everett area about ST3, a group called Light Rail To Everett has formed to shorten the proposed timeline. Under the current proposal Light Rail is not scheduled to come to Everett until 2041.
Light Rail To Everett says they have a plan to bring light rail by 2033. Ten years after it comes to Lynnwood. Here’s their basic argument as presented on their website…
LIGHT RAIL TO EVERETT is an initiative to help represent the economic interests of the county and unite the region around the case for light rail sooner than 2041. It was created to help educate and empower the business and community leaders and work together to ensure light rail arrives to Everett by 2033.
ISSUE: Sound Transit plans from as early as 1994 specifically prioritized light rail investments to connect Everett-Seattle-Tacoma (north to south) and Seattle-Bellevue-Redmond (west to east). While the current draft Sound Transit plan for ST3 delivers light rail through the Paine Field aerospace employment center and into Everett, its delivery date is in 2041. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. It is nor fair or acceptable to delay Light Rail Transit (LRT) to Everett, the northerly spine of the ST system until 2041.
The draft plan has light rail extensions arriving to Ballard and West Seattle before Everett, when they were NEVER prioritized in prior ST Long-Range plans.
Building a regional LRT system the right way means building it to connect in timely fashion to the major job centers where workers can use high-capacity transit to get to their destination. The aerospace employment cluster around Paine Field serves over 50,000 workers – the largest manufacturing jobs center in the State of Washington.
Additionally, the LRT system is also critical to connect employees who cross county lines to get to their work place each day. Census Bureau figures show Snohomish County sends more than 153,000 workers into King County each day — the highest “cross-county commute” number in the state. Further, more than 53,000 King County residents go to work in Snohomish County each day.
A regional system needs to go where the growth goes. Snohomish County is the fastest growing of the three Central Puget Sound counties in the ST service area and is expected to add 200,000 people in the next 20 years. More people and more jobs equals a critical need for more service.
LRT service into Everett should be on line by 2033. We’re going to have to work together to let them know that 2041 just doesn’t cut it.
Editor’s Note: If you don’t want to wait until Monday’s meeting you can click here to see the full Sound Transit draft plan, take their survey and learn more.
April 23, 2016 at 6:33 AM
Anyone remember that episode of ‘The Simpsons’ when the guy comes to town pushing the monorail system?
That’s Seattle, and it’s outlaying cities that just have to be part of it. Why do we need to connect Seattle to Everett in the first place? So those with lower income who can’t afford cars and rely on public transportation. Lets also give them affordable housing, free food, free internet, free phones, free health care.
Seattle wants to be a visionary Epcot, where everyone walks or takes funded transportation everywhere- To support this, cities like Bothell, Everett, Lynnwood, Tacoma etc all grovel at the feet for the big city, and will do anything for it.
It’s WASHINGTON STATE, not Seattle State. Give me a break! Take your rail line and your crappy bike share program and stick them up your rear, Seattle.
April 22, 2016 at 11:53 AM
I can’t believe we are even considering rail in the 21st century. Commuters, if you don’t want to spend 10 hrs on the road per week there is an easy solution; live closer to your work.
The only people I really have sympathy for are the folks making deliveries and freight.
April 22, 2016 at 11:35 AM
NIMBY’s don’t like loud trains running through their McNeighborhoods dontcha know?
April 22, 2016 at 8:17 AM
Anybody else find it funny that we once had a light rail? It’s now the interurban trail.
April 21, 2016 at 4:19 PM
Another political boondoggle. Perhaps they can get Big Bertha to dig some tunnels if needed?
Time to relocate out of this insane asylum called Washington state.
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April 21, 2016 at 3:55 PM
And so has the Anti-Light Rail to Everett group. Just now. Who’s in?
April 21, 2016 at 3:14 PM
Light rail AKA the next big tax fund is a scam. I look forward to this cluster to be over budget and build time. God bless our ELECTED and TRUSTWORTHY officials.
April 21, 2016 at 1:11 PM
We’ll have driverless cars by then, and who knows what else kind of technology. Are we sure we’ll need light rail by then?