Under threat of state sanctions, Mercer Island is set to upzone its relatively dense Town Center area to eight stories, along with new provisions intended to create affordable housing. But a broader zoning overhaul that would fully optimize the city's light rail connection is still years away.
While bleak news portending delays took center stage following the Sound Transit board retreat, the event helped get board members on the same page when it comes to a path forward. Here's what you need to know.
The first new RapidRide bus line in South King County in over a decade, the I Line will connect riders with some of the area's busiest transit hubs including Kent and Auburn Stations and the forthcoming South Renton Stride station. Construction is expected to extend through 2027.
At a board retreat Wednesday, Sound Transit weighed three cost-cutting approaches that all included deferring light rail stations in Ballard and Interbay to a later date when funding allows. Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss pushed back against that approach.
Washington and Oregon will focus on replacing I-5's twin Columbia River bridges with a new freeway bridge ready to carry light rail to Downtown Vancouver, Governor Bob Ferguson announced Wednesday. The project is still facing a budget gap that could stretch into the billions.
The $350 million contract with Hoffman Construction, expected to be approved later this month, sets up a major piece of Sound Transit's system expansion puzzle. "OMF South" will be the agency's third train base.
The pressure to invest in degrading state highways pushed legislators to turn to $1.3 billion in bonding, a move necessary due to so many dollars being tied up in highway expansion projects like the North Spokane Corridor and the Puget Sound Gateway.
State lawmakers declined to unlock a financial tool that Sound Transit sought to get through a coming financial crunch, and approved a tax package that is expected to bring the agency a big revenue hit.
Thanks to newly revealed cost-saving measures, the cost to bring rail to Alaska Junction is now just $700 million to $1.1 billion over the amount baked into Sound Transit's financial plan, a major change compared to where things stood just 18 months ago.
The proposed $410 million levy is around 50% higher than the 2019 library levy, adjusted for inflation. With a focus on maintaining hours and modestly expanding services, the package doesn't include many big ticket items.