South Sound

On the whole, there were bright spots for urbanist candidates all around the region, with major gains seen in Burien, Redmond, and Tacoma. There was also some backsliding in places like Sammamish and Bainbridge Island.

The changes will impact riders throughout King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties as Sound Transit eliminates routes where travel times are competitive with new light rail options. The agency is also planning to launch a new overnight bus network to improve regional access.

Federal Way Link will open on December 6, ahead of the previous plan for an early 2026 opening, Sound Transit announced today.

The progressives running for the four Burien City Council seats up this year have the upper hand based on primary results. Sam Méndez, Hugo Garcia, Sarah Moore, and Rocco DeVito will have to close the deal in November to flip the council.

Tacoma faces a pivotal August 5 primary in which voters will narrow field for mayor and city council seats. Housing, gun violence, and pedestrian safety have emerged as pressing issues in the Grit City.

After navigating through a number of major issues that added years of delay, the Sound Transit board is poised to adopt a new preferred alternative for Tacoma Dome Link. The project isn't slated to reach full design until 2027 and to open until 2035.

The fully completed plan, intended to provide an array of strategies that would advance Pierce County toward a goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries by 2035, was only approved by a 4-3 vote last week.

Tacoma voters balked at the price tag of the Streets Initiative II levy. That leaves Tacoma officials scrambling to come up with plan B to grapple with street safety and maintenance needs.