One thing readily apparent about traffic is that it knows no limits - literally. Congestion doesn't stop at county lines. But until recently, jurisdiction for dealing with public transportation problems - and congestion - did. After recognizing that the region's existing transportation system couldn't meet the demand being placed on it the state Legislature passed a law that allowed counties to create a single agency, Sound Transit - the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority - to develop alternatives for meeting regional travel needs. In particular, the legislature charged the agency with planning, building and operating a high-capacity transit (HCT) system (within a three-county regional transit district) for the region's most heavily used travel corridors.
The Sound Transit District boundary
The Sound Transit district map includes the most congested urban areas of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The Sound Transit District boundary generally follows the urban growth boundaries created by each county in accordance with the state Growth Management Act.
Sound Transit District subareas
One of the unique features of the Sound Transit plan is that it delivers a fair share of investments to each of Sound Transit's five geographic areas:
- East King County
- Snohomish County
- South King County
- North King County
- Pierce County
The principle of subarea equity assures that Sound Transit taxes raised in each subarea are used for capital projects and operations that directly benefit that area. Priority projects for each subarea were identified through a public process involving established local elected official organizations.
The population figures given here are Sound Transit analysis based on data from the Puget Sound Regional Council, and were last revised April, 2007.
Snohomish County Subarea: Includes the cities of Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo and Woodway. The Snohomish County Subarea has an estimated population of 397,000.
North King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Seattle, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. The North King subarea has an estimated population of 646,000.
South King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Algona, Auburn, Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Normandy Park, Pacific, SeaTac and Tukwila. Since 1990, this has been the fastest growing area of King County. The South King Subarea has an estimated population of 483,000.
East King County Subarea: Includes the cities of Beaux Arts, Bellevue, Bothell, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kirkland, Medina, Mercer Island, Newcastle, Redmond, Renton, Sammamsih, Woodinville, and Yarrow Point. The East King Subarea has an estimated population of 491,000.
Pierce County Subarea: Includes the cities of Bonney Lake, DuPont, Edgewood, Fife, Fircrest, Lakewood, Milton, Orting, Puyallup, Ruston, Steilacoom, Sumner, Tacoma and University Place. The Pierce County Subarea has an estimated population of 650,000.
Paying for Regional Transit
The law that created Sound Transit also authorized the agency to levy and collect voter-approved local option taxes to pay for building and operating an HCT system. These taxes could include an employer tax, a special motor vehicle excise tax (the tax on license plate tabs) and a sales and use tax. Taxes will only be levied within the Sound Transit district. Sound Transit is not authorized to (nor does it intend to) levy property taxes to help pay for the regional transit system.
What is the RTA Tax?
The RTA Tax is a 0.3 percent motor-vehicle tax and a 0.4 percent sales tax, that was approved by voters as part of the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority's (RTA) Proposition 1. The Central Puget Sound RTA District includes the urban areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Voters within the RTA district approved Proposition 1 at the November 1996 general election to provide local funding for a package of region-wide transit improvements in the metropolitan three-county area, including light rail, commuter rail and express bus service. The RTA Tax became effective for vehicle renewals on April 1, 1997 and was phased in as vehicle licenses expired after that date.
In November 2008, voters approved increasing the sales tax in the Sound Transit District by 0.5 percent to fund Sound Transit 2, a 15-year package of light rail, commuter rail, express bus and other mass transit expansions. The increased sales tax -- which is the equivalent of 5 cents on a $10 purchase -- will be collected starting April 1, 2009.
Learn more about the Car Tab Tax (MVET), and about how to determine if you reside in the Sound Transit District here>>>
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What is the RTA Boundary and how is it determined?The Sound Transit District includes the most congested urban areas of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. The district boundary lines generally follow the urban growth boundaries created by each county in accordance with the state Growth Management Act. In 2002, the Sound Transit boundary was adjusted in some locations in consideration of voter precinct boundaries, city limit lines, and geography. |
You may contact us for more information regarding the RTA Boundary:
Sound Transit
401 South Jackson Street
Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: Toll-free 1-877-755-4550
Fax: 206-398-5223
E-mail: Main@soundtransit.org