Sound Transit’s funding for transit construction and operations comes from a combination of local taxes, federal grants and loans, borrowing through the issuance of bonds, interest earnings, fare income, and other miscellaneous revenues.
In November of 2023, Sound Transit received its 28th annual Financial Statement and federal funding Single Audit, conducted by the independent external auditing firm Moss Adams. No material weaknesses have been found since these audits began in 1995.
Funding sources and uses: 2017-2046
Why does Sound Transit calculate its revenues and expenditures from 2017-2046? That’s the program life of the voter-approved ST3 regional system expansion plan.
Funding source | YOE$ in billions |
| Local taxes | $93.7 |
| Debt | $31.9 |
| Grants | $15.3 |
| Fares and other | $6.1 |
| Interest earnings | $1.1 |
| Total | $148.2 |
Funding uses | YOE$ in billions |
| Link light rail | $62.4 |
| Operations and maintenance | $40.6 |
| Debt Service | $21.4 |
| State of good repair | $9.9 |
| Sounder rail | $4.7 |
| Stride BRT | $2.9 |
| Systemwide | $1.9 |
| Tacoma Link | $1.8 |
| Reserves and other | $1.4 |
| ST Express Bus | $1.1 |
| Total | $148.2 |