Sound Transit Board honors transit champion, State Representative Ruth Fisher

Calling her "A Champion for future generations," the Sound Transit Board of directors today dedicated the agency's Boardroom in honor of former state Representative Ruth Fisher, who died last February.

A bronze plaque, featuring a photo of Representative Fisher, was unveiled at today's Sound Transit Board meeting.  A video highlighting her contributions to the regional transit system was played at the dedication. The plaque will be permanently displayed in the newly renamed Ruth Fisher Boardroom.

"Simply put, Ruth Fisher was the Mother of Sound Transit," said Pierce County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair John Ladenburg.

Ruth Fisher represented North Pierce County's 27^th district for 20 years. The archives of the Washington State Legislature contain the following description of her career.

"Ruth Fisher served as a Pierce County Planning Commissioner for nine years and then represented the Twenty-seventh District for twenty years, from 1983 to 2003. She served briefly on the Washington State Transportation Commission before ill health forced her retirement. She was best known for her role as House Transportation Committee chair where she championed the diversification of transportation methods to include Sound Transit, bus systems and other methods of reducing traffic. She was an advocate for growth management and one of the "Steel Magnolias" who pushed through the Growth Management Act in 1990. She was also known for her efforts to reform campaign financing."

A Tacoma native, Ruth Fisher also championed the legislation that helped make the new, second Tacoma Narrows Bridge possible.

"Her foresight and vision led her to sponsor, in 1991, the enabling legislation that created Sound Transit," said ST Board Chair Ladenburg. "Her legacy - and her memory - is in every mile of track we build and every mile our trains and buses travel."