The COVID-19 recession could change project timelines
The pandemic crisis is greatly reducing the revenues Sound Transit relies on to expand our regional transit system. As some businesses remain closed and people stay home, sales tax revenues critical to funding transit construction have declined rapidly. Our Board of Directors is working to determine which transit expansion project timelines will need to be adjusted through a process called realignment.
In light of this process, we’ve temporarily paused some actions on the Sumner parking and access improvements project while the Board is considering the larger picture.
In the coming months, projects may move forward incrementally as the Board continues to assess broader program-wide schedule adjustments. We’ll conduct a formal outreach period early next year to gather public feedback, and the Board will establish clear expectations about project delivery timelines by summer 2021.
To learn more about the Board’s process and actions, visit our realignment webpage.
Restored trips on Sounder South
Effective Sept. 21, Sounder South weekday service will increase to nine round trips.
Trains will leave Sumner northbound between 5:08-8:08 a.m., with one afternoon northbound trip at 5:32 p.m. Southbound trains will depart from Seattle’s King Street Station between 3:35-6:30 p.m. A southbound reverse-commute train will leave Seattle at 6:35 a.m. For details, read our new September schedule.
In addition, Sound Transit has released our draft 2021 Service Plan, which describes proposed changes to rail and bus service next year, including maintaining Sounder South service levels (nine round trips) throughout 2021. We are seeking feedback on the draft plan through Sept. 25th; visit the Plan webpage to learn more and comment.
Sounder’s 20th anniversary
On Sept. 18, 2000, Sounder made its inaugural run from Tacoma to Seattle, and it’s been providing reliable and traffic-free commutes for South Sound residents ever since.
While we can’t celebrate in the ways we normally would, we still want to thank our riders for making Sounder’s first two decades a success. To celebrate this milestone, we’re printing a limited number of special anniversary ORCA cards to be given away via social media and other outlets when it’s safe to do so. Recipients will have to load funds onto the cards to use them to ride. Share your story for a chance to win one!
Whether you’re a longtime rider or have only ridden once, send a couple sentences about your memories on Sounder or how it’s changed your commute (along with a picture if you have one) to theplatform@soundtransit.org.
And as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sounder South service, we also remember and appreciate the late Mayor Dave Enslow’s tireless advocacy for Sounder rail service to the community during his 20 years as a Sumner city council member and mayor. During his tenure as Sumner mayor he also served on the Sound Transit Board of directors for several years and played a key role in helping to expand Sounder service.
