Residents packed Everett Station on Tuesday night to weigh-in on the future of light rail, as Sound Transit works to close a $34.5 billion budget gap.
EVERETT, Wash. — It was standing room only inside Everett Station on Tuesday night as residents from across the region gathered for a transit town hall, seeking answers from Sound Transit officials on the future of light rail in Snohomish County amid a $34.5 billion budget shortfall.
The crowd included riders who crossed Puget Sound to attend. Zack Shoemaker and Sam Hanson traveled from Bremerton and Port Orchard, respectively, to take part in the conversation.
“All the communities will get it, they all need it — so let’s try and find the solution that works best for everybody,” Shoemaker said.
At the center of the discussion: the Everett Link Extension, a proposed 16-mile addition to the regional light rail network that would add six new stations and complete what local leaders call the spine of the system.
“It is the spine from Everett to Tacoma that is actually going to connect this region,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said during a panel discussion before the packed crowd. “I think a lot of us in Snohomish County for the longest time thought it would never get to Snohomish County.”
Snohomish County voters approved the extension as part of Sound Transit 3 on Nov. 8, 2016. The measure passed the following day, with plans to extend light rail north to Everett.
Nearly a decade later, that promise is facing new uncertainty. Sound Transit is weighing three cost-cutting options to address its budget gap, and one of those scenarios would not complete the connection to Everett.
“Citizens of Snohomish County have been paying for a system for a long, long time, and it’s time for them to get the light rail into Everett,” said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers.
Tuesday’s town hall gave residents a chance to go on record before Sound Transit’s board makes its next move. Hanson said he remains hopeful the extension will survive the budget process.
“There’s a lot of room for cost savings, a lot of room for refinements as the project moves along,” he said.
Shoemaker was similarly optimistic about the long-term outlook, even if the timeline stretches further than originally planned.
“Voters asked for it, Sound Transit will deliver. It’s just a matter of how long,” he said.
The Everett extension is not expected to be completed until sometime between 2037 and 2041. The next critical milestone could come as soon as May, when the Sound Transit board is expected to vote on which cost-cutting path moves forward.
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