Each year at our Tuxes & Trains gala event, Transportation Choices Coalition honors individuals, organizations, and projects that are transforming what it’s like to get around in Washington State. Our 2026 inductees to the Transportation Choices Hall of Fame are making transit history on two sides of our diverse state.
This year, we’re excited to recognize Spokane Reimagined and the Crosslake Connection Engineering and Design Teams for their outstanding contributions to expanding transit options.
Spokane Reimagined is a group of volunteer advocates led by co-directors Erik Lowe and Sarah Rose. They fight for the streets, sidewalks, and transit that will make Spokane more livable for all. This year, Spokane Reimagined helped lead the Yes for Buses campaign to victory in the face of the largest anti-transit campaign ever in a Washington State primary election. This win means transit riders in Spokane County will continue to enjoy expanded bus and paratransit service for the next 20 years! The organization has also pushed Spokane to adopt stronger policies to address the traffic safety crisis. They have demonstrated exceptional creativity: last year, for the Week Without Driving, they installed 29 bus benches across Spokane to improve their neighbors’ experience while accessing transit. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Spokane Reimagined!
Sound Transit’s Crosslake Connection Engineering and Design Teams successfully brought light rail across a floating bridge for the first time in the world. Talk about history made! This feat of engineering was envisioned, designed, and tested over the past 20 years, with contributions from hundreds of individuals. Now, the Crosslake Connection links Seattle to the Eastside, proving that ambitious infrastructure dreams are achievable. Since opening in March 2026 with new stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island, light rail in the Puget Sound has experienced a remarkable 40% surge in ridership, regularly carrying over 160,000 daily riders and setting new all-time ridership records during the World Cup. The Crosslake Connection demonstrates the transformative power of connecting communities with fast, reliable, and ambitious transit projects.
We feel privileged to be able to honor these inductees. We asked them to share more about their work in their own words. Read on to learn more about our inductees.
Spokane Reimagined
Please tell us about yourself. What achievements are you most proud of?
Spokane Reimagined is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to remaking our city’s transportation system.
Achievements we’re most proud of include:
- Building relationships with local media, elected leaders, and community organizations to push the conversation about street safety and a better future in Spokane.
- Artsy, bold, benches made with love ❤️
- Giving people a space to express their frustrations and use that energy to advocate for local change.
What is your hope for the future of transit and transportation in Washington?
We hope for a future where people can experience true freedom without a car. Where you’re not disadvantaged because you don’t have access to transportation that works for you. Where it’s safe to walk, bike, and roll for your daily needs, no matter what neighborhood you live in.
At TCC, we know that working together, we go farther. Who have been your greatest allies, partners, or influences in your work?
Spokane Reimagined has been incredibly lucky to have fantastic partners in our advocacy. Transportation Choices Coalition has been foundational to our strategy and public testimony efforts. We’re proud Strong Towns Local Conversation members, and both Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes have supported us since our inception and helped us grow into statewide coalition work. Our 2025 Week Without Driving Campaign wouldn’t have been possible without partnerships with Week Without Driving, Nondrivers Alliance, America Walks, and Disability Rights Washington. This collaboration helped significantly raise our profile nationally. Our fiscal sponsor, Spokane Independent Metro Business Alliance, and allies like 350 Spokane have been invaluable locally, while Mayor Lisa Brown has consistently lent her ear and acted decisively when the moment called for it. Spokane Transit Authority has become a trusted partner, even as we encourage them to move faster than they might feel comfortable. Finally, we’re inspired by Congress for the New Urbanism, Chattanooga Urbanist Society, and Jon Jon Wesolowski, all of whom have shaped our vision for what’s possible.
Crosslake Connection Engineering and Design Teams
There are too many people to name who contributed to the engineering, design, and delivery of the world’s first light rail to cross a floating bridge. Here are a few people who will accept this award on behalf of the engineering and design teams:
- Ron Lewis helped shepherd the project from vision to reality through planning, design, property acquisition, and early construction. His work laid the groundwork for the project’s eventual success.
- Randy Harlow guided East Link through pivotal construction and schedule-recovery efforts, helping to keep the project focused on its long-term promise for the region.
- John Sleavin was the lead engineer behind the groundbreaking track-bridge and rail-joint technology that made Link service across the I-90 floating bridge possible. Without him, this connection never would have happened.
- Chad Brown played a key role in guiding project delivery through construction and completion as Deputy Project Director. His expertise, collaborative leadership, especially with WSDOT, and commitment to solving complex challenges helped keep this project moving forward.
- Tony Raben led the team through the final sprint of testing and commissioning, and the start of passenger service, as Executive Project Director during the project’s final phase.
Watch this video to hear from some of the people who worked on the Crosslake Connection about what it was like to be part of this transformative project.
