April News: Light Rail on My Mind

The TCC team on the eve of the opening of the Crosslake Connection. Photo by Danny Ngan.

Dear friends,

The Crosslake Connection is open and it’s already changing how people get around Washington’s busiest region. It’s reshaping commutes and connecting communities like never before. We had so much fun celebrated the opening and TCC’s leading role in the 2008 campaign that made it possible.

But there are more light rail projects to build, and right now the Sound Transit board is challenged with figuring out how to deliver them in the face of rising costs. We’ve hosted two packed Transit Town Halls, and we’ve got more coming up. These are an opportunity for people to hear directly from Sound Transit leaders about what’s at stake — and vice versa.

Keep reading for more of what we’ve been up to and opportunities to get involved.

Ride on,

– Transportation Choices Coalition

WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO

Celebrating the New Crosslake Connection

A crowd outside the Judkins Park Station on Opening Day. Photo courtesy of Sound Transit.

On March 28th, we joined thousands of people to celebrate the opening of the Crosslake Connection. Only some of us made it on a train, with the line stretching out of the new Judkins Park Station and down a path into the park. But we enjoyed meeting transit riders from all over the state who stopped by our table to grab a commemorative sticker. This opening is a triumph, and it shows just how hungry people are for more transit options in the Puget Sound region.

Hosting Town Halls on the Future of Light Rail

Together with the Build the Damn Trains coalition, we’ve been organizing a series of Transit Town Halls featuring Sound Transit staff and board members. The two we’ve hosted so far have been very well-attended and informative. It’s a great opportunity for community members to learn how Sound Transit board members are approaching the agency’s budget gap and to ask questions about the future of light rail. Join us in Tacoma and Seattle in the coming weeks for the next events in this series!

Saying Goodbye to Raven Cruz

We were sad to part with our Operations Manager, Raven Cruz, this month, as she moves on to another position. Since 2022, Raven has been doing the behind-the-scenes work that holds our organization together: keeping track of invoices, managing our IT systems, fielding phone calls, orchestrating our office move, and so much more. Raven is a big transit rider, and she was also an amazing advocate in her time at TCC. She gave public testimony, volunteered for campaigns like Keep Seattle Moving, and held down the TCC table at countless events. We’re grateful to have had her steady (and fun) presence on staff for so long. We’ll miss you, Raven!

WHAT’S COMING UP

April 27th: The Future of Light Rail in Pierce County

Although light rail is on Pierce County’s doorstep, decisions need to be made by Sound Transit Board Members that will affect completing the spine to Tacoma, the Sounder, the T Line, and system expansion as a whole. Come hear from Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, Tacoma City Councilmember Kristina Walker and Sound Transit Staff. The event will be a hybrid town hall with a brief presentation from Sound Transit on the Enterprise Initiative, a structured Q&A, and then an open Q&A. The event is organized in partnership with Tacoma on the Go and the conversation will be moderated by Tacoma on the Go Executive Director, Laura Svancarek.

May 5th: The Future of Light Rail in Seattle

Big decisions need to be made by Sound Transit Board Members that will affect completing the West Seattle and Ballard Link extensions, and the Graham Street and Boeing Access Stations. Come learn what is on the table from King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, and Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss. The event will feature a brief presentation from Sound Transit on the Enterprise Initiative and a moderated panel discussion. The event will be moderated by TCC Executive Director, Kirk Hovenkotter.

May 21st: Join Us at Our Rescheduled Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 Workshop

Join Transportation Choices Coalition, Hopelink, and the Snoqualmie Valley Mobility Coalition for our rescheduled Snoqualmie Valley Rural Transportation Advocacy 101 Workshop!

Date: May 21st
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 PM, Optional networking and dessert from 8:00 – 8:30 PM
Location: North Bend City Hall
Address: 920 SE Cedar Falls Way, North Bend, WA 98045

Every piece of our streets, trails, and transit takes advocacy. Whether it’s a crosswalk, sidewalk, or bus stop, someone asked for it to be there. This workshop is designed for people who live or work in the Snoqualmie Valley or have a direct connection to this region. Come learn about rural transportation advocacy and practice skills to help support your community’s access to safe, sustainable, and equitable transportation.

You will hear from a dynamic panel of local and regional leaders working across transportation, public policy, and community advocacy. Then, we’ll learn about different advocacy skills like how to give effective testimony and practice together.

May Is Bike Everywhere Month!

The best way to celebrate Bike Everywhere Month is simply to get on a bike: ride to work, ride to the grocery store or just ride for the sheer joy of being outside and soaking in the sun after a long winter.

Get ready for warm-weather riding with a host of in-person and some virtual activities from our friends at Cascade Bicycle Club and Washington Bikes.

Learn more.

GET INVOLVED

Tell Sound Transit to Build the Damn Trains!

Sound Transit is facing real financial pressure. Rising construction costs and revised revenue projections have opened a $34.5 billion gap in the Sound Transit 3 program.

But Sound Transit 3 was a promise to voters. Before any project is cut or deferred, the Sound Transit Board must exhaust every available option: maximizing revenue, reducing costs through smarter design, pursuing permitting reform, and leveraging public land.

Sign our petition and take Sound Transit’s survey. Tell the Board to avoid cuts, keep projects moving, and build the damn trains.

Free Youth Transportation Safety Summit in Seattle. Registration Closes Tomorrow!

The Seattle Department of Transportation is hosting a Youth Transportation Summit focused on transportation safety on Saturday, April 25th from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Summit participants ages 14-22 will learn about regional transportation safety efforts, have the opportunity to share personal safety concerns and ideas for how to make it safer to get around, and engage with regional transportation safety professionals and City leadership. Registration closes tomorrow, April 17th!

Learn more and register.

STAFF PICK

Tap to Pay Makes Transit More Welcoming

Seattle-area transit riders have a new way to pay for rides. Earlier this year, ORCA launched Tap to Pay across Puget Sound transit agencies, allowing riders to use contactless credit cards or mobile wallets instead of a dedicated transit card.

I recently got a glimpse of how seamless this can be while visiting friends in New York City, where the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has embraced Tap to Pay for years. Being able to just tap my phone and hop on board made transit feel intuitive and low-stress, especially as a visitor. That’s why this shift feels so promising for our region. For occasional riders, visitors, and infrequent commuters, it removes one of the biggest barriers: figuring out fares ahead of time.

I’m especially excited for my out-of-town family and friends to ride with me without needing to purchase or load a separate card. My sister was visiting from Portland last weekend and used Apple Pay to hop on the light rail to get to a Mariners game (go M’s!). Tap to Pay is already making transit feel easier, faster, and more welcoming.

Iz Berrang
Education & Engagement Manager

WHAT WE’RE READING

Want Sound Transit to expand faster and for less money? Here’s how — Seattle Times

“Instead of arguing for why our line is the most important and needs to be prioritized, we want to take a different approach. Cities should lead the way on offering solutions to help Sound Transit deliver rail projects faster.”

Ballard Pushes to Save Its Light Rail Station — The Urbanist

“With nine new stations connecting Ballard, Interbay, Seattle Center, South Lake Union, and downtown, Ballard Link light rail is projected to carry 90,000 to 147,000 daily riders, the highest projected ridership in the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) package approved by voters in 2016.”

Op-Ed: 2 Line Launch Should Have Us Dreaming Bigger for the South End — The Urbanist

“Judkins Park Station represents a major investment in safe and reliable transit infrastructure near the Central District, yet the story looks very different just a few miles south.”

Could light rail across Lake Washington turn Seattle into the new Copenhagen? — KUOW

“Today, we find out what a bridge in Scandinavia can tell us about our own future — and whether the Crosslake Connection could bring this region the economic boost it needs.”

The wild political ride that brought light rail to the Eastside — Seattle Times

“When voters approved Proposition 1 in 2008 — otherwise known as Sound Transit 2 or ST2 — the $17.9 billion sales tax increase expanded light rail to Lynnwood, Federal Way and, most audaciously, from Seattle to Redmond.”

WTA rapid transit plan aims to speed up buses on busy routes — Cascadia Daily News

“The plan, in partnership with the City of Bellingham, plots a range of changes to speed up buses on the four Go Lines, including bus prioritization at traffic lights and stop consolidations.”

Spokane Transit is closer to securing half of its funding for Division Street project — Spokane Public Radio

“Chief Executive Karl Otterstrom says a federal agency has assigned the project a “medium high” rating. That means Spokane Transit is now virtually guaranteed to collect an $82 million grant, perhaps within a few months.”

Why climate funders don’t fund housing policy, and why they oughtta — Volts

“Why do climate funders prefer cutting checks for electric vehicles over fighting for dense, transit-oriented housing?”