Yesterday was an important day for us at Transportation Choices. The Sound Transit board announced a series of improvements to the ST3 draft plan.
Starting with the legislative session in 2015, when the opportunity for ST3 authority from the legislature became a real possibility, TCC has been working, lobbying, educating and advocating for a strong ST3 package that reflects the values of our community.
Together with the Transit Access Stakeholders group and Sound Transit, we have worked towards improving and strengthening the initial March ST3 proposal to ensure that it included great projects and robust policies that support our environment, land use, active transportation, social justice, & affordable housing objectives.
We are pleased with the latest ST3 proposal – and commend the staff and board for taking an involved and active role in working with advocacy groups.
Our most recent wins for ST3 include:
- Improving the timeline of deliverables
- Increasing and improving investments in multimodal access
- Ensuring reliability for neighborhoods by prioritizing grade separation in urban areas
The Power of Advocacy
We are proud of the work of our coalition – for months, we’ve been meeting and working through policy proposals that will have a real impact on people’s ability to have good jobs, affordable housing, cleaner air and water, and access to high-capacity transit.
By working together, the Transit Access Stakeholder group was able to craft strong policy recommendations with varied and broad perspectives.
What’s next?
June 2nd – Sound Transit Board will vote on sub-area amendments and discuss policy amendments on system access and TOD.
June 23rd – Sound Transit Board will vote on the final version of the package to be put on the ballot.
Summer – Campaign Launches! Transportation Choices will be leading the campaign to pass ST3 at the ballot this November. Join us as we talk to thousands of riders and potential riders about the benefits of high-capacity transit across the region. We will be knocking on doors, staffing phonebanks, tabling, and there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer.
