Editing Sound Transit (section)

===Launch of first services===
[[File:Sound Transit DE60LFR.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Sound Transit Express]] bus on route 550 in the [[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]]]]

Sound Transit was adopted as the brand name for the RTA on August 15, 1997, along with the names "Link" for the light rail system, "Sounder" for the commuter rail system, and "Regional Express" for the bus network. The "Sound Transit" name was chosen due to its use as a [[double entendre]], referring to the Puget Sound region as well as appearing "trustworthy" and "solid".<ref>{{cite news |last=Barber |first=Mike |date=August 15, 1997 |title=Transit board makes sound choice picking a new name |page=C3 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> Over 100 names were suggested by consultants and members of the public to the RTA board; the other finalist for the agency's name was "Regional Transit", which went through several rounds of voting.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wodnik |first=Bob |date=August 15, 1997 |title=We'll call it 'Sound Transit' |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-well-call-it-sound-tr/144148505/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dudley |first=Brier |date=August 15, 1997 |title=Make way for 'ST' — Sound Transit |page=B1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-make-way-for-st-sou/161294441/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The agency's logo, created by a local firm and described as a "heavyset T with an S winding through it", was approved in September by the board.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dudley |first=Brier |date=September 26, 1997 |title=Regional Transit Authority logo is a go |page=B8 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-regional-transit-author/161294490/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit approved funding for its first projects the following month by partnering with local transit agencies; [[Pierce Transit]] received funding for 15 additional daily trips on its Seattle–Tacoma express buses, while construction of [[Community Transit]]'s park and ride at Ash Way in Lynnwood would be accelerated with new regional funds.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wodnik |first=Bob |date=September 5, 1997 |title=Park-and-ride groundbreaking is a first for RTA |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-park-and-ride-groundbre/161294506/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=George |date=September 16, 1997 |title=RTA already on the road to fitting new transit puzzle pieces together |page=B3 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref>

The first component of the Sound Move plan to be fully implemented was the regional express bus system, which was later renamed to [[Sound Transit Express]] and approved in late 1998.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schaefer |first=David |date=November 9, 1998 |title=Sound Transit picking up speed |page=A1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19981109/2782504/sound-transit-picking-up-speed----three-county-web-of-express-bus-routes-nears-approval |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 11, 2025}}</ref> The first set of nine express bus routes launched on September 19, 1999, and served regional destinations and 33 park and ride lots in the three counties;<ref name="TNT-Express1999"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=George |date=May 13, 1999 |title=Bus routes leave some (un)happy |page=B1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> an existing King County Metro express route from Seattle to Bellevue and Pierce Transit's Seattle–Tacoma express were also transferred to Sound Transit.<ref name="TNT-Express1999"/><ref name="Times-Express1999">{{cite news |last=Whitely |first=Peyton |date=September 17, 1999 |title=Buses ready to roll |page=B1 |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19990917/2983670/buses-ready-to-roll |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The initial fleet of 117 buses were painted in the agency's new livery and included [[low-floor bus|low-floor]] articulated buses, high-floor coaches, and 20 dual-mode Breda buses leased from King County Metro for use in the [[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]].<ref name="TNT-Express1999"/><ref name="PI-Buses1999"/><ref>{{WSDOT Public Transit Summary |year=1999 |page=160 |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The express buses accepted the PugetPass, a new inter-agency fare system that replaced commuter passes and was accepted by five regional transit agencies when it launched on September 1, 1999.<ref name="Times-Express1999"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Cornwall |first=Warren |date=August 14, 1999 |title=Transfer agencies to offer one pass |page=1A |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-transfer-agencies-to-of/161338211/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref>

The Sounder commuter rail system was originally scheduled to debut with nine daily round trips between Seattle and Tacoma in December 1999, but state funding for track improvements had been jeopardized by the [[Tim Eyman]]-led [[Washington Initiative 695|Initiative 695]], which capped the state's portion of the motor vehicle excise tax at $30.<ref>{{cite news |last=Quigg |first=David |date=December 10, 1999 |title=Commuter train struts its stuff |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-commuter-train-struts-i/161339432/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The initiative was passed in November 1999 and later ruled unconstitutional by the [[Washington Supreme Court]], but the cap was passed by the state legislature;<ref>{{cite news |last=Gutman |first=David |date=July 11, 2017 |title=Tim Eyman initiative would toss Sound Transit car-tab tax, set state cap of $30 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/tim-eyman-initiative-would-toss-sound-transit-car-tab-tax-set-state-cap-of-30/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> the state's withdrawn funding was filled by an allocation of federal transportation funds allocated by the [[Puget Sound Regional Council]].<ref name="TNT-BNSF2000">{{cite news |last=Quigg |first=David |date=April 21, 2000 |title=Sound Transit reaches deal with BNSF |page=B1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sound-transit-reaches-d/161340357/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit had reached an agreement with the [[Port of Seattle]], [[Port of Tacoma]], and railroad owners [[BNSF Railway|BNSF]] and [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] in April 1999 for use of their tracks, contingent on funding the majority of a $319{{nbsp}}million improvement project for the Seattle–Tacoma corridor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Foster |first=George |date=April 29, 1999 |title=Gorton breaks impasse on commuter rail |page=B2 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref> A new, 40-year agreement was signed with BNSF in April 2000 for the railroad to operate the commuter rail system with its crews for an annual cost of $4{{nbsp}}million in 2000 dollars (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|4000000|2000}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars).{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}<ref name="TNT-BNSF2000"/>

Sounder trains on the South Line (now the S Line) began service on September 18, 2000, with two round trips from Tacoma to Seattle with intermediate stops at [[Sumner station|Sumner]] and [[Auburn station (Sound Transit)|Auburn]] stations. An estimated 657 people rode the morning trains, while 451 rode in the evening.<ref>{{cite news |last=McGann |first=Chris |date=September 19, 2000 |title=Sound Transit's Tacoma-to-Seattle commuter-rail service debuts |page=B1 |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Quigg |first=David |date=September 19, 2000 |title=Sounder off to a solid opening-day performance |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sounder-off-to-a-solid/161340866/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The service used a temporary platform due to a dispute with [[Tacoma Rail]], which owned the tracks leading to the intermodal [[Tacoma Dome Station]] hub; the dispute also limited the number of daily trips for trains until an agreement was signed in November 2000.<ref name="TNT-SounderPractice">{{cite news |last=Quigg |first=David |date=September 17, 2000 |title=All aboard! Sounder crew hopes practice will make Monday's opening day perfect |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-all-aboard-sounder-cre/121760376/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sounder-crew-aims-for-f/121760429/ A20] |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-all-aboard-sounder-cre/121760376/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 18, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dudley |first=Brier |date=November 17, 2000 |title=Sound Transit, Tacoma Rail reach agreement on track |page=A18 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> Additional stations were completed and opened by March 2001 to bring the line to seven stations as originally approved in Sound Move;<ref>{{cite news |last=Kawada |first=Eijiro |date=March 11, 2001 |title=Hundreds gather to celebrate opening of Sounder train station |page=B2 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-hundreds-gather-to-cele/161341219/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> the platform at Tacoma Dome Station opened on September 15, 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Sean |date=September 16, 2003 |title=Making connections: Passengers, business owners rave about new facility's convenience |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-making-connections-pas/161341008/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 21, 2024}}</ref> The initial rollout of the 19 planned Sound Transit Express routes was completed in September 2002 with the launch of the Seattle–[[Woodinville, Washington|Woodinville]] and Tacoma–University District routes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Singer |first=Natalie |date=September 25, 2002 |title=Commuters along for the (new) ride |page=B2 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref> The bus fleet had grown to 194 vehicles and the service had carried 15{{nbsp}}million passengers in its first three years of operation.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 26, 2002 |title=Sound Transit celebrates two major milestones: completes ST Express regional bus system; announces start date for third Sounder train |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/sound-transit-celebrates-two-major-milestones-completes-st |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 18, 2024}}</ref> By 2005, Sound Transit had constructed several direct access ramps between bus hubs and HOV lanes on freeways, along with a total of 10,000 stalls at park and ride lots.<ref>{{cite news |last=Corvin |first=Aaron |date=January 16, 2005 |title=Around the bend |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-around-the-bend-part-1/161512778/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-around-the-bend-part-2/161512782/ A14] |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-around-the-bend-part-1/161512778/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 25, 2024}}</ref>