Editing Sound Transit (section)

===Link opening and early ST2 projects===

The initial {{convert|14|mi|km}} of Central Link (now the 1{{nbsp}}Line) opened to passengers on July 18, 2009, between [[Westlake station (Sound Transit)|Westlake station]] in Downtown Seattle to the north and [[Tukwila International Boulevard station]] to the south.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Doughton |first1=Sandi |author-link1=Sandi Doughton |last2=Lindblom |first2=Mike |date=July 19, 2009 |title=Seattle hops on board |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009496849_lightrail19m.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160924170518/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009496849_lightrail19m.html |archive-date=September 24, 2016 |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Yardley |first=William |date=July 31, 2009 |title=After Years of Debate, Light Rail Trains Enter Town |page=A8 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/us/01seattle.html |work=The New York Times |url-access=limited |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref> The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which underwent a two-year renovation to prepare for light rail service, became the only tunnel in the U.S. to have stations shared between buses and trains.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 21, 2009 |title=Tunnel two-step: It may take buses longer to clear shared tunnel |page=A1 |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009245024_stdowntown21m0.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060754/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009245024_stdowntown21m0.html |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref> The construction cost was $117{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|117000000|2009}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} below the $2.44{{nbsp}}billion budget (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|2440000000|2009}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} set by Sound Transit in 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 23, 2011 |title=Light-rail contract dispute is resolved |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2015410238_lightrail24m.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918110623/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2015410238_lightrail24m.html |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref> An extension from Tukwila to Sea–Tac Airport opened on December 19 and cost $244{{nbsp}}million to construct (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|244000000|2009}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}—financed primarily through [[Bond (finance)|bonds]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=December 19, 2009 |title=Sound Transit opens new light-rail link with Sea-Tac Airport |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2010550753_weblightrail19m.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106175322/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2010550753_weblightrail19m.html |archive-date=January 6, 2017 |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hadley |first=Jane |date=July 14, 2005 |title=Light rail plan comes into focus |page=B1 |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/light-rail-plan-comes-into-focus-1178439.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref> By September 2009, Sound Transit's services had carried over 100{{nbsp}}million total passengers, of which 82{{nbsp}}million were on its network of 26 express bus routes on 21 corridors.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 18, 2009 |title=Sound Transit marks 10 years of serving customers |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/sound-transit-marks-10-years-serving-customers |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=August 31, 2016}}</ref> The [[ORCA card]], a [[smart card]] system for seven of the region's transit agencies, debuted in April 2009 and replaced Sound Transit's paper transfer tickets and PugetPass monthly passes on January 1, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=September 16, 2009 |title=Transit agencies expand passes |page=B2 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-transit-agencies-expand/161409268/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=December 30, 2009 |title=Got ORCA? New transit pass takes over Jan. 1 |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/got-orca-new-transit-pass-takes-over-jan-1/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref>

The first service expansion using ST2 funds was rolled out beginning in May 2009, with additional trips for twelve bus routes and a ninth daily round-trip on the Sounder South{{nbsp}}Line.<ref>{{cite press release |date=May 21, 2009 |title=New trains, new bus trips bring big changes in June |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/new-trains-new-bus-trips-bring-big-changes-june |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit's primary revenue sources, sales tax and the motor vehicle excise tax, began to decline in late 2008 as a result of the ongoing economic recession.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=October 9, 2009 |title=Sound Transit ridership rises; funding takes hit |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sound-transit-ridership-rises-funding-takes-hit/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> By late 2010, the agency expected that it would have a shortfall of $3.9{{nbsp}}billion (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|3900000000|2010}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} through the lifetime of the ST2 program, approximately 25{{nbsp}}percent of forecasted revenue.<ref>{{cite news |last=Halpert |first=Oscar |date=September 23, 2010 |title=Sound Transit faces service cuts as revenues fall |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sound-transit-faces-service-cuts-as-revenues-fall/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Merten |first=Paxtyn |date=May 5, 2020 |title=What the Great Recession taught Sound Transit about realignment in an economic crisis |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/05/05/how-sound-transit-adjusted-its-capital-program.html |work=[[Puget Sound Business Journal]] |url-access=subscription |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> In response, several Sounder projects and a portion of the light rail extension to Federal Way were cut from the ST2 program or given a lower priority rating, as was preliminary engineering for other projects. The start of University Link construction was unaffected by the cuts, as it had already been budgeted and received federal funding, while planning for the Eastside's [[2 Line (Sound Transit)|light rail extension]] stalled over disagreements over the routing in Bellevue.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gutierrez |first=Scott |date=September 22, 2010 |title=Sound Transit must cut back; south King hurt most |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/sound-transit-must-cut-back-south-king-hurt-most-890010.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |accessdate=December 22, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hicks |first=Joshua Adams |date=August 12, 2010 |title=Sound Transit will re-think Bellevue tunnel in light of bad economy |url=https://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/sound-transit-will-re-think-bellevue-tunnel-in-light-of-bad-economy/ |work=[[Bellevue Reporter]] |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> Ridership on Sounder and Sound Transit Express declined slightly from 2009 to 2010, while Link light rail fell short of its projections; weekend and late-night trips on Central Link were also reduced to one railcar to save on operating costs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=March 3, 2011 |title=Sound Transit ridership falls short of goals |page=B1 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014381404_soundtransit03m.html |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510110749/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014381404_soundtransit03m.html |archive-date=May 10, 2011 |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref>

To cover increased operating costs, Sound Transit Express fares were increased twice over a two-year period and several routes or sections with low weekend ridership were cut or combined in June 2011.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 2012 |title=Transit Development Plan 2012–2017 and 2011 Annual Report |page=13 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/newsroom/2012_tdp_2011annualrpt.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |date=May 10, 2011 |title=ST Express, Link fare changes take effect June 1 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/st-express-link-fare-changes-take-effect-june-1 |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> The agency also opened new bus hubs in [[Kirkland, Washington|Kirkland]] and [[Mountlake Terrace, Washington|Mountlake Terrace]], where a [[Mountlake Terrace station|freeway station]] was constructed in the median of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Phelps |first=Matt |date=February 25, 2011 |title=New Kirkland Transit Center part of city's plan to mitigate toll traffic |url=https://www.kirklandreporter.com/news/new-kirkland-transit-center-part-of-citys-plan-to-mitigate-toll-traffic/ |work=[[Kirkland Reporter]] |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=March 18, 2011 |title=I-5 bus station ready in Mountlake Terrace |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/i-5-bus-station-ready-in-mountlake-terrace/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> The first [[infill station|infill rail station]] constructed by Sound Transit, at [[Theater District station (Sound Transit)|Commerce Street]] on Tacoma Link, opened in September of that year.<ref>{{cite press release |date=September 14, 2011 |title=Tacoma Link Commerce Street Station opens tomorrow |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/tacoma-link-commerce-street-station-opens-tomorrow |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> The Sounder South{{nbsp}}Line was extended {{convert|8.5|mi|km}} from Tacoma to Lakewood on October 8, 2012, at a cost of $325{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|325000000|2012}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} and completed the original commuter rail network from the 1996 plan.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carson |first=Rob |date=October 7, 2012 |title=Sounder a long time coming |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sounder-a-long-time-com/161463644/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sounder-a-long-time-com/161463753/ A16] |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-sounder-a-long-time-com/161463644/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 23, 2024}}</ref> The Lakewood extension used the northern section of the [[Point Defiance Bypass]], a {{convert|14.5|mi|km|adj=mid}} corridor owned by Sound Transit and designated for use by intercity [[Amtrak]] trains. It was rebuilt at a cost of $181{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|181000000|2017}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars),{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} primarily funded by the state and federal governments.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 18, 2017 |title=Amtrak derailment occurred along new, $181M rail corridor |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/derailment-occurred-along-new-181m-rail-corridor/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> On December 18, 2017, the first [[Amtrak Cascades|Amtrak ''Cascades'']] trip on the new corridor [[2017 Washington train derailment|derailed]] on a bridge over Interstate 5 near [[DuPont, Washington|DuPont]]; three passengers were killed and dozens of people were injured. The [[National Transportation Safety Board]] determined the causes of derailment to be the lack of [[positive train control]] and a hazardous curve that was not replaced due to budget issues; Sound Transit was criticized for not mitigating for both issues, while WSDOT and Amtrak were blamed for inadequate training through the curve.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 21, 2019 |title=NTSB 'amazed at the amount of failure' by agencies in fatal 2017 Amtrak derailment south of Tacoma |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/ntsb-amazed-at-the-amount-of-failure-by-agencies-in-fatal-2017-amtrak-derailment-south-of-tacoma/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Amtrak service on the corridor resumed in November 2021 following the activation of positive train control and speed reductions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=November 18, 2021 |title=Amtrak resumes service on Point Defiance Bypass route where 3 died in 2017 |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article255927656.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

Ridership on the agency's services reached a new record high in 2012, with 28{{nbsp}}million total boardings and an average of 93,000 passengers on weekdays.<ref>{{cite press release |date=February 8, 2013 |title=It's official: Sound Transit carried more riders than ever in 2012 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/its-official-sound-transit-carried-more-riders-ever-2012 |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit began construction of the [[Northgate Link tunnel|Northgate Link Extension]], which was deferred from Sound Move and funded by ST2, in August 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gutierrez |first=Scott |date=August 17, 2012 |title=Party like it's 2021 for Northgate light rail |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/party-like-it-s-2021-for-northgate-light-rail-3796255.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The agency extended Sound Transit Express service outside of its district into [[Olympia, Washington|Olympia]] in 2013 as part of a four-year pilot project funded by [[Intercity Transit]], the local transit operator in [[Thurston County, Washington|Thurston County]].<ref>{{cite web |date=December 2016 |title=2017 Service Implementation Plan |page=107 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/2017-service-implementation-plan.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Chris |date=March 16, 2017 |title=Is Sound Transit pulling a fast one with the 592 bus route? |url=https://mynorthwest.com/573935/sound-transit-pulling-a-fast-one/ |publisher=[[KIRO-FM|KIRO Radio]] |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The route of the Eastside light rail line, under the project name East Link, was approved in April 2013 alongside additional funding from the Bellevue city government to cover the costs of a downtown tunnel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=April 26, 2013 |title=Sound Transit signs off on Bellevue's light-rail route |page=B1 |url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/04/sound-transit-signs-off-on-bellevues-light-rail-route/ |work=The Seattle Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517122346/http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2013/04/sound-transit-signs-off-on-bellevues-light-rail-route/ |archive-date=May 17, 2014 |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The line would use the [[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]] express lanes on the [[Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge]] and become the first permanent railway on a [[pontoon bridge|floating bridge]]; design tests were conducted using a two-car trainset on a model of the proposed transitions between the bridge's fixed and floating spans.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 14, 2017 |title=World's first light rail on a floating bridge: For I-90, Sound Transit had to invent 'a brilliant solution' |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/light-rail-track-floating-bridge-i-90-sound-transit/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 15, 2015 |title=Extra $20 million OK'd to finish East Link light-rail design |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/extra-20-million-okd-to-finish-east-link-light-rail-design/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> An elevated extension of Central Link from Sea–Tac Airport to [[Angle Lake station|South 200th Street station]] (now Angle Lake) also began construction in April 2013;<ref>{{cite news |last=Stiles |first=Marc |date=April 24, 2013 |title=Sea-Tac Airport light-rail extension construction starts Friday |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/04/24/new-video-shows-how-light-rail-will.html |work=Puget Sound Business Journal |url-access=subscription |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> it was the first [[design–build]] project for the agency and was funded by ST2 and federal grants to accelerate planning by four years from the rest of the deferred [[Federal Way Link Extension]].<ref name="KR-AngleLake">{{cite news |last=Klaas |first=Mark |date=September 28, 2016 |title=Welcomed station for area riders: Light rail extension comes to SeaTac |url=https://www.kentreporter.com/news/welcomed-station-for-area-riders-light-rail-extension-comes-to-seatac-slideshow/ |work=Kent Reporter |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> In 2015, Sound Transit introduced its first double-decker buses to increase capacity on the Seattle–Everett corridor and other Snohomish County routes operated by Community Transit, which already had its own double-decker fleet.<ref>{{cite news |last=Haglund |first=Noah |date=July 31, 2016 |title=Sound Transit's new double deckers headed for Snohomish County |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/sound-transits-new-double-deckers-headed-for-snohomish-county/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

[[File:U-Link Grand Opening (26129208665).jpg|thumb|right|The opening ceremonies for [[Capitol Hill station]] on the [[University Link tunnel|University Link Extension]] took place on March 19, 2016.]]

Central Link service was extended to Capitol Hill and the [[University of Washington]] campus on March 19, 2016, via a {{convert|3.15|mi|km|adj=mid}} tunnel that cost $1.9{{nbsp}}billion to construct (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|1900000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} and was completed six month ahead of schedule.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beekman |first=Daniel |date=March 19, 2016 |title=Capitol Hill, UW light-rail stations open to big crowds |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/capitol-hill-uw-light-rail-stations-open/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The {{convert|1.6|mi|km|adj=mid}} southern extension to Angle Lake station opened on September 24 and was completed at a cost of $343{{nbsp}}million (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|343000000|2016}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars),{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} below its original budget.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=September 22, 2016 |title=Angle Lake light-rail station opens Saturday with party |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/angle-lake-station-opens-saturday-with-celebration/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The First Hill Streetcar, funded by Sound Transit and built as part of the [[Seattle Streetcar]] network, opened two months earlier after a delay due in manufacturing streetcars with electric batteries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=January 23, 2016 |title=Seattle's First Hill Streetcar to open Saturday with free rides |page=A1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattles-first-hill-streetcar-to-open-saturday-with-free-rides/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> By late 2016, Light rail ridership reached a daily average of 66,203 weekday passengers—an increase of 89{{nbsp}}percent from late 2015—and necessitated the use of four-car trainsets.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Matthew |date=February 17, 2017 |title=2016 - The Year of Link |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/2016-year-link |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Times-Crowded">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 8, 2016 |title=Sound Transit keeping close eye on crowded light-rail trains |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-keeping-close-eye-on-crowded-light-rail-trains/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The agency carried 47{{nbsp}}million total passengers across all of its modes in 2017, with growth in its rail services and a slight decline in express buses.<ref name="Times-Ridership2018">{{cite news |last=Baruchman |first=Michelle |date=February 23, 2018 |title=Sound Transit light-rail riders increasing by the millions |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-light-rail-ridership-continue-to-grow/ |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel was fully transitioned to light rail use in March 2019 following the closure of the northern bus entrance; the tunnel's ownership was transferred to Sound Transit in October 2022 after the agency completed $87{{nbsp}}million in debt payments to King County Metro.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=October 27, 2022 |title=Sound Transit takes ownership of aging downtown Seattle tunnel |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-takes-ownership-of-aging-downtown-seattle-tunnel/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 27, 2024}}</ref>