Editing Sound Transit (section)

===Sound Transit 3===
{{main|Sound Transit 3}}

The ST2 package included funds to produce studies on future transit projects for a potential third expansion package that would be known as [[Sound Transit 3]] (ST3).<ref name="ST3-2015">{{cite web |date=March 2015 |title=Progress Report: ST3 Planning |pages=134–139 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/2015_Q1_ST3Planning.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Studies of alternatives were launched in 2013 for several corridors, including a joint study with the [[Seattle Department of Transportation]] for the Downtown Seattle–[[Ballard, Seattle|Ballard]] corridor.<ref name="ST3-2015"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 27, 2013 |title=Options for Ballard light-rail service to be aired |page=B2 |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/options-for-ballard-light-rail-service-to-be-aired/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Sound Transit proposed a $15{{nbsp}}billion package to fund a pool of projects that were identified in an updated long-range plan adopted in December 2014, including deferred projects from Sound Move and ST2.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=November 21, 2014 |title=Sound Transit to seek new tax, fees to extend light-rail routes |page=B1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/sound-transit-to-seek-new-tax-fees-to-extend-light-rail-routes/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Carson |first=Rob |date=December 9, 2014 |title=Wish list: Transit board set to bless future plan |page=A1 |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/traffic/article25902088.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> In July 2015, the state legislature approved a transportation spending package that included the agency's request to authorize a new set of taxes—including a [[property tax]]—pending voter approval of ST3 in the November 2016 election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=July 5, 2015 |title=Sound Transit planning heats up for light-rail expansion and public vote |page=B1 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-boosts-light-rail-expansion-plans/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

Long-time Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl went on medical leave in April 2014 following a brain injury and was replaced in the interim while a national search for a replacement was conducted.<ref name="Times-Rogoff2016">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=January 10, 2016 |title=New Sound Transit CEO expected to work nonstop for $300,000 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/new-sound-transit-ceo-expected-to-work-nonstop-for-300000/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> Former FTA administrator [[Peter Rogoff]] was hired as the agency's new CEO in January 2016, while Earl was retained as CEO emeritus until the March opening of University Link, when she originally planned to retire.<ref name="HistoryLink"/><ref name="Times-Rogoff2016"/> The initial list of 70 candidate projects for ST3 was reduced to a priority list for the draft of the plan,<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=November 18, 2015 |title=Sound Transit nominates new CEO |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-nominates-new-ceo/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> which was released in March 2016. The draft plan proposed a 25-year program that would open new transit projects from 2028 to 2041 that would include all modes and ultimately extend Link light rail to a {{convert|108|mi|km|adj=mid}} network from Everett to Tacoma.<ref name="Times-ST3Draft">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=March 24, 2016 |title=$50B Sound Transit proposal: big taxes, big spending, big plan |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-proposal-includes-2nd-downtown-seattle-tunnel/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 8, 2016}}</ref> It was estimated to cost a total of $50{{nbsp}}billion over its lifetime, consisting of $27{{nbsp}}billion in new tax revenue alongside federal bonds and existing taxes and bonds.<ref name="Times-ST3Draft"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Gutman |first=David |date=September 26, 2017 |title=How did Sound Transit's $15 billion tax request reach $54 billion? Republicans say they were misled |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/how-did-sound-transits-15-billion-tax-request-reach-54-billion-republican-say-they-were-misled/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

The final ST3 plan was approved by the Sound Transit Board in June 2016 following several changes from the draft plan, including the addition of $4{{nbsp}}billion in bond capacity to accelerate the timeline for some projects and bring the total package to $53.8{{nbsp}}billion.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beekman |first=Daniel |date=June 23, 2016 |title=Sound Transit puts $54 billion light-rail plan on ballot |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/sound-transit-puts-54-billion-light-rail-plan-on-ballot/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 26, 2016 |title=Light-rail stations could open years earlier under new Sound Transit plan |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/light-rail-stations-could-open-sooner-under-new-sound-transit-plan/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> It included the addition of {{convert|62|mi|km}} to Link light rail with a network stretching to Everett in the north, [[Issaquah, Washington|Issaquah]] to the east, and Tacoma to the south; a [[bus rapid transit]] network on [[Interstate 405 (Washington)|Interstate 405]] and [[Washington State Route 522|State Route 522]]; and capacity improvements to the Sounder South{{nbsp}}Line with an extension to DuPont.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lindblom |first1=Mike |last2=Wilburn |first2=Thomas |last3=Shea |first3=Kelly |date=October 21, 2016 |title=ST3: What you'd pay, what you'd get |url=https://projects.seattletimes.com/2016/st3-guide/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 11, 2016 |title=Sounder South trains: so popular, Sound Transit's trying to add more |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sounder-south-trains-so-popular-sound-transits-trying-to-add-more/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> On November 8, 2016, the ST3 ballot measure was approved by 54{{nbsp}}percent of voters in the three-county district; it passed with a majority in King and Snohomish counties, but not in Pierce County.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mayo |first1=Justin |last2=Lindblom |first2=Mike |date=November 12, 2016 |title=See how the Sound Transit vote went in your neighborhood — and everywhere else |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/planned-light-rail-areas-big-backers-of-sound-transit-3/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=February 13, 2020 |title=Keep on paying: Washington state Supreme Court sides with Sound Transit in car-tab case |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/keep-on-paying-washington-state-supreme-court-sides-with-sound-transit-in-car-tab-case/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> An attempt to restrict the motor vehicle excise tax collected for ST3 to $30 was launched by Tim Eyman and passed in 2019 as [[2019 Washington Initiative 976|Initiative 976]], which was later ruled unconstitutional by the Washington Supreme Court.<ref>{{cite news |last=Santos |first=Melissa |date=October 15, 2020 |title=WA Supreme Court rules $30 car tab initiative is unconstitutional |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2020/10/wa-supreme-court-rules-30-car-tab-initiative-unconstitutional |work=Crosscut.com |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>

In September 2019, Sound Transit announced plans to rename its services to use colors in preparation for the launch of more Link light rail lines; the existing Central Link would become the Red Line, while Tacoma Link became the Orange Line and East Link would become the Blue Line when it opened. The agency withdrew this plan after criticism from political groups for the use of the name "Red Line", which ran through areas where [[redlining]] had been historically practiced.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=November 14, 2019 |title=Facing objections, Sound Transit drops 'Red Line' as the name for its light-rail route |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/facing-objections-sound-transit-drops-red-line-as-the-name-for-its-light-rail-route/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> A new naming system based on numbers was announced in April 2020, with Central Link instead being renamed the 1{{nbsp}}Line.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaner |first=Zee |date=April 9, 2020 |title=New line names coming in 2021 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/new-line-names-coming-2021 |work=The Platform |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> The first ST3 projects to begin construction were the [[Downtown Redmond Link Extension|Downtown Redmond extension]] to East Link and the Federal Way Link Extension, which both were mostly deferred but had preliminary engineering funded by ST2.<ref>{{cite press release |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Sound Transit advances engineering for Federal Way, Redmond light rail extensions |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/sound-transit-advances-engineering-federal-way-redmond |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |last2=Lindblom |first2=Mike |date=November 6, 2019 |title=Seattle, King County to sue over Eyman car-tab initiative; bus cuts to be determined |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/king-county-plans-to-sue-over-car-tab-initiative-while-bus-and-light-rail-cuts-remain-to-be-seen/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref> In 2020, Link became the first light rail system in the U.S. to run entirely on [[renewable energy]] after Sound Transit enrolled in a direct purchase program for [[wind power]] from [[Puget Sound Energy]] to supplement its hydroelectricity from [[Seattle City Light]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=December 1, 2020 |title=Sound Transit light rail trains are now running on clean energy |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/sound-transit-light-rail-trains-are-now-running-clean |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 24, 2024}}</ref>