Editing Sound Transit (section)

===District and subareas===
[[File:Sound Transit subareas map.svg|thumb|right|A map of the five subareas within the Sound Transit district|alt=A map of the Seattle metropolitan area with the Sound Transit district divided into five subareas. Major cities are also labeled.]]

The [[Transit district|regional transit district]] for Sound Transit, also known as the "RTA district", encompasses major cities and urban areas in portions of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. It covers {{convert|1,089|sqmi|sqkm}}<ref name="FTA-Profile">{{cite web |title=2023 Annual Agency Profile – Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority |url=https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/transit_agency_profile_doc/2023/00040.pdf |work=National Transit Database |publisher=Federal Transit Administration |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref> and includes 53 cities with a combined population of 3.39{{nbsp}}million residents—40{{nbsp}}percent of the state's population.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 8, 2016 |title=Q: What is the Sound Transit District? |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/blog/platform/q-what-sound-transit-district |work=The Platform |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref><ref name="OFM-Population">{{cite web |date=September 15, 2023 |title=2023 Q4 Regional Tax Authority Population Estimates |url=https://ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/dataresearch/pop/special/rta.pdf |publisher=[[Washington State Office of Financial Management]] |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231130202146/https://ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/dataresearch/pop/special/rta.pdf |archive-date=November 30, 2023 |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, the district includes approximately 89{{nbsp}}percent of King County residents, 85{{nbsp}}percent of Pierce County residents, and 59{{nbsp}}percent of Snohomish County residents.<ref name="ST-CFR">{{cite web |date=July 31, 2024 |title=2023 Sound Transit Comprehensive Financial Report |pages=8–9, 12–14 |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/ACFR-2023.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref>

The district's boundary to the west is [[Puget Sound]] from [[DuPont, Washington|DuPont]] and the [[Thurston County, Washington|Thurston County]] line in the south to [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] and the [[Snohomish River]] to the north. The eastern boundary generally follows the edge of the contiguous suburbs in the three-county region.<ref>{{cite map |date=February 2019 |title=Sound Transit District |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/fly_sound-transit-district.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref> It excludes several large suburban cities, such as [[Marysville, Washington|Marysville]] in Snohomish County and [[Covington, Washington|Covington]] and [[Maple Valley, Washington|Maple Valley]] in southern King County.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sheets |first=Bill |date=December 5, 2008 |title=Thousands taxed who didn't owe |pages=A1, A14 |work=The Everett Herald |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-thousands-taxed-who-did/160879229/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref> The district is mandated by state law to include the highest-population [[urban growth area]]s in the three counties and must be adjusted to include all of a member city, including [[annexation|annexed]] areas. New areas can be annexed to the RTA district through a [[ballot proposition]] following approval from Sound Transit and consultation with affected transit agencies and governments.<ref>{{cite web |year=2015 |title=RCW 81.112.050: Area included—Elections. |url=https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=81.112.050 |work=Revised Code of Washington |publisher=Washington State Legislature |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref>

For funding purposes, the Sound Transit district is divided into five subareas: Snohomish, North King, South King, East King, and Pierce.<ref name="ST-CFR"/> Revenue from taxes are allocated towards projects that serve and benefit residents within the subarea that they were collected in, with costs shared for projects and services that serve multiple areas. Systemwide projects and programs pool their funds from all subareas.<ref name="ST-Subarea"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 13, 2016 |title=Suburbs should help pay for second Seattle light-rail tunnel, Sound Transit CEO says |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sound-transit-ceo-suburbs-should-help-pay-for-second-seattle-light-rail-tunnel/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=December 13, 2024}}</ref> The most-populous subarea is North King, which has an estimated 853,980 residents ({{as of|2023|lc=y}}) and encompasses Seattle, [[Shoreline, Washington|Shoreline]], and [[Lake Forest Park, Washington|Lake Forest Park]]; the smallest is South King, which has an estimated 487,685 residents ({{as of|2023|lc=y}}).<ref name="ST-CFR"/>