For the Reporter

Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff joined South King County civic and business leaders to discuss the implementation of the $54 billion ST3 plan and the status of projects in the South Sound region at King County Council member Pete von Reichbauer’s March Good Eggs breakfast.

Rogoff and his staff gave an overview of the future projects coming to South King County in ST2 and ST3, one of the largest transit expansions in the United States.

In 2023-2024, Sound Transit will be opening 17 new stations across three separate lines, including stations in Kent and Federal Way. The Tacoma Dome Link Extension, will bring even more light rail stations to the South Sound (South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma, and the dome) in 2030.

Sound Transit’s “Sounder” commuter rail service also remains popular, with approximately 15 percent growth in ridership year-over-year.

The agency does face some headwinds, as Rogoff highlighted. Despite having the best credit rating of any transit agency in the country, Sound Transit must grapple with increasing capital construction costs, debates in Olympia about the motor vehicle excise tax, which Sound Transit relies on for funding, and changing federal policies regarding the appropriation of transit grants.

Nevertheless, Rogoff remains optimistic about the agency’s future.