Jump to content

Sound Transit

Listen to this article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Eleaverton (talk | contribs) at 06:18, 26 February 2009 (Added Spoken Wikipedia link). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Sound Transit
File:Sound-Transit-logo.png
Overview
LocalePuget Sound region, Washington
Transit typeBus, Regional rail, light rail
Number of lines27
Daily ridership57,725 (weekday, 2008)[1]
Chief executiveJoni Earl
HeadquartersUnion Station, 401 S Jackson St, Seattle
Operation
Began operation1993
Operator(s)Community Transit, Metro Transit, Pierce Transit

Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since 1996. It was formed in 1993 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils. It operates express bus, commuter rail, and light rail service in the region and constructs capital projects in support and expansion of those services.

Express Bus

Main article: Sound Transit Express
A Redmond-bound Sound Transit New Flyer hybrid bus in Seattle.

Sound Transit's express bus fleet is operated by local transit authorities Community Transit, Metro Transit, and Pierce Transit. Its Regional Express Bus Service provides service to cities in all three counties, including Seattle, Redmond, Issaquah, Lakewood, Bellevue, Auburn, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, Everett and Tacoma.

Light Rail

Main article: Link Light Rail

Sound Transit's light rail system consists of a 1.6-mile line known as the Tacoma Link, in Tacoma connecting the city's Theater District, Convention Center, train station, and Tacoma Dome arena.

Future plans

The Central Link, a 15.7 mile light rail line running between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport via the Rainier Valley, is currently under construction, scheduled to open in July 2009.

The University Link is a 3.15 mile extension of the Link Light Rail system that is currently in the final design process. Construction on the line is expected to begin in 2009 with completion in 2016. The line will connect downtown Seattle to the University of Washington via Capitol Hill. The line will be underground for its entire route and cost about $1.5 billion with half of the funding expected to come from a grant from the Federal Transit Administration.

Sound Transit 2

2007 Vote

Sound Transit 2 (ST2) was part of a joint ballot measure with the Regional Transportation Investment District entitled Roads and Transit, which was presented to Snohomish, King, and Pierce county voters on November 6 2007. Sound Transit 2 would have made a number of mass transit related improvements.[2] These changes included almost 50 miles in new light rail lines, four new parking garages, two new Sounder stations, a streetcar line connecting First Hill, Capitol Hill, and the International District, a transit center in Bothell, and two expansion studies, one for studying rapid transit across the SR-520 floating bridge and the other studying the use of the Woodinville Subdivision between Renton and Woodinville.[3] The ballot measure was defeated by voters.[4]

2008 Vote

The Sound Transit Board on July 24, 2008 voted to put a reduced Sound Transit 2 plan before voters. It passed by large margins on November 4, 2008.[5] The financial plan for the measure shows $17.8 billion expenditure over 15 years, funded with a 5/10% rise in the regional general sales tax, which essentially doubles Sound Transit's revenue. Central Link Light Rail will be extended from the currently funded northern terminus at Husky Stadium north to Lynnwood. To the south, the tracks will continue from the current southern terminus at Sea-Tac Airport to the northern edge of Federal Way. The proposed East Link Light Rail will depart from Downtown Seattle and end in Overlake via Bellevue. A First Hill Connector (streetcar) is proposed from Central Link's Capitol Hill Station to the Jackson Street terminus of the former Waterfront Streetcar. In total, 36 new miles of two-way light rail track were approved by this measure.[6]

Sounder Commuter Rail will receive longer and more frequent trains, for a 30% increase in service. Express Bus service will be immediately boosted (17% increase in service; 25 additional buses) and Washington State Route 520 will receive a Bus Rapid Transit line. A new commuter rail line is proposed to run from North Renton to Snohomish if additional funding beyond the Sound Transit taxes is secured.[7]

Commuter Rail

Main article: Sounder Commuter Rail

Sound Transit operates the Sounder Commuter Rail, a commuter rail service between Everett and Seattle, and between Seattle and Tacoma. There are currently 4 daily round-trips between Tacoma and Seattle and 2 between Everett and Seattle. Sound Transit will eventually run up to 18 daily round-trips from Tacoma and 4 from Everett to Seattle once all trackwork is completed by BNSF Railway. They also plan on extending service to South Tacoma and Lakewood by 2010.

Current and soon-to-open stations are:

Fleet

Sounder Commuter Rail
Mfg Model Length Passengers Purchased Retired Qty.* Fleet Numbers
GM Electro Diesel F59PHI, 3000 horsepower 58'-7" NA 1999 in service 11 900-910[8]
2000 in service
2001 in service
Bombardier Cab Car 85' 136 (seated) 1999 in service 18 ???-???[8]
2000 in service
2001 in service
Bombardier BiLevel Coach 85' 140 (seated) 1999 in service 40 ???-???[8]
2000 in service
2001 in service
Link Light Rail
Mfg Motor Length Passengers Purchased Retired Qty.* Fleet Numbers
Kinki Sharyo Mitsui 1500V-DC Electric Traction 95' 200 (74/126) 2007 testing 35 101-135[9]
Škoda 750V-DC Electric Traction 66' 56 (30/26) 2001 in service 3 1001-1003[10]
ST Express Busses
Model Motor Length Passengers Purchased Retired Qty.* Fleet Numbers
New Flyer DE60LF Cat C9/GMHybrid[11] 60' 57 (seated) 2005, 2008 in service 22, 2 9600-9621[12], 9622-9623
New Flyer D60LF Detroit Diesel Engines Series 50[13] 60.7' 60 (seated) 1999 in service 25 9500-9524, 9525-9536, 9537-9552[13]
Detroit Diesel Engines Series 50[13] 2000 12
CAT (Caterpillar) C9 engine[13] 2004 16
New Flyer DE40LF Cummins ISL 40' 37 (seated) 2003 in service 1 9200[14]
New Flyer C40LF Cummins ISL C-Gas+ 250/280 HP?[15] 40.8' 39 (seated) 2001 in service 20 9400-9419[15]
Gillig PHANTOM Cummins ISM Engine[16] 40' 45 (seated) 1999 in service 122 9000-9069, 9070-9089, 9090-9091, 9092-9121[17]
Cummins ISM Engine[16] 2001
Cummins ISM Engine[16] 2005
Cummins ISL Engine[18] 2008
Motor Coach Industries D4500 Low emission Detroit Diesel EGR Series 60 NOx 2.5 45' 57 (seated) 2005,2007 in service 19 9700-9718[19]
Orion V Cummins L10 260G[20] 40' 45 (seated) 1994 Retired from service in 2008; All buses sold off at auction 27 800-827[21]
1995 2

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Sound Transit. Forth Quarter, 2008 Service Delivery Report
  2. ^ Larry Lange (2007-04-26). "Sound Transit expansion ballot-bound". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-04-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Sound Transit completes major transit expansion package for November Roads & Transit vote". Sound Transit. 2007-04-26. Retrieved 2007-04-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Larry Lange (2007-11-07). "Proposition 1: Voters hit the brakes". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2007-11-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Lindblom, Mike. "Sound Transit calls Prop. 1 a gift "to our grandchildren"" 5 Nov. 2008. Seattle Times. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008355167_websoundtransit05m.html>.
  6. ^ "Sound Transit System Expansion -- News Release". Sound Transit. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-09-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Sound Transit System Expansion -- What's Proposed". Sound Transit. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-09-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c "Sounder Commuter Rail Train Specifications". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  9. ^ "Link Light Rail Train Specifications". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  10. ^ "Tacoma Link Light Rail Train Specifications". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
  11. ^ "Hybrid Vehicle Specifications". New Flyer Industries, Inc. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  12. ^ "New Flyer Articulated Hybrid Diesel-Electric Bus". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  13. ^ a b c d "ST Express 60-foot Diesel Low Floor Bus Specifications (New Flyer)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  14. ^ "ST Express 40-foot Diesel-Electric Hybrid Bus Specifications (New Flyer)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  15. ^ a b "ST Express 40-foot CNG Bus Specifications (New Flyer)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  16. ^ a b c Cummins Southern Plains - ISM Engine
  17. ^ "ST Express 40-foot Diesel Bus Specifications (Gillig)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  18. ^ Cummins Every Time - Motorhome - ISL
  19. ^ a b "ST Express 45-foot Long-Haul Bus Specifications (MCI)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
  20. ^ http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/conference/2003/pdfs/monroe_pierce.pdf
  21. ^ "ST Express 40-foot CNG Bus Specifications (Orion)". Sound Transit. Retrieved 2007-05-19.

External links

Listen to this article
(2 parts, 7 minutes)
  2. Part 2
Spoken Wikipedia icon
These audio files were created from a revision of this article dated
Error: no date provided
, and do not reflect subsequent edits.
(Audio help · More spoken articles)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sound_Transit&oldid=273372154"