Light Rail not quite what voters were promised

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SEATTLE - If you want a new way to get to Tukwila, or get out of Tukwila, this is your big weekend.

Believe it or not, there will be light rail trains rolling through Seattle starting Saturday.

This has been a long time coming. We voted on this back in 1995 and it was defeated, then again on a slimmed down version in 1996, which passed. Now, 13 years later, we will be able to use 14 miles of track and 12 Link stations spread from downtown, through the south end, almost all the way to Sea-Tac Airport.

The link to Sea-Tac will be completed in December.

Pretty nice. But 13 years ago we voted on a ten-year plan that promised a lot more track and a lot more stations and a much smaller price tag - 25 miles and 26 stations for $1.8 billion. That was what voters were told they would get in terms of light rail if they passed "Sound Move," the regional transit plan which included billions more for express bus service, HOV lanes, commuter rail expansion and many more transit improvements.

Now, we'll pay another $1.9 billion to run tracks up to Capitol Hill and out to the University of Washington.

The campaign brochure back in 1996 also said the finished system would attract 100,000 riders a day. Now, Sound Transit predicts the new line will draw 21,000 riders a day, with that number climbing to more than 26,000 a day by next year when the airport station opens.

The "Sound Transit 2" measure which passed last fallwill add 36 more miles of line, putting back in play many of those earlier, disappearing miles and stations. The price tag on those light rail extensions and many more transit improvements is more than $17 billion.

Sound Transit has promised that will be finished by 2023.

Until then, enjoy the ride which, for the next two days at least, will be free.