An unbroken chain of light rail is going to connect Seattle and Tacoma by the year 2030, if all goes according to Sound Transit leaders' plans.
They're meeting with residents in Tacoma and Federal Way this week to discuss a crucial, final link in that route.
It's an element of the $54 billion Sound Transit 3, or ST3, plan voters approved in 2016.
Sound Transit officials are seeking feedback on what they call a "blueprint" of where stations would go on the Federal Way-Tacoma route.
“Everything could change," said Sound Transit spokesman Scott Thompson. "If we find that what we’ve proposed in the ST3 plan is not the most economical or not the best place to do it, we’re going to look to change it to fit best into the communities, to fit best within our budget.”
The first meeting is scheduled in Tacoma on Tuesday. It's at 6 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Tacoma Dome Hotel.
On Wednesday, transit leaders are going to Federal Way's Todd Beamer High School at 6 p.m.
And next Tuesday, April 24, they're meeting at 6 p.m. at the Fife Community Center.
Right now, light rail from Seattle stops just south of Sea-Tac Airport, at Angle Lake.
By 2024, transit officials plan to extend it to Federal Way. Then it's on to the Tacoma Dome by 2030.
Sound Transit officials currently plan to open four stations along the 10 miles between Federal Way and Tacoma. Those would be located in southern Federal Way, Fife, eastern Tacoma, and the Tacoma Dome.
Transit leaders estimate the trip between Federal Way in Tacoma would take 20 minutes and the route could serve up to 37,000 daily riders by 2040.
