Elected officials in Tacoma are urging Sound Transit not to abandon a planned light rail extension to the Tacoma Dome.
Voters approved the Tacoma light rail extension in 2016 as part of the Sound Transit 3 Plan to expand the regional light rail system. But the agency is now grappling with a $34.5 billion budget shortfall. During a board retreat last month, Sound Transit staff presented several possible ideas for saving costs — including cutting the Tacoma extension short, ending at Fife instead of the previously planned Tacoma Dome.
Sound Transit said the potential cuts were meant to be illustrative starting points, not final decisions. But the news still came as a shock to Tacoma leaders.
“Honestly, I was pretty pissed off. I was angry for our region, our city, my district,” said Tacoma Council Member Sandesh Sadalge during a meeting last week.
Another council member, John Hines, said his son was 3 years old when voters first approved plans to expand light rail in the region. Because of delays, his kid is now on track to graduate high school before it's finished — if it gets finished at all.
“I think we’re getting to the point now where the concern is not just situational — it’s generational,” Hines said during the meeting. “Because we’ve been waiting for so long for this to show up, I do think there is a definite concern that maybe it might never get here.”
Tacoma council members sent a letter to Sound Transit urging the agency to stay the course and finish the extension as promised. Tacoma leaders said their city has updated its zoning laws, made investments with tribal partners, and seen a flood of private investment in anticipation of the light rail.
The letter acknowledged Sound Transit’s financial situation, but said it is critical that investments “reflect a truly regional vision and do not come at the expense of communities that have long awaited connection.”
“The Tacoma Dome Station represents more than a terminus,” the letter said. “It is planned as the region’s primary multimodal hub, connecting light rail with regional and local transit.”
Other ideas floated during last month’s Sound Transit board retreat could see cuts to planned light rail extensions to Ballard and West Seattle. Local officials representing those areas have also reacted with concern.
In a statement this week, Sound Transit attributed its budget issues to inflation, tariffs, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions, among other factors. The agency said it is “taking proactive steps to address this long-term financial challenge through a comprehensive agencywide process.”
Sound Transit is now seeking rider feedback through an online survey.
