S
Soundside

What does the future of Sound Transit light rail look like in the region?

April 28, 2026·51 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Sound Transit is looking at potential cuts and readjustments to its ST3 plan. Voters approved the vision for the next phase of regional transit nearly a decade ago. But last year, Sound Transit announced it was somewhere between 30 and 40 billion dollars in the hole. At a Sound Transit retreat in March, board members were presented with the reality that they may need to drop planned stations or entire lines in Ballard, Issaquah, Everett, and Tacoma.  So what happens next? And how will affected communities respond? Guest: Ryan Packer, contributing editor at The Urbanist Kristina Walker, Tacoma City Councilmember, Chair of the Sound Transit Board Rider Experience and Operations Committee, and chair of Pierce Transit Mark Mullet, Issaquah Mayor David Scott, board chair of Seattle Subway Relevant Links:  The Urbanist: Three More Takeaways from a Pivotal Sound Transit Board Retreat The Urbanist: Snohomish County Has Sound Transit's Regional Rail Spine Top of Mind Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Soundside and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.