Last time I checked in with Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff, he did not sound in good spirits. It was mid-March and President Donald Trump had released his budget proposal, which posed a serious threat to funding for light rail projects in Puget Sound. "It's a grim day," Rogoff told me then.
Today, things are looking up a little for the head of the agency responsible for leading a massive expansion of light rail across the region.
Seattle Transit Blog has the news:
Fearful of a government shutdown despite universal federal control, Republicans have been cutting deals and ignoring the President’s will. Amidst higher profile squabbles such as Trumpcare and the border wall, most other discretionary spending was retained in a business-as-usual sense. Funding is explicitly retained for Lynnwood Link, the Center City Connector, and SWIFT II. Lynnwood is further along in the New Starts process (Engineering) whereas Federal Way was not mentioned, as it is still technically in Project Development.
This year, Sound Transit is counting on $100 million in federal funding for expanding light rail to Lynnwood, the first installment of a $1.174 billion grant for that project. The latest budget agreement, which has yet to be voted on, does not guarantee the full $1.174 billion but does protect the $100 million. In other words: It's a temporary win.
Sound Transit spokesperson Kimberly Reason tells The Stranger the agency is still waiting for a final Congressional vote, but "we certainly are encouraged by the news."
