Even though Proposition 1 failed on November 6, 2007 Sound Transit remains funded to complete Airport Link and University Link
Sound Transit reports completing these segments requires no new taxes from Prop 1.
Under Washington State law, Sound Transit was required to develop a do-nothing scenario as part of planning for high capacity transportation expansion.
The do-nothing scenario envisioned no new taxes beyond those approved by voters for the 1996 Sound Move plan. In this scenario, Sound Transit would have to carry on with the taxes already approved.
Sound Transit documented the results of the do-nothing plan in a one-page summary provided to its Board of Directors in June 2006, and to the Expert Review Panel several times in the first half of 2007.
In the do-nothing scenario, Sound Transit asserted that with only the already approved 1996 taxes, the agency would be able to complete and operate a light rail line between Husky Stadium and SeaTac Airport. Airport Link is scheduled to be completed and in operation by the end of 2009, according to Sound Transit.
University Link would go into construction once a pending $750 million grant from the U.S. Government is approved, already anticipated by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and supported by the State's Congressional delegation. Prop 1 taxes are not part of the financial plan for University Link.
The Sound Transit declaration of capability to keep building light rail even with no new taxes is posted here (pdf) in a three page extract. This is from a larger document obtained by PITF in March 2007 from Sound Transit and provided here.
The Sound Transit Board put aside the do-nothing alternative in Board Action of July 2006 described here. Later in 2006 the Board selected the "maximum rail" option requiring a 1/2 cent sales tax hike. This is the ST2 proposal presented in Prop 1.
However, the do-nothing alternative is now operative since Proposition 1 failed to pass on November 6, 2007.
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Last modified:
February 07, 2011