Facing Delay, Issaquah Pledges to Streamline Light Rail Permitting
On Monday, the Issaquah City Council approved a resolution signaling intent to significantly reduce barriers facing a planned Sound Transit light rail line, a latest bid to show a commitment to keeping costs down on the project. The move comes just as the Sound Transit board is poised to push the 4 Line, which will run between South Kirkland and Central Issaquah, to 2050.
That represents a six-year delay compared to the current timeline, or a nine-year delay compared to the timeline presented to voters in 2016.
Getting the 4 Line on the calendar in 2050 is seen as a victory in Issaquah, given the fact that other areas of the region – including Ballard and the Rainier Valley – have no estimated date for their light rail stations approved as part of the 2016 Sound Transit 3 ballot measure. By doing everything they can to bring down costs, Issaquah city leaders hope that timeline can be moved up.
The agency's latest estimates put the 4 Line's cost around $6 billion – a range of $5.6 to $6.3 billion to be exact – at least before cost-saving measures are applied.
https://www.theurbanist.org/facing-delay-issaquah-pledges-to-streamline-light-rail-permitting/
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