Transportation Secretary Recommends $330M For WA Transit

WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is recommending the federal government spend $330.8 million to improve public transit in Western Washington.

The funding would come from President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget. It would fund two new Bus Rapid Transit projects, one for South King County and the other in Pierce County. It would also help support light rail construction already underway in South King County and Snohomish County.

“Across the country, communities are seeking to expand public transit as a way to create economic opportunity, improve safety, advance equity, reduce congestion and pollution, and lower the cost of living for their residents,” said Buttigieg in a written statement. “These capital projects will improve life in 25 communities and are the start of what we hope will be a once-in-a-generation investment to modernize and expand public transit across the country.”

The Washington infrastructure projects are just a few of Secretary Buttigieg's recommendations, which total 25 rail, bus transit and streetcar projects across 12 states.

Here's a breakdown of how that $330.8 million would be spent in Washington:

• $55.6 million would go to build a new RapidRide I Line in South King County. The line would run 17 miles between Renton, Kent and Auburn using 23 diesel-electric hybrid buses.
• $75.2 million for a Bus Rapid Transit line in Pierce County running 14.3 miles from South Tacoma to Spanaway along Pacific Avenue/State Route 7.
• $100 million for the Seattle Federal Way Link Extension. That project is already under construction, and will expand the link 7.8 miles from the Angle Lake station south to SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way.
• $100 million for the Lynnwood Link Extension. Also already under construction, the Lynnwood extention is adding 8.5 miles to the link's northern end, bringing rail up through Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood.

“FTA is proud to partner with communities in Washington to bring more environmentally friendly public transportation options to residents,” said FTA Deputy Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “These investments will improve mobility and quality of life for growing areas, provide an alternative to traffic congestion, and spur more economically vibrant communities.”

The FTA is also working on other projects in Vancouver, WA and Everett. More information on the Fiscal Year 2022 Capital Investment Program Project can be found on the FTA's website.