Tacoma Daily Index, October 28, 2015

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015

Vol. CXXIV, No. 209

OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices

Published Published Since Since 1890 1890

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$15M TIGER grant awarded for Tacoma Link light rail expansion Posted online Mon., Oct. 26 File Photo Courtesy Sound Transit The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $15 million grant to help complete Tacoma's Link light rail expansion project. The 1.6-mile Tacoma Link light rail line currently serves six stations between the Theater District and Tacoma Dome Station. The Sound Transit Board of Directors has identified a preferred alignment to expand Tacoma Link to run an additional 2.4 miles from the Theater District to the Stadium and Hilltop neighborhoods, with six new stations and one relocated station. The $15 million federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant aims to help complete the estimated $165 million project, and is the latest in a series of recent grants awarded for the expansion. In September, Sound Transit officials announced the Federal Transportation Administration awarded a $2 million grant for transitoriented development planning along the future Tacoma Link light rail expansion route (see "FTA awards $2M grant for Tacoma Link light rail expansion plan," Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 14, 2015). In February, the Obama Administration announced it had allocated almost $75 million for the Tacoma Link expansion as part of the Federal Transportation Administration "Small Starts" program (see "Sound Transit: Obama budget includes $75M for Tacoma Link light rail expansion," Tacoma Daily Index, Feb. 3, 2015). The funding was included in the administration's 2016 budget that is still under consideration by Congress. About $18 million in additional grants have been secured for the project, along with $50 million in Sound Transit funding. "This is the kind of investment that can transform neighborhoods and help local economies grow and create jobs," said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). "As Tacoma continues to grow, it's critical that all citizens—including students, workers, and families—have access to safe, reliable transit. I'm proud to keep fighting for the federal TIGER grant program because it continually reinvests in our communities, brings our transit systems into the Twenty-First Century, and helps our economy grow from the middle out, not the top down." "This is a great day for Tacoma," said U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.). "The continued

expansion of light rail will better connect all corners of the city, help locals and visitors get around, and make Tacoma an even more vibrant place. Doubling the line will also help us attract new businesses and opportunities for growth throughout the city. Today, the federal government has teamed up with partners on the local level who have a clear vision of how to improve our region's mass transit system and keep Tacoma—and its citizens—moving forward." In 2008, voters approved a funding partnership to expand the Tacoma Link. The project is currently at 30 percent design. The Sound Transit Board is scheduled to select the final alignment and station locations for the project, and be briefed on preliminary cost estimates, in November. Following the Board's decision on the alignment and station locations, the project will move into the final design phase. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2018. "This $15 million TIGER grant follows the $75 million investment President Obama made in his budget, putting the City of Tacoma much closer to the $165 million total cost of the Link expansion," said Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland. "With the unwavering support of Senator Patty Murray, we made a compelling case for the local and regional impact of this project. We are excited that the Federal Government is invest-

ing locally in light rail to keep our residents, neighborhoods and economy moving forward." More information about Tacoma's Link light rail expansion is available online at soundtransit.org/tacomalinkexpansion. To read the Tacoma Daily Index's complete and comprehensive coverage of Tacoma Link light rail expansion plans, visit our Web site for the following articles: — FTA awards $2M grant for Tacoma Link light rail expansion plan (Tacoma Daily Index, Sept. 14, 2015) — Tacoma Link light rail expansion open house July 15 (Tacoma Daily Index, July 6, 2015) — Sound Transit: Obama budget includes $75M for Tacoma Link light rail expansion (Tacoma Daily Index, Feb. 3, 2015) — Open house May 20 for Tacoma Link light rail expansion (Tacoma Daily Index, May 12, 2014) — City Hall News: Link light rail expansion, Hilltop development update and Human Rights Commission (Tacoma Daily Index, Jan. 24, 2014) — Tacoma Link light rail open house Jan. 9 (Tacoma Daily Index, Dec. 31, 2013) — Sound Transit apCONTINUED proves $1.1B budget (TaON PAGE 2


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