[nfbwatlk] FW: Sound Transit CEO Report

Sat Feb 14 10:33:49 UTC 2009

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From: Sound Transit [mailto:soundtransit at govdelivery.com] 
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 3:26 PM
To: lawnmower84 at hotmail.com
Subject: Sound Transit CEO Report

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CEO Report 

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>From Joni Earl 

Feb. 13, 2009 

In this edition 

*	
Visiting Eastside legislators 

*	
Ron Sims honored by Sound Transit Board 

*	
Stimulus package update 

*	
Sound Transit orders 13 new buses 

*	
Service on Presidents Day 

*	
Safety street fair work honored 

*	
Photo of the Week 

*	
Sound Transit Board action on Thursday 

Visiting Eastside legislators 

Sound Transit Boardmembers Mary-Alyce Burleigh, Fred Butler, John Marchione
and I had a series of meetings in Olympia on Monday with our East King
County legislators. 

We gave legislators an update on Sound Transit projects and services and
reported on the great turnout we had during the five recent open houses for
the East Link Draft Environmental Impact Statement that is currently out for
public review and comment. East Link, which is the expansion of light rail
to the Eastside, will run from downtown Seattle across Interstate 90 to
Mercer Island, Bellevue, Overlake Hospital and Redmond's Overlake Transit
Center, and will open for service in 2020. The comment period on the draft
EIS closes Feb. 25. 

East King County residents were strong supporters of the Sound Transit 2
expansion plan that was approved by voters last November. 

Ron Sims honored by Sound Transit Board 

King County Executive Ron Sims, who was Sound Transit Board Chair during an
important time in the agency's history, was honored Thursday by the Sound
Transit Board. 

Mr. Sims is awaiting Senate confirmation as Deputy Secretary of the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban and Development in Washington, D.C. Thursday
was likely his final Sound Transit Board meeting. 

Mr. Sims joined the Board in 1997 and was chair from 2002 through 2004.
During his tenure, the ST Express bus system made great strides, an
agreement was reached with the BNSF Railway Company to begin running Sounder
commuter trains between Everett and Seattle and the Link light rail project
moved from significant challenges to earning the Federal Transit
Administration's highest rating. 

Mr. Sims' leadership, compassion and steady hand will be greatly missed on
the Board and in the region.  

Stimulus package update 

Just a quick note that Sound Transit, like many transit agencies across the
country, is working very hard to be in a position to benefit from a federal
stimulus package. A key criterion for receiving stimulus dollars will be how
close projects are to turning dirt. We have projects at Sound Transit that
could move forward with help from the stimulus package. 

We'll pass along more information when it's available. 

Sound Transit orders 13 new buses 

One of the major elements of the Sound Transit 2 plan approved by voters
last November is the expansion of ST Express regional bus service. To help
bring that added service to the street, the Sound Transit Board on Thursday
approved the purchase of 13 new 60-foot long articulated hybrid buses. The
$11.7 million bus order is with the New Flyer Corporation. 

Sound Transit currently owns 24 New Flyer 60-foot articulated hybrid buses
and one New Flyer 40-foot hybrid bus. We've found that, in general, hybrid
buses use less fuel, are more efficient, produce fewer emissions and are
quieter than conventional buses. Once built, the buses should arrive here
next year. 

Presidents Day service 

ST Express buses and Tacoma Link trains will run their regular weekday
schedule on Monday, Presidents Day. Sounder commuter trains will run on a
holiday schedule. 

Sounder Connector Route 599 from Lakewood Station will also run on a
modified schedule, and will not serve the 9:30 a.m. Sounder departure or the
3:29 p.m. Sounder arrival at Tacoma Dome Station. 

Please see http://www.soundtransit.org/x72.xml for the service details. 

Safety street fair work honored 

On Wednesday evening one of our contractors, PRR, was honored for its work
in helping Sound Transit put together last September's Rainier Valley Safety
Street Fair. You may recall that Sound Transit and the Rainier Valley
community got together at that time for a celebration to help the
neighborhood get ready for the safe start of light rail service. 

PRR won a Totem Award, which honors the best work of communications
professionals in the state. The annual awards are sponsored by the Puget
Sound chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The awards
recognize professional excellence and ingenuity in more than 25 categories,
covering both public relations components and programs. 

Photo of the Week 

Our photo this week shows the public art on display at the new South Tacoma
Station. http://www.soundtransit.org/newsroom/photo/ 

The Sound Transit Board on Thursday: 

*	Approved a restated and amended interlocal agreement for the Smart
Card project with Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, King
County Metro Transit, Pierce Transit, and Washington State Ferries to update
the agreement for the operating phase. 

*	Corrected the legal description contained in Resolution No. R2008-02
Exhibit A for the D to M Track and Signal Project, and ratifying the actions
of the chief executive officer with regard to the amended legal description
as of the effective date of Resolution No. R2008-02. 

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