[nfbwatlk] FW: Sound Transit CEO Report

Wed Sep 30 07:58:11 UTC 2009

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From: Sound Transit [mailto:soundtransit at govdelivery.com] 
Sent: Friday, September 25, 2009 4:15 PM
To: lawnmower84 at hotmail.com
Subject: Sound Transit CEO Report

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CEO Report 

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>From Joni Earl 

Sept. 25, 2009 

In this edition 

*	
2010 Budget kickoff 

*	
Thursday briefing to Lakewood United 

*	
Sounder to Seahawks game Sunday 

*	
Photo of the Week 

*	
Sound Transit Board action from Thursday 

2010 draft Budget rollout 

The 2010 draft budget, which this year is split into two volumes to make it
more transparent and easier to read, was released to the Sound Transit Board
on Thursday. 

One volume includes the annual staff, operating and capital budgets for
2010; the other is a new multi-year Capital Improvement Program that
provides project details and outlines the lifetime capital budgets. The new
capital volume, which will be presented to the Board Oct. 8, is designed to
be periodically updated as we reach important project milestones. 

The new budget books and process comes out of a comprehensive year-long
review of the agency's budget systems. We heard from the Board that it
wanted stronger control at key project milestones. We also heard a desire
from the independent Citizens Oversight Panel and the Board Operation's Task
Force for clearer reporting on cost trends. The new budget process allows
the Board to provide comment and direction earlier and more frequently
during the year. 

As I told the Board Thursday, the year 2010 will be a year of great
opportunity and challenge for Sound Transit. While we'll continue building,
operating and expanding the region's mass transit system, we'll also be
dealing with the fallout from the severe nationwide economic recession. 

The 2010 Budget proposes spending more than $945 million for the continued
expansion and operation of regional and high capacity transit service
operations. That $945 million includes $188 million to deliver train and bus
service for the year. 

Next year, Central Link light rail trains will run all year from downtown
Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport; we will have a full year of running 13 Sounder
commuter train round trips every weekday; and we expect to provide an
additional 38,000 hours of ST Express bus service. In 2010, we expect to
have a combined 25 million boardings on our trains and buses, an increase of
55 percent from this year. A big part of that ridership increase is the full
year of Link light rail service. 

Sound Transit expects to spend $622 million on capital projects next year,
including the continuing construction of the University Link light rail
line, construction of the D-M Sounder line in Tacoma and work on the ST
Express projects at Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station, the Kirkland Transit
Center and stages two and three of the I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV access
project. 

Sound Transit projects $794 million in revenues next year with the majority,
about $531 million, from sales tax collected in the Sound Transit District. 

The Sound Transit Board will continue reviewing the draft budget throughout
this fall, with adoption in December. 

Briefing to Lakewood United 

On Thursday morning, I was in Pierce County giving Lakewood United an
overview of Sound Transit projects and services with an emphasis on the
extension of Sounder service to Lakewood. 

Track and signal upgrade work is currently underway from M Street in Tacoma
south to Lakewood. Extending Sounder service from Tacoma Dome to new
stations at South Tacoma and Lakewood also requires a new 1.2-mile section
of rail line between D-M streets in Tacoma. 

Sound Transit and the City of Tacoma have worked together for years on the
D-M project and we expect to begin construction next year. 

The Lakewood meeting went very well. 

Sounder to Seahawks game Sunday 

Just a quick heads up that we're running Sounder trains to the Seahawks game
against Chicago on Sunday. We're also reminding football fans that they can
also use the new ORCA card to pay their fare to the game. 

ORCA (One Regional Card for All) cards are now available from ticket vending
machines at Sounder commuter rail stations. 

ORCA is a simplified fare collection program for bus, train, rail and ferry
travel. Passengers tap their ORCA card on the card readers located on the
buses, near the ferry terminal turnstiles and at train station platforms.
The card registers a valid pass or deducts the appropriate fare from an
"E-purse" account. And, if needed, the system will also automatically
calculate any transfer credit.  

For more about ORCA see http://www.orcacard.com
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTU4ODIzM
SZtZXNzYWdlaWQ9UFJELUJVTC01ODgyMzEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjE1NTc2O
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G1haWwuY29tJmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&100&&&http://www.orcacard.com/> . 

See
http://www.soundtransit.org/Riding-Sound-Transit/Event-Service-and-Promos/Se
ahawks-Sounder-Service.xml
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SZtZXNzYWdlaWQ9UFJELUJVTC01ODgyMzEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjE1NTc2O
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G1haWwuY29tJmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&101&&&http://www.soundtransit.org/Riding-Sound
-Transit/Event-Service-and-Promos/Seahawks-Sounder-Service.xml>  

Football fans also know that ST Express buses and Link light rail trains
provide regular service  with stops near the stadium. 

Photo of the Week 

Our photo this week shows artwork going up at the new SeaTac/Airport
Station. 

http://www.soundtransit.org/newsroom/photo/
<http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTU4ODIzM
SZtZXNzYWdlaWQ9UFJELUJVTC01ODgyMzEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xMjE1NTc2O
TkwJmVtYWlsaWQ9bGF3bm1vd2VyODRAaG90bWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWxhd25tb3dlcjg0QGhvd
G1haWwuY29tJmV4dHJhPSYmJg==&&&102&&&http://www.soundtransit.org/newsroom/pho
to/> . 

Once the Airport Link light rail extension is open in December, you'll be
able to ride a Link train from the airport all the way to downtown Seattle. 

The Sound Transit Board on Thursday: 

*	Amended the Adopted 2009 Budget. 

*	Authorized the chief executive officer to execute a funding and
cooperative agreement with the City of Seattle for the First Hill Link
Connector Project. 

*	Approved a contract with Bayley Construction Company to provide
construction services for the Kirkland Transit Center/3rd Project in the
amount of $5,976,179, with a 10 percent contingency of $597,618, for a total
authorized contract amount not to exceed $6,573,797. 

*	Authorized the chief executive officer to provide funding for the
construction phase of the SR 522 HOV Enhancement Project pursuant to the
2006 agreement with the City of Bothell in the amount of $5,290,362, for a
total authorized amount not to exceed $7,735,906. 

*	Acted to declare an emergency and authorized the chief executive
officer to execute contracts exceeding, if necessary, $200,000 but not
exceeding $1,000,000 in aggregate, either by competitive procurement or sole
source, to procure the equipment and services necessary to reduce Link light
rail noise levels with respect to the issues of wheel squeal on curves and
crossover track switches as described to the Board in a briefing on
September 24, 2009. 

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