Cost of Tacoma, Wash., Transit Line Raises Eyebrows

Rob McKenna, a prominent Sound Transit critic and member of the King County Council, said it would be wrong to assume the cost difference alone means Sound Transit is wasting money on Tacoma Link. Once enough details become available for a side-by-side comparison, there may be a legitimate explanati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inKnight Ridder Tribune Business News p. 1
Main Author Quigg, David
Format Newsletter
LanguageEnglish
Published Washington Tribune Content Agency LLC 14.01.2003
Subjects
County executives
Light rail transportation
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Summary:Rob McKenna, a prominent Sound Transit critic and member of the King County Council, said it would be wrong to assume the cost difference alone means Sound Transit is wasting money on Tacoma Link. Once enough details become available for a side-by-side comparison, there may be a legitimate explanation for Tacoma Link's costs, he said. [Kevin Phelps] noted that Seattle might save money by doing less than Sound Transit did to improve the area along its streetcar route. The Tacoma Link project includes money for new sidewalks, lighting, trees, benches, bike racks and kiosks as well as changes to side streets to improve pedestrian access to the streetcar stations. Still, two Sound Transit board members -- Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and Sumner City Councilman Dave Enslow -- said Tacoma Link's higher cost per mile is enough to make them curious. Both will ask Sound Transit for an explanation, they said.