Sound Transit Votes to Fully Fund Graham Street Station; Completion Expected in 2031

After first being proposed in 1999 and then being deferred multiple times, the long-promised Graham Street Station is back on track.

In a Sound Transit board meeting that lasted nearly six hours, the 18-member board voted unanimously to fully fund the Graham Street Station. The board met on May 28 to vote on which transit projects would be completed or deferred, and on how to close the agency's current $34.5 billion budget shortfall.

The estimated cost for the Graham Street Station is $214 million, but Sound Transit staff said that because the proposed station would be built on an already existing line (known as the 1 Line), construction and other operational needs may increase the price tag.

The vote to fund the station followed the approval of a Graham Street Station amendment, sponsored by King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, and Seattle City Council Member Dan Strauss. The complex amendment will incorporate funding from federal grants, potential cost savings from other projects, and negotiated agreements from King County and the City of Seattle. The amendment will:

• Allow Sound Transit to negotiate with the City of Seattle up to $30 million as a last resort.

• Incorporate a $25 million construction grant to the project, secured by Washington Sen. Patty Murray.

• Incorporate around $20 million in potential cost savings from the construction of the future Pinehurst Station, which will be located between the Northgate and Shoreline Stations; Pinehurst is slated to open in fall 2026.

• Require Sound Transit to present a plan for cost-saving measures and alternative financing options by June 1, 2027.

• Allow Sound Transit to enter into a funding agreement with King County if necessary.

Mayor Wilson, on multiple occasions, including at the recent board meeting, said that the City's potential $30 million was a "last-in" option and would be used if "all other funding sources have been exhausted." But Calli Knight, Sound Transit chief of staff, told the Emerald that the current cost of the Graham Street Station "assumes the commitment that [the City of Seattle] brought in."

During the meeting, attended by over 150 people, Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello asked Sound Transit staff about the specific funding commitment from King County, but neither Sound Transit staff nor Zahilay offered an answer during the meeting.

At a post-meeting press conference, the Emerald asked Zahilay about county funding. He responded, "[King County] didn't receive a need for the County to put in money to reach affordability at that time, but we stand ready to partner in every way to deliver on Graham Street."

Although the Graham Street Station was moved off the deferred list, other stations were not as lucky. The Boeing Access Road Station was deferred again, but the area was given $10 million to "implement innovative, alternative transit options."

The most dramatic moment at the meeting dealt with the construction of a second downtown tunnel. Strauss proposed an amendment to delay construction of a second downtown tunnel and use the savings to fund the construction of stations from Ballard to Westlake. Although Strauss' plan survived a surprise tabling vote from Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, a majority of the board felt delaying the tunnel's construction would cause irreparable harm to the entire system. The board voted down Strauss' amendment 14–4, making it the only amendment to fail, and effectively deferring Ballard light rail construction to at least the late 2030s.