SEATTLE — Growing reliability issues with the expanding Link light rail system have led Sound Transit CEO Goran Sparrman to declare “the existence of an emergency” in the system, which will allow the agency to move more quickly to address operational issues.
The Seattle Times reports the emergency declaration made on Jan. 21 is a prelude to a $1.5 million no-bid work order with consultant HNTB to “provide technical and strategic advisory services” for planning and design of improvements to modernize the light rail network and increase its reliability.
An independent report on power-supply issues is due in March.
Through the first 11 months of 2024, the light-rail system saw tracks blocked or availability reduced for 376 hours, or 6% of the time. The issue comes at a time that ridership has grown by 25%, to about 100,000 per weekday, since the opening of the Link extension to Lynwood in August [see “Sound Transit opens latest …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 31, 2024]. Sound Transit officials say the Link network is the country’s fourth busiest light rail system.
— Updated Jan. 27 at 7:20 a.m. with new photograph.
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