Senators Murray and Cantwell Announce Major Federal Awards for Sound Transit Light Rail Projects

Capital Investment Grants (CIG) of more than $158 million will go to the Federal Way Link Extension project, and more than $94 million will go to the Lynnwood Link Extension project 

The awards are funded by the American Rescue Plan, which Senators Murray and Cantwell championed in Congress, and will reduce the required local match on each project, saving Washington taxpayers millions 

Senators Murray and Cantwell had previously helped secure federal commitments of $1.4 billion for the Federal Way Link Extension and $1.2 billion for the Lynnwood Link Extension

ICYMI: Senator Murray Introduces Public Transit Capital Investment Relief Act to Support Critical National Public Infrastructure Needs – MORE HERE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, today announced two new Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program awards, administered by the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA), for Sound Transit’s Federal Way Extension and Lynwood Link Extension light rail projects. The funding for the award comes from the American Rescue Plan. The awards include $158 million for the Federal Way Link Extension project, and more than $94 million for the Lynnwood Link Extension project. This funding will supplant part of the local share of funding for the projects that was required for the Full Funding Grant Agreements that Sound Transit had entered in to with the FTA for each project, saving local taxpayers millions. With many transit agencies struggling during the pandemic, Senator Murray fought to include funding specifically to help alleviate local match requirements for transit projects with Full Funding Grant Agreements in the American Rescue Plan.

“The people of Puget Sound have been clear they want to see more investments in light rail and public transit throughout the region, so I’m working to help make that happen. I fought to make sure the American Rescue Plan included funding for struggling transit agencies and to save local taxpayers money—I’m glad that the FTA is using that funding to continue their commitment to these critical projects,” said Senator Murray. “The Federal Way and Lynnwood Link Extension projects are crucial to reducing congestion, curbing emissions, and opening up opportunity and mobility to communities that have traditionally been left behind. These projects and their continued success and progress show how much we can achieve on transit with federal support, and I’m going to continue working to get that support in the other Washington, through programs like the Capital Investment Grant and upcoming infrastructure legislation.”  

“This is good news for Puget Sound commuters. Every federal dollar that we get helps keep Sound Transit’s light rail expansion moving and gets us closer to building a transit spine from Everett to Tacoma,” said Senator Cantwell. “These funds will help provide four light rail stations between Shoreline and Lynnwood, and three stations between Kent and Federal Way.”

The CIG program is a discretionary funding program for the construction and expansion of new and existing fixed-guideway public transit systems such as heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, streetcars, ferries, and certain corridor-based bus systems. Agencies applying to the CIG program work closely with the FTA through rigorous project development and engineering phases, after which the FTA decides whether to give the project a grant agreement and the corresponding federal dollars.

In 2020 and 2018 respectively, Sound Transit and FTA entered into Full Funding Grant Agreements (FFGA) for the Federal Way Link Extension and Lynnwood Link Extension projects. These agreements include federal commitments to help fund these projects along with a local funding match. The grants announced today will go directly to Sound Transit to continue work on these projects, and come in addition to previously committed federal funding for the project, saving Sound Transit a combined more than $252 million they originally would have had to spend on the projects.  

“This funding is critical to delivering the largest transit expansion program in the nation, providing thousands of jobs while we combat rising congestion and climate change,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “We thank Senator Murray and Senator Cantwell for enabling these transformative investments, and for continuing to advance their pending bill to help close our affordability gap for future extensions by providing up to $1.9 billion in additional pandemic relief.”

Federal Way Link Extension Project

Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension Project will receive a grant for $158,583,550 in American Rescue Plan CIG funding to supplant part of the local share in the FFGA that Sound Transit originally agreed to pay for the project. The project is a 7.8-mile light rail transit (LRT) line that will extend from the existing Angle Lake Station to the Federal Way Transit Center in south King County.  FTA entered into a FFGA with Sound Transit for the project in in January 2020.

Lynnwood Link Extension Project

Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link Extension project will receive a  grant for $94,047,724 in American Rescue Plan CIG funding to supplant part of the local share in the FFGA that Sound Transit originally agreed to pay for the project. The project is a 8.5-mile extension to the light rail system from the Northgate station in King County to the Lynnwood City Center Station in Snohomish County. FTA and Sound Transit  entered into a FFGA for the project in December 2018.

Senators Murray and Cantwell have both been strong advocates in Congress for securing and strengthening federal investments in Washington state transportation priorities, including previously helping Sound Transit to secure a $1.4 billion federal commitment for the Federal Way light rail extension, making the project possible. Senators Murray and Cantwell were also instrumental in securing more than $1.2 billion in federal funding commitments for the Lynnwood Link extension project in 2018.

Earlier this year, Senators Murray and Cantwell introduced the Public Transit Capital Investment Relief Act of 2021. The legislation would provide relief for public transportation agencies through the CIG Program by increasing the federal cost share of the total project cost for qualifying projects that are under construction or near completion. In Washington state, there are currently two major transit projects that would qualify for an increase in federal cost sharing under the legislation: the Lynnwood Link Extension and the Federal Way Link Extension, both in Seattle. Senator Murray’s legislation would increase funding for the Lynwood Link Extension by a projected $978 million and for the Federal Way Link Extension by $948 million. A full list of current CIG projects can be found HERE. 

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