SB 5528 Gives Transit Power Back to Voters

Senate Bill 5528's local option will provide significant benefits for regional and citywide rapid transit expansion.

The 2022 legislative session is starting off with a bang this week. Before the first week is done Senate Bill 5528 will have a hearing in the transportation committee. The bill picks up where last year's HB 1304 left off but expands the function to a regional level under the governance of Sound Transit. A city, subarea, county, or combination thereof will have the option to create an Enhanced Service Zone" to target the investments their voters care about most

SB 5528 allows the Sound Transit Board to give voters the opportunity to fund faster construction timelines on existing projects and/or fund new transit improvements and services for individual cities and sub-areas within the Sound Transit district.

What is possible is only limited by what the individual cities and their voters want. Some sample potential projects and Enhanced Service Zones:

Pierce and South King

• Fund increased Sounder frequency, capacity, and operating hours

Snohomish

• Speed up ST3 expansion to Everett

Seattle

• Speed up Ballard and West Seattle Link expansion
• Add desired improvements to the existing ST3 plan including expansion features for Aurora Corridor, Crosstown Corridors, and to serve Georgetown & South Park

Seattle, Renton, and King County

• Fund Link expansion beyond what is in ST3 (AKA - ST4)

The funding mechanisms included in the bill (requiring voter approval) are a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) not to exceed 1.5%, and a commercial parking tax.

We already know that Seattle voters overwhelmingly want to speed up (71% support) and expand Link (76% support). SB 5528 makes that, and much more, possible.

SB 5528 already has a hearing in the transportation committee this Thursday, January 13. Please join us in supporting this bill. To show your support we need 45 seconds of your time before Thursday:

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Also - a huge thank you to Senator Jamie Pedersen, and Senator Marco Liias, who is the new Senate Transportation Committee Chair, for sponsoring this excellent bill.