Sounder D-M Street Project $25 million under budget

Sound Transit has awarded the contract for the D-M street commuter rail extension to MidMountain Contractors Inc out of Kirkland.   The engineer's estimate for the work was $66.4 million, while this company's bid was $40.8 million.  Work is expected to start later this year, with service starting up in 2012.  Recall that WSDOT's plans for Amtrak indicate that Tacoma intercity passenger rail service will operate out of Freighthouse Square at that time.

$25 million sounds like a lot, but it also has to be weighed against the nearly $4 billion decline in projected Sound Transit revenue.  Nevertheless some of those savings could be used towards the Tacoma Link extension.  ST is principally done with Sounder service and ST Express Bus expansion in Pierce County for the time being.  $25 million could pay for an additional mile of a streetcar extension - or perhaps, double-tracking of Tacoma Link between S. 21st and Tacoma Dome Station / Freighthouse Square.

Just as a reminder to our readers - Pierce County's delegation to the Sound Transit Board consists of the City of Tacoma's Jake Fey, Lakewood City Council member Claudia Thomas, Dave Enslow of Sumner, and PC Exec Pat McCarthy.  The other 14 members of Sound Transit's 18-member Board consist of representatives from King and Snohomish Counties and Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond.