How Delay Shortens the Extension of Tacoma Link

It's been difficult for those of us waiting for an expansion of light rail out of Downtown Tacoma. It has seemed like Tacoma Link has only advanced fairly recently since voters approved $80m for an extension back in November 2008.  More than six studies - some from Sound Transit, some from the City of Tacoma and one from the Puyallup Tribe have been conducted on Tacoma Link expansion since the line opened in 2003.

Delay on Tacoma Link costing Millions in Cost Inflation

Part of the pre-alternatives analysis was to determine potential costs of several corridors identified by the Tacoma Streetcar Stakeholders Group.

What was projected in the pre-AA was that many of the alignments could have been paid for with less than $150m if paid for in 2011 dollars (Sound Transit Pre-AA Report 2011).  But when the same projects are paid for in 2015 dollars, the estimates increase ~15% (see Table 3-3 below).  In ST2, Sound Transit's capital contribution was capped at ~$80m in 2011$.  Boiled down, that means: Each year that the project remains unfinished is another year for inflation can eat away at the effectiveness of Sound Transit's contribution.

Source: Sound Transit Tacoma Link Pre-AA Report 2011

Seattle and Portland are not sitting on their hands

By comparison, since 2003, Portland's streetcar network has been extended four times, and is preparing to open yet another expansion in September that was funded by the Obama Administration's TIGER and Sustainable Communities grants.  Portland has also opened two new light rail lines (Yellow 2004, Green 2009) and Portland's TriMet has plans on the drawing board for another line to be operational in 2015.

Seattle has completed construction of the initial segment of Central Link Light Rail, as well as the South Lake Union Streetcar and now has the First Hill Streetcar line under construction.