Sound Transit
The Sound Transit Board on June 26 identified its preferred light rail route and station locations for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension, which will expand service nearly 10 miles using mostly elevated light rail tracks between Federal Way and Tacoma, Wash. It will include four new stations in the South Federal Way, Fife, East Tacoma/Portland Avenue and Tacoma Dome areas (see map above). The project now enters the preliminary engineering and final environmental impact statement phase for further study, according to the transit agency.
The preferred alternative includes:
- In South Federal Way: The SR 99-West Alternative, with the design refinement to run on the east side of SR 99 in Milton; with a South Federal Way station on the south side of South 352nd Street.
- In Fife: The Fife I-5 Alternative and the Fife Station in the vicinity of 15th Street East and 59th Avenue East.
- In Tacoma: The Portland Avenue Station, and the route and Tacoma Dome station in the “Tacoma Close-to-Sounder” location.
According to Sound Transit, the Board considered comments from tribes, the public and agencies, as well as analysis in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which was released in December. Extensive coordination was also undertaken with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, it said, as a large portion of the route and two stations are located on the reservation. Close coordination with the tribe will continue throughout the project.
“This vote marks a major milestone toward establishing light rail service to all three counties in the Sound Transit district,” Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “It’s also another step forward in building the regional light rail spine that voters approved.”
“This action brings us one step closer to delivering our shared vision of a world-class, three-county light rail system,” Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine added. “The Tacoma Dome extension will seamlessly connect Pierce County to SeaTac, Seattle, the Eastside, Lynnwood and, ultimately, Everett. It will transform regional travel so fundamentally that we’ll wonder how we ever did without it.”
Detailed information on the preferred alternative for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension is included in the Board motion here.
The Board will select the alternative to build after publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is expected in 2027.
Separately, Sound Transit in May launched Link light rail service between downtown Redmond and South Bellevue, Wash.
CHSRA
CHSRA on June 26 reported releasing an RFEI “to refine the Authority’s delivery strategy through consultation with the industry” (see above). Specifically, it is is looking for detailed feedback on the “commercial, financial, technical and procurement aspects of its preferred delivery strategy, as well as the industry’s view on the potential benefits and challenges from combining large remaining portions of the system into one or more design-build-finance-maintain (DBFM) or similar contracts.” CHSRA noted it is particularly interested in opportunities “for cost savings and schedule acceleration and the key commercial and financial requirements that would be required to achieve those objectives.” It is also open to receiving feedback on other delivery models that may allow it to meet such objectives. CHSRA noted that it may use the feedback to update its delivery strategies and to schedule and commence one or more procurements in the future.
Firms are invited to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) in response to the RFEI. CHSRA seeks responses from respondents on the questions set forth in the RFEI. After receipt of the EOIs, CHSRA said it intends to conduct a series of confidential one-on-one meetings with respondents.
Participation in this RFEI, CHSRA said, is not required for participation in a future procurement.
The anticipated schedule for this RFEI is as follows:
- Questions regarding the RFEI may be submitted to rfei@hsr.ca.gov by July 21, 2025.
- EOIs are requested by July 28, 2025, but may still be considered if received after that date, according to CHSRA.
- All communications for this RFEI, including all EOIs, must go through: Emily Morrison, Chief of Contract Administration, California High-Speed Rail Authority, 770 L Street, Suite 620 MS 2, Sacramento, CA 95814; Phone (916) 324-1541; Email rfei@hsr.ca.gov
CHSRA encourages respondents to email rfei@hsr.ca.gov by Aug. 11 to schedule one-on-one meetings, if interested. One-on-one meetings are expected to occur in August 2025.
For more information, please click here.
Further Reading:
Amtrak
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, Calif., the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency has unveiled a special train wrap for the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®. The train links San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif., and provides easy access to Anaheim and the Disneyland Resort.
To commemorate the anniversary, Amtrak riders can unlock the following special offers:
- Save 5% on Disneyland Resort Theme Park Admission. Available for a limited time, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner customers can enjoy 5% savings on standard theme park tickets (1-day or more Park Hopper ticket) and the Disneyland Anniversary Ticket Offer (specially priced 3- and 4-day tickets valid now – August 14, 2025). Savings available after tickets are purchased through the Disneyland Resort Online Ticket Store at PacificSurfliner.com/Disney.
- Save 20% on Train Travel to Anaheim. Use promo code V712 when booking an Amtrak Pacific Surfliner ride to Anaheim for a 20% discount on adult fares. This offer is valid for travel on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner only and not combinable with any other discount offer. Discount is available for adult fares and applied at checkout. Fares, routes and schedules are subject to change. Other restrictions may apply.
- Free Shuttle to the Park. Guests arriving at the Anaheim Station can present their Amtrak ticket to board a complimentary ART (Anaheim Regional Transportation) shuttle to the Disneyland Resort.
“We are thrilled to be part of the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration,” LOSSAN Agency Chair and City of Fullerton Mayor Fred Jung said. “Taking the Pacific Surfliner to one of the world’s most iconic and beloved destinations makes magical memories start the moment your journey begins.”
“With the launch of our Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration, we’re excited to collaborate on this initiative and see the all-new 70th themed Amtrak Pacific Surfliner riding along the coastline of Southern California,” Disneyland Resort Vice President of Sales and Services Lynn Clark said. “As we honor the legacy of Disneyland Resort, we’re delighted to join LOSSAN to create magical, memorable vacation experiences together for our guests, where the celebration can begin even before they arrive.”
For more details, click here.
Separately, in May, Amtrak and Crayola partnered to promote family travel.
BART
BART on June 26 reported that several key indicators it uses to measure success are showing “significant progress.”
Total ridership grew 6.4% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025 over the same quarter last year, according to the transit agency. Weekday ridership increased nearly 7% year over year, while weekends had even bigger gains, it noted, as more families are taking BART to events. The average Saturday had a 14% ridership increase and the average Sunday saw ridership grow by more than 8% compared with the same quarter last year. The Quarterly Performance Review (QPR) also showed customer satisfaction is at 84%, train cleanliness improved by 58% year over year, and station cleanliness improved 52% year over year, BART reported.
According to BART, these gains come as it has focused all available resources on implementing its Safe and Clean Plan. “The comprehensive approach to transforming the rider experience includes a surge in BART PD’s visible safety presence on trains and in stations as well as doubling the rate of deep cleanings for trains,” it noted. “Another huge improvement for the rider experience is running only new Fleet of the Future trains.”
In the latest QPR, overall robberies decreased from 42 in the previous quarter to 21, BART reported, while electronic theft decreased from 43 in the previous quarter to 21. Crimes against persons decreased from 9.56 last quarter to 6.22 crimes per one million trips in the third quarter of this year. “These gains come as police-related customer service complaints dropped by 63% year over year, showing an improved perception of safety from riders,” BART said.
“The BART Police Department is seeing firsthand the transformation that is taking place at BART thanks to the dedication of our sworn officers, ambassadors, fare inspectors, crisis intervention specialists, and community service officers,” BART Chief of Police Kevin Franklin said. “Riding BART today is nothing like what it was during the pandemic. Our new deployment strategies and proactive enforcement is providing a more welcoming experience for families in our stations and trains.”
BART’s efforts to harden the system, led by the installation of its Next Generation Fare Gates, are being recognized as the number of riders who say they’ve witnessed fare evasion has reached a new low for the past five quarters, going from 24% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 to 15% in the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2025, according to BART. The stronger gates are said to feature a state-of-the-art locking mechanism, as well as sensors that improve access for riders in wheelchairs as well as those using strollers or carrying luggage. The new gates have been installed at 40 stations so far and will be in place at all 50 BART stations by the end of this year, BART said.
Riders are also reporting fewer safety concerns and issues related to Code of Conduct violations and people needing welfare checks through the BART Watch App, according to the transit agency. The number of Code of Conduct related reports sent by riders decreased this latest quarter to 2,398 reports, compared with 3,166 during the same quarter last year. Requests for welfare checks decreased to 680 requests, compared with 763 for the same quarter last year. That means, BART said, “there are fewer people who look like they can’t care for themselves.” BART added that it recently placed 400 posters in its railcars, targeting unwanted activities such as smoking, harassment and unruly behavior. “These posters reinforce BART PD’s commitment to enforcing the Code of Conduct and providing a welcoming environment for all riders,” it noted.
