FTA Announces $790MM Grant, $629.5MM Loan for Sound Transit

Written by Andrew Corselli
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Seattle Sound Transit Lynnwood Link Extension.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced a $790 million Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) for the Federal Way Link Extension Project in King County, Wash., via FTA’s Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program.

Sound Transit has also been approved for up to $629.5 million in USDOT credit assistance through the Build America Bureau under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program.

The project is a 7.8-mile extension of the Link light rail system, from the existing Angle Lake station through the cities of SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way in southern King County, Wash. The project will serve a dense suburban corridor where the existing roadway network is constrained, and travel options are limited to two congested roadways.

FTA’s CIG Program provides funding for major transit projects nationwide. Since Jan. 20, 2017, FTA has advanced funding for 25 new CIG projects throughout the nation totaling approximately $7.5 billion in funding commitments. With the FFGA signing, this Administration has executed 19 CIG funding agreements totaling more than $4.42 billion in CIG funding.

“Commuters in Seattle can now look forward to a one-seat ride between King County, Sea-Tac Airport, downtown Seattle, and the University of Washington,” said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams.  “This extension will improve access to jobs, healthcare, educational opportunities, and other destinations in the Puget Sound region.”

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