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RTA Board Meeting Report Vol. 5 No. 10August 14, 1997

RTA Board makes sound move with new system name

The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority Board adopted a sound new name for the agency's regional transit system - Sound Transit. That will be the name that greets riders of the new light rail, commuter rail and regional express bus transit service being financed and developed by the RTA. The RTA Board adopted Sound Transit August 14 as the popular name for marketing the services it is developing under the voter-approved financing proposal for Sound Move, the Ten-Year Regional Transit System Plan.

The board also adopted names for the specific Sound Transit services. The new electric light rail service will be called "Link," the commuter rail line on existing tracks between Lakewood, Tacoma, Seattle and Everett will be known as "Sounder," and the RTA's 20 new regional express bus routes will be called "Regional Express." The agency will retain its official corporate name - Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority.

"Our goal is to provide a more 'user-friendly' and easily identifiable name for the services we will be providing," said Edmonds City Councilmember Dave Earling, chair of the RTA's Public and Government Affairs Committee. "We were after a name that was simple and easy to use, yet included a sense of place. I think Sound Transit accomplishes that."

The name was selected following review of almost 100 names suggested by staff and a marketing and communication consultant team, and testing with marketing professionals throughout the community. Additional suggestions were made by local newspapers and listeners to a popular local radio talk show. The final selection boiled down to a choice between Sound Transit and Regional Transit or RT.

RTA Boardmember and Pierce County Councilmember Sarah Casada commented during the board discussion that she liked the double meaning of the name Sound Transit. Besides being a geographic reference to the Puget Sound region, "I see 'Sound' as also meaning solid and dependable," she said.

The new Sound Transit identity is scheduled to make its first appearance when the first RTA-financed transit service makes its debut in September. Beginning in mid-September, RTA funding will add eight weekday trips and two Saturday trips to Pierce Transit's highly popular Seattle Express routes between Lakewood/Tacoma and Seattle (see related story below).

Highlights of other actions/issues at the August 14 meeting:

Board authorizes agreement with Pierce Transit to add service on Lakewood/Tacoma to Seattle Express:

The board approved Resolution No. 92 authorizing an agreement with Pierce Transit for RTA funding of additional service on Pierce Transit's express bus service between Lakewood/Tacoma and downtown Seattle. Buses on the popular express route are currently overcrowded. With the opening of the new Tacoma Dome Station park-and-ride lot in October, there will be even greater demand for additional bus service. Fifteen new weekday trips and two Saturday evening trips will be added to the route beginning September 15. Beginning in January, the RTA will assume the full cost of these added services, plus four additional trips later in the year if more capacity is needed (about $542,000 in 1998).

This represents the initial step toward the RTA assuming full funding responsibility for the entire Tacoma/Lakewood to Seattle Express route. This route is one of twenty RTA/Sound Transit Regional Express bus routes called for in Sound Move - the Ten-Year Regional Transit System Plan. Pierce Transit coaches will be used during the first two years until Sound Transit buses are acquired. Pierce Transit will continue to be responsible for the day-to-day service operation.

Board authorizes agreement with Community Transit to help build Ash Way Park-and-Ride lot:

On August 14, the board approved Resolution No. 95 authorizing RTA funding to help build a new 1,000 stall park-and-ride lot adjacent to Interstate 5 on 164th Street S.W. and Ash Way in Snohomish County. Four existing park-and-ride lots serving southwest Snohomish County are severely overcrowded. Community Transit, the state Department of Transportation and the RTA are jointly building the new lot to help ease overcrowding. Funding is also being contributed by the Federal Highway Administration and the Transportation Improvement Board. The RTA will budget $900,000 in 1998 to begin reimbursing Community Transit for construction costs.

The facility will include bus bays, lighted passenger shelters, bike lockers, electronic information kiosks, and pedestrian walkways. The park-and-ride lot will be served by local collector buses and existing regional bus service to downtown Seattle, University of Washington and the Interstate 405 corridor in East King County. The lot will also be served by some RTA /Sound Transit Regional Express routes as they come on line in Snohomish County.

RTA human resources system authorized:

The board approved Motion No. 38 authorizing the RTA Executive Director to implement a human resources classification, compensation, and performance management system. The human resources system was developed by The Washington Firm, the RTA's human resources consultants. The primary objective of the new system is to attract and retain top caliber staff to successfully implement Sound Move and support and reinforce the organizational values identified by staff and reviewed by the board. The new human resources system includes seven broad classification/compensation ranges plus a pay-for-performance system which requires an annual performance appraisal for each employee.

Agreement made with state Department of Transportation for mapping services:

The RTA Board approved Motion No. 39 authorizing an agreement with the state Department of Transportation to manage survey, photography and mapping services for the RTA's Sound Transit Link light rail system. The $842,000 agreement provides for the state Department of Transportation to provide overall management and project quality control, plus contracting with local firms for surveys, aerial photography and digitizing work. The services will be used to help provide base maps for design of the Link light rail system - 1.6 miles in Tacoma and about 23 miles between Northgate and the City of SeaTac.

RTA moves to new headquarters:

On Monday, July 28, the RTA moved to 1100 Second Avenue, Suite 500; 98101 in downtown Seattle. All of the RTA's telephone and FAX numbers remain the same.

Next RTA Board meeting:

The August 28 board meeting has been cancelled. Please call the board administrator's office at 689-5232 to confirm meeting dates, times and locations.