(The Center Square) – In 1996, Sound Transit promised voters that a light rail line to Everett would be given top priority for its next transportation package, with the ultimate vision of a regional light rail system connecting central Puget Sound.

Almost 30 years later, the regional transit agency is now in the initial planning phases to fulfill that promise, with the initial section of the Everett extension tentatively scheduled to open in 2037 and the entire line in 2041. When completed, it will connect to the existing Lynnwood segment, which connects with the Northgate extension.

However, those who have long anticipated light rail in Everett may have to wait even longer, depending on how Sound Transit addresses its ongoing financial hardships.

“Everything is on the table, frankly,” Sound Transit Board Chair Dave Somers told The Center Square.

Somers is also the Snohomish County executive and the current president of the Puget Sound Regional Council.

However, he said that while the entire ST3 package will be scrutinized for ways to reduce costs, which could include project delays, for him a major priority will be finishing what was promised with Sound Move for Everett.

“Let’s finish the spine,” he said. “Let’s connect Everett and Tacoma. Ultimately, we want to finish the whole package, but I think over the next coming months I’ll argue, ‘Let’s do what’s most economical and get our biggest bang for a buck.”

One of financial issues the regional transit agency struggles with is reaching full capacity for bonding. The problem, Somers warned, is the further out a project like Everett is pushed into the future, the more expensive it will become when it’s finally built.

“I believe strongly that if we can move it up and prioritize it over some of the other projects, we can get it done sooner,” he said.

Funded under ST3 approved by voters in 2016, the 16.3-mile extension will include six new stations, including one at State Route 99 and Airport Road that has yet receive a funding source. Initially estimated to cost $3.8 billion, the entire project is now forecast to cost $6.1 billion. When opened, it is expected to have an estimated ridership of 37,000 to 45,000 daily passengers.

In the meantime, Sound Transit is soliciting input from residents in the area regarding ways to improve access to the light rail stations. Sound Transit Communications Director John Gallagher wrote in an email to The Center Square that “we are constantly soliciting feedback from the public and will for years to come, right up to the start of construction. This allows us to refine our understanding of our riders’ needs and make appropriate changes to the project.”

He also noted that “the current public feedback period is related to nonmotorized station access projects – not the Everett Link alternatives themselves. It is a parallel process we work on in coordination with local jurisdictions to get projects in place for walking and biking improvements near stations. These projects are funded separately from the Everett Link Extension project and are not likely to affect the light rail project design itself.”

More opportunities for public input will also occur when the Federal Transit Administration conducts scoping under the National Environmental Policy Act, which is expected to occur this summer. A draft Environmental Impact Statement expected in early 2026, which will also involve a public comment period.

“That will be an important point to provide feedback on the different alternatives before a preferred alternative is selected for evaluation in the Final EIS,” Gallagher wrote.

Although the line has yet to be designed, the project has already experienced controversy when Sound Transit contemplated an alternative route that would have bypassed Boeing and Paine Fields. Sound Transit later dropped the idea after local government officials, including Somers and Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, spoke in opposition to it.

Somers said it’s vital that the light rail extension services those job centers, citing a study that reported Paine Field generates an economic impact of approximately $60 billion annually. He added that the unincorporated areas of Snohomish County around Everett and Lynnwood have had significant urban growth over the past 20 years.

“If it were to become a city, it’d be the third largest in the state,” he said. “We need to serve that area. If it was named ‘Seattle,’ it certainly be getting a lot of stations.”

Additionally, he said the only areas suitable for a critical operations and maintenance facility for the light rail trains are located near Paine Field.

“Shooting up I-5 is not an option, it’s not realistic,” he said. “We need an OMF [Operations and Maintenance Facility] station.”

Among the details to be worked out in the draft EIS for the Everett extension will be the role of existing transit services, including Snohomish County’s Community Transit and Everett Transit, which is operated by the city. The two transit agencies are part of Sound Transit’s Interagency Advisory Group that meets monthly.

“Bus routes often change after a light rail station has opened, as they often include on-site bus facilities and transfer areas,” Gallagher wrote.

Everett Transit Assistant Transit Director Sabina Araya told The Center Square that “our focus is making sure bus to light rail transfer are very easy and efficient,” adding that they’re looking at “how will future networks connect with light rail and still provide coverage for neighborhood service to ensure our residents can get to the light rail.”

She added that they haven’t looked at possibly replacing routes yet, with a focus instead on how to extend existing lines to the light rail stations.

“For us we have in-station planning focused on making sure that people transfer to and from the bus have a clear path to the light rail station entrance,” she said. Even if the light rail construction is delayed, she said “having a good destination network and bicycling network will be useful, regardless of the timeline.”

Local governments are also looking at ways to increase or enhance ridership through zoning near or around the stations. The city of Everett’s comprehensive plan includes Snohomish County’s Urban Core Subarea Plan, which was adopted in December. The county’s comprehensive plan for unincorporated areas includes a proposed Light Rail Community zone and a Mixed Use Corridor zone, both of which are intended to increase density near future stations along corridors such as Highway 99.

Somers said the county’s plans are “predicated on the vision that will be high-capacity transit service that can support that density. We as a county have to plan for future growth wherever it is. Lynnwood – it succeeded all expectations. It’s extremely popular and being heavily used. Everett is going to be even more so.”

However, transportation analysts are concerned that the extension’s high demand could be an issue. Global Telematics President John Niles told The Center Square that light rail’s trains might not have the capacity for all riders who want to use it at the same times of day, especially during commute hours. Niles penned an article in 2018 warning as much, arguing that “a reappraisal and verification of the Link Light Rail design – including the train control technology that determines train spacing – is now important before extending a network that is emerging as built too small.”

In its response, the Sound Transit Board argued that “higher than expected light rail demand means this planning target will be exceeded more often than we predicted several years ago, but there will still be sufficient capacity to provide similar transit-riding experiences to other cities.”

Niles said that “to us, given the capability of buses … there’s a way to deliver people to Seattle with buses. We’ve got to ask if we should spend billions on more light rail. We think it’s worth a look.”