King County Executive Ron Sims today recommended approval of an agreement for the operation and maintenance of Sound Transit’s Central Link [external link] light rail system by King County Metro.

"When the light rail system opens for passenger service, patrons will see an efficient, coordinated, clean and safe operation that will match the performance of other light rail systems throughout the country," said Sims, who first proposed such an agreement last year.

"This enables us to satisfy the dream that the original builders of the downtown tunnel envisioned when they constructed a tunnel to be used initially by buses, but eventually by trains," said Sims.

Over the past several months, staff from King County, Metro Transit, and Sound Transit have been developing the agreement called for by the Metropolitan King County Council and the Sound Transit Board of Directors last year. That ordinance authorized joint use of the downtown tunnel by buses and light rail trains, and called for the negotiation of an agreement between Sound Transit and King County for light rail operations.

"Metro brings substantial experience in running one of the nation’s largest and most innovative public transportation systems to the task of light rail," said Sims. "And, this agreement will allow taxpayers to avoid the considerable expense of creating another transit operating department from scratch."

Metro’s experience with electric trolley buses, streetcars, and the downtown transit tunnel will provide as a solid foundation for operating the light rail system. The agency is also in the process of purchasing hybrid diesel-electric buses to operate side-by-side in the tunnel with light rail trains.

The "smart card" being developed by Metro, Sound Transit and five other partner agencies is another innovation that will increase passenger convenience. The regional fare card will make it even easier to transfer between transit, rail and ferry systems throughout four counties in the Central Puget Sound.

"A new day will soon be dawning for our regional public transportation system," said Sims, "and this agreement plays an important role in that future. Not only does it continue the excellent history of cooperation between King County and Sound Transit, but it also is the kind of agreement that will be a hallmark for public transit regionally and nationally."

Highlights of the proposed operating agreement between King County and Sound Transit are:

• Sound Transit will set policies for the system, including fares, the amount of service, and how it operates;
• A separate section will be created within Metro to oversee light rail operations, and maintenance of vehicles and facilities. The light rail section manager will report to the Metro Transit general manager within the King County Dept. of Transportation;
• Other services, such as customer service, human resources, and computer systems to schedule the trains and manage maintenance activities will be provided through the Metro Transit Division;
• Sound Transit will pay the costs for the rail section and other services provided by Metro Transit and other King County departments;
• The light rail service will clearly be identified as Sound Transit’s. Most riders will be unaware that King County is providing the service, much like Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter rail service and their regional express bus system is operated under contract by other providers today;
• Staff coordinating the operation of the tunnel and light rail trains will be cross-trained and will work together. This allows for quick, coordinated responses to any service disruptions, and maximizes operational safety;
• Sound Transit will pay for a portion of the county’s services to own and operate the downtown tunnel as agreed last year as part of Sound Transit’s plan to build the initial segment of light rail.