Sound Transit interim CEO Celia Kupersmith mentioned this briefly during a League of Women Voters forum I participated in last Thursday, but the PI's Scott Guttierez has a more fleshed-0ut version of the story : Sound Transit no longer thinks it has the money to complete light rail to South. 272nd St. in Federal Way. Instead, it may terminate rail at Highline Community College in Des Moines and increase express bus service in South King County instead.

[pullquote]The problem isn't just the Sound Transit' revenues have fallen short, but that the policy of subarea equity---taxes raised in one "subarea" of Sound Transit's three-county jurisdiction---requires the agency to spend taxes raised in one subarea in that subarea[/pullquote]. The problem isn't just the Sound Transit' revenues have fallen short, but that the policy of subarea equity---taxes raised in one "subarea" of Sound Transit's three-county jurisdiction---requires the agency to spend taxes raised in one subarea in that subarea (rather than allowing richer subareas to subsidize poorer ones).

Sound Transit's policy of sub-area equity assures that taxes imposed on one subarea, like south King County, support projects and operations that directly benefit that  area.

"The subarea equity policy where we divide taxing districts into subareas and then have to invest the revenues raised in that area is a terrible way to build a regional system," Patterson said. "Because essentially what happens is what you're seeing here – the poorer areas, and the socially and economically challenged areas end up not connected to regional transit."

Sound Transit's board requested a study of how far the light rail line could be extended within the current financial projections, as well as what projects, including Sounder and bus projects, best meet agency goals and ridership. The report, presented April 28 to Sound Transit board, showed light rail to Federal Way wouldn't be possible under current tax collections unless all other projects in south King County were canceled.