ISSAQUAH, Wash. — The Downtown Issaquah Association says the city’s light rail connection is at risk.
Due to Sound Transit’s budget crisis and growing demands from Seattle, the long-planned ST3 project is being reconsidered.
The association says that Sound Transit is actively reevaluating how — and when — projects across the region are delivered. These decisions could mean Issaquah’s light rail connection is delayed indefinitely or even eliminated.
Service isn’t expected to begin until 2041 at best or 2044, but that could change depending on funding.
Local taxpayers have invested in the project since 2016. The South Kirkland-Issaquah Link project is an 11.8-mile line connecting Issaquah to neighboring communities. The proposal would add four new stations and tie into three existing East Link stations, with an estimated travel time of about 25 minutes between South Kirkland and Issaquah.
Issaquah Mayor Mark Mullet says residents and businesses have already made significant financial contributions toward the project.
“For the average homeowner in Issaquah, it’s $15,000 to $20,000 every decade you’re paying in taxes for this. So here we are,” Mullet said. “We passed it in 2016, so we’re already a decade in. You have a lot of people that have already paid $15 to $ 20,000 in taxes to not get any benefit from.”
According to the mayor, some communities and groups have suggested cutting the Issaquah line as a way for Sound Transit to stay on budget.
“All these other communities and groups are saying, ‘Oh, Sound Transit can get on budget by just getting rid of the Issaquah Line,’” Mullet said. “We’ve been paying in our fair share to have transit service. The best way to end the transit desert of East King County is getting light rail to Issaquah.”
The Downtown Issaquah Association is holding a community meeting to discuss what’s happening and what it means for Issaquah on February 24.
The meeting will take place at Council Chambers in City Hall South at 135 East Sunset Way. The meeting is scheduled for an hour, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
“If you care about mobility, economic vitality, and Issaquah’s future, this is the moment to show up. Let’s make our voices heard,” the association shared.
In a statement to KIRO 7 News, a spokesperson for Sound Transit said:
Sound Transit, like many agencies across the country, is facing escalating costs. We project that if we do nothing, cost escalation and lower projected revenues will make the expansion program unaffordable starting in the 2030s.
To proactively address an estimated $34.5 billion needed to fully fund the ST3 program approved by voters, Sound Transit launched the <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/achieving-long-term-affordability__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0y4fC0wqs$" rel="" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/achieving-long-term-affordability__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0y4fC0wqs$"><u>Enterprise Initiative</u></a>. This is a comprehensive, holistic approach to solving affordability challenges that considers all agency costs, including system and project planning, capital construction, service operations, and system maintenance; and revenue sources to plan a sustainable path going forward.
At the February <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEm6V0WxnUA&list=PL403uNPwemVp0osOvo2eJdTJEnInP8k8j&index=1__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0yMjG9q0g$" rel="" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEm6V0WxnUA&list=PL403uNPwemVp0osOvo2eJdTJEnInP8k8j&index=1__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0yMjG9q0g$"><u>System Expansion Committee meeting</u></a>, staff gave this <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/enterprise-scenario-development-presentation-20260212.pdf__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0y3QQuOOo$" rel="" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/enterprise-scenario-development-presentation-20260212.pdf__;!!F8-Dj6fVkZI!e_y-dEuay-Qwi4r-EobvZ_jStGRfiPZS6d_GidQVze4G0PVARmlaWN4fuZpIdlljP_lDoJqQ69yL57TkbkkzIZ9MZjYXyL0y3QQuOOo$"><u>presentation</u></a> that included information about how cost-saving scenarios are being developed to present to the Board for discussion at their retreat next month. Pre-baselined projects in the ST3 program, South Kirkland to Issaquah Link and Tacoma Link extension to Tacoma Community College, are addressed starting on slide 18 of the presentation, and at about 1:08 in the meeting recording.
As noted on slide 19 of the presentation, scenarios presented to the Board in March about the pre-baselined projects are expected to include changes to the size and timing of the investments, as well as project deferrals.
A possible scenario for Everett Link, which is in the planning phase, is addressed on slide 15, involving phased delivery of the project.
After the Board retreat in March, we will have information about scenarios the Board may consider, but there is nothing specific to share at this time.
©2026 Cox Media Group
