For Immediate Release:

Thursday, January 16, 2003

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Today the Department of Transportation notified Sen. Patty Murray that it will release $50 million to Sound Transit to build link light rail in the Puget Sound.

The release of the funds, which Sen. Murray and Sen. Gorton had secured in the fiscal year (FY) 2001 Transportation Appropriations bill, signifies that the Department of Transportation is satisfied with the progress of Sound Transit.

In 2001, the funding was held in abeyance until Sound Transit could provide further information to the D.O.T. regarding the costs, budgeting, schedule and scope of the project's design. Today the D.O.T. gave Sound Transit the green light.

"Today's announcement is good news for commuters, because it demonstrates that Sound Transit has turned a corner and has a positive business plan to build a desperately needed mass transit system in the Puget Sound," said Murray.

Murray has been instrumental in securing federal funding for transit in the Puget Sound and in Washington state. As Chair of the Senate's Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, Murray has been a champion for important projects like the Bainbridge-Seattle ferry, Sounder Commuter rail, Sea-Tac Airport, U.S. 395 in Spokane, and Highway 12 in Walla Walla.