Sound Transit’s current financial troubles won’t delay its light rail expansion from Angle Lake to Highline and Federal Way, an agency official said this week. 

Scott Thomson, public information officer for the regional transit agency, said that the agency’s declining fare revenue will not delay the planned 2024 opening of the extension of light rail south from Angle Lake. 

Since 2019, fare collection has fallen from 32 percent of riders to 5 percent in 2021. Passengers are supposed to buy tickets before they get on the train, or use an Orca card, but fare enforcement consists of occasional checks by Sound Transit employees. The agency counts on 40 percent fare collection to meet its budget. 

Nonetheless, the Highline-Federal Way line is taking shape, with pillars going up along the line. 

However, an ongoing strike by local concrete workers is holding up some work, Thompson said. 

“We are building a parking garage next to the Kent/Des Moines station that is currently delayed because of the concrete strike in King county,” said Thomson. 

Concrete workers are striking for higher wages.  As a result, well over 450 employees were laid off.  

Meanwhile, Sound Transit is making plans for excess parcels of land along the train route. Sound Transit hopes that some of it will become developed, such as retail shops and other services for rail passengers. 

“Much of the land that we are using to construct this project will become available for the Transit Oriented Development once the line is open. We will have about 4 acres of land in Kent that will be available for development after 2024,” Thompson said.