Sound Transit U-District link approved

Sound Transit's link to the University District got approval by the Federal Government, Seattle lawmakers learned today.

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters told city and state officials that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), a part of the Department of Transportation, had signed off on the final design phase, during her visit to Washington state to review several Puget Sound transportation projects with Gov. Chris Gregoire and Sen. Patty Murray.

Sound Transit's 3.1 mile underground extension to the University of Washington will cost about $1.7 billion; Seattle hopes to secure a funding grant from the federal government for up to $750 million of the total.

An aide to Sen. Murray said the announcement by the transportation secretary was a major milestone, although getting the federal money requires several more steps. Last year, the project was given a "high" rating by the FTA, which placed it among the federal transportation spending priorities.

The state delegation had been pressing the federal agency for approval so work could begin in 2008. In the wake of the Nov. elections, Murray became chair of the appropriations committee that oversees transportation funding.