Snohomish County leaders have expressed disagreement with proposed light rail routes that would skip the region’s airport, Paine Field, reports Ben Watanabe for HeraldNet.

According to the article, “Prior public comment and the Everett Link community advisory group had asked for those options to be studied. They cited concerns about displacement and gentrification through southwest Everett, development and ridership potential, as well as getting light rail built earlier than the projected start in 2037 or 2041.” But some local leaders refuse to study the options, saying the airport-omitting options were not what voters approved when they voted to support the project. 

“The Sound Transit board, at the time, chose an alignment that extends north from the Lynnwood Transit Center to Alderwood mall, 164th Street SW, Ash Way and 128th Street SW, then west along Airport Road to the Southwest Everett Industrial Center that includes Boeing and Paine Field,” Watanabe writes. “Sound Transit staff analysis of the Highway 99 and I-5 alignments showed lower current populations, projected populations and jobs for both, compared to the alignment that runs west toward Paine Field, north corridor development director Eric Widstrand said Wednesday.”