Murray Announces $14.7 Million in Grants To Ease South Sound Congestion

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — Senator Patty Murray today announced an award of $14.7 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to Sound Transit’s Sounder Commuter Rail between Tacoma and Lakewood. Murray, ranking Democrat on the Senate Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, secured the funding in the Transportation Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2003.

The grant will fund right-of-way acquisition along Sound Transit’s Tacoma-to-Lakewood commuter rail segment.

“This funding will go a long way towards helping us relieve congestion in the South Sound region,” Murray said. “Sounder Commuter Rail has already proven to be an important part of the South Sound’s transportation network, and this additional funding adds greatly to the effectiveness of this already very successful line” Murray said.