Seattle’s Sound Transit executed an innovative 10-year agreement with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) that will allow Link light rail trains to run on 100% clean energy starting in 2019.
The agreement, the first of its kind in Washington state, will enable Sound Transit to purchase wind energy directly from PSE’s Green Direct program.
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“This innovative agreement with Puget Sound Energy sets Sound Transit as a leader in providing clean energy services,” said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. “By operating Link light rail on green power starting in 2019, Sound Transit will offer transit users a carbon-neutral option for leaving their cars behind and help reduce the region’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
Sound Transit’s 2015 Sustainability Plan and the voter-approved Sound Transit 3 ballot measure commit the agency to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expand the use of renewable energy, and make all facilities and electricity carbon-neutral by 2030. The agreement will also help the agency lower its exposure to future utility price increases, potentially reduce long-term operating costs, and stabilize 42% of its electricity production charges over the duration of the contract. There is no capital cost for entering into this agreement.
A collaboration between Puget Sound Energy, PSE customers, the World Resources Institute, and World Wildlife Fund, Green Direct is a new program that allows customers to partner with PSE to achieve their environmental goals. The program paves the way for constructing wind-power facilities and offer users another energy-efficient option for purchasing safe and reliable electric service. Green Direct was approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on Sept. 29, 2016.
With this launch, RABA is also now live on Cal-ITP Benefits, becoming the ninth transit agency in California to join the platform and the first small transit provider in the state to offer automated, real-time low-income fare eligibility verification through Tap2Ride.
Officials said the investment reflects the agency’s commitment to modernizing operator training while improving safety and operational readiness across the system.
Now in its latest edition, the awards recognize forward-thinking solutions that improve safety, operational efficiency, sustainability, rider experience, and overall system performance.
A 5% rise in deliveries and a surge in zero-emission buses signaled progress in 2025, but high costs, long lead times, and shifting funding priorities continue to cloud the outlook.
The railroad has issued a formal request for proposals to manufacturers for more than 800 new passenger railcars that will serve 14 long-distance routes nationwide.
The delivery marks the first car in a 374‑vehicle order and begins the arrival of a new generation of higher‑capacity, more reliable, and more comfortable trains for one of the country’s busiest commuter rail systems.
Vehicles that improperly use busways and bus lanes, block bus stops, or illegally double-park will receive warning notices in the mail for an initial period of 60 days, followed by summonses thereafter.
The project, finalized on February 12, provides the city with two different configurations of high-definition cameras to outfit 16 buses in the Pretzel City Area Transit fleet.