Citizens Oversight Panel recommends support for North Sounder Line through Shoreline

The Sounder Train runs on existing train tracks

Sound Transit's Joni Earl on the North Sounder Line, which runs from Everett to Seattle with a stop in Edmonds

COP Report

The independent Citizen Oversight Panel on Thursday reported the results of its task force that looked at ridership on the Sounder North Line between Everett and Seattle. The COP is encouraging the agency to continue focusing on improving ridership on the Sounder North Line, establishing performance metrics and closely monitoring the cost-effectiveness of the service going forward.

As I told the Board, we’re taking steps to promote ridership and improve accessibility and reliability of the train service. So far, North Line ridership has increased 15 percent in the last year. But, as the COP noted, more needs to be done.

A Sound Transit team has been working for several months with the COP on a number of North Line operational, planning and legal issues. Support for Sounder North remains strong among local residents (as reflected in a survey earlier this year) and among local elected officials, who are working to leverage the Sounder investments in the development of their communities.