Light Rail News, 24 Oct 2003

Light rail work within sight (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) - Construction on Seattle's long-sought light rail line likely will begin in a few weeks as the Sound Transit board moved quickly yesterday to deal with conditions laid down by an influential congressman for freeing up a critical $500 million federal grant agreement for the project.

Editorial: White House sides with light rail plan (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) - Could it be that we're really going to build a transit system here? Credit the Bush administration for sticking with light rail, although the impetus may have come from the political wing of the White House.

Congressman OKs Sound Transit funds if Eastside tax dollars are not used (King County Journal, Washington State) - The proposed light-rail line serving the Seattle area chugged forward Wednesday as a key lawmaker withdrew his opposition. U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla., gave conditional approval to an agreement authorizing $500 million in federal funding for the rail line. If approved, the deal will bar Eastside tax dollars from being spent on the project.