By Samantha Pak

The greater Puget Sound area’s population is on the rise and the local and regional communities need to prepare for this growth.

This was the main message behind King County Executive Dow Constantine’s State of the County address, which he delivered Monday afternoon at Redmond City Hall.

Constantine said growth is not the problem, the drawback would be not getting in front of it. He said in the next quarter century, about a million people will be moving to the Pacific Northwest, meaning in addition to the need for more area housing, there will be more potential drivers on the roads.

“If you think traffic is bad now, think about this,” Constantine said about the projected influx of people to the area.

During his address, he also discussed the feeling of freedom many people feel when they turned 16 and first received their driver’s license — and how things have changed.

“Does anybody feel free driving on I-5?” Constantine asked the crowd on Monday, referring to the interstate’s traffic congestion. In response, the crowd at Redmond City Hall laughed in understanding and agreement.

“We need more transit,” Constantine said.

It is because of this inevitable growth and related traffic issues that the executive stressed the importance of Sound Transit 3 (ST3), a ballot measure scheduled for November that represents the next set of mass transit investments for the region. Those investments include expanded light rail service that will connect Redmond, Issaquah, Seattle, Everett and Tacoma as well as West Seattle and Ballard.

As previously reported, construction costs for the three-mile Redmond extension from the Overlake Transit Center into downtown Redmond will be about $650 million.

Constantine praised Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the City of Redmond for preparing and welcoming light rail.

“Thank you Mayor Marchione and the council,” he said. “Others are following your lead.”

King County Council member Kathy Lambert, who represents unincorporated areas near Redmond, said she is encouraged to see that ST3 includes lines to Redmond and Issaquah in its plans.

“Redmond is a major economic hub on the Eastside and Issaquah has recently been named an urban center and is preparing for more growth,” she said. “Both of these cities have transportation needs that are only going to grow over time.”

At peak capacity, Constantine said, light rail can carry 16,000 passengers in an hour — in each direction. And travel times from Westlake Station in downtown Seattle to Husky Stadium in the University District is always eight minutes. Constantine said to achieve this on the roads, there would need to be 14 lanes added to I-5. No other option besides light rail can offer the capacity needed to accommodate that many people, he said.

Constantine described ST3 as a measure that must pass and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand and connect the growing region.

He also noted how light rail has already been successful in the region, pointing out the completion of light rail service connecting downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington in Seattle and how that project came in $200 million under budget and six months ahead of schedule. He said light rail is being used by thousands of people every day and that number continues to grow.

“We’re going to knit this region together,” Constantine said about light rail.

While his address focused on mass transit and light rail, Constantine also acknowledged that for some people, a car is the best and or only option for transportation for them — and how they would still benefit from light rail even if they would not be using it. He said more people using light rail means fewer cars on the road and less traffic congestion.

“Everybody benefits,” he said.

Lambert also acknowledged the infrastructural needs on the region’s roads.

“Transit is not our only transportation need,” she said. “Sitting in traffic reduces our quality of life and we must address the funding needs of our bridges and roads as many of them are in need of repair and replacement.”

SAMANTHA PAK, Redmond Reporter Reporter spak@redmond-reporter.com or 425-296-3277