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The U.S. House Appropriations Committee recently budgeted $15 million in its 2004 transportation appropriations bill for Sound Transit, which would enable the agency to begin constructing the Central Link light-rail system later this year.

The House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee originally adopted a spending plan that did not include a specific funding amount for the project, leaving Sound Transit to compete with other projects for 2004 funding. But the plan was amended by the full appropriations committee, which allocated funding for individual projects around the country, including Sound Transit.

One of two new transit projects in the country to receive Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) highest rating, Central Link is part of the and the Bush Administration’s proposed fiscal-year 2004 budget that includes $75 million for light-rail projects. FY2004’s funding level for Central Link will determine next year’s installment of the $500 million full funding grant agreement FTA recently endorsed.