News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 24, 2004
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gary Locke Announces Appointments of Independent Review Panel for Sound Transit Plan

Gov. Gary Locke, Legislative Transportation Committee Chairman Ed Murray and Washington’s Secretary of Transportation Doug MacDonald jointly announced the appointments of the Expert Review Panel for the Sound Transit Phase 2 Plan (ST2).

The role of the panel will be to guide the preparation of the plan, ensuring that recommendations are appropriate and reasonable and assess critical issues. Panel members include:
·William C. Lorenz, PE (La Mesa, California), Project Cost Estimating;
·Darlene Cimino-DeRose (Walnut Creek, California), Capital Finance;
·Dr. Siim Soot (Chicago, Illinois), Ridership Forecasting;
·Dr. Michael Meyer (Atlanta, Georgia), Modal Analysis;
·Steve Lundin (Olympia, Washington), Legal and Political Architecture;
·Alonzo Wertz (Portland, Oregon), Environmental;
·Thomas Schmitt (Glendale, Arizona), Local Design and Constructability; and
·Alan Kiepper (Annapolis, Maryland), Transit Operations and Maintenance

“This is an impressive list of nationally recognized panelists and I look forward to their contributions to the planning process,” Locke said. “The review will be quite an undertaking and the panel will benefit from the efforts of the original first phase Expert Review Panel.”

John Howell of Seattle was named as panel administrator to support the Expert Review Panel throughout the ST2 plan development. The first meeting of the panel is expected in early 2005.

“I’m confident that this group of experts will critically examine all facts to make sure that Sound Transit implements the most effective public transportation solution,” stated MacDonald.

The panel’s technical review of ST2 is necessary to guarantee that the Sound Transit governing board can make appropriate decisions for ST2 investments in the region’s high capacity transportation system.

For more information on the ST2, please visit the Sound Transit web site at: http://www.stphase2.org/default.asp



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