Bellevue Council to Hear Update on Sound Transit East Link Cost Savings Measures

Sound Transit's East Link project briefing will be the subject of a Bellevue City Council .

Sound Transit and the City of Bellevue are looking for . An agreement between the agency and the city means that Bellevue will cover $100 million of that cost with tax breaks, property acquisition and other actions. The city also plans to cover $60 million of the cost of the tunnel with cash -- unless cost savings can be found in the line through Bellevue. 

However, city officials told Sound Transit at a presentation in April that cost savings are secondary to the city's concerns. The .

Sound Transit plans to present its recommendations to the Sound Transit board meeting on June 14 and to the Bellevue City Council on June 18.

The ideas that will get more engineering will be presented to Sound Transit for endorsement June 28.

Local residents have not finished adding new ideas to the mix.

Citizens group Build a Better Bellevue, which had , last week made a new proposal during open houses held last week that a deep-bore tunnel could save $160 million to $265 million, according to the Seattle Times.

Both options would keep the trains away from the surfaces of 112th Avenue Southeast and Bellevue Way Southeast, which would affect several residential neighborhoods. The Seattle Times outlines the group's proposal in greater detail.

The council will also discuss the city's Capital Investment Program in a discussion that follows a break for dinner at 6 p.m.