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Sound Transit is launching a process to work with South King County communities in Washington State to consider options for extending high-capacity transit service.

The agency will host open houses and seek public input in an online survey to help determine alternatives for providing transit service from South 200th Street to Kent/Des Moines, as well as develop a shovel-ready plan to reach the Federal Way Transit Center. Public open houses will be held today and on Nov. 13.

"Community involvement is a vital part of the early scoping phase of analyzing alternatives to expand high-capacity transit 7.6 miles between the future light-rail station at South 200th Street and the Federal Way Transit Center, including review of routes, configurations and station locations," Sound Transit officials said in a prepared statement.

The agency and Federal Transit Administration are soliciting public comments on the project's scope, including the purpose and need for the extension, a range of alternatives and the evaluation criteria for those alternatives.

The public involvement will help identify the best investments via available funding, which has been affected by the national recession and a reduction in local tax revenue, Sound Transit officials said.