Sound Transit and the Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGCW) are improving the delivery of vital infrastructure in the greater Puget Sound region. Through structured engagement, industry input, and a shared commitment to excellence, our organizations are building a stronger, smarter, and more collaborative future together.
A year of strategic collaboration and accomplishments
Our partnership deepened with Sound Transit’s participation in several AGCW-led project workshops, open houses, speaking engagements, and other membership events in 2024. These events have been instrumental in the efforts to continuously improve Sound Transit’s processes and grow the construction contracting base. AGCW member input has provided a roadmap to collaborate on solutions, clarify expectations, and co-develop strategies that benefit the full project lifecycle.
Prompt payment efforts were a top priority for AGCW members, and Sound Transit has taken action. They have reduced the average invoice processing time through internal workflow enhancements, and system upgrades are underway to further streamline our payment cycles.
AGCW members also collaborated on progressive design-build contract enhancements. Members provided over 229 comments which resulted in over 100 contract modifications including new debriefing language for project awards, revised costing and pricing clarity during Phase 1, updates to procurement processes for subs and design partners, stronger collaboration and integration standards, streamlined design submittal and approval processes, and clearer early works package guidance.
Sound Transit also made tangible progress on other priorities. They leaned into industry feedback by issuing multiple RFIs to improve procurement approaches. They held targeted constructability workshops to strengthen project readiness, reviewed 14 high-priority sections in Division 1 Specifications, and incorporated contractor feedback into the new procurement forecast.
Our collaboration is helping our organizations succeed, and we will continue regular engagement. Sound Transit participates in the AGCW Executive Committee, Best Practices Committee and four subcommittees covering the following focus areas:
- Safety & Security
- Change Management & Prompt Payment
- Contract Documents & Standards
- Scheduling & Estimating
- Quality
- Economic Impact (DEI)
- Progressive Design-Build
- Labor Compliance
The nation’s largest transit expansion means ever-expanding contract opportunities with Sound Transit, and AGCW is a valuable partner in striving for continuous improvement. Our organizations are collaborating to strengthen project delivery in the industry. Together, we are partnering for success.