COW 2019-06-24 Item 4D - Discussion - BNSF Intermodal Facility Access Study

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Allan Ekberg, Mayor Public Works Department - Henry Hash, Director INFOR ATIONAL E ORANDU TO: Transportation and Infrastructure Committee FROM: Henry Hash, Public Works Director BY: Hari Ponnekanti, City Engineer CC: Mayor Allan Ekberg DATE: June 14, 2019 Updated after June 18, 2019 Transportation & Infrastructure Committee SUBJECT: BNSF Intermodal Facility Access Project Project No. 99510409 Schedule Update and next steps ISSUE Provide an update and seek direction on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Intermodal Access Study. BACKGROUND BNSF owns an Intermodal facility that transports containers from trucks to railroad and vice versa. This facility is located within Tukwila city limits in the Allentown community. The intermodal facility is adjacent to 1-5 and southeast of King County International Airport, also known as Boeing Field. BNSF calls this facility the South Seattle Intermodal Facility. The City of Tukwila and BNSF jointly funded an access study to determine a potential new route for truck traffic into the intermodal yard. David Evans and Associates began the study in March 2015. The BNSF access study produced a draft report in November 2016. As part of the study, open houses were held, and community input was collected. The following five alternatives were studied; 1. Airport Way S 4. Gateway Drive - north leg 2. S 112th Street 5. New 48th Avene S Bridge 3. S 124th Street The draft study indicated that the 48th Avenue S Bridge was the preferred alternative. The study remains in draft form. ANALYSIS The findings from the draft study were provided to the City Council in December 2016 after the first round of open houses and community outreach. The alternatives were presented at an Open House on August 17, 2017, with the preferred alternative identified as 48th Avenue S Bridge. The next step had planned to bring these alternatives and funding options to the City Council in the fall of 2017. If a decision is made on the preferred alternative, a funding source needs to be identified to take the next step. The original next steps for the BNSF Intermodal Study included these options: - Finalize the Preferred Alternative and seek Council direction - Identify and provide funding for preliminary engineering and design of the preferred alternative - Continue public outreach and continue the SEPA process Timeline/Roadmap BNSF Intermodal Facility Access Study start date — 3/20/15 Open Houses — March & August 2016 BNSF Intermodal Facility Access Study — Draft Alternative Screening Analysis Report 11/28/16 - Open House — Preferred Alternative Outreach — 8/17/17 GNCC Meeting and Tour of the BNSF South Seattle Intermodal Facility — 3/27/19 CAUsersburel-h1AppDatalocallMicrosoft1WindowslINetCachelContentOutlookW75NL7R51InfoMemoBNSFuPdatel-IP_LH.docx 57