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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTrans 2012-10-01 Item 3C - SCATBd - 9/28/12 Meeting AgendaSOUTH COUNTY AREA TRANSPORTATION BOARD (SCATBd) MEETING Friday, September 28, 2012 9:00 11:00 a.m. SeaTac City Hall 4800 South 188 Street SeaTac AGENDA 1. Open Meeting Action Introductions Approve summaiv of July 17 and August 21* SCATBd Meetings 2. Reports, Communications and Citizen Requests to Comment Participant Updates from RTC and Other Regional Committees Chair or Vice Chair Citizen Comment 3. SCATBd 2013 Legislative Agenda Local High Priority Project Update, Regional Priority Projects* Cathy_ Mooney, City of Bent 4. South East Area Transportation Solutions Coalition Briefing (SEATS) Warne Snoey, SEATS Chair Reports and Discussion 9:00 a.m. 9:10 a.m. Report and 9:30 a.m. Discussion Report and 10:00 Discussion a.m. 5. Sound Transit Briefing on South Subarea Projects Report and Rachel Smith, Sound Transit Discussion *Attachment to Agenda 10:')0 a.m. 14 Page Mr. Snoey also said that he would like some time at the next meeting to brief the Board on the Southeast Area Transportation Solutions (SEATS) coalition. He said SEATS is a transportation and economic development coalition led by the cities of Covington, Maple Valley, and Black Diamond with participation from the cities of Auburn. Their mission is to promote and create an efficient transportation network and a growing economy in Southeast King County. III. Port of Tacoma Briefing on Port of Tacoma 10 Year Strategic Plan The Port of Tacoma's Chief Executive Officer John Wolfe and Port of Tacoma Commissioner and SCATBd member Don Meyer briefed the Board on Tacoma's 10 year strategic plan. Commissioner Meyer said the purpose of the Port's strategic plan is to set priorities and focus investments. It was developed with input from community members, customers, business leaders and employees. The Port developed its strategic plan to position itself in response to significant competitive shifts in the global shipping industry. He said he was proud of plan and that it will help elected officials align organization with the plans adopted priorities. Mr. Wolfe said that the plan starts by talking about Port's vision for the future, what they wanted Port to look 10 years out. He said the plan is a road map of how they will get there, and the plan includes goals and targets, key initiatives. At the staff level the plan identifies tasks that make up building blocks of initiatives. Each of the initiatives has a budget, and a schedule and progress on the initiatives are tracked weekly. Mr. Wolfe said that while the strategic plan includes nearly 50 initiatives, the resulting framework calls for four main areas of focus that build on the Port's specific strengths and include: 1. Making strategic investments that enhance waterway, terminal, road, rail and industrial property infrastructure to create the most efficient, productive and cost effective system possible to move freight to market. Create opportunities for future investments by attracting new business opportunities with healthy income streams and increasing diversity of the Port's business portfolio. 3. Demonstrate "best in class" care for business relationships with customers and key stakeholders. 4. Grow the Port responsibly to ensure the community continues to support trade related jobs. Mr. Wolfe highlighted the need to maintain and improve rail, highway and arterial infrastructure that directly services and support Port operations. He said the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle face fierce competition from other regions such as the east coast, southern California, and British Columbia. The east coast ports are gearing -up to handle the larger vessels that would be accommodated by a wider Panama Canal. He said cargo vessels are getting larger, and while the Puget Sound region is blessed with deepwater ports, we need to improve our dockside facilities to handle the increase in cargo carried by 15 Page 3 the larger vessels. Mr. Wolfe said infrastructure investments are needed, we need to widen our waterways, and improve terminal capacity with more cranes and cargo handling facilities. Mr. Wolfe said the region's road and rail network also need to be improved. There needs to be significant investment in rail and arterial system in the Tacoma tide flats, and the Port will continue to work closely with local cities to address arterial capacity and needs. Mr. Wolfe also said there needs to be a single voice in the region's state and federal agendas. He said there should be a concerted effort to encourage elected representatives to do the right thing and develop a new transportation package to present to the voters. He mentioned that completing the connection of SR 167 to the Port of Tacoma was one of the Port's highest priorities. Commissioner Meyer said the ports of Tacoma and Seattle need to coordinate their efforts to increase rail capacity in the region, and to address the harbor maintenance tax issue. Mr. Wolfe also said the Port of Tacoma supported the Port of Seattle concerns about the impacts of the proposed NBA arena. He echoed the Port of Seattle's position that any land use decision on the arena must consider the potential impacts to freight mobility in the SODO area. Mayor Lewis commented that the region should look at the transportation needs as system, we need to support the completion of SR 167, SR 509, and the preservation of arterials that make up the last mile that moves freight to warehouse areas in valley. He said we should characterize the transportation needs of the region to highlight a transportation system that supports the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle. Chair Hill noted that the South Sound Chambers of Commerce Coalition has a similar portion of defining the transportation needs as a single system wide need. Mr. Wolfe said the region should demand our fare share of federal investments because we are the 3 rd largest gateway area. He said he supported idea of Mayor Lewis of characterizing projects as a system -wide need. IV. MAP -21 Update PSRC staff Stephanie Rossi updated the Board on Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 Century or MAP -21. She said the new transportation act extended the federal highway and transit programs thought September, 2014. The highlights of MAP -21 include: The establishment of 7 goals which include safety, infrastructure condition, congestion reduction, system reliability, freight movement and economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and reduction in project delivery delays. The creation of a performance based planning approach, and requires states to adopt performance targets for each of the highway improvement programs, and transit agencies must adopt performance targets for state of good repair and safety in their program areas. The consolidation of the National Transportation Programs into five key highway programs that include 1) a National Highway Performance Program 2) a Surface 16 Page 4 Transportation Program, 3) a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Programs, 4) a Highway Safety Improvement Program, and 5) Transportation Alternatives Program. It combines the Transportation Enhancements, Recreational Trails, and the Safe Routes to Schools into the Transportation Alternatives Program, and three separate special needs transit programs into one. Map -21 also includes provisions to speed up development for smaller scale projects and to expedite review of projects. Ms. Rossi said the Governor's office will convene a MAP -21 Steering Committee to develop a recommended approach to MAP -21 decisions. Membership on the committee will include representatives of cities, counties, the Governor's office, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Regional Transportation Planning Organizations, ports, the state legislature, the state's Secretary of Transportation and transit agencies. The current MAP -21 allocation to Washington State is $763 million and it will be focused on preserving the pavements and bridges on the National Highway System. She said currently local roads comprise about three percent of the National Highway System, and MAP -21 may significantly increase the state route and local arterials included in that system. V. South County Project Update I- 5 /SR18 /SR161 Triangle Project WSDOT project manager Aleta Borschowa updated the SCATBd on the I -5 /SR 18 /SR 161 Triangle Project. She said the Triangle project includes replacing two cloverleaf ramps with flyover ramps, upgraded ramps and improved connections to and from I -5, SR 18 and SR 161. Construction on the first phase of this project began in summer 2010 and will be complete in early 2013. The first phase of this project includes the building of two -lane flyover ramp connecting westbound SR 18 to southbound I -5 and a rebuild of the westbound SR 18 to northbound I -5 ramp to accommodate the new flyover ramp, a new exit ramp connecting the new flyover ramp to SR 161 at S. 359th Street, and a new eastbound SR 18 to northbound I -5 flyover ramp and rebuilt the eastbound SR 18 to southbound I -5 ramp to accommodate the new eastbound to northbound flyover ramp. Ms. Borschowa said that WSDOT opened both ramps six months early and said WSDOT is doing some fine tuning on the stripping and signage. The southbound slip -ramp from I -5 to SR 161 will open in October. She said that some electrical work and bridge painting is scheduled for the fall. The total cost of this first phase of the project was about $112 million and is about 90% completed. Ms. Borschowa said there are still unfunded phase projects which include a northbound I- 5 ramp to east bound SR 18 ramp widening project and a new southbound access ramp for I -5 to new ramps at SR 161. She did note that there was about $2.5 million in design funds for a new collector distributor for this I -5 southbound access ramp to SR 161. 17 SCATBd Meeting Minutes August 21, 2012 Page 5 Boardmembers said they were hearing compliments from their constituents on the first phase of this project and complimented Ms. Borschowa on WSDOT's delivery of the first phase of the project. Auburn's M Street and AB Corridor Project Update Dennis Dowdy briefed the Board on two Auburn projects the M Street grade separation project and the A Street NW corridor project. Mr. Dowdy said that these two projects had their beginnings from the 1996 Stampede Pass Study. When BNSF reopened the Stampede Pass line, there was the intention of eventually improving the Stampede Pass tunnel through the mountains so it could accommodate double stacked trains. When that happens, it was estimated that there would be about 20, 1 mile long trains rolling though Auburn's urban center a day. The A/B corridor improvements, the 3' Street overpass and the M Street underpass were indentified as mitigating projects to address the traffic delays that would be caused by expected increase in trail traffic. Mr. Dowdy said the AB Corridor will link the transit station with 15 Street NW and will improve general traffic and freight mobility for about 70 parcels served by the new corridor. Funding partners for this project included Federal grants, local developer contributions, as well as local revenues. Mr. Dowdy said this project will also improve access to Auburn's regional trauma center by reducing delays for emergency response vehicles. Mr. Dowdy reported that the 18 month M Street underpass project was on schedule. Contractors will soon complete their work to underground the utilities in this corridor, and the sewer and water lines have been relocated. The contractor to start on underpass work, and this project is expected to be completed in May of 2013. Mr. Dowdy said when completed, this project will be similar in appearance to the South 180 Street underpass in Tukwila. Other Attendees: Bill Peloza, City of Auburn (Alt) Dennis Dowdy, City of Auburn Rick Perez, City of Federal Way John Wolfe, Port of Tacoma Evette Mason, Port of Tacoma Susan Sanderson, City of SeaTac Paul Takamine, Ding County DOT Monica Whitman, SCA Cathy Mooney, City of Kent Dan Grayuski, Fehr Peers Stephanie Rossi, PSRC 18