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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTrans 2013-05-29 Item 3B - SCATBd - 4/16/13 Meeting Summary, 5/21/13 Meeting Agenda and House Bill 1954 Support LetterSOUTH COUNTY AREA TRANSPORTATION BOARD (SCATBd) April 16, 2013 MEETING SUMMARY Members Mayor Lewis (Chair) Councilmember Marcie Palmer (Vice- Chair) Councilmember Jeanne Burbidge Stacy Trussler Joe Timmons Councilmember Elizabeth Albertson Chris Arkills Commissioner Don Meyer Mayor Dave Hill Councilmember Kate Kruller Councilmember Stacia Jenkins Councilmember Wayne Snoey Elizabeth Leavitt Chelsea Levy Councilmember Dana Ralph Councilmember Victoria Laise Jonas Brian Ziegler Councilmember Bill Peloza Dan Brewer Kelly Hayden City of Auburn City of Renton City of Federal Way WSDOT King County Council (Alternate) City of Kent King County Executive (Alternate) Port of Tacoma City of Algona City of Tukwila City of Normandy Park City of Covington Port of Seattle Sound Transit (Alternate) City of Kent (Alternate) City of Maple Valley Pierce County (Alternate) City of Auburn (Alternate) City of Des Moines (Alternate) Pierce Transit I. Open Meeting SCATBd Chair Lewis opened the meeting with a short briefing on the SR 509 /SR 167 Gateway Project. He stressed the economic importance of this project to the state and the South County region. He mentioned the work the Valley cities have done on inventorying the condition of the freight corridors in the valley area in support of this project. He said a widened Panama Canal will open by the end of next year and said other regions in the nation and Canada are preparing for the Panama Canal opening by investing heavily in their port facilities. He said the State of Washington has fallen behind in investing in the transportation facilities that support freight mobility to our ports. He said the Governor supported this project and, while not sure on the availability of funding for this Gateway project, Mayor Lewis said it was a good start. He said the success of the two ports are key to the Washington economy and he also said that the local arterials such as the West and East Valley highways are also part of the system supporting the two ports. Mayor Lewis had to leave the meeting for another engagement and Vice Chair Palmer chaired the remainder of the meeting. II. Briefing on Metro's Service Guideline Report - Victor Obeso, King County Metro 37 Mr. Obeso briefed the Board on Metro's 2nd annual Service Guidelines Report, which reported on the performance of each route in Metro's transit system. He said this report also included a section which illustrates what a major service reduction could possibly look like if a 17% service cut was implemented due to a projected funding gap. The guidelines report suggests that Metro needs 10% more service to meet current demand, however, Metro is facing a major shortfall when the Congestion Reduction Charge ends in the middle of 2014. He said Metro anticipates it needs an additional $75 million per year, to support its transit service and bus replacement needs. Without additional revenue, Metro will face service cuts up to 600,000 hours, or 17% of the system, at the end of 2014 Mr. Obeso said in a stronger economy, this guidelines report would guide Metro on how to add new service to ease overcrowded buses, improve reliability and provide investments to reach more transit riders. The report also includes criteria on how to determine service cuts if funding were to fall short. Based on a 17% reduction in service scenario, roughly one - third of Metro's routes (65 routes) might be deleted, about 40 percent (86 routes) might be reduced or revised, and the remaining routes might remain unchanged. He said if routes are reduced or canceled, riders will shift to other routes, straining an already busy transit system. Those who have service also might have to walk farther to board a bus, wait longer between buses or ride more crowded buses. Mr. Obeso concluded by saying reductions would mean longer, less- convenient trips to work and school. Metro would have to cut well -used service that it would not normally consider reducing. People in neighborhoods throughout King County residents would get less service, or would lose service entirely, and people who rely solely or heavily on transit would have fewer travel choices. III. Sound Transit Briefing - Update on South King County Projects including the S 200th Street Light Rail Extension, and the Federal Way Transit Extension Alternatives Analysis — Cathal Ridge and Mark Johnson, Sound Transit Cathal Ridge briefed the Board on the Federal Way transit extension project from s 200 to 320`h. He said Sound Transit was currently in the alternatives alignment analysis stage which started last summer and will be complete this summer. The draft EIS will be completed in 2014 and final EIS in 2016. The initial level two alignment analysis will be complete in June at which time the Sound Transit (ST) Board will vote on what alternatives will more forward for further analysis. Mr. Ridge said four possible corridors were analyzed and they included the I -5 corridor, the SR 99, corridor, the 30th Ave South corridor, and the 24 Ave South corridor. He said ST wanted to complete the environmental approval process down to South 320 Street in the event money becomes available, ST could move quickly into the construction phase for this segment of light rail to South 320th Street. The analysis resulted in a narrowing down the alternative alignments to 3 corridors, 1) a mixed elevated /at -grade option on the Westside of I -5 between S 200th St and S 320th St. 2) a elevated westside option along 30th Avenue 38 South, between S 200`h Street and the Highline Community College and 3) a SR 99 and an elevated median option on SR 99 between S 200`h Street and South 320`h Street. ST is also reviewing a westside eastside placement of the elevated structure in certain stretches of the corridor between S 200`h Street and the Highline Community College. Additional review of these three alternative alignments will be done in the Level two analysis. The Level two analysis will also look at possible station locations in more detailed. Boardmembers ask Mr. Ridge to include the Port of Seattle in the alternative evaluation process. Mark Johnson briefed the Board on the status on the light rail extension to the SeaTac Airport to South 200th Street. The extension will be a 1.6 miles elevated double track guideway with a station located South 200`h Street and 28th Avenue South. A park- and -ride facility including garage with plaza/retail connection will be constructed adjacent to the station. Mr. Johnson said this light rail segment and station will open in 2016 and will result in a 47 minute one way trip from the Angle Lake Station to University of Washington. He estimated ridership levels of 5,400 passengers coming and going from Angle Lake Station by 2018. The park and ride facility will have up to 1,100 parking spaces and will be located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of South 200th Street and 28th Avenue South. IV. King County Roads Funding Gap and the Closing of the Alvord T Bridge — Paulette Normand, King County Roads Division Ms. Norman said that King County Road Services Division takes care of about 1,500 miles of county roads and 180 bridges. The road system in unincorporated King County carries more than 1 million trips per day and serves about 250,000 residents in the unincorporated areas of King County. She said this critically important roadway system is aging and needs substantial investments. Revenues that support county roads have fallen dramatically as the result of a 44 percent drop in property values in the rural and urban unincorporated areas of King County. She said the average unincorporated area homeowner will pay roughly $90 less in 2013 for road services than in 2011. She said Road Services has been taking many steps to address the funding problem including: reducing its staff by one -third by the end of 2013; implemented new efficiencies and realized savings from an internal reorganization; freezing employee COLAs; shifted focus from capacity improvements to safety needs, preservation and repair, and; developed the Strategic Plan for Road Services and a system to prioritize road services Despite these actions, the amount of funding available for the county road system in 2014 will be $85 million, while the amount needed to stabilize the decline in 2014 is projected to be $135 million, or a difference of $50 million. In the long term, more will be needed to fund the system at the optimal level, at which our roads would be preserved at the least cost. Ms Norman concluded her briefing with a report on the upcoming closure of the Alvord T Bridge on June 28. She passed out a Road Services Division communication document on the Alvord T closure. She said rehabilitating the bridge was not feasible and since the 39 bridge's deficiencies can only be corrected by replacing the bridge, King County does not have the funds to do that. Traffic volumes on the bridge are low, and there are other ways to get across the Green River in this area. Since it is not cost effective to maintain, repair, rehabilitate, or replace the bridge, King County will close it permanently on Friday, June 28, 2013. Ms. Norman said the Road Services Division has been communicating with stake holders, City of Kent officials, local business and emergency services providers on the upcoming closure. She said after the bridge is closed, the Division will work with the City of Kent and WSDOT coordinate signal timing to mitigate the traffic impacts of the bridge closure. Other Attendees: Tom Gut, SeaTac Paulette Norman, KC DOT Evette Mason, Port of Tacoma Ed Conyers, WSDOT Rick Perez, Federal Way Stevan Gorcester, WA TIB Maiya Andrews, Burien Jim Seitz, Renton Cathy Mooney, Kent Monica Whitman, SCA Mark Johnson, Sound Transit Cathal Ridge, Sound Transit Victor Obeso, KC Metro Paul Takamine, KC DOT 4 40 SOUTH COUNTY AREA TRANSPORTATION BOARD (SCATBd) MEETING Tuesday, May 21, 2013 9:00 — 11:00 a.m. SeaTac City Hall 4800 South 188th Street SeaTac AGENDA 1. Open Meeting • Introductions • Approve summary of March 19 and April 16, 2013 SCATBd Meeting summaries* Action 9:00 a.m. 2. Reports, Communications and Citizen Requests to Comment • Participant Updates from RTC and Other Regional Committees • Chair or Vice Chair • Legislative Report — Monica Whitman, SCA • Citizen Comment Reports and Discussion 9:05 a.m. 3. Possible Action Item — SCATBd Support for Substitute House Bill 1954, concerning transportation revenues* Discussion and Action 9:30 a.m. 4. Update on I- 405 /SR 167 Corridor Project — Kim Henry, Dennis Cieri Report and discussion 9:45 a.m. 5. 2012 Statewide VOWS Panel Transportation Survey — Andrew Thibault, EMC Research Report and Discussion 10:10 a.m. 6. Growing Transit Communities Briefing — Sarah Nikolic, Michael Hubner Report and Discussion 10:35 a.m. *Attachment to Agenda 41 outh County Area Transportation Board MS: KSC -TR -0814 201 South Jackson Street Seattle, WA 98104 -3856 DRAFT The Honorable PO Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504 Dear Senator/Representative Phone: (206) 684 -1417 Fax: (206) 684 -2111 On behalf of the South County Area Transportation Board (SCATBd), we are asking for your support of Substitute House Bill 1954, a bill that includes a variety of local revenue options that will provide our member jurisdictions the necessary tools to address our transportation funding needs. SCATBd is a collaborative effort of 13 cities in South King County, the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, King County, Pierce County, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, transportation agencies and stakeholders who are committed to improving our region's transportation system. As elected officials, we meet regularly to educate ourselves about transportation needs in our area and seek solutions to address our region's transportation problems. A well maintained transportation system improves the quality of life for our residents and directly supports the economic competiveness of our region. Earlier this year the members of SCATBd communicated to the Legislature our transportation priorities, recommending key policies and projects necessary to ensure mobility for people and commerce in our area. We emphasized the need for new local options for funding local transportation expansion and maintenance needs; and the need for a more stable transit funding source. As the State Legislature considers transportation funding issues during this 2013 legislative special session, we urge you to allow us the tools we need to help improve our the transportation network and transit service in our region. Please support Substitute House Bill 1954. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Pete Lewis Marcie Palmer Chair Vice Chair South County Area Transportation Board Attachment: 2013 SCATBd Message to the Legislature Algona • Auburn • Black Diamond • Burien • Covington • Des Moines • Federal Way • Kent • King County • Maple Valley • Muckleshoot Indian Tribe • Normandy Park • Pierce County • Renton • SeaTac • Tukwila • Pierce Transit • Port of Seattle • Port of Tacoma • Puget Sound Regional Council • South Sound Cambers of Commerce Coalition • Sound Transit • Transportation Improvement Board • Washington State Department of Transportation • Washington State Transportation Commission 42