HomeMy WebLinkAboutTrans 2011-09-19 Item 3 - SCATBd - 8/16/11 Meeting Summary and 9/20/11 Meeting AgendaSOUTII COUNTY AREA TRANSPORTATION BOARD (SCATBd)
August 16, 2011
MEETING SUMMARY
Members
Councilmember Wayne Snoey
Mayor Dave Hill
Councilmember Ralph Shape
Councilmember Jeanne Burbidge
Grant Fredricks
Mayor Bart Taylor
Councilmember Les Thomas
Councilmember Clarke Brant
Stacy Trusslei
Elizabeth Leavitt
Councilmember Victoria Laise Jonas
Dennis Dowdy
City of Covington (Chair)
City of Algona
City of SeaTac
City of Federal Way
City of Des Moines (Alternate)
City of Milton
City of Kent
City of Norrnandy Park
WSDOT
Port of Seattle
City of Maple Valley (Alternate)
City of Auburn (Alternate)
I. July 19, 2011 Meeting Summary
The July 19, 2011 meeting summary was approved.
It. Reports:
Chair Snoey reported that he was in contact with a number of Connecting Washington
Task Force members to see if they would be interested in briefing the Board on task force
issues. He said task force member Tom Rasmussen agreed to attend SCATBd's October
meeting to discuss preservation and freight mobility issues. Councilmember Rasmussen
was interested in having a regional conversation on how we should fix transportation
problems. Chair Snoey also said that he was in contact with Task Force member Stan
Vander Pol of Peninsula Truck Lines to discuss among other things, the Street
Maintenance Utility issue. Because of scheduling conflicts, Chair Snoey said he was
trying to set up a meeting with Mr. Vander Pol outside of a regularly scheduled SCATBd
meeting, and invited SCATBd members to attend the meeting.
Chair Snoey showed the Board a table from the World Economic Forum Executive
Opinion Survey that listed the top 20 counties ranked by the quality of their roads and
noted that the United States was 19 on that list.
Mayor Hill reminded the Board about the Suburban Cities Association Networking
Dinner that will be held on September 21. He said that Governor Gregoire will be the
speaker and provide an update on the legislative session and discuss the activities and
expectations of the Connecting Washington Task Force. Mayor Hill asked Stacy Trussler
about the status on the I -5 tolling study and asked its impact, if any, on the South King
SCATBd Meeting Minutes
August 15, 2011
Page 2
County area. Stacy said that she would arrange to have a speaker for a SCATBd briefing
on the tolling study.
Dennis Dowdy reported that he and Larry Blanchard have a scheduled one hour session
at the APWA's Fall Conference to discuss the Street Maintenance Utility (SMU). He
said that they will be reaching out to other cities and counties to talk about the merits of a
SMU.
III. Metro Transit Update
Andrew Glass- Hastings and David Hull, King County Department of Transportation,
briefed the Bard on the King County Council's vote to enact atwo year, $20 Congestion
Reduction Charge. The purpose of the charge is to preserve and 117iprove Metro transit
service. The legislation that was passed included:
Development of a Transit Incentive Program to provide bus tickets worth up to
$24 per household for each car tab renewal. Ticket recipients could also choose to
donate those tickets to a pool of nearly 150 human service agencies to provide bus
rides for those in need.
Phase out the downtown Seattle Ride Free Area (RFA) by October 2012. First
established in 1973 as the "Magic Carpet Lone," a city subsidy funded 100
percent of the fares Metro no longer collected in that area. Today the city of
Seattle pays Metro $400,000 a year to support the RFA, which is about 18 percent
of the $2.2 million annual cost for Metro to operate the RFA.
Increase the pool of funds that provides sharply discounted bus tickets to human
service and homeless programs. Metro now discounts tickets worth nearly $2
million annually. The tickets are currently sold to human service agencies at 20
cents on the dollar. Metro will either increase the current ticket allocation, or
further increase the discount on the tickets.
Implement right- sizing of service consistent with the Transit Strategic Plan. In
communities where it makes sense, Metro will deploy lower -cost, more efficient
Dial -a -Ride Transit service (DART), community access transportation services,
Vanpools and vanshares, making service more efficient and responsive to Metro
transit riders.
Consider routes that carry more riders due to the effects of highway tolling as
candidates for increased bus service
Boardmembers asked a number of questions about the legislation and the following
clarifications were made by Mr. Glass- Hastings and Mr. Hull:
What would be the cost of the distributing the donated tickets to social service
agencies? Depending on the number of tickets donated, preliminary estimates say
it might cost $500,000 to $2 million in administrative work to distribute the
tickets.
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August 16, 2011
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What would happen to the savings due to the elimination of the ride free zone in
downtown Seattle? The money saved would be reinvested into the system, and
Metro could reduce the amount of reserve funds they might have to use to
maintain the system.
Will there be some outreach effort to alert non profits about the availability of
Metro ride tickets? Yes, Metro will provide public out reach with non profits to
advertise this program.
In those cities that straddle the county line, only residents who have their mailing
address in King County will be charged the $20 Congestion Reduction Charge.
The $24 in tickets will be distributed on a per household basis; the free tickets
will be calculated on a full value basis and will probably not have an expiration
date.
The tickets belong to the household and can be donated to groups within the city
in which they live.
David Hull reviewed the systemwide ridership numbers and said that there was an
upswing in ridership numbers. Through the end of May 2011, hoardings were up 2.4%
over the same one year period from last year. Over the five month from January to May,
there were 46.9 million riders; it was 45.8 million over same period last year.
Mr. Hull also reported on the A line RapidRide ridership numbers, and said that the A
Line continues to be hugely popular with riders. Spring ridership counts on the 11 -mile
bus rapid transit line serving Pacific Highway South/International -Boulevard in South
King County has grown by 30 percent compared to the route it replaced. RapidRide's B
Line, linking Bellevue and Redmond will open in October of this year. Future RapidRide
lines include the D and E lines and the F line between Burien and Renton. Metro staff
will be working with cities and the public to establish the alignment for the F line. One
of the biggest issues Metro planners will be addressing is how the F line will connect to
Sounder.
IV. Growing Transit Communities
Michael Hubner briefed the Board on the Growing Transit Communities Program, a
major new initiative for the PSRC. With support from the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development's Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program,
PSRC will coordinate an innovative new regional partnership joining cities, housing
authorities, counties, public health agencies, affordable housing advocates, educational
institutions and development interests. This implementation grant is a collaboration
between HUD, DOT and the EPA. The goal of the program is to:
Provide more transportation choices
Promote equitable, affordable housing
Enhance economic competitiveness
Support existing communities
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August 16, 2011
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Coordinate policies leverage investment
Value communities and neighborhoods
Mr. Huber said the program will focus on a broadly defined corridor that will follow the
proposed light rail alignment between Everett and Tacoma and from Seattle to the
Eastside. The corridor will also include RapidRide lines and transit stations within the
corridors. Mr. Hubner said that he will be working with South County jurisdictions to
define station areas (current and known future light rail station areas, other major transit
and/or activity nodes), define corridor segments (downtown Seattle to SeaTac Airport,
ST2 and future potential LR extensions, Tacoma LINK system) ask the right questions
(what are needs for corridor? segment? station areas? what implementation tools are most
meaningful and ad-aress common opportunities/challenges (create a station area
in typology and match the tools to challenges).
The Growing Transit Communities includes the following components:
Corridor Action Strategies
Analyze current conditions and needs
Develop implementation strategies
Regional Equity Network
Create region -wide network to promote social equity
Administer capacity building sub- grants to non- profits
Affordable Ho using Strategy
Produce Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
Research new tools: TIF, TOD Fund, Surplus Lands
Provide technical assistance to local jurisdictions
Demonstration Projects in Each Corridor
Northgate and Tacoma Catalyst Projects
Decision Commons in Bel -Red
Mr. Hubner reminded the Board that there will be a formal program launch event at the
University of Washington on September 16. Chair Snoey asked Mr. Hubner for an
update on the Growing Transit Communities at a Spring SCATBd meeting.
V. Washington State Freight Mobility Plan
Barbara Ivanov, Freight Systems Division Co- Director, briefed the Board on the State's
development of a freight mobility plan (the Plan). Ms. Ivanov said that the Washington's
investment in freight systems supports the State's growing economy, maintains freight
access to our major markets and ports, lowers business costs, and sustains jobs.
Ms. Ivanov said that state law requires the WSDOT to develop a state freight mobility
plan. The Plan will develop and prioritize freight transportation system improvement
strategies that support and enhance trade and sustainable economic growth, safety, the
environment, and goods delivery needs in Washington State. The Plan will make a strong
SCATBd Meeting Minutes
August 16, 2011
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case for funding Washington state freight priority projects and programs in the
reauthorization of the federal transportation bill and future state transportation packages,
and guide capital and operating investments in the state's freight systems. The
development of the Plan started during the last quarter of 2010 and adoption of the final
plan is expected in summer of 2013.
The State Freight Mobility Plan will help Washington position itself to compete for
federal freight funds by providing a data driven benefit /cost analysis supporting truck
highway and intermodal freight projects that meet federal freight criteria and goals, and
by integrating existing state modal plans into one state freight plan.
Ms. Ivanov said the State Freight Mobility Plan will provide:
Improved Freight Benefit /Cost methodology to evaluate and prioritize state truck
highway and truck intermodal improvement proposals.
Integration of the state truck highway and truck intermodal analysis findings with
the findings of the state freight rail, highways, ferries and aviation plans.
Priority freight improvement strategies to support the plan's three objectives:
1. Urban goods movement systems that support jobs, the economy, and clean air
for all, and provide goods delivery to residents and businesses.
2. Washington's competitive position as a Global Gateway to the nation with
intermodal freight corridors serving trade and international and interstate
commerce, and the state and national Export hnitiatives.
I Rural economies' farm -to- market, manufacturing and resource industry
sectors.
Mayor Hill asked it the State was documenting the conditions of the arterials as part of
the development of the freight mobility plan; he noted that preservation was important to
local jurisdictions. Ms. Ivanov said Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond's
primary goal is preservation. Chair Snoey asked who was responsible for barge traffic on
the Columbia River; Ms. Ivanov said the Army Corp. of Engineers was responsible for
dredging the river to support barge traffic. Ms. Leavitt asked about the possible impacts
of coal train traffic on the states already taxed rail system, will the freight mobility plan
look into the viability of Washington ports becoming a coal exporter. Ms. Ivanov said the
state is interested on the possible impacts of coal train traffic and will be monitoring the
issue and it unfolds.
Other Attendees:
Cathy Mooney, City of Kent Bob Giberson, City of Tukwila
Jim Seitz, City of Renton Amy Danberry, PRR
Kirsten Hauge, PRR Paul Takamine, King County DOT
Michael Hubner, PSRC Karen Goroski, SCA
Ed Conyers, WSDOT Susan Sanderson, SeaTac
David Hull, King County DOT Andrew Glass- Hastings, King County DOT
SOUTH COUNTY AREA TRANSPORTATION BOARD (SCATBd)
MEETING
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
9:00 11:00 a.m.
SeaTac City Hall
4800 South 188 Street
SeaTac
AGENDA
1. Open Meeting Action
Introductions
Approve summary of August 16, 2011 SCATBd
Meeting*
2. Reports, Communications and Citizen Requests to Comment Reports and
Chair or Vice Chair Discussion
Participant Updates from TPB, RTC, PSRC Boards,
Other
Connecting Washington Task Force Report Chris
Arkills
Citizen Comment
3. Sound Transit Update— Rachel Smith, Sound Transit Report and
Discussion
4. I -5 Express Lane Toll Feasibility Study Update Rob Report and
Fellows, WSDOT Discussion
5. 2012 Legislative Message Report and
Review of meeting with Stan Vander Pol, President Discussion
of Peninsula Truck Lines, Inc., President of
Washington Truckers Association and Member of the
Connecting Washington Task Force
Preliminary discussion of 2012 Legislative Message,
Goals and Plan of Action.
*Attachment to agenda
9:00 a.m.
9:10 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
9:50 a.m.
10:10 a.m.
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