HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning 2013-05-23 Chapter 1 - IntroductionCity of Tukwila: Background Report for the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan Update
Transportation Analysis and 2030 Improvement Recommendations
May 2012
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
One of the most important, yet underappreciated elements of daily life is travel. People must travel to
meet nearly every need: work, recreation and social activities, eating, and shopping. The fact that mobility
affects quality of life and economic vitality is barely noticed until travel becomes difficult. To meet this
need for mobility, the City of Tukwila plans, develops, and maintains the transportation network in the
City. The transportation system includes everything from roadways and sidewalks, to bicycle lanes and
trails. In addition, the City works in conjunction with other agencies like the Washington State Department
of Transportation and King County Metro to provide connections to the regional highway system and
services like public transit. Ultimately, Tukwila is committed to providing a transportation system that is
efficient, convenient, and safe for all users.
Tukwila's Vision for Transportation
Given the importance of travel, a long range vision for the transportation system is critical to ensure that
future residents of Tukwila have good access to jobs, services, and recreation. The Transportation
Element of Tukwila's Comprehensive Plan represents the City's vision for transportation. The
Transportation Element identifies goals and policies to help achieve that vision and it also defines a
transportation funding program for implementation.
The last update of the Transportation Element occurred in 2005. Since that time, a number of major
roadway projects from the previous plan were completed, Sound Transit commenced Link Light Rail
service in the city, the economic climate in the region has changed, and the Tukwila South area has been
annexed. Considering all these changes, the City determined that it was time to update the
Transportation Element.
In addition to updating the Transportation Element to reflect the changes above, it is the goal of the City
to incorporate a more multi -modal emphasis in the Transportation Element. A key element of this
approach is the implementation of a "Complete Streets" concept where travel by all modes — walking,
bicycling, transit, and cars /trucks —is accommodated throughout Tukwila.
Background Report
As a basis for updating the Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan, Fehr & Peers has
prepared this Background Report. The intent of the Background Report is to provide the technical details
to assist City staff and decision makers in identifying and prioritizing the transportation capital project
needs. These new transportation projects will provide the infrastructure necessary to accommodate the
next 20 years of growth in the City and will also help Tukwila's transportation network mature into a more
multimodal system. The Background Report covers all modes of transportation that are provided in the
City. However, as transit services are provided by King County Metro and Sound Transit, the report does
not include extensive evaluation of transit services in the City.
To facilitate project identification, the Background Report includes the following:
• An inventory and description of the existing transportation system for all modes (pedestrian,
bicycles, roads, and transit)
• Existing conditions level of service analysis for pedestrians, bicycles, roadways, and
intersections.
• Forecasts of future traffic growth and its impacts to the transportation network in Tukwila.
• Assessment of how future traffic growth might impact the ability to meet concurrency
requirements.
FEHRt PEERS