Transportation budget promotes transit, carpools

KING COUNTY Executive Ron Sims has accepted a recommended package of needed transportation improvements from King County's Department of Transportation (KCDOT) that offers more effective and realistic options for building projects, and moving people and freight. The proposal is based on a technical review by KCDOT of an investment package currently being considered by a board charged with developing transportation investments in the tri-county region.

The proposal is based on a growing recognition that the current package of investments being considered by the tri-county Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) is too costly, given the state of our economy. It is also designed to address the stalemate that has kept highway and transit advocates in King County from reaching compromise on a proposed investment package.

Highlights of the package include:

• Replacing the SR 520 Evergreen Point Bridge and portions of the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct as phase one actions to sustain the safety and integrity of the regional transportation system.
• Addressing key roadway bottlenecks on limited access roadways for additional people carrying capacity and freight movement on I-405, I-5, SR-509 and SR 167.
• Completing HOV lane links on I-5, I-405 and SR167.
• Constructing two-way transit lanes on I-90 (R8-A option).
• Adding a Link Light Rail Transit segment to Northgate.
• Adding capacity through HOV and transit lane additions, purchasing buses that replace and expand the current local transit fleet, and taking advantage of HOV improvements by providing additional transit service levels across Lake Washington on SR-520 and I-90 and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) level service on SR 99 north and south.
• Implementing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications along high use arterial corridors throughout King County, including signal synchronization, transit signal priority, variable message signs and incident management and response.
• Constructing various freight, transit and roads improvements on approaches to highways of statewide significance (HSS) and other non-HSS facilities to provide key operational and capacity improvements where the regional arterial and HSS systems integrate with and impact one another.
• Improving the operating environment for buses on key regional corridors (including SR-99 north and south, SR-520, I-90, I-405 and SR-167) as well as on numerous regional arterials using transit and HOV lanes, signal priority, intersection improvements, passenger facility improvements and Transit Oriented Development projects.

“This review responds to my request to explore a smaller package that offers realistic and timely solutions our residents are willing to embrace and can afford,” Sims said.

“It is imperative we move forward to break the impasse that has, for months, polarized discussions regarding the best mix of investments designed to get our region moving,” he added. “We must also reduce the cost of this important investment to the average household. A successfully adopted regional package will also serve as an economic stimulus by creating jobs that are critically needed in our region.”

A technical team from Metro Transit and Road Services conducted the assessment of King County’s estimated $9 billion share of the over $14 billion investment being discussed by the RTID board. The assessment relied on five guiding principles based on established growth management and transportation policies used in the region. The team then developed 12 criteria designed to prioritize projects based primarily on how well they move people and goods at peak times of day. The proposal also targets investments in major urban centers that need continued growth to ensure a stronger economy.

Based on that technical review, along with an initial financial assessment of economic conditions and available revenues, the team identified a smaller $6.5 billion package of improvements for King County that could be implemented within a ten year period.

The proposal recommends construction projects and programs that move more freight on specially designed roads and more people on transit and carpool lanes than investments focusing solely on projects that add general capacity.

King County release, September 17

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