Transportation Top 11 in 2011

Transportation options are key to a healthy economy, environment, and quality of life, so in order to protect and improve those options, I established my Transportation Top 11 Priorities in 2011. Here's how we faired:

1. Protect Metro Transit service 

Through reforms, fare increases, and enacting the congestion reduction charge, King County saved Metro Transit service for at least two more years.

Metro faces the loss of up to 600,000 service hours by 2015, approximately 17% of the system.

2. Implement the Regional Transit Task Force recommendations

The King County Council adopted the Transit Strategic Plan in June 2011.

Under previous policies, up to 400,000 hours of potential Metro service cuts would occur in the Seattle area, rather than cutting (or growing) service based on performance and productivity, as recommended by the Regional Transit Task Force.

3. Advance replacement of Metro's trolley bus system with modern trolley buses

The King County Council approved a 2012-2013 budget that includes funding for replacing Metro's entire trolley bus fleet.

Approximately a quarter of Metro passengers ride trolley buses, which serve 14 routes in Metro's most dense communities with quiet, zero emissions transportation.

4. Support improvements to bus tracking technology

One-third of Metro's buses have been fitted with GPS bus tracking technology and the remainder will be completed in 2012.

40,000 people a day use bus tracking site OneBusAway.org to find real time arrival information about buses, maximizing transit connections and minimizing time waiting at stops. Yet during reroutes due to snow or other incidents when bus tracking is most useful, bus tracking information provided by Metro is unreliable or completely unavailable. Installing GPS systems on Metro's bus will improve the technology available to such sites.

5. Plan for Ballard/Uptown RapidRide

Planning for RapidRide D Line is underway and on track for implementation in 2012.

RapidRide Line D will provide bus service between Crown Hill and downtown Seattle via Ballard, Interbay, Uptown Queen Anne, and Belltown, giving riders frequent, fast connections to neighborhood activity centers and other key destinations, including major employers, stores, medical and other services, schools, and residential areas in 2012.

6. Pursue increased transit service in the Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor, and transit pathways and mitigation in the design of the SR 520 replacement project

I lobbied for transit funding through his participation on the Viaduct Stakeholder Committee. Efforts to secure this funding remains underway.

Increased transit in the Alaskan Way Viaduct corridor is necessary for providing northwest Seattle residents with adequate access to downtown after the loss of the 1/3 of the Alaskan Way Viaduct's capacity and the downtown ramps. SR 520 and Montake are major transit hubs and transfer point Capitol Hill and Eastlake residents. In fact, 1/3rd of all the comments that WSDOT received about the SR 520 replacement plan in Montlake were regarding the impact of losing the Montlake Flyer Stop.

7. Support community advocacy efforts and public-private partnerships to increase transit service in the rapidly growing South Lake Union neighborhood

I met with community members to discuss ideas for serving South Lake Union's growing transit needs and have passed those ideas on to Metro.

South Lake Union is growing rapidly and seeks to establish itself as a transit and pedestrian oriented community. Employment in South Lake Union will nearly double to 30,000 employees in the next five years. Residential population will double to 10,000 residents in the next ten years.

8. Support community-led transit-oriented development planning around the Broadway light rail station

I monitored and helped facilitate the ongoing dialogue between Capitol Hill Champion, Sound Transit, and the City of Seattle about TOD in Broadway.

14,000 people will access the Broadway light rail station each day by 2030. Well done transit oriented development in the area will enhance the transit riding experience for those people, improve the Broadway community, and maximize ridership opportunities.

9. Identify funding to purchase the Eastside Rail Corridor and secure the corridor in permanent public ownership

Sound Transit secured a portion of the corridor and a transportation easement, but efforts to secure King County's portion of the corridor are ongoing.

The corridor provides public right of way connecting key East King County cities and future rail and trail opportunities. Funding for fee ownership of the corridor needs to be identified.

10. Support actions to address the backlogged maintenance of King County roads and bridges

I supported efforts to seek funding sources for county roads and bridges through King County's participation in the Connecting Washington Task Force.

The county recently released a report assessing the condition of 1,750 miles of roadway and 184 bridges in unincorporated King County and determined that up to 40% of King County roads are at risk of failure over the next decade and 28 bridges need to be replaced.

11. Keep Sound Transit system expansion projects on track, including University Link, North Link, East Link, the First Hill Streetcar, and the South and North Corridor high capacity transit projects

Progress on these projects successfully advanced as planned in 2012.

Sound Transit revenues currently expected through 2023 are $3.9 billion, or 25 percent, lower than forecasted in 2008, requiring difficult choices and strong oversight of projects.