SEATTLE—Award-winning efforts to make the Puget Sound region an even better place to live will be honored at the Puget Sound Regional Council's General Assembly meeting March 20 at Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion.
"The VISION 2020 award winners show a high level of innovation, creativity and success. They are proof that our region is taking important steps to create a more livable future," says Sammamish Councilmember Kathleen Huckabay, who chaired the awards selection committee.
The honorees include innovative projects, programs and plans sponsored by public and private organizations. All of the winning efforts are helping to achieve different aspects of VISION 2020, the region's united growth management and transportation strategy.
The 2003 VISION 2020 Award winners are:
Car Smart Communities Challenge Grants (Seattle) - Grant program to empower Seattle residents to develop ways to reduce traffic in their neighborhoods
Chihuly Bridge of Glass (Tacoma) -- Pedestrian bridge featuring hundreds of pieces of glass artwork that connects a redeveloping waterfront to downtown Tacoma.
Community Conversations -- Kirkland 2022 -- Community outreach program for the city's 10-year update of its comprehensive plan, to encourage public involvement in changes to the city's vision and key goals.
Everett Station - A new transportation hub in downtown Everett that also serves as a important civic building with a higher education and career development center and a gathering place for community events.
Mukilteo Village Center - A new pedestrian-friendly development with housing, shopping, employment and recreation in a small town village setting near downtown Mukilteo.
Natural Drainage System (Seattle)- Innovative approach to reduce stormwater runoff and protect water quality by redesigning streets with diverse plants and trees, narrow, curved streets, open drainage swales, and street gardens.
Pay-Per-Use Parking Program (University of Washington) -- Program allows university employees to be electronically charged each time they park (rather than paying a flat monthly fee), rewarding them for leaving their vehicles at home. Users also receive free bus pass and Flexcar membership.
Talus (Issaquah) - A new development in Issaquah that balances new housing, environmental protection and public infrastructure improvements. Only 25 percent of the site will be developed - the rest will be left in a natural state.
Special RecognitionRedmond RiverWalk -- Habitat restoration and trail enhancements along a 1.3-mile segment of the Sammamish River in downtown Redmond.
Sultan Industrial Park Master Plan - An ambitious plan for an industrial park along SR 2 designed to create local, family-wage jobs in a small community.
3rd Street SW Grade Separation Project - A FAST Corridor project that built an over-crossing of a rail line and other improvements, allowing for quick, safe movement of auto and train traffic through downtown Auburn.
VISION 2020 is a regional strategy adopted by central Puget Sound cities and counties that promotes a strong economy, efficient transportation, a healthy environment, and vibrant communities that are great places to live and work.
The VISION 2020 Awards will be presented at the Regional Council's General Assembly dinner on March 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Seattle Center's Fisher Pavilion. The General Assembly includes mayors, county executives, commissioners and councilmembers representing the Regional Council's more than 80 member governments and agencies. The full agenda for the meeting is available on the Regional Council's Web site (psrc.org) or by calling the Information Center at (206) 464-7532.
For more information about the VISION 2020 Award winners, contact Anne Avery at (206) 587-4818, e-mail aavery@psrc.org.
The Regional Council develops policies and coordinates decisions about regional growth and transportation planning in King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties. The Council is composed of over 80 county, city, port, transit, tribal and state agencies serving the region. It coordinates the distribution of about $100 million in Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transportation Administration funds each year. The Regional Council sets priorities and evaluates the most efficient ways to target those funds to support state and local transportation and growth management plans.
[Title VI Notice: PSRC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, see http://www.psrc.org/about/titlevi/index.htm or call 206-464-6175.]