Car Smart Communities Challenge Grants
Sponsored by: The City of Seattle and Taylor Consulting

The Car Smart program empowers Seattle citizens to carry out their own ideas to reduce traffic. Examples include neighborhood bus maps and walking guides, a vanpool to senior softball games, and a youth bike club. An evaluation of the program found that in one year, the Car Smart projects saved over 179,000 miles of driving and more than 143,000 pounds of carbon dioxide.


Community Conversations - Kirkland 2022
Sponsored by: The City of Kirkland, futurist.com, and Connor Media

Community Conversations is a model community outreach program that was used for the 10-year update of Kirkland's comprehensive plan. Citizens were encouraged to watch a video and answer three questions about the future of Kirkland. The video could be watched at meetings, on the city's Web site, and on the city's cable channel. Members of the community hosted and facilitated community conversation meetings for specific groups.


Chihuly Bridge of Glass
Sponsored by: The City of Tacoma, Dale Chihuly and the Museum of Glass

This grand gateway and pedestrian bridge soars over the freeway and the train tracks, linking the Tacoma waterfront to downtown. The bridge features hundreds of pieces of glass artwork. The project was key in encouraging efficient redevelopment on the waterway, including the Museum of Glass and the mixed-use development called Thea's Landing.

Everett Station
Sponsored by: the City of Everett/Everett Transit, Federal Transit Administration, Sound Transit, Transportation Improvement Board, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, and Wilder Construction Company

Everett Station is a new transportation hub in downtown Everett that also serves as an important civic building with a higher education and career development center and a gathering place for community events. Transportation services include Amtrak, Sound Transit, Everett Transit, Community Transit, Greyhound, Trailways, shuttles, taxis, carpools and bicycles. The station includes rail platforms, drop off areas, park-and-ride lots, bicycle lockers, and a café.

Mukilteo Village Center
Sponsored by: City of Mukilteo, Chinook Pacific Corporation, R.L. BeVan, L.L.C., Legacy Partners, and Lozier Homes

The Mukilteo Village Center is a new mixed-use development on 126 acres with housing, shopping, employment and recreation in a small town village setting near downtown Mukilteo. The heart of the village center is a public plaza with outdoor dining, benches and a grassy park area. The village emphasizes pedestrians by using narrower streets and larger walkways and paths.


Natural Drainage System
Sponsored by: City of Seattle

Seattle's Natural Drainage System is an innovative approach by the City of Seattle 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. The new design slows traffic, is pedestrian-friendly, and dramatically reduces stormwater runoff. Two demonstration projects have been completed, and a large-scale natural drainage system is planned for the High Point neighborhood in West Seattle.


Pay-Per-Use Parking Program
Sponsored by: The University of Washington in partnership with King County Metro

The University's pay-per-use parking program provides an incentive for university employees to cut back on the days they drive alone. Instead of paying a flat parking fee regardless of use, employees are charged electronically each time they park, giving them an incentive to drive less. The program also gives users a complimentary bus pass and Flexcar car-sharing membership. After six months, the program resulted in an 18 percent reduction in drive-alone trips.


Talus
Sponsored by: The Oly/Intracorp General Partnership and the City of Issaquah

Talus is a new development in Issaquah on the slopes of Cougar and Squak mountains near SR 900. Oly/Intracorp and the City of Issaquah meaningfully engaged the community and environmental groups in project planning from the beginning (development of this parcel had previously failed because of intense public opposition). The result is a new urban village that creates a balance between new housing, environmental protection and public infrastructure improvements. Of the site's 630 acres, only 25 percent is used for development and utilities.

Special Recognition
The following projects received honorary recognition.

Redmond RiverWalk
Sponsored by: The City of Redmond and Parametrix, Inc.
This noteworthy project restored habitat and enhanced a trail along a 1.3-mile segment of the Sammamish River, offering important environmental benefits and providing biking, walking and recreational opportunities in downtown Redmond.

Sultan Industrial Park Master Plan
Sponsored by: The City of Sultan
This is an ambitious plan for a 300-acre industrial park along SR 2 designed to create local, family-wage jobs in a small community.

3rd Street SW Grade Separation Project
Sponsored by: The City of Auburn and FAST Corridor partners
This successful FAST Corridor freight mobility project built an over-crossing of a rail line and other improvements, allowing for quick, safe movement of auto and train traffic through downtown Auburn.


For more information about the VISION 2020 Award winners, contact Michele Leslie, 206-587-4819, mleslie@psrc.org.