The Executive Board adopted the 2005-2007 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

The TIP includes the 119 projects recommended to receive $325.5 million in PSRC funding and four additional projects that received funding from other sources. The public comment period opened on September 9, 2004. PSRC received eleven comments and three letters of support for the projects in the TIP. Several articles about the projects recommended to receive PSRC funding were published in papers around the region. PSRC also sent out letters to each jurisdiction notifying them of the recommendation for funding. The TIP received a positive air quality finding. Based on public comment at the Transportation Policy Board meeting, the Board placed a condition on Kitsap County's Southworth-Harper Segment of the Mosquito Fleet Trail project, to allow adequate time for additional public involvement by the project sponsor.

For more information, contact Karen Richter at (206) 464-6343 or krichter@psrc.org.

The Executive Board discussed the progress of the Prosperity Partnership.

The Prosperity Partnership is working with the Economic Development District to develop the regional economic strategy. On October 15, the group kicked off at the Workforce Development Council's annual meeting. The Co-Chairs of the Partnership introduced the work to the region, a full-page ad was placed in the region's major daily newspapers, and the website was launched. The Co-Chairs of the Partnership are Mark Emmert, President of the University of Washington; John Ladenburg, Pierce County Executive; Tomio Moriguchi, Chairman and Chief Executive of Uwajimaya; Brad Smith, Senior Vice-President at the Microsoft Corporation; Alan Mullaly, President of Boeing Commercial Airplane Company; And Rita Ryder, YWCA President of Strategic Initiatives. The Partnership will be introducing the details of its work at its centerpiece event, the Regional Economic Summit on November 19 at Qwest Field Event Center. You can register online at www.prosperitypartnership.org.

For more information, contact Bill McSherry at (206) 587-5663 or bmcsherry@psrc.org.

The Executive Board received a status report of the Traffic Choices Study.

The Traffic Choices Study is designed to study people's behavioral response to pricing travel on the road system. PSRC received a $1.88 million federal grant to do the GPS based study. The effects of the pricing policy will be measured by comparing the travel behavior of the 350 volunteer households before and after the toll policy is in place. Participants will receive an endowment that will be more than sufficient to cover the tolling period. At the end of the study, participants get to keep any money they do not use to cover their tolling costs.

For more information, contact Matthew Kitchen at (206) 464-6196 or mkitchen@psrc.org.

The Executive Board welcomed Kurt Triplett, King County's Chief of Staff, who described the new Puget Sound Health Partnership.

The partnership is a collaborative regional partnership for applying market forces to health care to help offset increases in health care costs. Based on a recent study conducted by the RAND Corporation, 41% of care paid for in Seattle does nothing to improve health. The partnership would promote a health care system where proven treatment methods would require a smaller co-pay than speculative treatment.

For more information, contact Kurt Triplett at (206) 296-4046 or kurt.triplett@metrokc.gov.