Puget Sound Regional Council                                       psrc.org
  Regional Coordination     at work
  Transportation Policy Board and Growth Management Policy Board
 
              January 19, 2005

The Transportation Policy Board made an a additional recommendation to the Legislature for their 2005 session.

The new recommendation is:

  • Advocate for dedicated state funding to ensure state participation in the ongoing formation and financing of freight mobility project partnerships across the state, especially in the central Puget Sound region, such as the FAST Corridor.

    The Transportation Policy approved these recommendations at their December 9, 2004 meeting:

  • Advocate for continued and additional funding for multi-modal transportation, including peak period transit, expanded Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) and Transportation Demand Management (TDM), and an 'active transportation' program for Safe Routes to School, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit friendly development investments.
  • Advocate for legislation that authorizes flexible user fees, including tolls for HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes and multi-modal investments.

    The Executive Board will review and take action on these three recommendations at their January 27 meeting. The Executive Board has already approved the following recommendations:

  • Advocate for additional state funding for state and local transportation projects in the 2005 Legislative session.
  • Additional state funding should emphasize transportation corridors connecting urban growth and industrial/manufacturing centers.
  • Advocate that the 2005 Legislature develop new revenues to be distributed to cities and counties to invest in local transportation infrastructure, including transit. State funding should address city and county needs in addition to the state system.
  • Advocate for the creation of special category of state funding for major safety and preservation projects, including the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the State Route 520 Floating Bridge, and others.
  • Sustain the ability of the region via RCW 36.20 (SB6140 codified) to develop a transportation funding proposal and present it to voters for approval and work with the Legislature to consider changes, such as the granting of state bonding authority, additional financing tools, and ballot title revisions to expand the limit on title length.

    For more information, contact Kathleen McMullen at (206) 464-6172 or kmcmullen@psrc.org.

    The Transportation Policy Board recommended approval the 2005 RTPO plan review.

    The RTPO Plan Review not only meets the requirements of the state RTPO legislation, but also identifies near-term priority projects, includes the recommendations made to the Legislature, and is designed to serve as input from the PSRC to the Legislature in their 2005 legislative session. The plan review shows that while the region has made much progress toward implementing its transportation plan since its adoption in 2001, critical projects remain unfunded. The shortfall in funding for the next 10 years is estimated at roughly $15 billion.

    For more information, contact Kevin Murphy at (206) 464-6411 or kmurphy@psrc.org.

    The Transportation Policy Board discussed the Rural Town Centers and Corridors Program.

    The SR 203 Pilot Study in south Snohomish and east King counties has provided several positive outcomes. It has increased coordination between the various jurisdictions responsible for roads in rural areas and provided some low-cost design improvement solutions for safety and traffic calming improvements. The committee found working together as a coalition to be so effective that they intend to continue meeting despite the completion of the pilot study.

    For more information, contact King Cushman at (206) 464-6174 or kcushman@psrc.org.

    The Transportation Policy Board discussed the PSRC's Budget and Work Program for Fiscal Years 2006-2007.

    The Budget and Work Program is designed to enhance PSRC current activities, including continued and further implementation of the region's growth, economic and transportation strategy as well as service to PSRC members. The draft budget is $19.1 million, which is $200,000 less than the current adopted budget. The draft budget includes $2.26 million in speculative grant funding. The Transportation Policy Board will have an opportunity to comment further at their February 10 meeting.

    For more information, contact Mark Gulbranson at (206) 464-7524 or mgulbranson@psrc.org.

    The Transportation Policy Board heard a status report on coordinated regional transit activities.

    Joni Earl, Executive Director of Sound Transit, briefed the Board on their recent public comment period related to updating Sound Transit's Long Range Plan. Two alternatives are being studied in the draft supplemental environmental impact statement. The first is the "no action alternative," which includes updated demographic data and all the projects that are currently funded by Sound Move, the Legislature's Nickel Package, and Seattle's Greenline Monorail. The other alternative includes everything from the "no action alternative" and adds projects identified through the public scoping process earlier this year.

    For more information, contact Rick Olson at (206) 587-5060 or rolson@psrc.org.

    In other business, the Transportation Policy Board:

  • Recommended approval of a routine amendment to the regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) updating information for a Kitsap Transit project, a Sound Transit project, and a Washington State Department of Transportation Project.
  • Recommended approval of the change in project status from candidate to approved for early Right Of Way acquisition for the City of Puyallup's Shaw Road Extension.
  • Recommended approval of Kitsap County's Mosquito Fleet Trail project.
  • Recommended concurrence with designated recipient status for PSRC.

    The Growth Management Policy Board took action to proceed with developing further consideration on the relationship between health and land use and transportation.

    The Board completed its review of the health issue paper and directed staff to develop detailed recommendations as to how the VISION 2020 Update should address public and environmental health matters.

    For more information, contact Rocky Piro at (206) 464-6360 or rpiro@psrc.org.

    The Growth Management Policy Board discussed the VISION 2020 Update issue paper on Subregional Centers.

    Subregional Centers are activity centers beyond the designated Regional Growth Centers and Manufacturing/Industrial Centers, including town centers, secondary centers, activity nodes, and redevelopment corridors. The Board discussed the role these types of centers could play in the VISION 2020 Update.

    For more information, contact Rocky Piro at (206) 464-6360 or rpiro@psrc.org.

    The Growth Management Policy Board opened discussion on the Rural Areas issue paper.

    The issue paper explores ways of addressing rural areas, which are outside of the Urban Growth Area. Seven possible issues areas have been identified for further consideration: 1) rural population and employment growth, 2) the definition of rural character, 3) rural exception areas, 4) rural service and infrastructure provisions, 5) special purpose districts in rural areas, 6) rural economic development and 7) rural development standards.

    For more information, contact Norman Abbott at (206) 464-7134 or nabbott@psrc.org.

    The Growth Management Policy Board welcomed John Owen of MAKERS to give an introduction to the assessment of environmental data and information.

    PSRC is consulting with MAKERS to identify relevant environmental information for the update. This information will be drafted into an issue paper and help guide the revision of the multicounty planning policies.

    For more information, contact Norman Abbott at (206) 464-7134 or nabbott@psrc.org.