Transportation Policy Board Members to Chair Transportation Committees

Senator Jim Horn of Mercer Island has been named Chairman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee and Representative Ed Murray of Seattle has been named Chairman of the House Transportation Committee. Both veteran lawmakers also serve on the Regional Council's Transportation Policy Board.

Senator Mary Margaret Haugen will serve as ranking minority leader on the Highways and Transportation Committee and Representative Doug Ericksen will serve as ranking minority member on the Transportation Committee.

Sen. Jim Horn R - Mercer Island

Rep. Ed Murray D - Seattle

Rep. Doug Ericksen R - Bellingham

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen D - Camano Island

The 105-day legislative session convenes on January 13. Transportation will be a hot topic. To stay up to speed, go to www.leg.wa.gov or call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000.

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Richard McIver, John Ladenburg to Lead Regional Council

In December, Seattle Councilmember Richard McIver assumed leadership of the Regional Council and appointed Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg to serve as vice president. McIver succeeds Pierce County Councilmember Karen Biskey, who completed her term on the Pierce County Council last month.

Councilmember McIver joined the Regional Council's Transportation Policy Board in 1997, when he was elected to the Seattle City Council. Prior to joining the council, he was president of Comprehensive Planning and Development, a private management consulting firm. He also served as the executive director of the Washington Association for Community Economic Development. Councilmember McIver was elected Regional Council vice president in March 2002.

County Executive Ladenburg joined the Regional Council's Executive Board in 2001, when he was elected Pierce County Executive. Prior to becoming Pierce County Executive, he was the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney and served one term on the Tacoma City Council. As vice president, Executive Ladenburg will chair the Regional Council's Operations Committee.

Edmonds Councilmember Dave Earling chairs the Transportation Policy Board. Bellevue Mayor Connie Marshall chairs the Growth Management Policy Board.

Richard McIver Councilmember City of Seattle

John Ladenburg Executive Pierce County

Dave Earling Councilmember City of Edmonds

Connie Marshall Mayor City of Bellevue

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Call for Executive Board Appointments

Members of the Regional Council are being asked to appoint their representatives and alternates to the Executive Board and Operations Committee this month. A letter requesting appointments was mailed to member jurisdictions the first week of January.

The 26-member Executive Board makes important decisions on transportation funding, growth planning, and other responsibilities of the Regional Council between meetings of the General Assembly. The Operations Committee, composed of 10 members selected from the Executive Board, reviews and makes recommendations to the Executive Board on the budget and work program, and on contracts and other financial and personnel issues.

The Council's Bylaws require that members also select alternates for Board representatives to ensure that members have a vote on major decisions at all Executive Board and Operations Committee meetings. Representation on the Executive Board is proportional to the region's population, as described in the Council's Interlocal Agreement.

Appointments and/or reappointments are due by January 15. For a listing of the current representatives on the Executive Board and Operations Committee, or for other information, call Sylvia Nelson at 206-464-7518.

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Regional Council Developing New Biennial Budget and Work Program

The process to develop a new two-year budget and work program is now underway. The draft budget describes the Regional Council's transportation and growth planning activities for fiscal years 2004-2005. The Operations Committee, chaired by Executive John Ladenburg, is overseeing the budget process. The draft budget will be released in January for review by the policy boards, Regional Staff Committee, local governments, and state and federal agencies.

The Executive Board will consider the budget at its February meeting and will recommend action by the General Assembly at its annual meeting in March. Action by the Assembly in March gives the agency time to obtain grants necessary to fund the budget at the beginning of the new fiscal year, July 1, 2003. For more information, call Mark Gulbranson at 206-464-7524.

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Traffic Volumes Down in Some Areas of the Region

The casual observer may have noticed a slight decline in traffic congestion in some areas of the region over the last year or two. Some traffic volume data collected by the Regional Council suggests that this observation is correct.

Between September 2000 and April 2002 the region's employment dropped 3.4 percent*. The lower employment rate has affected regional traffic patterns and could explain the small decline in traffic volumes in a region that has experienced steady traffic growth for many years. A map of regional screenlines, which are used to identify regionally significant road connections between geographic sectors, shows the places of decline as well as increases in average daily traffic volumes.

The screenline data for 2000 and 2002 were collected by the Regional Council. Traffic volumes for the major facilities on the screenlines, such as interstate highways and major state roads, were obtained from WSDOT Northwest Region Traffic Data. All locations marked with an asterisk denote screenlines for which major facility volume data was not available at this time and the traffic volume changes represent only the remaining facilities on the screenline. For example, the screenline south of Bellevue showing a 17.7 percent decrease does not include data from I-405.

Southern Pierce County and Kitsap County show increases in traffic volume. Eastern King County had the largest decline in traffic volumes, particularly on the I-405 corridor and Sammamish Plateau. With the exception of the Ship Canal, all screenlines on the I-5 corridor show a slight decline in traffic volumes.

For more information, contact Mark Charnews at 206-464-5355 or mcharnews@psrc.org.

*Washington State Labor Area Summaries

Changes in Average Daily Traffic, 2000-2002



*Screenlines denoted with an asterisk do not include interstate or state highway data.

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206-464-7532 - FAX 206-587-4825 - infoctr@psrc.org

Sign language and communication material in alternative formats can be arranged given sufficient notice by calling Grace Foster at 206-464-7090. TDD\TTY; 206-464-5409. Funding for this newsletter provided in part by member jurisdictions, grants from U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration and Washington State Department of Transportation. 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.

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