FEBRUARY 2001

VISION 2020 Nominees: Winners to be Honored at General Assembly

A car-sharing program, plans to spark new development in older downtowns, and urban village-style developments in east King County are among the nominees for the 2001 round of VISION 2020 Awards.

Each year the VISION 2020 Awards honor exceptional public and private efforts that help achieve VISION 2020, the regional growth and transportation strategy, and enhance quality of life in central Puget Sound. The nominees are:

• Auburn Commuter Rail Station and Transit Center - A new rail and bus station designed to support revitalization and transit-oriented development in downtown Auburn.
• Bainbridge Island Transfer Center and Bike Barn - Improvements to the Bainbridge Island Transfer Center, including a new open-air, 75-bike storage facility, a crosswalk with an in-ground lighting system, and better bus access.
• Bellevue Economic Partnership - A partnership formed by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, City of Bellevue, Port of Seattle and the Bellevue Downtown Association to recruit and retain high technology businesses in Bellevue.
• Bethel Road Corridor Development Plan - A comprehensive approach to corridor development along Bethel Road in Kitsap County that combines land use, transportation, streetscape, and environmental elements.
• City of Seattle Light Rail Station Area Concept-Level Recommendations - Framework and tools for developing communities around the Central Link light rail line to provide safe places to walk, green space and parks, more choices for housing, and vibrant community businesses.
• Community Transit Van Grant Program - A program to donate retired minivans and minibuses to non-profit organizations. The program is aimed at providing transportation services to people (youth, seniors, and the disabled) who were most affected by drastic cuts in service resulting from Initiative 695.
• Cougar Mountain East Village - A high-density urban village development in Issaquah that uses 147 acres to provide some 1,700 residences, a walk-to village center and an office campus. The developer donated 465 acres of the property to the City of Issaquah as permanent open space.
• Destination Downtown - An effort by the City of Tacoma to revitalize downtown and support investments in regional transit facilities, including the new 1.6-mile light rail segment, Tacoma Link.
• Downtown Burien Plan - A plan that promotes new commercial and residential development designed to make downtown Burien an attractive place to work, shop and recreate.
• Flexcar - A car-sharing program in King County that provides access to vehicles without the cost and inconvenience of auto ownership.
• King County Transfer of Development Credits Pilot Project: Preserving the Mitchell Hill Connector - The first transfer of development credits in the region. The project used private funds to transfer development credits from a 313-acre parcel in rural east King County to Issaquah s urban area.
• Lakes-to-Locks Water Trail - A freshwater blue trail designed to enable small non-motorized boats to gain access to King County waterways.
• Mountain View Business Centre - Redevelopment of an old gravel pit in south Everett into a new light industrial business park. Sixty-four acres are dedicated for recreational and park spaces.
• North Snohomish County Summit - A long-term regional economic and community development coalition comprised of eight municipal jurisdictions in northern Snohomish County.
• The Park at Bothell's Landing - A community gathering place on the banks of the Sammamish River in Bothell, including a rehabilitated amphitheater, historical displays, a museum, and wetland interpretive-trail system. The park connects to the King County Regional Trail System.
• Port to Port: A Transportation Corridor Seismic Vulnerability Pilot Project - A collaborative project of over 20 public and private agencies to address earthquake survivability of high-risk bridges and critical lifeline corridors between Seattle and Tacoma and integrate these concerns into transportation funding decisions.
• Snoqualmie Ridge - A new development in the City of Snoqualmie that integrates a mix of land uses, conserves open space, provides transportation options, and offers a variety of housing types at different levels of affordability.

Marshall Appointed Vice Chair of Growth Management Policy Board

Bellevue Deputy Mayor Connie Marshall has been named vice chair of the Regional Council's Growth Management Policy Board. A major focus of the board's work this year is the update of the region's transportation plan, Destination 2030.

"Growth and transportation are the greatest challenges facing Bellevue and the Puget Sound region," Marshall said. "I am honored to serve on a board that is looking at the big picture and helping area leaders address the problems of today and the future."

The Growth Management Policy Board includes representatives of the region's counties, cities and towns, as well as regional business, labor civic and environmental groups. The board meets monthly to make recommendations on key growth management issues. Marshall will serve with Snohomish County Councilmember Dave Somers, who chairs the board.

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Historical Ferry Fares

In 1962, the year of Century 21 (the Seattle World's Fair), the fare for a walk-on passenger riding a ferry across Puget Sound was $0.65 ($1.30 for the round trip). That amount is equivalent to $3.76 ($7.72 for the round trip) in year 2000 dollars when it is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The actual fare rose slowly through 1970, matching the rate of inflation. Then the passenger fare started a decline (in real terms), which has continued to the present day. The accompanying chart shows the passenger and auto+driver fares for a cross-Sound ferry trip from 1960 to 2000 in year 2000 dollars.

For comparison, the chart also shows the local peak-period one- and two-zone bus fares since 1973, the year Metro assumed operation of the transit system in King County. These fares also have been adjusted to year 2000 dollars. Since 1992 the passenger fare for crossing the Sound has been virtually the same as a two-zone peak period Metro fare. The ferry and Metro fares are currently $1.85 and $1.75, respectively.

Ferry passenger service has several amenities not found on local transit service, including restrooms, more spacious seating, room to walk around, non-stop travel, and -- on the auto ferries -- a complete snack bar. The new services provided by Sound Transit -- express bus and Sounder commuter rail -- compare more favorably with the ferries, but they also charge premium fares which are higher than fares for local service within King County. For the express bus and the Sounder commuter rail services, the two-zone fares are $2.00 and $3.00 per trip, respectively. For a longer trip, such as Seattle to Tacoma, the fares are $2.50 and $4.00, respectively.

The Tariff Policy Committee and Washington State Ferries are currently considering ferry fare adjustments. More information is available on the Web at www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/fares.

Ferry & Bus Fares (adjusted for inflation to 2000 dollars)
For more information about this Trend, contact Larry Blain, (206) 464-5402, e-mail lblain@psrc.org.

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