February 2003
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The 2003 VISION 2020 Award nominees represent some of the best and brightest regional achievements of the past year. The Regional Council received 23 nominations, a diverse group that includes affordable housing and mixed-use neighborhoods, a regional transportation hub, pedestrian walkways, freight mobility efforts, and projects to improve air and water quality. All nominees are examples of the exceptional work being accomplished to achieve a vision for a more livable Puget Sound region. Nominations in the running are:
Bike Buddy Program -- Demonstration project by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to increase the number of bicycle commuters in King County. Trained bike mentors were matched with new commuters to offer one-on-one assistance.
Car Smart Communities Challenge Grants and Evaluation -- Program provides resources and grants to Seattle citizens for actions to reduce non-work trips. City also developed methodology for measuring cost/benefit of trip reduction programs.
Chihuly Bridge of Glass -- Pedestrian bridge over seven freeway lanes and four train tracks, featuring hundreds of pieces of glasswork and linking the waterfront to downtown Tacoma.
City of Sultan Industrial Park Master Plan -- Plan for industrial park along SR 2, calling for a mix of businesses, retail and personal services, offices, hotels, and dining and entertainment. The northern portion of the area will be developed with mixed office and residential.
Community Conversations - Kirkland 2022 -- Community outreach program for the city's 10-year update of its comprehensive plan, to gain input on changes to the city's vision and key goals.
Community Transit Snohomish County Bike to Work Day -- Promotion of Bike to Work Day in Snohomish County using intensive public outreach and partnerships with area employers.
Everett Station -- Multimodal transportation hub with a center for higher education and career development and community gathering space that is also a catalyst for development near downtown Everett.
Harrison Apartments -- Mixed-use, affordable housing on 15th Avenue East in Seattle. Residents earn less than 50 percent of median income.
Interlocal Agreement between the Port of Seattle and the City of SeaTac -- Agreement that establishes a cooperative system for exercising jurisdictional powers, including parameters to expedite zoning and efficient development on airport property and a framework for cooperative planning.
Kent Station -- Mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly development on a former chemical manufacturing site in downtown Kent.
Mukilteo Pedestrian and Bicycle Walkway -- Walkway along Mukilteo Speed-way (SR 525) spanning two ravines, providing a link in regional trail system.
Mukilteo Village Center -- Mixed-use project that provides housing, shopping, employment and recreation in a small town village setting.
Natural Drainage System -- Program by the City of Seattle to reduce surface runoff and protect water quality using diverse plants and trees, narrow, curved streets, open drainage swales, and street gardens.
Northwest Container Services -- Private, short-haul provider of containerized rail transportation services that operates dedicated direct trains between Seattle, Portland and Tacoma.
Pay Per Use Parking Program -- Program allows University of Washington employees to be electronically charged each time they park (rather than paying a flat monthly fee), rewarding them for leaving their vehicles at home. Users also receive free bus pass and Flexcar membership.
Port of Seattle Alternative Fuels Program -- Program to reduce emissions from 37 vehicles serving Sea-Tac Airport through the use of alternative fuels, and to provide the state's first large-scale public access natural gas fueling station.
Redmond RiverWalk -- Habitat restoration and open space and trail enhancements along a 1.3-mile segment of the Sammamish River in downtown Redmond.
Redmond Trip Reduction Incentive Program -- Partnership between the City of Redmond, King County Metro, and businesses in Redmond that offers discounted, shelf-ready commuting products to employers, such as FlexPass, and supports development of new alternative commute products and services.
Seattle Parking Management Study and Parking Tax Analysis -- Study and analysis of parking management issues in Seattle, including evaluation of a potential parking tax.
Swamp Creek Free Ride Week -- Community Transit campaign to promote Swamp Creek park-and-ride service to area residents and to people who use nearby overcrowded park-and-rides.
Talus: Collaboration Yields New Urban Village and Environmental Benefits -- Collaboration between Oly/Intracorp General Partnership and the City of Issaquah to develop an urban village on the slopes of Cougar and Squak Mountains -- development is clustered so 75 percent of land is conserved.
3rd Street SW Grade Separation Project -- FAST Corridor project that built over-crossing of rail line and other improvements allowing for quick, safe movement of auto and train traffic through downtown Auburn.
University of Washington Radford Court -- New 400-unit, affordable student-housing neighborhood and community center. Project saved 70 percent of natural vegetation while nearly doubling the density.
An Awards Selection Committee composed of Regional Council board members and regional experts will select the award winners. The awards will be presented at the General Assembly dinner on March 20, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Seattle Center. For more information about the awards program, contact Anne Avery at (206) 587-4818, aavery@psrc.org.
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You're Invited... General Assembly to Meet March 20th |
Comment on Distribution of $12.1 Million for Transportation Projects
The Regional Council would like public comments on a proposal to distribute $12.1 million in federal transportation funds to priority regional and local projects. Written comments should be received by February 18. There will also be opportunities for public comment at the Transportation Policy Board meeting on February 13 and the Executive Board meeting on February 27 (see Calendar for times and locations). A final decision is expected from the Regional Council's Executive Board on February 27.
How to Comment or Get More Information
| PHONE: | 206-464-6343 |
| FAX: | 206-587-4825 |
| E-MAIL: | krichter@psrc.org |
| WEB: | psrc.org/projects/tip/index.htm |
| ADDRESS: | 1011 Western Avenue, Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98104-1035 |
| INFORMATION CENTER: | 206-464-7532 |
| E-MAIL: | infoctr@psrc.org |
Puget Sound Ports Address Container Security
On January 17, the ports of Seattle and Tacoma co-hosted a nationally significant symposium on an important part of port security. Under a grant from Operation Safe Commerce, the ports will review and improve the movement of marine shipping containers used for regional and national imports and exports. Partners from Hong Kong and Japan and other regions attended.
The central Puget Sound region is one of the three largest container port regions in the nation. The other two, Los Angeles/Long Beach and New York/New Jersey, will participate with our region in the coordinated program. The goal -- under the new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) -- is to serve trade in a manner that is both secure and efficient. A successful outcome will enable the vast majority of containers to move quickly and securely through port regions without the need for special inspections.
Operation Safe Commerce will identify security vulnerabilities in container handling and then will test improved methods and technologies. Final recommendations could apply throughout the global maritime commerce industry. For more information on freight mobility, visit the Web at psrc.org/projects/freight/index.htm or contact Pete Beaulieu at (206) 464-7537, e-mail pbeaulieu@psrc.org.
Parking Supply Up, Occupancy Rates Down
| The Puget Sound Regional Council periodically surveys paid off-street parking to determine the supply of spaces and the rates being charged.
The central Seattle study areas and downtown Bellevue all had increases in the number of parking stalls since 1999 (Figure 1). Downtown Seattle had the largest percent increase and the First Hill area had the smallest. At 58,538, downtown Seattle contained the highest number of available stalls, almost double that of downtown Bellevue (Table 1). |
The 2002 Parking Inventory included seven new study areas: Bainbridge, Bremerton CBD, Everett CBD, Kingston, Southworth, Tacoma CBD, and the University District of Seattle. Historical data is available only for the Bellevue and central Seattle study areas. |
Between 1999 and 2002, all study areas experienced a decrease in occupancy (the percentage of parking spaces that are filled). The Lower Queen Anne area had the largest drop, decreasing at an annual rate of 7.6 percent. Occupancy rates in the Seattle area have been decreasing since 1996, with the largest decrease occurring between 1999 and 2002 at an annual rate of 6.9 percent. Figure 2 shows the change in occupancy rates for Seattle and Bellevue from 1996-1999 and 1999-2002.
Bainbridge had the highest occupancy rate at 76.9 percent. The lots counted in this area were dedicated to ferry commuter parking. The Tacoma CBD had the lowest occupancy rate at 46.3 percent. Table 2 shows occupancy rates for all study areas in the survey.
More detailed tables and analysis can be found in the Regional Council report, Parking Inventory for the Central Puget Sound Region, 2002. The Regional Council has conducted this survey every few years since 1987, so historical data is available as well. The report is available from the Information Center, (206) 464-7532, or on the Web at psrc.org.
The full version of this Trend, including information on parking rates, is available from the Regional Council's Information Center at (206) 464-7532 or on the Web at psrc.org. For questions regarding the data presented in this article, contact Kristen Koch at (206) 587-5667 or kkoch@psrc.org?subject=Parking Supply.
| Table 1: Total Stalls, 2002 | Figure 1: Change in Parking Stalls, 1996-1999 and 1999-2002 | |
| Seattle CBD | 58,538 |  |
| First Hill | 10,800 | |
| Lower Queen Anne | 17,644 | |
| Bellevue CBD | 32,623 | |
| Tacoma CBD | 17,993 | |
| Everett CBD | 12,517 | |
| University District | 5,134 | |
| Bremerton CBD | 3,665 | |
| Bainbridge | 1,030 | |
| Kingston | 353 | |
| Southworth | 330 | |
| Table 2: Occupancy, 2002 | Figure 2: Change in Occupancy, 1996-1999 and 1999-2002 | |
| Seattle CBD | 63.2% |  |
| First Hill | 76.2% | |
| Lower Queen Anne | 46.8% | |
| Bellevue CBD | 59.6% | |
| Tacoma CBD | 46.3% | |
| Everett CBD | 52.0% | |
| University District | 63.8% | |
| Bremerton CBD | 65.1% | |
| Bainbridge | 76.9% | |
| Kingston | 46.6% | |
| Southworth | 63.9% | |
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| 206-464-7532 - FAX 206-587-4825 - infoctr@psrc.org |
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