Elected leaders from all parts of the region convened March 30 in downtown Seattle to celebrate progress on economic development, transportation and growth planning at the annual General Assembly meeting of the Puget Sound Regional Council. “We’ve shown an ability to come together on a regional basis, make regional decisions, and to place ourselves in a better place vis-a-vis the world,” said PSRC President John Ladenburg.

“We are well on our way to being the world-class community that we want to be in the Pacific Northwest and leading the state to a lot of prosperity over the next few decades,” Ladenburg said.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels welcomed the General Assembly to Seattle: “It’s been a great year for the central Puget Sound region, for Seattle and our neighbors. The work of the Prosperity Partnership has been remarkable. I want to congratulate Bob Drewel and all the others for your great work.”

Assembly members representing 82 jurisdictions unanimously elected Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg and Auburn Mayor Pro Tem Sue Singer to serve a second year as president and vice president of PSRC.

In other business, President Ladenburg informed the General Assembly that PSRC had received a letter from State Auditor Brian Sonntag congratulating the agency on its fourth straight clean audit.

In his letter, Sonntag wrote: “We appreciate the Council’s positive attitude toward serving the citizens of the Puget Sound region. This accomplishment reflects the dedication of the Board and Council staff to strong oversight of operations, good internal controls and accurate financial reporting…Our office views its relationship with the Council as a model for other entities in our state.”

Deborah Knutson, the new president of the Economic Development District, presented Executive john Ladenburg with a plaque celebrating his outstanding leadership and vision as president of the EDD from 2003 to 2006, as well as his exeptional work to integrate regional economic development with land use and transportation planning.

The Assembly approved the PSRC budget and work program for fiscal year 2007. The work program includes updating VISION 2020 and Destination 2030, as well as outreach to members and implementation of the Regional Economic Strategy. Mayor Pro Tem Sue Singer oversaw the development process as chair of the Operations Committee. The General Assembly also approved an amendment to Destination 2030, adding 12 new projects to the region’s long-range transportation plan. The projects include Bus Rapid Transit on SR 99, two park-and-rides in north Snohomish County, several phases of Federal Way’s city center access plan, and four road and biking/walking improvements in Redmond.

At the awards banquet following the business meeting, Marysville Councilmember Donna Wright presented VISION 2020 Awards to 10 innovative and outstanding projects around the region.

VISION 2020 has been guiding the wiser use of our land and resources since 1990. It provides the region with a framework for balancing competing interests and promotes a shared vision for the region’s future. The Awards showcase the amazing work that is being done to implement VISION 2020, the region’s pioneering growth management, economic and transportation strategy.

Chief Sealth Trail, sponsored by the Seattle Department of Transportation, RCI Herzog, Seattle City Light, Sound Transit, SvR Design Company, and Norton-Arnold and Company. The trail runs 3.6 miles along the City Light utility corridor in southeast Seattle. It was built and paid for by RCI Herzog as a method of recycling clean materials from Sound Transit’s Link light rail construction in Rainier Valley. It completes a missing link in the connection of neighborhoods to the future light rail line.

City of Arlington Economic Development Plan, sponsored by the City of Arlington and the Beckwith Consulting Group. A detailed economic development strategy for the city at large as well as for four specific planning districts, the plan identifies implementation actions that are supported by the community and will be moved forward under a joint Economic Development Task Force.

School Transit Education Program, sponsored by Community Transit. The Program was established to teach students in grades K-12 about the benefits of public transportation. STEP reaches 10,000 students in 17 school districts each year. Community Transit’s Superhero Oxy Gene emphasizes transit safety and the clean air benefits of using transit in his presentations.

Vision for Skykomish, sponsored by the Town of Skykomish, Berryman and Henigar, the University of Washington’s Northwest Center for Livable Communities, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. The town’s strategy to help the local community and businesses benefit from and thrive during a major environmental cleanup process being undertaken by Burlington Northern Santa Fe. It includes concepts for four key development areas in the town and prioritizes projects, including development of an economic development council, plans for a sanitary sewer system, levee reconstruction and depot restoration.

Thea Foss Waterway Revitalization Project, sponsored by City of Tacoma Public Works Department and Community and Economic Development Department, the Thea Foss Waterway Public Development Authority and the Washington State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. Made possible by intensive revitalization efforts by the City of Tacoma, including environmental restoration, access and infrastructure improvements, the development has already brought more than 350 housing units to downtown Tacoma, with over 400 additional units planned. More than $200 million has been invested in public and private development on the esplanade.

Salmon Habitat Plan, sponsored by the Steering Committee for the Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed (WRIA 9), the local governments of the watershed: Algona, Auburn, Black Diamond, Burien, Covington, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, King County, Maple Valley, Normandy Park, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle, Tacoma, and Tukwila, and the King Conservation District. A targeted strategy for recovering the threatened Green/Duwamish River salmon population in concert with other community and growth management objectives, the plan links the strategic investment in salmon habitat to the general livability of watershed communities via an ecological economics section. At the end of 2005, nearly 90 percent of the local governments within the watershed had adopted the plan. Over 45 projects to implement the plan are underway.

Kent Station, sponsored by the City of Kent, King County, Sound Transit, Kent Downtown Partnership, Tarragon, and Callison Architecture. An impressive 20-acre redevelopment project that provides an urban village and an anchor to downtown Kent as well as a transit hub for bus and commuter rail service, a 14-screen movie theater, a branch of the Green River Community College and has provided the impetus for $40 million of other investments in the downtown area.

Port Orchard Intermodal Terminal, sponsored by Kitsap Transit, City of Port Orchard, Kitsap Harbor Tours, URS Corp., ACC Hurlen Construction, and the Concrete Technology Corporation. Built using an innovative construction process to mitigate environmental impacts, especially on fish, the new terminal increased capacity on the route, provided access to the mobility-impaired, provides shading of the water for further critical area protection, and created a home for a historic vessel.

Salishan HOPE VI Redevelopment Project, sponsored by Tacoma Housing Authority; Lorig Associates LLC, Torti Gallas and Partners, CHK; Parametrix, Walsh Construction Company of Washington; McGranahan Architects, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; State of Washington Dept. of Community, Trade and Economic Development; and the City of Tacoma. A 188-acre redevelopment that increases the density of the original neighborhoods and creates an attractive, racially diverse, and pedestrian friendly environment, the new community features 1,200 new homes, a mixture of affordable rental and owner units, as well as facilities for education and health services and a protected wetland. Private investors are helping finance the project through low-income housing tax credits.

Winslow Tomorrow, sponsored by the City of Bainbridge Island – Staff & Winslow Tomorrow Community Congress, Patrick M. Condon, PMC Associates, Charlier & Associates, PRR, William Johnson Studio, and Wenzlau Architects. An innovative planning process and visionary urban design plan that will sustain Winslow as Bainbridge Island’s center of community, culture and commerce while supporting growth and protecting the environment. Bainbridge Island’s 2006 budget proposes $3 million to begin implementation of the priority recommendations.

Register Today! The Eastern Washington Tour Tees Off in June
The Prosperity Partnership will be leading a trip to Eastern Washington from June 19th to the 21st to strengthen ties between the east and west sides of our state. We’ll learn what Eastern Washington leaders are doing in research, clean technology and life sciences, and work to develop consensus on larger issues like higher education, taxes, and other issues. Find out more or register online at www.prosperitypartnership.org.    Hurry — spaces are filling up!

Ferry Ridership Declines Slightly in 2005

Ferry Ridership, 2004 — 2005
Ferry Route	Ferry Ridership 2004	Ferry Ridership 2005	2005-2004 Change	Percent Change
Mukilteo-Clinton Faunt.-Vashon-Sthworth (All)     Faunt.-Vashon-Sthworth (Auto)     Seattle-Vashon (Passenger Only) Seattle-Bainbridge Island Pt. Defiance-Tahlequah Seattle-Bremerton* Edmonds-Kingston PUGET SOUND FERRIES	4,046,441 3,402,632 3,209,682 192,950 6,419,217 705,994 2,370,148 4,411,887 21,356,319	4,057,008 3,406,821 3,231,552 175,269 6,386,570 700,602 2,339,083 4,274,154 21,164,238	10,567 4,189 21,870 -17,681 -32,647 -5,392 -31,065 -137,733 -192,081	0.3% 0.1% 0.7% -9.2% -0.5% -0.8% -1.3% -3.1% -0.9%
*Data does not include Kitsap Ferry Company passenger-only service, which began in 8/04 between Bremerton and Seattle. The full version of this Puget Sound Trend is available online at psrc.org or from the Information Center at 206-464-7532. For more information, contact Kris Overby at 206-464-6661, koverby@psrc.org.

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