Regional View June 2002

Regional View Newsletter

June 2002

Photograph of the marina in the City of Port Orchard, Washington

Table of Contents

FAST Corridor Plans New Round of Freight Mobility Projects
Number of Vehicles Per Household Levels Off
Census 2000 Data on psrc.org
PSRC Completes the 2002 Regional Airport System Plan
Puget Sound Trends: Traffic Increases in Response to Regional Population and Employment Growth, 1990-2000
Back Issues

FAST Corridor Plans New Round of Freight Mobility Projects
The summer of 2002 marks an important transition for the FAST Corridor Partnership. As the first phase of FAST projects are built, a second round (Phase II) is being readied by the partners to compete nationally for new federal support.

The FAST Corridor (Freight Action Strategy) tackles freight mobility needs spanning the three-county region (Snohomish, King and Pierce). FAST is co-sponsored by the Regional Council and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), and includes all three counties, a dozen cities and towns, the ports of Tacoma, Seattle and Everett, WSDOT and state funding agencies, and the two major railroads (ex officio members). FAST works closely with the public-private Regional Freight Mobility Roundtable and the state Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB).

Report Card. Between 1996 and 2002, the FAST partnership has identified and advanced a $470 million package of three port access projects and 12 railroad grade separation projects, located in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties. One of these -- the Port of Tacoma Road Interchange -- was opened in August 2001. It was the first project completed under the new Corridor Planning and Development Program (Section 1118) funded under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Nine other FAST Corridor projects will be underway this year and the remainder can be done by the end of 2003 depending upon the state funding share.

Action on Phase II. In May the FAST Partnership screened and sequenced a second package of proposed projects for 2003-05. This package includes additional grade separations carried forward from Phase I. It also adds a number of roadway and intelligent transportation system (ITS) projects important to regional businesses.

Under Phase II (2003-5), the region hopes to attract about $95 million of federal funds through the current and reauthorized Section 1118. This is about 25 percent of the total Phase II package, which is valued at over $400 million. The FAST Corridor is one of 46 eligible corridors listed in TEA-21. For the most ready-to-go FAST projects, the federal funds are a catalyst for broad funding partnerships involving a range of state, local, port and private contributions.

The projects proposed for 2003 are: Duwamish industrial area intelligent transportation system (ITS) in Seattle, WSDOT ITS on state routes, and some SR-9 widening in Snohomish County.
For 2004: Lincoln Avenue at the Port of Tacoma, South 228th in Kent, and 70th and Valley Avenue widening in Fife.
Grandfathered projects deferred from Phase I (to 2003-5) are Shaw Road (Puyallup), D Street (Tacoma), SR-519 (WSDOT in Seattle), South Spokane Street and East Marginal Way (Seattle), M Street (Auburn), Eighth Street (Pierce County), Lander Street (Seattle) and Willis Street (Kent).

The sum of the parts. Criteria for assembling and shaping the FAST package differ from the standard selection process under already-funded programs. The FAST Partnership does not allocate secure funds; instead it builds partnerships, often for "orphan" projects that have strategic importance to freight movement within and through our region. On several occasions the partnership has been able to use financing flexibility within the partnership package to achieve a steady record of project starts and (soon) completions.

Important project screening considerations for FAST projects are, first, that the package as a whole must be nationally competitive under the federal program. Partnered funding also must be significant (FAST generally limits Section 1118 funds to 25 percent). Closer to home, the mix of projects must also engage the full three-county region. FAST is action oriented -- the projects must be ripe enough to deliver results within the funding period (at the national level, the new FAST Phase II will clearly benefit from on-the-ground results under Phase I). And the projects must contribute to a system of local and state actions that resolve tensions -- between major Pacific Rim trade corridors passing through our region (marine, rail, highway) and day-to-day traffic congestion within the metropolitan region.

Things to watch. Look for more Phase I groundbreakings in coming weeks and months. A hallmark of the FAST Phase I Partnership -- noticed nationally and in other regions -- has been its record of standing together to shepherd the project package to completion as things change.

Looking farther ahead, as with FAST Phase I, the new Phase II will continue to work its way through the results of statewide and regional ballot and funding decisions and national legislation (reauthorization of TEA-21). The FAST Corridor Partnership is encouraged that the current federal TEA-21 Section 1118 program and the state FMSIB program are based, in part, on the earlier and ongoing work on the FAST Corridor and the Roundtable partnerships.

For more information, contact either Pete Beaulieu, Puget Sound Regional Council, at (206) 464-7537, pbeaulieu@psrc.org, or Dan Pike, WSDOT, at (206) 389-3224, piked@wsdot.wa.gov.

Number of Vehicles Per Household Levels Off
From 1960 to 1990 the proportion of households in the region with two or more vehicles available rose dramatically from 26.7 percent to 60.8 percent, then leveled off to 59.1 percent in 2000 (Figure 1).

The point has been made before that the excess in growth of vehicle miles traveled over population in the decades leading up to 1990 was due to an increasing number of two-worker households and the resulting need for more vehicles. The proportion of persons who participated in the labor force did increase, from 40.5 percent to 54.3 percent from 1960 to 1990, then leveled off to 53.9 percent in 2000 (Figure 2). But this is only part of the story.

It is also true that the proportion of the population age 16 and older increased from 67.8 percent to 77.5 percent from 1960 to 1990 (and 78.0 percent in 2000) as the "baby boomers" aged from 0-14 years old in 1960 (some weren't even born yet) to 26-44 years old in 1990, and 36-54 years old in 2000. This larger proportion of people 16 years and older may have contributed to the growth in vehicles per household.

Another factor may have been the 100+ miles of Interstate freeways built in the region between 1960 and 1980.

In the next decade (up to 2010) the Boomers still will be below retirement age (46-64 years old in 2010), so there should be little change in labor force participation or access to vehicles. The decade after that (up to 2020) is much less predictable, however, as the Boomers become eligible for retirement.

Figure 1: Number of Vehicles Per Household, Central Puget Sound Region

Figure 2: Persons Participating in the Labor Force, Central Puget Sound Region

An Excel spreadsheet called Census Trends contains additional analyses for the four counties, Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bremerton, Bellevue, and the remainder of the four counties. Questions about this Puget Sound Trend may be directed to Larry Blain, lblain@psrc.org, (206) 464-5402.

Census 2000 Data on psrc.org
The Regional Council is a regional census data center for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. On the Web at psrc.org, you'll find summary population counts and selected subject tables derived from the basic questions asked on all census questionnaires. Each file contains separate tabulations for Census Tracts, Cities (incorporated places), and Census Designated Places (CDP). You can also find data on income, journey to work, employment, and housing for each county in the region. For more information, go to the Web at psrc.org, or call the Information Center, (206) 464-7532.

PSRC Completes the 2001 Regional Airport System Plan
The Regional Council has completed the 2001 Regional Airport System Plan (2001 RASP), which updates the 1988 RASP. The 2001 plan reviews the existing airport system, outlines aviation trends, forecasts future activity and system needs, presents a long term investment strategy for the region's airports, and includes a 20-year airport system capital improvement program.
The 2001 RASP report is available in PDF format at the PSRC web site at the following address: http://www.psrc.org/projects/air/2001rasp.htm. An Executive Summary of the 2001 RASP is also available at the same web site. Printed copies are available from the Information Center, (206) 464-7532, infoctr@psrc.org.

Traffic Increases in Response to Regional Population and Employment Growth, 1990-2000

The growth of population and employment in the central Puget Sound region has led to changes in regional traffic patterns. While established heavy traffic corridors in the region continue to increase in traffic volumes, outlying roads serving high growth areas are also filling up.

King County has received most of the increase in employment in the central Puget Sound region, 75 percent from 1990 to 2000, and has attracted 38 percent of regional population growth. Snohomish and Pierce counties have accounted for 14 and 12 percent of the region's job growth and 27 and 26 percent of the region's population growth, respectively. Kitsap County, due in part to the decline in the shipbuilding industry, lost some employment but still accounted for almost 9 percent of the region's population growth.

Image of the increase in traffic volume 1990-2000, Puget Sound region

The region's growth in traffic volumes reflects these increases, as can be seen in the accompanying screenline map. Screenlines separate different areas within the region where there are a limited number of points to make such measurements. The volumes represented on the map show the total 24-hour traffic volumes for all roads or ferry routes crossing each screenline.

The traffic volumes from Snohomish County to the east side of Lake Washington into the Bellevue area show some of the largest percent increases for the 10-year period. Traffic into the Seattle downtown area from the north also shows increases in volumes, but these increases are not as dramatic in percentages due to the large volumes which existed in this corridor in 1990. Large growth in traffic also exists on the screenline bordering the high growth Sammamish Plateau area to the south.

Other large increases in traffic volume can also be seen at the border between Pierce County and King County, along the corridor from the south into the Seattle downtown area, along the corridor from the south end of I-405 up to I-90 and at the southernmost Pierce County screenline south of Tacoma.

Kitsap County's increase in population with little change in employment has led to increases in ferry travel across the Sound as well as traffic on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge as Kitsap residents travel outside their county for work and other trip purposes.

For more information about data presented in this Trend, contact Mark Charnews, at (206) 464-5355, e-mail mcharnews@psrc.org.

Regional Employment and Population, 1990 and 2000

				% of				% of
	Emp.	Emp.	Emp.	Reg'l	Pop.	Pop.	Pop.	Reg'l
Region	1990	2000	Growth	Growth	1990	2000	Growth	Growth

King Co.	972,567	1,231,512	258,945	75%	1,507,320	1,685,599	178,279	38%
NW King Co.	488,976	574,557	85,581	25%	581,952	607,812	25,860	6%
E King Co.	198,239	312,121	113,882	33%	395,973	470,835	74,862	16%
S King Co.	285,352	344,834	59,482	17%	529,395	606,952	77,557	17%
Snohomish Co.	166,498	214,983	48,485	14%	465,642	593,495	127,853	27%
Pierce Co.	223,059	263,795	40,736	12%	586,203	706,000	119,797	26%
Kitsap Co.	79,267	75,500	-3,767	-1%	189,732	230,202	40,470	9%

Reg'l Total	1,441,391	1,785,790	344,399	100%	2,748,897	3,215,296	466,399	100%

Find Out More -- Puget Sound Trends on the Web: psrc.org/datapubs/pubs/trends/index.htm

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.