• EDA Grant
• NEST Study Wraps Up
• Have a Say on Transportation Projects Slated to Receive PSRC Funding
• Air Transportation Progress Workshop
• Puget Sound Trends: Population Growth May Be Back on the Rise
• Back Issues

The Puget Sound Regional Council is in the final stages of the New Economic Strategy Triangle (NEST) study. The NEST is a planning partnership of the cities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac, the Port of Seattle, which owns and operates Sea-Tac International Airport, and the Economic Development District (EDD). The cities and Port will work together to implement the recommendations and vision that have been produced.

The NEST partnership and location offer economic growth opportunities of large local and regional benefit, and the study provides a roadmap for the way to capture those opportunities. Of 610 gross acres of land in the study area, there are up to 385 net developable acres, representing 7.5 million additional square feet of industrial and commercial space. This land could be used to create thousands of jobs, $20 million per month in land rents, and nearly $1 billion of annual new economic benefit to the region. Much of the new opportunity is tied to international trade, particularly with respect to integrated movement of goods and the Japan, China, Russia Far East, and Canada trade routes. Click here or on the map for a larger view.

The final report contains the results of an inventory, economic and trade analysis, market analysis, and infrastructure assessment, as well as development recommendations. Many of the properties are owned by the Port of Seattle and were acquired over several decades for noise impact mitigation and runway protection requirements. Other properties are owned by the private sector, the local school district, and state. The final report will be available from the Information Center in early October.

For more information, contact Tom Boydell at 206-587-5663 or tboydell@psrc.org.

Have a Say on Transportation Projects Slated to Receive PSRC Funding

The Transportation Policy Board, at its September 9 meeting, plans to release for public comment the 119 priority transportation projects recommended to receive PSRC funding and an additional number of projects that are receiving funds from other sources. All of these projects are part of the draft 2005-07 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and have been modeled for air quality conformity. Together, the projects have met federal and state requirements for the region.

The Regional Project Evaluation Committee, the Seattle-Tacoma-Everett Federal Transit Administration Caucus, the Transportation Operators Committee, and four county level transportation forums recommended the projects via competitive processes. Total funding for the 119 projects is $325.5 million.

A complete list of the projects is available online at psrc.org/projects/tip. Many of the projects can also be viewed geographically in the TIP's web based map.

Written comments will be accepted until October 7 and included in the agenda packet for the Transportation Policy Board meeting on October 14, when it finalizes its recommendation to the Executive Board. Comments can be made in person at the Transportation Policy Board meeting, as well as the Executive Board meeting on October 28, when the draft TIP is scheduled for final approval.

More information is available from the Information Center at 206-464-7532 or infoctr@psrc.org.

This article will satisfy the program of project requirements for these funds as established by the Federal Transit Administration.

The region's population growth during 2003-04 exceeded growth levels from the previous year, reversing a four-year trend of declining growth that had resulted from the weakening of the region's economy and labor market during the early 00s. The population of the four county area is estimated to have reached 3,416,600 as of April 1, 2004, an increase of 29,100 persons or 0.9 percent over the previous year.

Pierce County experienced the greatest population growth last year, both in actual numbers and percentages, increasing by 10,300 persons or 1.4 percent during 2003-04. Growth picked up slightly in King and Kitsap counties. King County grew by 9,000 persons or 0.5 percent during 2003-04, compared to just 4,990 during 2002-03. Kitsap County added 2,500 persons at a growth rate of 1.1 percent. In contrast, growth in Snohomish County slowed during 2003-04, with population increasing by just 7,300 persons or 1.1 percent, compared to 9,500 during the previous year. See Table 1.

Two-thirds, or 66 percent, of the region's current population resides in its incorporated cities and towns. Since 2000, our cities are estimated to have grown by 85,700 persons or 4.0 percent. Table 2 presents a list of ten cities that experienced the greatest population growth in actual numbers since 2000. These 10 cities accounted for 59 percent of the growth that occurred in the region's incorporated areas over the last four years.

The region's cities and towns vary widely in the rates of population change they experienced since 2000. Consistent with the overall slowdown in growth across the region, most cities experienced flat to moderate population change. Not surprisingly, some cities lost population during this period. On the other hand, a number of cities grew at extraordinary rates. Snoqualmie's population more than tripled in size from 2000 to 2003, and Dupont's population grew by 80.5 percent.

The full version of this Trend is available online at psrc.org or from the Information Center at 206-464-7532 or infoctr@psrc.org. For questions regarding the data presented in this article, contact Carol Naito at 206-464-7535 or cnaito@psrc.org.

8th Annual Air Transportation Progress Workshop Set for October 20th

The Puget Sound Regional Council will hold its 8th Annual Air Transportation Progress Workshop from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM on Wednesday October 20, 2004 in the Highline School District board room at 15675 Ambaum Boulevard SW, Burien. Progress reports will be presented by staff from the PSRC, Port of Seattle, Highline School District, and Washington State Department of Transportation. There will also be time for public comments.

The progress workshop is part of the PSRC's ongoing commitment to report on efforts to address airport noise under PSRC Resolution A-96-02. The Resolution, adopted in 1996, added planning for the third runway at Sea-Tac Airport to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Destination 2030, and required a series of action steps to address airport noise in communities surrounding the airport.

The agenda for this year's meeting can be found online at psrc.org/projects/air/res_a9602.htm. For more information, contact Stephen Kiehl at 206-464-6715 or skiehl@psrc.org.