November 2001
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In the wake of September 11, it is essential to improve security at border crossings and throughout the transportation system. At the same time, we need to develop strategies to assure quick and reliable freight mobility and keep our economy moving.
Those were some of the conclusions offered at the Northwest Freight Conference held October 7-9, in SeaTac, which brought together freight interests from public and private sectors to better understand freight mobility in the Pacific Northwest.
At least one in four Washington jobs is linked to international trade. Canada and the U.S. are the largest trading partners in the world. Easing freight mobility is key to keeping the central Puget Sound and state economy moving.
"Moving freight through the modern American city has become a huge problem. Now, in the aftermath of last month's terrorism, the task becomes even greater as the federal government tightens up security at seaports, airports and the borders," noted Ross Anderson, of the Discovery Institute's Cascadia Project.
The purpose of the conference was to both highlight successful freight partnerships that have made the Northwest a national model and to establish priorities for freight mobility and security investments when TEA-21 (the federal Transportation Equity Act) is reauthorized in 2003-2004. The results of the conference will be considered in a National Freight Summit in early December in Washington D.C.
The Northwest region was selected by FHWA as a place where agencies have crafted new public-private partnerships, intergovernmental cooperation and technology to deal with freight problems. Examples include the bi-national work at the Canadian border, the FAST Corridor partnership that's improving freight movement through the central Puget Sound region, the Regional Freight Mobility Roundtable, and work by the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board and the Washington State Department of Transportation. In his keynote remarks at the conference, Governor Gary Locke urged "a complete rethinking of how we approach transportation security, with freight security as an equal component."
Rich Biter, Acting Associate Secretary for the Office of Intermodalism (FHWA), outlined the federal government's early steps toward much greater security in all modes of transportation. These include formation of several high-level task forces, new technology and procedural changes, especially in aviation.
Representative Rick Larsen, a member of the House Transportation Committee, linked freight transportation to trade and economic development, and stressed the need for improved capacity and security at our international border crossings.
In addition to homeland security issues, conference speakers and panels reported on intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology for freight movement in the Northwest and at the Canadian border; multi-state coalitions to improve interstate and international supply lines; and specific challenges faced by private sector shippers and carriers -- rail, trucking, maritime and air cargo. Panel moderators included Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, chair of the Washington Senate Transportation Committee, and Representatives Maryann Mitchell and Ruth Fisher, co-chairs of the Washington House Transportation Committee. Speakers included former Alaska Governor Bill Sheffield and Senator John Andreason of Idaho.
The Northwest Freight Conference was co-sponsored by the Regional Council, Federal Highway Administration, FMSIB, WSDOT, the port of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett, the Whatcom Council of Governments, the University of Washington and the Discovery Institute. For more information, contact Pete Beaulieu at the Regional Council, (206) 464-7537, pbealieu@psrc.org.
| Regional Council Updating Public Participation Plan -- Have a Say The Regional Council is seeking comment on updates to its public participation plan. The plan, adopted in 1994, aims to ensure early and continuous public engagement in major actions and decisions by the Regional Council. Changes to the public participation plan reflect new Internet technologies that are being used to communicate with the public. The revised plan reflects that the Regional Council publishes meeting notices, news releases, and the Regional VIEW newsletter on its Web site, psrc.org, in addition to mailing print versions to news media, elected officials and other interested parties. The plan also requires the Council to make electronic copies of reports and other publications available on the Web when feasible. The Council is also developing a privacy policy that describes the privacy protections offered to users of the agency's Web site. In general, the Regional Council collects no personal information on Web site users unless the information is offered. An example would be when a person sends an e-mail message to comment on a proposed action or e-mails a request for data or information.
Copies of the public participation plan and privacy policy are available on the Web at psrc.org, or by calling the Regional Council's Information Center, (206) 464-7532. Written comments on the public participation plan and privacy policy can be sent by December 17 to:
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Seattle was recently dubbed "Best Cycling City" in the nation by Bicycling Magazine.2 This distinction was based on the number of residents that belong to bicycle organizations, and the number of bicycle facilities in place (shared-use bicycle/pedestrian paths, bike lanes, bike parking, etc.). Supporting this distinction are user counts conducted by the city of Seattle which show a 57 percent increase in the number of bicyclists riding in and out of downtown Seattle between 1992 and 2000.
The counts were performed at 29 locations, covering virtually all access points into and out of downtown Seattle. Most of the bicyclists counted were riding into downtown (78 percent), whereas 22 percent were riding out of downtown. This is a travel trend that has remained identical in both 1992 and 2000. The gender split between male and female cyclists also has not changed. In both study years, 80 percent were male and 20 percent were female.
The location with the highest number of bicyclists passing through was Dexter Avenue (at 7th Avenue). Sixteen percent of all bicyclists counted accessed downtown Seattle via this route. Dexter Avenue has striped and signed bike lanes between downtown and the Burke-Gilman Trail and is the primary bicycle route between downtown Seattle and points north.
Perhaps most interesting from a regional perspective is that the downtown Seattle ferry terminal experienced the second highest number of bicyclists passing through to and from downtown -- 14 percent -- indicating that biking is a popular way to access the ferries connecting Seattle and Vashon Island, Bainbridge Island and Bremerton.
Of the 10 locations that had the largest numbers of bicyclists passing through, more than half of them contain a signed and striped bike lane or shared-use path. Of the 29 locations surveyed, the six locations that contain paths or designated bike lanes carried half of all the bicycle traffic entering and leaving downtown, suggesting that a majority of bicyclists prefer to ride on facilities designated for exclusive bicycle use.
For more information, contact Becca Aue at (206) 587-5665, baue@psrc.org.
In each year, bicycle counts were performed on a Wednesday morning in late September from 6:30-9:00 am. In 1992 and 2000, 29 locations covering virtually all access points into and out of downtown Seattle were covered.
In 1995, the count focused on 13 of the most important corridors identified in the 1992 study. The 1,406 figure, therefore, is an estimate of the total number of bicyclists.
For 2000, data does not include counts for the 2nd and Broad Street station between 8-8:30 am. This probably resulted in under counting by approximately 10-15 bicyclists.
Back Issues
Biking and Walking in the Central Puget Sound Region
According to the Puget Sound Transportation Panel survey results from 1989 to 1997, about 5 percent of all trips made in the region are bicycle or walking trips. The majority of those trips are walking trips (4.5 percent). When survey respondents were asked about the modes of travel they most often used to get around, 54 percent said that they often bike or walk for non-work purposes, while 16 percent said they often bike or walk to commute to work or school.1 Overall, biking and walking levels in the region are comparable to levels nationwide. In Seattle, however, there are indications that biking is gaining popularity.
1Bicycling or walking was one mode used for the trip, not necessarily the primary mode used.
2Bicycling Magazine, "Best Cycling Cities", November 2001.
Figure 1. Number of Daily Bicyclists Entering
and Leaving Downtown Seattle
Figure 1 Notes: Although reasonable efforts were made to minimize double counting, it is impossible to identify bicyclists that crossed the cordon boundary more than once.
Figure 2. Downtown Seattle Bicyclist Count Results: Number of Daily Bicyclists
1 Dearborn and 8th S
2 5th and Wall
3 Pike and Boren
4 Jackson and 7th S
5 Alaskan Way and Royal Brougham
6 Stewart and Yale
7 Elliott Bay Bike Path
8 Pine and Boren
9 Dexter (7th) and Bell
10 Seattle Ferry Terminal
Figure 2 Note:
In 1995, the count focused only on 13 of the most important corridors identified in the 1992 study. The numbers for the remaining 16 locations, therefore, are estimates based on the trend between the results of the 1992 and 2000 count.
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