Tonight Learn About Impacts Of UW's Husky Stadium Transportation Management Plan At Laurelhurst Community Club Meeting

Tonight at 7pm, the Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) is holding its monthly Board meeting, open to all neighbors, at the Laurelhurst Community Center in the Fireside Room. Agenda is listed below.
The meeting will feature updated Husky Stadium Transportation Plans with UW representatives .

The Laurelhurst Community Club sent out out this information:

Laurelhurst is directly impacted by any changes in the UW’s Husky Stadium Transportation Management Plan (TMP) Modernization Plan and therefore submitted detailed comments to the City’s Office of Capital Planning and Development for EIS scoping to be approved by Seattle City Council and applied for under SEPA #201706183.  

Key points to be analyzed include: 

• Access to the arterials and major highways within two miles of the stadium, i.e., a comprehensive traffic study. 
• Effects of removing financial subsidies on transit costs to users. The University has been subsidizing free bus service for attendees, almost exclusively using Metro buses, but then switching to private coaches and school buses when federal policy changed. LCC has concerns that the future TMP wholly places the burden of its impacts upon the public’s ability to use public transportation on event days. 
• Transit capacity of public systems on game days. The TMP Modernization states that Light Rail will be a key mode to reduce vehicular congestion in the area around the stadium; however, capacity is limited. LCC requests that the scoping for the any new TMP include a full analysis of the actual capacity of the Link Light Rail system. 

Any new TMP scoping also must evaluate the impacts of: 

• Eliminating financial subsidies to ticket holders. 
• Full disincentive impacts of less available Metro bus service on regular weekend routes on game day users. 
• Displacement of regular public commuters on Metro buses on game days. 
• Full impacts on weekday bus capacity to allow for game day attendees in addition to regular bus users. 
• Which routes weekday attendees are likely to use by ticket holders. 

• Ride Share capacity and location. Scoping should include a full analysis of future of ride share programs locations (entrance and egress) and impacts on special event congestion. Ride shares still add to vehicular congestion.  

• Walkers. Provide a zip code analysis of ticket holders from the past three seasons to identify the origins of event attendees. Count vehicles parked in these five adjacent neighborhoods to get real data about automobiles vs. walkers in planning the future TMP. 

• Boats. Provide an in-depth study to investigate more large boat charters or foot ferry options for special events. 

• Automobiles. Automobile use remains at about 47% regardless whether they are carpool, ride share, or SOV. Evaluate convenient alternatives with financial incentives to further reduce the use of automobiles at Special Events. 

• Bikes. Examine UW bike facilities for safety and for easy access to Husky Stadium. 

• The new Campus Master Plan (CMP) 2018 growth in population. The proposed TMP for Husky Stadium must consider the cumulative effects of the University’s planned 20% population increase. 

• The CMP 2018 displacement of parking near Husky Stadium. Proposed new structures on the East Campus parking lots will eliminate space for tailgating and parking. Residential Zone Parking permits may be required to accommodate residents. 

• Special concerns for media scheduling and weeknight events. The impacts on congestion around the SR520 on/off ramps, access to I-5 and the feeder arterials cannot be mitigated with normal p.m. peak traffic.  

Here is tonight's LCC agenda:

7pm Welcome
· Husky Stadium TMP Update, Representatives from the UW

7:05pm ADMINISTRATION
· Calls/Concerns from Neighbors
· Treasurer's Report
· Announcements
· Annual Meeting Planning Update
· Recruiting LCC Trustees
· Appointment of Bylaw Committee

7:30pm REPORTS/ACTION
· Crime Prevention
· Earthquake Preparedness Update
· Helicopter Landing Committee Report

8:15pm
· Executive Session with LCC Attorney

9pm
· Adjourn

Hospital's Southbound Shuttles To Permanently Use NE 45th Street To Make Left On To Sand Point Way



 
At  Monday night's City's SAC (Standing Advisory Commiteee) Meeting, Paulo Nunes-Ueno, Children's Director of Transportation and Sustainability, announced that the temporary re-route of southbound shuttles onto NE 45th Street instead of the previous 40th Avenue NE route, would be permanent.

The shuttles are now re-routed onto NE 45th Street, off of 40th Avenue NE, where they make the left turn onto Sand Point Way and are no longer competing with on-coming traffic. Paulo told us that traffic at the 40th Avenue NE intersection flows more easily as shuttles are no longer waiting to turn with a back-up of cars behind them causing delays and safety issues.
 
Children's had been testing this revised route since last month after many drivers complained of congestion at the Sand Point Way and 40th Avenue NE intersection with the shuttles holding up traffic turning left on to Sand Point Way as they waited for on-coming traffic to clear at the short green light. In addition, cars backed up behind the shuttles trying to get around them to cross Sand Point Way onto 40th Avenue NE, with little view of oncoming cars. 
 
Last month the Laurelhurst Blog encouraged readers to submit comments to the Hospital and Paulo told us that the feedback was generally 15 to 1 in support of the change, along with several neighbors concerned about the potential back-up onto the already busy NE 45th Street and the long light at the three point intersection.
 
Following the feedback, Paulo hired Transpo, a traffic engineering company, to set up a data collection plan to create a baseline using measurements gatherlast month and this month.

"The results show that conditions on 40th Avenue NE and Sand Point Way improved markedly, while the intersection at NE 45the Street and Sand Point Way didn't experience significant changes. This in fact, is what we expected since the left turn from 40^th to Sand Point Way causes all traffic to stop, while the primary movement at 45/SPW is a left turn onto Sand Point Way NE," Paulo said.

He added that "based on the data and the feedback we’ve received from the community, we will use this new route as our standard work. Clearly this was a win-win solution that reduces delay and improves safety." 

 
The previous route, making a left from 40th Avenue NE onto Sand Point Way, was decided by the CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee) during the Master Planning Process a few years ago, so as not to impact traffic on NE 45th Street, one of the main arterials into and out of the neighborhood.

About 18 shuttles per hour are now turning right onto NE 45th Street from 40th Avenue NE and queuing at the light and at less peak times about 6 shuttles are waiting at the light along with neighborhood traffic, Paulo told our staff.

These shuttles, that run every 15 minutes from campus, follow two routes offered exclusively to Hospital employees and patients. The "Green Line" goes from the Hospital to the downtown tunnel and the "Purple Line" goes to the University District for connection to public transportation.

(photo courtesy of SCH website)

 

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Take The Washington State Transportation Survey

The Washington State Transportation Commission has created an online survey for the public to let  local and state leaders know what transportation needs are most important and what the transportation priorities should be.

"This is an opportunity for you to help shape the future of your local, regional, and statewide transportation system," the information says.

The survey is part of the Commission’s statewide outreach program in which the Commission asked King County to help inform people about it. The results of the survey will be reported to the Governor, Legislature, policy makers, and advisory groups such as the Connecting Washington Task Force.

The survey which takes about 20-30 minutes to complete asks questions about what type of transportation is most important, how it should be paid for, how tolling revenue should be used, and other similar questions.

"The Transportation Commission reviews and assesses the entire transportation system and issues the state’s 20-year Transportation Plan. It also adopts tolls for state highways and bridges and fares for Washington State Ferries.  The Commission also provides a public forum for transportation policy development," the website says.

Important Public Hearing Tonight To Speak Out On Transportation Funding Package To Include Increase In Vehicle License Fee For Rail Funding

A Public Hearing tonight of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District, made up of nine City Council members,  will be discussing and listening to public comments on the future of the passenger rail network. The Hearing will be take place at 5:30pm at City Hall Council Chambers, 2nd floor (600 4th Avenue).

The City Council members will be taking comments from the public on the details of an important transportation funding package, which will have long-term impacts on what kind of transportation investments the City makes, including rail.

The Mayor's office says:

Seattle has a chance to finally start building the kind of passenger rail network that our city needs to connect our neighborhoods and compete in the 21st century global economy. But the decision is now up to the City Council, and they need to hear from you."

Because of a drop in revenue coming into the city for transportation projects over the last several years (thanks to Eyman initiatives and the recession), the City will continue to come up short when it comes to investments in our streets if we don't do something about it. We’re behind on basic maintenance – and we’re behind on building the transit we need.

This transportation package that will be discussed tonight is based off of an original proposal by the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee III (CTAC III).

Their package proposes:

an $80 vehicle license fee, with:

• 50% of the revenue would go to transit
• 30% of the revenue would go to street maintenance
• 20% of the revenue would go to pedestrian, neighborhood, and bicycle improvements.

This fee would allow for planning, design, and construction of projects identified by the Transit Master Plan, the information says.

Currently, the City Council is considering lowering the proposed fee to $60, and possibly aso limiting the number of years it would be levied, to only 8 years.

"Unfortunately, what that means is that the ability to bond those funds to do large projects would be taken away. That means no rail projects," the Mayor's newsletter says. "An ongoing $80 VLF may not sound that much different from a $60 VLF that lasts eight years, the difference is actually pretty stark: with the first, we can get a substantial down payment to connect our neighborhoods. With the second, we get more planning."

Five high-capacity transit corridors have been identified  in Seattle, including potential rail lines from downtown to Ballard, downtown to the U-District, as well as connecting rail in the Center City.

If you can't attend the public hearing, you can email the City Council with your input on transportation priorities in Seattle.

Important Neighborhood Meeting on SR 520 Bridge Wednesday At The Community Center

Approaching Montlake from the Arboretum, 520 will be as wide as 15 lanes, compared to today's 6 lanes


Colleen McAleer, Laurelhurst Community Club's Vice-President and Transportation Committee Chair,  sent us information about a very important special meeting LCC is holding on Wednesday, in conjunction with the Coalition for a Sustainable SR 520, to present a comprehensive look at WSDOT's "Preferred Alternative" for the new SR520 Bridge.

The meeting this Wednesday is from 7-8:30pm in the main floor activity room at the Laurelhurst Community Center.

The Coalition says on their website:

For more than four years, the Coalition for a Sustainable SR 520 has represented all of the communities who see, hear, and smell SR 520.

We support improvements to the 520 corridor. We are in favor of changing the corridor so that it is able to move more people and goods for the next sixty to one hundred years, without damaging the dense neighborhoods and irreplaceable natural open space which exist today.

Given the severe shortages of funds at the state, national, and city levels, we believe that the best solution is to use available funds now to fix safety problems on the existing 4-lane 520. We are in favor of tolls on 520, and believe that once tolls are established it may not be necessary to increase capacity for some years.. When funds are available in the future, we believe that adding two lanes for transit only will be the most successful solution for the next fifty years or more.

We believe that the current "preferred alternative" for SR 520 will fail to move people more efficiently. It will create so much local traffic that Seattle streets from Madison Park to the University District to downtown will be choked. It will remove an express lane on I-5, which will slow I-5 and further congest local streets. Although it may be quicker to get across Lake Washington on six lanes, the gain will be more than offset by the increased congestion in Seattle.

The solution for 520 must not destroy the area. The proposed "preferred alternative" would ruin much more of Union Bay, Portage Bay, the wetlands, and the nature paths of the area. It would reduce parkland. It would add noise and pollution. This is not an acceptable solution when better alternatives are available: fix the four lanes now, add two lanes for transit later.

The meeting will be a good opportunity to learn more in depth about the specific design and operations of the Washington Department of Transportation plan for the replacement of the SR520 bridge through LCC's educational interactive video and information.

The meeting is open to everyone in the neighborhood and those in particular from surrounding communities who use:

• SR520 and/or I-90
• I-5 express lanes
• Montlake Boulevard and Seattle City streets from Madison Ave to NE 75th Street
• Union or Portage Bays including boaters, rowers, swimmers and birders

Also for those citizens who are concererned about:

• regional rransportation issues-transit, auto, bikes and pedestriane Union or Portage
• the quality of the air and its particulates in Puget Sound
• SR520 bridge noise
• the lack of funding to complete the bridge, and requiring triple bonding and exceeding the existing the state debt ceiling

Colleen writes in an email to our staff:

We recently had an article in our LCC newsletter outlining problems with the design for the re-build of SR520. We are having an important meeting about more of the details on May 25th at the Laurelhurst Community to demonstrate how it will work, and its flaws and impacts on traffic in NE Seattle.

With all of the traffic congestion caused by Seattle Children's Hospital, it is very critical that we pressure city and state officials to provide greaeter mobility in NE Seattle to support this growth with a better design for Montlake Blvd and the 520 bridge.

Most folks do not know that this "preferred alternative" plan removes a northbound express lane on I-5, and also causes all vehicles to exit northbound off westbound 520 with residents of Broadmoor, Madison Park and Montlake.

Laurelhurst Community Club is asking that the public consider giving financial support to the legal fund along with five communities adjacent to  SR520 to work for a better solution.

The fundraising goal is $20,000, and "this is but a tiny fraction of the decrease in home values that will occur if this current bridge plan is built," the LCC information says. Adding that all advocacy work is volunteer, except for the legal counsel.

You can make a donation at the meeting or send a check to:
Friends of the SR520 Corridor
c/o MaryAnn Mundy
117 East Louisa St #205
Seattle, WA 98102

To learn more about the Coalition, the plan for SR520, why you should care, list of potential damages to nearby neighborhoods, historic areas and buildings, businesses that have to close, a list of representatives from other neighborhoods and groups, list of politicaions to contact and other information go here.

Or you can contact Colleen  at 206-525-0219 or by email at  billandlin@aol.com.

North Seattle Transportation Workshop Wth Mayor McGinn Tomorrow

Mayor McGinn and the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee III (CTAC) will be holding the second of three public workshops tomorrow evening, to gather input on the future of transportation in Seattlle.

These workshops are an opportunity for citizens to share their priorities specifically on maintaining and improving Seattle streets and sidewalks and to evaluate funding options including a potential ballot measure.

Input from the public will help educate the CTAC’s decisions and recommendations.

The "North Seattle" workshop will be held tomorrow from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Meeting Room in the Fremont Library (731 N. 35th Street.)

The agenda will be:
5:30-6:00 p.m. Open house
6:00-6:30 p.m. Presentations by CTAC members and Seattle Dept. of Transportation Director Peter Hahn
6:30-7:30 p.m. Small group discussions

If you can't attend the workshop you can take the online survey here.

Contact Dawn Schellenberg with SDOT at Dawn.Schellenberg@Seattle.gov, or call 206.684.5189 for questions.

On-Line Parking Map Indicates Available Parking And Rates

The Seattle Department of Transportation recently set up an on-line parking map for downtown, which also includes parking for neighborhood business districts. specific neighborhoods, which includes among other things, real-time open space counts.

The map shows real-time open space counts, location of on and off-street parking lots and garages, information on short-term parking, and eligibility for restricted parking zones and e-Park garages.  Also indicated on the map are general areas of paid parking and time-limited parking.

Other features on the map are the capacity to search for landmarks or a specific address to find parking nearby, searching a specific neighborhood for available parking with results showing locationsand rates.

Updated monthly are the rates and hours for garages and lots. And each night, the parking signs, garage and lot locations are updated.

For more information on parking go here and for the 2011 parking rate increases go here.

(graphic courtesy of clker.com)



Seattle Public Schools Transportation Meeting Tonight

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is holding several public meetings, for parents to learn more about the proposed changes to the 2011-2011 Transportation Plan and to provide feedback.

Tonight the meeting will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at Hamilton International Middle School (1610 North 41st Street).

In the new proposed transportation plan, to be voted on on February 16th in the School Board's Legislative meeting, "transportation eligibility for attendance area elementary and K-8 students will be based on transportation zones. Students within the transportation zone and outside the walk zone for a school will be eligible for district provided transportation," the SPS Transportation website says.

Transportation zones maps are posted on-line.

The press release says:


The new Transportation Plan would save the District $4 million (the equivalent of 45 teaching positions) by creating new Transportation Zones that would streamline bus routes for attendance areas for elementary and K-8 schools.

The proposed changes would benefit students and families by decreasing bus ride time for aattendance area schools to 25 minutes or less. As routes will be shorter, buses are less likely to encounter the traffic delays that occur on longer routes, so families will find departure and arrival times to be more reliable, according to SPS. The plan also benefits the environment by taking about 80 buses off the roads and reducing the district’s carbon footprint.



Children within the transportation zone and outside of walk zones would be eligible for district-provided transportation. Transportation Zones would include the entire attendance area of a school, extending to areas within a 1.25-mile radius from the school and within the middle school service area. Existing walk zones to schools would still apply.

To sign up to give public testimony at a meeting go here.

The final public meeting will Wednesday, February 8th, from 6:30-8 pm at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) in West Seattle.

For more information go to the press release and the SPS Transportation homepage.

(clip art courtesy of clker.com)