CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION _________________
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A RESOLUTION relating to the Roosevelt RapidRide Project; adopting the Roosevelt RapidRide Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA); endorsing efforts to pursue federal and regional funding for the Roosevelt RapidRide Project; and committing to fully funding the Project Development phase at $4.3 million in 2017.
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WHEREAS, on April 16, 2012, the Seattle City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 31367, adopting the Seattle Transit Master Plan; and
WHEREA, on February 1, 2016, the Seattle City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 31648, amending the Seattle Transit Master Plan to reflect the Move Seattle 10-year strategic vision and the transportation improvements supported by the voters in the November 2015 Levy to Move Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the Roosevelt corridor was identified in the 2012 Seattle Transit Master Plan as one of four corridors warranting high capacity transit, based on growing demand, as a streetcar or bus rapid transit corridor; and
WHEREAS, the goals of the Roosevelt RapidRide Project are to connect the Northgate, Roosevelt, University District, and Eastlake neighborhoods to Downtown via South Lake Union with fast, reliable, frequent, all-day high capacity transit service; and improve connections to major transit investments made in RapidRide, streetcar, and Link light rail for people living, working, and visiting in these neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the current transit network does not provide a direct and rapid all-day connection from North Seattle to South Lake Union, a rapidly growing employment and housing market; and
WHEREAS, following adoption of the 2012 Seattle Transit Master Plan, the City Council dedicated resources for a conceptual design study to analyze alternatives and identify a preferred alternative for the Roosevelt RapidRide Project; and
WHEREAS, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has conducted a comprehensive analysis of modes and street design alternatives; and
WHEREAS, project screening criteria included ridership potential, transit integration and reliability, cost effectiveness, traffic and parking impacts, bicycle and pedestrian connections, and public support; and
WHEREAS, in addition to technical analysis, SDOT conducted three rounds of outreach during the study, including stakeholder interviews and forums, open houses, neighborhood briefings and design workshops, online surveys, and presentations to community groups; and
WHEREAS, community input revealed a desire for frequent, fast, and reliable transit through and connecting South Lake Union, Eastlake, the University District, Roosevelt, and Northgate neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, based upon technical analysis and the community engagement process, SDOT has developed a preferred alignment, as shown in Attachment A to this resolution, for RapidRide service initially up to the Roosevelt Link Station with a future service extension to the Northgate Transit Center, offering dedicated transit lanes and queue jumps that respond to the unique transportation and community needs for each neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, SDOT recommends a targeted investment approach that includes dedicated transit lanes, queue jumps, in-lane transit stations, high-frequency all-day service, transit signal priority, and off-board fare payment to deliver the transit capacity, reliability, travel time performance, and ridership projections, while maintaining overall mobility throughout the corridor; and because the analysis shows that these improvements will enhance transit performance; and
WHEREAS, SDOT has included protected bicycle lanes in the transit facility design between Fairview Avenue and Valley through NE 65th Street and 11th and 12th Avenues NE and utilized existing or planned off-corridor bike facilities through South Lake Union; and
WHEREAS, SDOT has determined that, given the dedicated transit lanes and high-frequency service described above and shown in Attachment A to this resolution, the 6,300 daily boardings today would increase to 15,500 in 2035; and
WHEREAS, an assessment of Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding criteria and review of other FTA-funded projects indicates the Roosevelt RapidRide would compete strongly for future federal funds; and
WHEREAS, the project is included in King County’s Metro Connects long-range plan, and funding could come, in part, from King County Metro, a partner in delivering the project as part of the RapidRide network; and
WHEREAS, The City of Seattle has prioritized this corridor in the RapidRide Expansion Program; and
WHEREAS, City Council adoption of an LPA positions the Roosevelt RapidRide Project to progress through the FTA project development phase, including environmental assessment, preliminary engineering, and development of an implementation and funding strategy; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:
Section 1. The Roosevelt RapidRide Project Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA), as shown in Attachment A to this resolution, is hereby approved.
Section 2. The City Council endorses efforts to pursue funding partnerships for the Roosevelt RapidRide Project, including progressing through the Project Development phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts program, pursuing regional and state grant funds, and partnering with King County Metro to fund, design, and deliver this as a RapidRide corridor.
Section 3. The City Council commits $4.3 million of Move Seattle Levy funds in 2017 to fully fund the Project Development phase of the Roosevelt RapidRide project.
Section 4. The City Council requests that SDOT explore corridor design treatments and funding options for extending Roosevelt RapidRide service to the Northgate Transit Center by 2021. The City Council requests that SDOT submit a written report on these options to the Sustainability and Transportation Committee by December 15, 2017.
Adopted by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2017, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
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President ____________ of the City Council
The Mayor concurred the ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
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Edward B. Murray, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2017.
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Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment A - Roosevelt RapidRide Corridor Locally Preferred Alternative