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Funding Application

Competition Regional TAP Application Type Bicycle and Pedestrian Status submitted Submitted: September 20th, 2017 3:27 PM

Project Information

1. Project Title Alaskan Way Protected Bike Lanes 2. Transportation 2040 ID NA 3. Sponsoring Agency Seattle 4. Cosponsors N/A 5. Does the sponsoring agency have "Certification Acceptance" status from WSDOT? Yes 6. If not, which agency will serve as your CA sponsor? N/A

Contact Information

1. Contact name Jim Storment 2. Contact phone 206-684-5013 3. Contact email [email protected]

Project Description

1. Project Scope Design and construct protected bike lanes (PBLs) on Alaskan Way, along the Seattle waterfront, extending approximately 1 mile from Pine St to Broad St. 2. Project Justification, Need, or Purpose Between approximately 2019 and 2023, the City of Seattle will rebuild its Central Waterfront to renovate and reinvent one of the Northwest's premier tourist destinations. The waterfront's popular destinations include the Pike Place Market and Seattle Aquarium, as well as transportation hubs such as Colman Dock and Seattle's cruise ship terminals. In 2018 and 2019, the removal of the SR 99 viaduct will set the stage for a major rebuild of Alaskan Way. Other coordinated improvements include new and upgraded connections from downtown to the waterfront, upgraded docks and public parks along the waterfront, and a wide range of improvements to the waterfront's other public spaces and amenities. Upgrades to the transportation system along the waterfront include high-quality, inviting facilities for all non-motorized travelers: a pedestrian promenade for those on foot and a PBL for those on a bicycle. These facilities will extend along the full length of the Central for those on a bicycle. These facilities will extend along the full length of the Central 2 of 8 Waterfront, from King St to Pine St. The south end of the Central Waterfront connects to the Portside Trail. However, at the north end, the PBLs constructed by the Central Waterfront project will terminate near Pine St, leaving a 1-mile gap until Broad St where the Elliott Bay Trail begins. The Elliott Bay Trail is part of a high-quality trail system that invites would-be riders and walkers in the Queen Anne and Seattle Center neighborhoods. It travels a scenic path through a series of popular waterfront parks: Olympic Sculpture Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, and Elliott Bay Park. Both of these facilities - the Central Waterfront PBLs and the Elliott Bay Trail - also offer numerous connections to some of the region's most popular cycling and walking facilities: the Burke-Gilman Trail and Lake-to-Bay Trail to the north, downtown Seattle PBL network and West Seattle Bridge to the south, and many more. However, the 1-mile gap between these facilities is a sub-standard and very uninviting patchwork for non-motorized travelers. There are narrow, intermittent trail segments, and some areas where riders must merge onto crowded and narrow sidewalks. In other areas, the discontinuous and poorly marked trail causes users to meander through parking lots and other private properties before finding their way back to the trail network. The City of Seattle seeks to eliminate this gap with a top-quality, "all ages and abilities" PBL on Alaskan Way - connecting 2 extensive networks on the north and south ends, and making the most of existing and planned investments through downtown as well as north and south Seattle.

Project Location

1. Project Location Alaskan Way 2. Please identify the county(ies) in which the project is located. King 3. Crossroad/landmark nearest the beginning of the project Pine St 4. Crossroad/landmark nearest the end of the project Broad St 5. Map and project graphics Alaskan_Way_Protected_Bike_Lanes.pdf

Plan Consistency

1. Is the project specifically identified in a local comprehensive plan? No 2. If yes, please indicate the (1) plan name, (2) relevant section(s), and (3) page number where it can be found. N/A 3. If no, please describe how the project is consistent with the applicable local comprehensive plan, including specific local policies and provisions the project supports. Seattle's Comprehensive Plan strongly prioritizes transportation investments that support non-motorized travel modes and help achieve the City's air quality goals. The plan's Transportation element speaks continuously to the need for safe, convenient, and affordable travel options for people who walk or bike. In its introduction, the Transportation element notes that "While many people still rely on a personal car as their best or only transportation option, the City plans to make travel more efficient and predictable for all by offering high- quality travel options... The City can make improvements to better connect people to urban centers and urban villages by many travel options, especially by transit and bicycle."

The plan also outlines a series of overarching transportation goals, including the following: - T 1.1 Provide safe and reliable transportation facilities and services to promote and accommodate the growth this Plan anticipates in urban centers, urban villages, and manufacturing/industrial centers. - T 1.2 Improve transportation connections to urban centers and villages from all Seattle neighborhoods, particularly by providing a variety of affordable travel options (pedestrian, transit, and bicycle facilities) and by being attentive to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities. - T 1.3 Design transportation infrastructure in urban centers and villages to support compact, accessible, and walkable neighborhoods for all ages and abilities. - T 1.5 Invest in transportation projects and programs that further progress toward meeting Seattle’s mode-share goals, in Transportation Figures 1 and 2, and reduce dependence on personal automobiles, particularly in urban centers. (Downtown goes from dependence on personal automobiles, particularly in urban centers. (Downtown goes from 3 of 8 77% to 85%.) - T 1.7 Recognize the connection between transportation choices and climate change and work to reduce vehicular emissions. Individual sub-elements continue to echo the theme of increasing non-motorized travel. For example, the Transportation Options and Safety sub-elements offer recommendations like these: - T 3.1 Develop and maintain high-quality, affordable, and connected bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. - T 3.2 Improve transportation options to and within the urban centers and urban villages, where most of Seattle’s job and population growth will occur. - T 3.11 Develop and maintain bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including public stairways, that enhance the predictability and safety of all users of the street and that connect to a wide range of key destinations throughout the city. - TG 6 Provide and maintain a safe transportation system that protects all travelers, particularly the most vulnerable users. Finally, the Comprehensive Plan identifies specific goals tailored to each of its unique centers. For the Uptown Regional Growth Center (also called the Queen Anne neighborhood), the City has established goals and policies like these: - QA-P38 Strive to provide a system of bicycle facilities and routes within and around Queen Anne to encourage increasingly safe and convenient commuter and recreational bicycle use as an alternative to motorized travel. - QA-P39 Strive to provide convenient and safe bicycle and pedestrian access between Queen Anne and the Elliott Bay waterfront. - QA-P40 Strive to provide urban character-enhancing improvements to Queen Anne’s streets such as sidewalk improvements, transit facilities, landscaping, and appropriate lighting. In addition to its Comprehensive Plan, the City of Seattle adopted a Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) in 2007 and a detailed BMP Implementation Plan in 2015. These supplements to the Comprehensive Plan describe a high-level vision for a citywide, all ages and abilities bicycle network. They go on to prioritize individual corridors and specific investment strategies. The Alaskan Way PBL is included in the City's 5-year implementation plan, clearly identifying it as a project that is timely, high priority, and ready to implement.

Federal Functional Classification

1. Functional class name 14 Urban Principal Arterial

Support for Centers

1. Describe the relationship of the project to the center(s) it is intended to support. For example, is it located within a designated regional, countywide or local center, or is it located along a corridor connecting to one of these areas? The project site is located within the Uptown Regional Growth Center (RGC). It travels along the western edge of the RGC - the Seattle waterfront - and it connects to 2 additional RGCs on each end. On its south end, the planned PBL will connect to the Downtown Seattle RGC - the largest and most active RGC in the region with approximately 25,000 homes and 166,000 jobs. On its north end, the new bikeway will connect to the Ballard/Interbay Manufacturing/Industrial Center (BINMIC). The BINMIC is home to approximately 14,000 jobs, with major jobsites including the Port of Seattle's Fisherman's Terminal and a large rail yard supporting national and international freight flow.

For many years, the Uptown RGC and the South Lake Union RGC have consistently been some of the fastest-growing centers in the region and the nation. Seattle overall has been growing at a very rapid pace, and the primary generators of this growth are squarely centered in the north Seattle RGCs. This growth is largely fueled by Amazon.com. However, the area is also home to a great variety of major regional employers, and many are expanding: Vulcan, Facebook, Group Health, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to name a few. The Uptown RGC is anchored by the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle and Key Arena. Seattle Center draws more than 11 million visitors each year. 2. Describe how the project supports existing and/or planned population/employment activity in the center. The level of growth in the Uptown RGC, and its neighboring centers, severely strains a transportation network that's already very physically constrained and trying to catch up with years of intensive development. With very limited opportunities to widen roadways or otherwise expand capacity, the pressures of rapid growth will require more non-motorized choices for many trips: short-distance trips within the center, and also longer-range commute trips into the center. trips into the center. 4 of 8

Roads are extremely congested in Uptown, and parking is expensive, inconvenient, and hard to find. As motorized travel becomes increasingly challenging, the success of the RGC (and its ability to meet its growth projections) will depend on increasing the viability of non- motorized modes. South Lake Union residents and commuters who choose to ride a bike need to know that regardless of their destination, they will find a network that's connected, intuitive, easy to use, and clearly designed for all ages and abilities. 3. Describe how the project helps the center develop in a manner consistent with the adopted policies and plans for the center. In addition to the citywide goals stated in Seattle's Comprehensive Plan (described above), the plan also contains specific sections on its unique Regional Growth Centers. In the section for Uptown (also described as the Queen Anne neighborhood), the City identifies goals like these: - QA-P38 Strive to provide a system of bicycle facilities and routes within and around Queen Anne to encourage increasingly safe and convenient commuter and recreational bicycle use as an alternative to motorized travel. - QA-P39 Strive to provide convenient and safe bicycle and pedestrian access between Queen Anne and the Elliott Bay waterfront. - QA-P40 Strive to provide urban character-enhancing improvements to Queen Anne’s streets such as sidewalk improvements, transit facilities, landscaping, and appropriate lighting.

One of the overarching themes of this section is achieving economic growth through community vitality. The City of Seattle seeks to make its centers inviting places where people want to work and play, thereby attracting employers and investors. The strategy is working. Amazon's website clearly explains their location decisions: "Several years ago we outgrew our space and we made a conscious choice to invest in downtown Seattle — even though it would have been cheaper to move to the suburbs. We now employ more than 25,000 people in Seattle who come from all around the world. Our employees tell us that they love being in the heart of the city. In fact, about 15% live in the same zip code as their office and about 20% walk to work. And they frequent the restaurants, food trucks and shops that have popped up all around South Lake Union, the neighborhood in Seattle we call home."

Expedia and other recent relocations tell a similar story. From the Seattle Times, " 'We looked all over the Puget Sound region as to what the opportunities were,' said Mark Nagle, vice president of global real estate for Expedia, which is moving its headquarters to Seattle from Bellevue. The fast-growing company, which now has 3,000 employees, picked the Amgen campus because it will allow Expedia to grow in one place." More recent estimates show approximately 4,500 Expedia employees occupying the campus with full build-out.

Criteria: Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects

1. Describe how the project extends or completes a regional or local bicycle and pedestrian system, and/or adds facilities to an existing bicycle and pedestrian system or network. Connections on both ends of the planned PBL will complete an extensive network that spans approximately 2 miles along Seattle's waterfront. It also offers direct and seamless connections to other high-quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including the Burke Gilman Trail, Lake to Bay Trail, West Seattle Bridge Trail, Alki Trail, and Duwamish Trail.

The project's primary purpose is to fill a difficult gap and complete the local and regional networks. Existing cycling routes on the north and south ends of the project are very well- used today, and expecting significant growth, but their utility is restricted by the 1-mile gap. 2. Describe how the project addresses a need in the community and reduces key barriers to use and functionality, i.e., safety and comfort, distance, slope, gaps, etc. Eliminating a gap between 2 very popular non-motorized facilities will enhance the safety, comfort, and overall appeal of the network for recreational users and commuters. Elliott Bay Trail on the north attracts nearly 53,000 riders per month, making it one of the most popular trails in the city and the region. It offers scenic views of the bay as it passes through a series of waterfront parks, attracting a wide variety of short-range recreational trips: people on foot, on bicycles, skateboards, or rollerblades, and people using short segments of the trail while they enjoy the adjacent parks.

Immediately to the south, the new Central Waterfront PBLs on Alaskan Way are expected to draw even larger numbers of non-motorized users. In fact, the current Alaskan Way is one of very few roadways in the region where non-motorized users commonly outnumber motorized travelers. During busy periods, many thousands of people use Alaskan Way's sidewalks and other walkways each hour. The rebuilt Alaskan Way will feature separated facilities for people on bike or on foot, and it is expected to draw even more non-motorized traffic. Connecting these 2 facilities will improve the experience of an exceptionally high number of people - locals and tourists alike - who seek to enjoy the public right-of-way rather than simply passing locals and tourists alike - who seek to enjoy the public right-of-way rather than simply passing 5 of 8 through. The Cruise Terminal of America is located in the project area, and access for people on bicycles is severely restricted during cruise ship loading and unloading. The waterfront is the flattest route for people on bikes to traverse the core of Seattle. Alternative routes are not direct or intuitive. Many of them require grade changes and are not routes for all ages and abilities. In addition to project's direct links to the bike network on either end, it also offers seamless connections to other regional trails throughout the area. By completing the local network and further connecting the regional network, the Alaskan Way PBLs will also draw longer-range bicycle trips. The Central Waterfront PBLs and the Elliott Bay Trail offer numerous connections to some of the region’s most popular cycling and walking facilities including the Burke Gilman Trail, Lake to Bay Trail, West Seattle Bridge Trail, Alki Trail, and Duwamish Trail. 3. Describe the connections to other multimodal facilities the project provides. Alaskan Way is one of the most transit-rich environments in the region. It offers direct, public access to the Washington State, King County, and Kitsap County ferry systems, as well as private access to popular cruise lines. King County Metro buses run on Alaskan Way, streetcars will run 2 blocks east on 1st Ave, and the King County Metro/Sound Transit mainline runs approximately 4 blocks east on 3rd Ave. This transit mainline along 3rd Ave, comprised of the surface street and the Metro transit tunnel, is by far the busiest transit corridor in the northwest region. Nationally it is surpassed by only a few major metropolitan areas that offer subways and commuter rail, or similar high-capacity transit options. Over 20 bus routes, carrying approximately 2,500 buses, run on 3rd Ave each day. Several other high- frequency routes share the underground tunnel with Link light rail. Streetcars on 1st Ave, as well as numerous buses on other downtown streets, will add to the robust multimodal options. Stationless bike share services, just established this year, are expected to be very active along the Seattle waterfront, as are car sharing and ride hail services such as Uber and Lyft. Even horse-drawn jitneys and other novelty transportation services are seen along the waterfront, typical of tourist destinations and other flourishing entertainment districts. The waterfront area is a uniquely rich environment for multimodal opportunities, and also a uniquely welcoming environment for those who travel on foot or on bike. 4. Describe how the project will benefit a variety of user groups, including those groups identified in the President's Order for Environmental Justice, seniors, people with disabilities, those located in highly impacted communities and/or areas experiencing high levels of unemployment or chronic underemployment. The Belltown/Uptown community shows unusually high rates of poverty, with the 2 census districts in the project area recording poverty rates of 16% and 24% (compared to 11% region-wide). On average, Uptown residents experience poverty at approximately twice the rate of our region as a whole. PSRC has identified the southern part of the project area as a highly impacted community.

In addition, social services providers in the area attract many more people and families in need. These include not only people who struggle with poverty, but also drug addiction, mental health issues, and a wide variety of similar challenges. Within Belltown, large social service agencies include the DSHS Belltown Community Service Office, Social Security Administration, New Horizons Ministries, and Youthcare Orion Center for homeless youth. Many of these people in need are drawn to Uptown from throughout the city and the region, and they depend on safe non-motorized access to reach the services that they require. 5. Discuss whether the resource is threatened and if there will be a loss of opportunity if this project is not funded. Rapid growth in the project area creates a significant pressure to develop the bike network promptly. The planned PBL is surrounded by some of the largest public and private developments in the region, and failing to deliver a complete bike network along with these major developments will create a missed opportunity for large-scale mode shift. Years later, after new employees and commuters have become entrenched in their habits and comfort zones, it's much harder to generate an interest in low-impact, non-motorized commute modes. Growth in non-SOV mode share has been extremely strong in Uptown recently, with a 57% increase in walking commutes and a 28% gain in transit-based commutes over a 5-year period. A few of the major land developments nearby include these sites: - The Washington State Convention Center is designing a $1.6 billion expansion, set for completion in 2021. The Convention Center is 8 blocks from Alaskan Way. - The Central Waterfront renovation, estimated at $700 million, will be completed in stages from approximately 2019 to 2023. Coordinated private development includes major expansions of the Pike Place Market, Colman Dock, and Seattle Aquarium. - The South Lake Union Regional Growth Center, 6 blocks from the waterfront, is seeing explosive growth. Amazon is working on a campus expansion worth more than $2 billion, while other major employers like Vulcan and Facebook have aggressive expansion plans of their own in this RGC. their own in this RGC. 6 of 8 - The Downtown Seattle RGC, 3 blocks from the planned PBL, is already slated for at least $5 billion of new real estate development.

PSRC Funding Request

1. Has this project received PSRC funds previously? No 2. If yes, please provide the project's PSRC TIP ID N/A

Phase Year Alternate Year Amount PE 2018 2019 $0.00 construction 2020 2019 $2,500,000.00

Total Request: $2,500,000.00

Total Estimated Project Cost and Schedule

PE

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount Local Secured $1,000,000.00 $1,000,000.00 Expected year of completion for this phase: 2019

Construction

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount TAP(UL) Unsecured $2,500,000.00 Local Secured $3,500,000.00 $6,000,000.00 Expected year of completion for this phase: 2020

Summary

1. Estimated project completion date 2020 2. Total project cost $7,000,000.00

Funding Documentation

1. Documents BMP_Budget.pdf 2. 2. Please describe the secure or reasonably expected funds identified in the supporting documentation. For funds that are reasonably expected, an explanation of procedural steps with milestone dates for completion which will be taken to secure the funds for the project or program should also be included. All matching funds are secured. Revenues from the Levy to Move Seattle, programmed into SDOT's Bicycle Master Plan Implementation fund, will cover the required local match as well as any unanticipated costs in design or construction.

Project Readiness: PE

1. Are you requesting funds for ONLY a planning study or preliminary engineering? No 2. Is preliminary engineering complete? 7 of 8 No 3. What was the date of completion (month and year)? N/A 4. Have preliminary plans been submitted to WSDOT for approval? No 5. Are there any other PE/Design milestones associated with the project? Please identify and provide dates of completion. You may also use this space to explain any dates above. N/A 6. When are preliminary plans expected to be complete and approved by WSDOT (month and year)? April 2019

Project Readiness: NEPA

1. What is the current or anticipated level of environmental documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for this project? Categorical Exclusion (CE) 2. Has the NEPA documentation been approved? No 3. Please provide the date of NEPA approval, or the anticipated date of completion (month and year). April 2019

Project Readiness: Right of Way

1. Will Right of Way be required for this project? No 2. How many parcels do you need? N/A 3. What is the zoning in the project area? N/A 4. Discuss the extent to which your schedule reflects the possibility of condemnation and the actions needed to pursue this. N/A 5. Does your agency have experience in conducting right of way acquisitions of similar size and complexity? N/A 6. If not, when do you expect a consultant to be selected, under contract, and ready to start (month and year)? N/A 7. In the box below, please identify all relevant right of way milestones, including the current status and estimated completion date of each. N/A

Project Readiness: Construction

1. Are funds being requested for construction? Yes 2. Do you have an engineer's estimate? No 3. Engineers estimate document N/A 4. Identify the environmental permits needed for the project and when they are scheduled to be acquired. No additional environmental permits are anticipated, aside from the standard NEPA review for all projects receiving federal funds. 5. Are Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) approved? 8 of 8 No 6. Please provide the date of approval, or the date when PS&E is scheduled to be submitted for approval (month and year). April 2019 7. When is the project scheduled to go to ad (month and year)? March 2020

Other Considerations

1. Describe any additional aspects of your project not requested in the evaluation criteria that could be relevant to the final project recommendation and decision- making process. None 2. Describe the public review process for the project and actions taken to involve stakeholders in the project's development. Seattle's Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) was developed from a very extensive, multi-year outreach and public engagement process. Every part of the plan - from its underlying vision, to its network design, to its individual projects - was thoroughly vetted by a wide variety of stakeholders. Pages 8 to 10 of the adopted plan describe the public review process in detail. In sum, "The 2013 Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) was a public and technical endeavor. The process included extensive public input, regular briefings with the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board (SBAB), and coordination with city staff and other local agencies... Public engagement is an important element of any successful planning process. To be considered successful, the BMP planning process needed to reach beyond the current bicycling community, encouraging infrequent bicyclists or potential new users of the bicycle network to provide their input on what it would take to make the bicycling environment in Seattle work better for them. The purpose of the strategy was to broaden the conversation about how people riding bicycles can help build and create vibrant, livable communities and produce safer streets. One important purpose of the BMP is to develop strategies to transform bicycling from a niche activity for a small portion of users to one that a majority of people view as a viable form of transportation for all trip purposes." 3. Final documents Alaskan_Way_Photos.pdf Planned Alaskan Way Protected Bike Lanes

Transportation Alternatives Program Grant Application

Alaskan Way Protected Bike Lanes Alaskan Way Protected Bike Lanes

Seattle’s Central Waterfront is one of the region’s premier tourist destinations. Sidewalk users far outnumber motor vehicles, and non-motorized activity is expected to grow as the City kicks off a major renovation.

Less than a mile north, some of Seattle’s most popular parks and trails line the waterfront along the north end of the bay.

However, the gap between these 2 areas is a challenging patchwork of disconnected trail sections. Traveling north, people on bikes first encounter an unexpected trail end and an angled railroad crossing. If they use the sidewalk to continue north, the sidewalk also ends soon. They must continue in the street (a busy truck route) before they can finally rejoin the trail.