164th Urban Center Plan March 2005

VII. Preferred Land Use Concept

164th Transit/Pedestrian Village

Urban Center

The 164th Transit/Pedestrian Village (TPV) is part of the larger 164th Urban Center (see Figure 1 in previous section). The larger Urban Center has a variety of existing land uses, land use designations, and zoning districts (see Section III, Existing Conditions). The Urban Center contains a substantial employment base (including the Opus office development), major retail (Wal-Mart), and natural open space amenities (Swamp Creek and its associated wetlands). Over time, the Urban Center is expected to redevelop so it includes a mix of more intensive uses, with a more pedestrian-oriented land use pattern. The master plan applies only to the smaller TPV. Existing County land use plans and development regulations would continue to govern land use and development decisions in the balance of the larger Urban Center (i.e. that part that is not in the Transit/Pedestrian Village). In the short term, the County plans to retain existing land use designations for the Urban Center on the General Policy Plan Future Land Use Map. The County may add a special overlay designation to the Future Land Use Map, indicating that individual property owners in the larger Urban Center may agree to develop their property in a manner consistent with the Urban Center goals, policies, and design standards.

Transit/Pedestrian Village

The 164th TPV is envisioned as a place where people can work, shop, and live in a compact, walkable area. Notable features of the TPV include:

• Development of mixed-use buildings combining housing and offices with neighborhood- oriented retail shops and services, with street-front retail at key locations in a compact area; • A wide range of housing types to provide a variety of housing choices for prospective owners and renters, with an overall density that is high enough to support high-capacity transit service; • Parks, open spaces, and other public facilities and capital improvements to create an attractive and functional neighborhood, that functions as the core of the larger Urban Center; • Pedestrian amenities such as landscaping, plazas, benches, water fountains, and weather protection (building awnings, etc.) to make walking pleasant, as well as a new pedestrian/bike overpass across I-5; • Construction of a pedestrian-scaled street grid system with wide, attractive sidewalks and street trees, and improvements to Ash Way, including a new roundabout (traffic circle) at the intersection of 18th Avenue W; and • Continued high-capacity express bus service to the existing park and ride, with future upgrades including construction of transit-only bus ramps to and from I-5, and possible future construction of a light rail station adjacent to the site of the existing Park & Ride.

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The TPV will be pedestrian and transit oriented, with walkable connections between activities and transit.

Location and Boundaries

The 164th TPV is located in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of I-5 and 164th Street SW. It is bounded by I-5 on the east, and by 164th Street SW on the south. The west boundary is approximately 22nd Avenue W (slightly to the west of 22nd Avenue W in the southern portion of the Transit/Pedestrian Village). The north boundary of the TPV follows the west and north property lines of the Oak Heights Elementary School, and then extends east to I-5. The TPV totals approximately 138 acres in area. It is part of the larger 164th Street SW Urban Center, which extends to the east and west of the 164th Street SW I-5 interchange (Figure 17, 164th Transit/Pedestrian Village Master Plan).

Land Use

The 164th TPV will include a mix of commercial, office, residential, transit, parking, and public land uses, as well as parks, trails, and open space. A master plan showing how these uses could be arranged within the TPV appears as Figure 17 – 164th Transit/Pedestrian Village Master Plan. The exact locations and amounts of these different land uses are subject to refinement based on development proposals by individual property owners. Build-out could take from ten to twenty years, depending on market conditions and public/private actions taken to encourage development. However, to succeed as a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly area, it is important that the TPV contain a mix of all of these uses at higher densities. The TPV master plan will serve as a guide for the appropriate types of uses, and the desired relationships between them. These different land uses are discussed below.

Retail Shops/Services

The commercial areas within the 164th TPV would include neighborhood-oriented retail shops and services. Shops and services would be concentrated in the central portion of the TPV, around the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Ash Way and 18th Avenue W. Much of this retail would be on the street level of new office or multi-family residential buildings. There would also be a small commercial area on the west side of Ash Way and another small area directly across the street (on the east side of Ash Way) that could be built in conjunction with redevelopment of the Park & Ride into a transit center with structured parking, residential, office, and retail uses (and possibly with an adjacent future light rail station). There could be between approximately 200,000 and 300,000 square feet of developed retail and service uses in the TPV at full build-out.

Offices

Mid-rise office buildings (4-6 stories in height) would be located between I-5 and Ash Way. Some of these buildings might combine offices on the upper stories with retail shops or services in street-level storefronts. Office buildings also may be developed as part of the proposed Newberry Square demonstration project. Still others may be built as part of future redevelopment of the existing Park & Ride lot into a transit center with office and residential

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Insert 164th Transit/Pedestrian Village Master Plan

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development. When it is completely developed, the 164th Street SW TPV could include between 400,000 and 600,000 square feet of developed office uses.

Residential/Housing

A key component of the 164th Street SW TPV would be new multi-family residential housing. Medium and high density building types could include apartments and condominiums, senior housing, attached row houses, and cottage housing (small-lot single-family). Some of this new housing could be mixed use, with street-front retail shops and services to serve workers and residents in the TPV and in the surrounding local community. There also could be small amounts of office space in some of the new multi-family residential buildings. Residential densities would generally range between approximately 12 and 40 dwelling units per acre; the actual density in any given building would depend on the housing type, the other proposed uses (retail, office, etc.) in the building, and the location within the TPV. Properties closer to the Park & Ride lot site should develop at higher residential densities, to help support existing and future high capacity transit. New residential buildings generally will be located in the north end of the TPV, along Ash Way, west of 18th Avenue W, and in the vicinity of the Park & Ride/future transit center. The TPV could include between 800 and 1,000 new housing units (including the 120 housing units proposed as part of the Newberry Square demonstration project).

The boundary of the TPV incorporates small areas along 22nd Avenue W and 20th Place W (and the cul-de-sacs extending from these streets) that currently contain existing single-family homes. Some of these single-family homes are relatively new; most are in good condition. The master plan does not anticipate or require any immediate land use change in these areas. In the future, however, when redevelopment occurs, these areas could provide a logical location for higher density housing, because of their proximity to planned higher density development (within the rest of the TPV to the east, and on the Opus site to the west), and their proximity to existing and planned future high capacity transit service (existing Sound Transit regional express bus service, and possible future light rail service with a station adjacent to the existing Park & Ride site). Therefore, they have been included in the TPV as potential future redevelopment areas.

Parks, Trails, and Open Space

Public parks, trails, and other open spaces are an important part of the 164th TPV. A central, community park would be located in the triangle formed by 18th Avenue W and Ash Way, immediately north of the proposed roundabout. This park could include a mix of plaza and planted areas, and function as a focal point or town square. There will also be a variety of smaller plazas and open spaces associated with individual development projects.

Public Facilities/Utilities

Other public facilities within the TPV could include a library, recreation center, senior center, fire and police services, or other similar public facilities. (Some of these uses could also be integrated into new multi-family residential or office buildings.) A possible location for a future public facility is shown on the southwest corner of 156th Street SW and 18th Avenue W, kitty- corner from the existing elementary school at the northeast corner of 156th Street SW and 18th Avenue W. Because individual service providers (school districts, fire districts, etc.) make siting

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locations for their own facilities, it is not possible to specify at this time the kind of public facility that might be built on this site. A goal of the plan, however, would be to attract a compatible public use.

Other existing public facilities are located in the 164th Urban Center, adjacent to or near the TPV. However, these facilities lack pedestrian and bicycle access. These include:

• The Interurban Trail, which extends north and south generally parallel and to the east of I-5; th • A 6-acre county park, located at the south end of Martha Lake just north of 164 Street SE and east of I-5; • Big Rock Park, located north of Martha Lake, another large park that serves the general area of the 164th Transit/Pedestrian Village; and • The Oak Heights Elementary School, part of the Edmonds School District, located within the TPV at the northwest corner of 156th Street SW and 18th Avenue W.

The TPV may include a number of transportation improvements, including new streets, sidewalks, a transit center, new freeway overpasses, and transit/HOV on/off ramps. These possible future transportation improvements are illustrated on the master plan, and are more fully discussed under Transportation/Circulation (below).

Transportation/Circulation

The 164th TPV will include new streets, intersections, trails, freeway overpasses, and transit service, as described below.

Vehicular Circulation

Proposed new and upgraded streets and intersections form an essential framework for the 164th TPV. Improved streets and intersections are intended to provide better vehicular (as well as pedestrian) circulation throughout the area, and to help create a more pedestrian-scale street grid pattern. Several of these new streets provide much-needed east-west connections within the TPV, especially in the area between 18th Avenue W and Ash Way, and between Ash Way and I- 5. Many of these new streets would be dedicated and built in conjunction with the future development of individual properties; the precise alignments of these streets will be determined in the future. In addition, the concept includes a new east-west connection linking the Park & Ride lot/future transit center with the existing single-family development along 22nd Avenue W, at the southwest corner of the TPV. New streets would also be built within the Park & Ride site, when this area is redeveloped into a transit center with structured parking and residential, office, and retail buildings.

The existing intersection of 18th Avenue W and Ash Way, which is centrally located in the TPV, would be redeveloped as a roundabout. This would help resolve the difficult angled geometry of the existing intersection, and would produce a traffic-calming (slowing) effect. The roundabout could be designed to also serve as a visual landmark in what is envisioned as the central part of the TPV. This roundabout would have a large, landscaped area at its center. Radiating from this intersection would be pedestrian and bicycle trails to the north (along Ash Way), west (across the

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Swamp Creek natural open space corridor and into the Opus site), and east (across I-5 on a new pedestrian/bicycle bridge). The transportation recommendations for the Urban Center and TPV include an additional roundabout at Ash Way and Madison Way, just north of the urban center. (“Recommendations for Transportation Improvements in the 164th Street/I-5 Urban Center.” Mirai Associates, January 29, 2003.) This roundabout would slow vehicle speeds approaching the urban center and TPV.

Upgrades to Ash Way would occur to support TPV development. Ash Way, at the intersection with 164th Street SW, would be widened by one lane, so as to include two left turn lanes (providing enhanced traffic flow to the freeway), one through-lane, and one right-turn lane. There would also be a center-turn lane added to Ash Way from 164th Street SW (just north of the widened intersection) all the way north to 134th Street SW (the south boundary of the 128th Urban Center). Within the 164th TPV, portions of this center-turn lane not needed for left-turn movements could be developed as a landscaped median. On-street parallel parking would be allowed on that portion of Ash Way within the TPV.

The master plan also includes potential new freeway access ramps for exclusive transit use. These ramps would lead directly from the I-5 Transit/HOV lanes to the new transit center. These ramps are further discussed under Transit (below).

Non-Motorized Circulation (Pedestrian/Bicycle)

Construction of a grid street system with wide sidewalks and well-marked pedestrian crossings (possibly including mid-block crossings) would make the 164th TPV walkable and pedestrian friendly. The entire length of Ash Way between 164th and 134th Street SW would be improved to include sidewalks and planter strips and bike lanes on both sides of the street. Sidewalks on Ash Way and other streets within the urban center would be at least six to seven feet in width. Curb extensions (“bump-outs”), which shorten pedestrian crossing distances and further widen the sidewalks where extra space is needed for ramps and signal poles, would be used at all Ash Way intersections within the Urban Center.

Several key pedestrian and bicycle links could be developed to connect the TPV with adjacent portions of the Urban Center, and with existing regional non-motorized facilities. The master plan shows three major pedestrian/bicycle routes radiating outward from the vicinity of the proposed roundabout at Ash Way and 18th Avenue W. One route extends west, linking the area to the Swamp Creek natural area, the Opus site to the west of Swamp Creek, and potentially to future mixed use development in the western part of the Urban Center. A second route extends north/northeast along Ash Way, providing a potential future link to the 128th Urban Center. The third pedestrian/bicycle route would extend east across I-5 on a new pedestrian/bicycle bridge, and would connect to the existing Interurban Trail east of I-5. This bridge would extend from a point several hundred feet north of the Park & Ride lot, in the vicinity of the Ash Way/ 18th Avenue W intersection, to a point near the Motor Place or Interurban Trail right-of-way, several hundred feet south of 160th Street SW on the east side of I-5.

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Transit

The existing Park & Ride lot could be redeveloped into a transit center, including new streets, structured parking for transit users, plus retail, office, and transit-oriented residential development. Potential redevelopment of the Park & Ride lot is discussed in more detail under “Sound Transit (Park & Ride) Mixed Use Development” (below).

The master plan shows new freeway access ramps for exclusive transit use, serving this redeveloped transit center facility. This is a planned Sound Transit “Sound Move” (regional express bus) project. These ramps will connect with the I-5 transit/HOV lanes and will allow regional express busses on I-5 to directly access the transit center and the TPV from the freeway transit/HOV lanes, bypassing 164th Street SW. At this time, Sound Transit is proposing to build only ramps accommodating transit movements to and from the south (i.e. entering the southbound lanes, and exiting the northbound lanes). Ramps serving movements to and from the north are expected to be added in the future; in the interim, transit movements to and from the north would continue to use the existing 164th Street SW interchange. The ramps may be built prior to redevelopment of the Park & Ride site.

Parking

The TPV also will contain public and private parking structures. One potential location for a parking structure is adjacent to I-5 on the Park & Ride/future transit center site. This parking structure would serve transit riders, and could be designed to accommodate occupants of adjacent residential and office buildings.

Demonstration Project

The proposed Newberry Square demonstration project is located in the 164th TPV. The Newberry Square site is located on the west side of Ash Way, directly across from the Park & Ride lot. As currently proposed, Newberry Square would include 22,000 square feet of office, 40,000 square feet of retail, and 120 dwelling units. The proposal also includes underground parking. Project construction began in 2003.

Sound Transit (Park & Ride) Mixed Use Development

Sound Transit has prepared preliminary studies for redevelopment of the existing 164th Street SW Park & Ride lot (Swamp Creek Station Area Plan, April 2002). At this time Sound Transit has evaluated four land use concepts. All four would include approximately 300 units of housing in several multi-family buildings; in one concept some of these units would be senior housing. The four concepts would include between approximately 10,000 to 22,000 square feet of retail and service space (including daycare). The most intensive land use concept also would include approximately 162,000 square feet of office space. The concepts would include between 1,340 and 1,689 parking spaces for on-site uses and to replace the 1,020 spaces in the existing Park & Ride. Most of the parking would be located under the structures or in parking garages. The concepts would incorporate a transit center for the existing express bus service, and would be designed to work with or without the planned transit ramps. The concepts also would work with

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a future light rail station planned for the Park & Ride site, should Sound Transit extend light rail north to this area.

Recommendations for Ash Way Corridor Improvements

An east-west Principal Arterial with four lanes, 164th Street SW connects SR 99 in Lynnwood with Mill Creek. The section of 164th Street SW from Spruce Way to Ash Way will be expanded to include a center two-way left turn lane, bike lanes and sidewalks.

Ash Way is a north-south Collector Arterial connecting this center with the 128th Street/I-5 Urban Center. As envisioned, the Ash Way Corridor will serve a significant role in supporting the development of the 164th Street/I-5 Urban Center. The facility improvements recommended in the Ash Way Corridor are defined below.

Traffic Volumes

The eastside of Ash Way between 164th Street SW and 18th Place W has been improved with curbs, gutters, bike lanes and a sidewalk as part of the Ash Way Park-and-Ride Lot development. However, it is a two-lane road, in most sections, without shoulders, walkways or bike lanes.

The traffic volumes on Ash Way are rapidly increasing. At a location northeast of Madison Way, the County recorded that Ash Way carried 3,690 vehicles per day in 1998, and 6,040 vehicles per day in 2000, an increase of 64 percent in two years. Ash Way is also carrying higher volumes of traffic near 164th Street SW. At a location just north of 164th Street SW, Ash Way carried 6,450 vehicles per day in 1998 and 8,030 vehicles per day in 2001, an increase of 1,580 vehicles per day, 24 percent in three years.

It is expected that traffic volumes on Ash Way will continue to increase, as more housing and commercial developments occur in the areas between the Principal Arterials of 164th Street and 128th Street. To support the centers and the projected growth of the area, Ash Way needs to be improved for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. (A separate report analyzes traffic impacts of the Urban Center.)

Roadway

Ash Way needs to be widened to accommodate the increased traffic volumes. It is recommended that a center left turn lane be added to form a continuous three-lane road from 164th Street SW to 134th Street SW.

164th Street SW/Ash Way Intersection

To operate the intersection of 164th Street SW and Ash Way at a reasonable level of service in the future, the southbound approach on Ash Way to 164th Street SW should be widened by one lane. The southbound approach should have double left turn lanes, one through-lane and one right-turn lane. The current traffic signal phasing should be further reviewed to establish the most efficient phasing and timing with respect to Ash Way and the adjacent I-5 interchange signals.

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Roundabout

Modern roundabouts are a design alternative to traffic signals or stop signs at arterial intersections. They are effective at slowing traffic in downtown or urban center areas. In many instances, a roundabout can carry a higher volume of traffic while reducing vehicle delays, than a traffic signal controlled intersection. At the same time it creates an attractive entry point to an urban center. One negative aspect of a roundabout, in general, is that it requires more right-of- way than the installation of a signal at the intersection.

Although the existing Engineering Design and Development Standards (1992) and the proposed draft update (2000) do not include any description of a roundabout, it is assumed that the County allows roundabouts to be installed on Arterial intersections.

Two roundabouts are recommended in the Ash Way corridor, one at the intersection of Ash Way and 18th Avenue West and the other, at Ash Way and Madison Way. The roundabout at the intersection of Ash Way and 18th Avenue West is located within the Urban Center and it would reduce the need to provide a left-turn pocket and a signal. The other roundabout, at the intersection of Ash Way and Madison Way, is a few hundred feet north of the northern boundary of the 164th/I-5 Urban Center. The function of this roundabout would be to slow vehicle speeds and create an entry/transition zone to the Urban Center.

Although construction of a roundabout generally requires more right-of-way, the construction cost is less than adding a signal at an intersection.

Compared to two-way stop-controlled intersections, roundabouts may make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross the major street. At both roundabouts and two-way stop-controlled intersections, pedestrians have to judge gaps in the major stream of traffic. By reducing stopping distance, the low vehicle speeds through a roundabout generally reduce the frequency and severity of incidents involving pedestrians.

A roundabout is designed with an “apron” around the center island. This apron is to accommodate large vehicles such as buses and trucks. Therefore, buses traveling on Ash Way between the Ash Way Park-and-Ride and the Mariner Park-and-Ride would be accommodated if a roundabout was constructed.

The proposed roundabouts at the 18th Avenue W and Madison Way may not provide safety benefits to bicyclists as the bike lanes are merged to traffic through-lane approaching the roundabouts. Nevertheless, the recommended roundabouts discourage erratic or undesirable driver behavior. They slow drivers to speeds more comfortable with bicycle speeds, while reducing high-speed conflicts and simplifying turn movements for bicyclists.

Bicycle Lanes

Just like most jurisdictions in the Puget Sound area, Snohomish County Public Works allows three types of bicycle facilities in the county:

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Shared-Use Trail. These trails are often referred to as a multi-use trail. The pavement width is 10 to 12 feet and is used by people on foot and bicycles.

Bicycle Lanes. These are provided on each side of the roadway, located on the outer portions of the travel lanes. The Engineering Design and Development Standards (EDDS) specify that a bike lane should be 4 feet wide without a curb and gutter, and 5 feet wide with a curb and gutter. On a road with parking, a bike lane and parking combined should be 12 feet in width.

Signed Shared Roadway. Where on-street parking is not provided, vehicles and bicycles can share the curb lane. The EDDS specifies that the curb lane should be the shared lane and the lane width should be 14 feet.

The County’s Bicycle Facility System map shows that Ash Way is one of the proposed bikeways. It is recommended that bicycle lanes be provided on both sides of Ash Way between 164th Street SW and 134th Street SW.

The Newberry Square development, proposed on the west side of Ash Way near the Ash Way Park and Ride lot, will add a 5-foot bike lane on the west side of Ash Way, which is consistent with the recommendation in this plan.

On-Street Parking

On-street parking provides an additional buffer between pedestrians on the sidewalks and moving vehicles on the roadway in a high density urban center environment. Parallel parking is most common and desirable.

The previous editions of the EDDS allowed on-street parking on arterials except for Principal Arterials. The 3rd Edition currently available through the County’s web site does not include the reference to the prohibition of on-street parking on Principal Arterials.

To provide a more secure feeling for the pedestrians and to support businesses within the urban center area, it would be highly desirable for the segment of Ash Way between 164th Street and 153rd Street, within the 164th/I-5 Urban Center, to include on-street parking on both sides of the street, except for the intersection areas. By combining on-street parking with a bike lane, the width for the space needed between the travel lane and the curb is 12 feet. On-street parking should be limited to the duration of two hours. However, since Snohomish County does not provide any on-street parking spaces, a parking enforce program is not well established. It is not determined how parking enforcement will be handled at this time.

The Newberry Square urban center demonstration project was approved with improvements to Ash Way abutting its property with on-street parking and a bike lane, which are consistent with this plan.

Ash Way between 153rd Street and 134th Street should not allow on-street parking to minimize the pavement width and right-of-way needs.

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Pedestrian Facilities (Sidewalks and Curb Extensions)

As Ash Way is expanded to a three-lane road, the entire cross section of the road should be upgraded to meet the County’s urban standards. Curbs, gutters, planter strips and sidewalks are needed on Ash way between 164th Street and 134th Street. An urban arterial requires the following dimensions: • Planter Strip: 5 feet • Sidewalk: 5 feet

These standards should be adequate for the section of Ash Way outside the Urban Centers. Within the center, however, wider sidewalks (six to seven feet) should be provided to accommodate high levels of pedestrian activities. The following pedestrian facilities are recommended on Ash Way between 164th Street and 153rd Street. • Planter Strip: 5 feet • Sidewalk: 6 - 7 feet

Curb extensions, also known as bump-outs or bulb-outs, shorten pedestrian crossing distances, improve visibility to motorists and widen the sidewalk where space is most needed for ramps, signal poles, and pedestrian waiting area.

Curb extensions should be provided at key intersections on Ash Way between 164th Street and 153rd Street.

Several curb extensions on the west side of Ash Way along the Newberry Square development are approved to help pedestrians cross Ash Way between Ash Way Park-and-Ride lot and this new development.

Landscaped Medians

In the Ash Way Corridor with an improved three-lane cross section, the opportunity exists for a landscaped median on sections where the two-way left turn lane is not needed. However, Ash Way outside the Urban Center provides access to numerous properties along the road and the opportunities to provide landscaped medians are limited. Furthermore, Snohomish County has not supported a use of landscaped medians because of the maintenance cost. While the maintenance of landscaped medians is an issue, landscaped medians provide traffic calming benefits in an urban area. For this reason, within the 164th/I-5 Urban Center, it would be desirable to provide landscaped medians on Ash Way, even if they are short. The locations of landscaped medians cannot be determined without developing a more detailed design for Ash Way.

Pedestrian Street Crossings

As the center grows, more pedestrians will be crossing Ash Way. Pedestrians should be encouraged to cross the street at signalized intersections or roundabouts. Uncontrolled mid-block pedestrian crossings on Ash Way should be minimized because they often provide a false sense of secured street crossings. However, for some areas, mid-block pedestrian crossings are needed because the blocks are long.

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The Newberry Square development, Snohomish County and Sound Transit are providing a signalized pedestrian crossing on the north side of the main entrance driveway of the Ash Way Park-and-Ride lot. As the volume of traffic increases on Ash Way there will be a need to provide either a traffic signal or pedestrian signal at this location.

For that section of Ash Way within the Urban Center, two parallel painted lines indicating a crosswalk are not adequate. Motorists often confuse these lines with the lane-stopping lines and pull right up to the crosswalk. At a minimum, a ladder pattern type of striping inside the crosswalk is recommended. Colored, textured crosswalks can increase visibility. It is recommended that when the Ash Way improvements are implemented, special crosswalk treatments, such as colored concrete pavers with lighting, be added to the design considerations.

Illumination

As a part of the roadway standards, Snohomish County requires illumination at the following “basic” facilities connected to an Urban Center: • Channelized intersections • Signalized intersections • Bus loading areas • Major parking lots • Pedestrian tunnels or grade separated pedestrian facilities • Traffic islands • Highly congested arterials

Beyond these ‘basic” facilities, the County Engineer can require illumination on the following facilities, which may be included in the Urban Center: • Traffic calming devices (roundabouts) • High accident locations • Unchannelized intersections • Trail crossings • Raised pedestrian crosswalks • Multi-lane arterials • Roadways adjacent to high traffic generators

In addition to streetlights at these locations, which are typically installed higher than 20 feet from the ground, lower streetlights along the sidewalk are needed for pedestrians on Ash Way within the Urban Center. The lights along the sidewalks should be designed at a pedestrian scale, and more closely spaced than traditional streetlights.

Street Cross Sections

Ash Way between 164th Street and 134th Street needs to be improved with two typical cross sections: one section is the segment within the Urban Center (from 164th Street to 153rd Street) and the other outside the urban center (from 153rd Street to 134th Street).

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The main differences between the two sections are related to the spaces needed to accommodate on-street parking and wider sidewalks in the Urban Center.

Ash Way from 164th Street to 153rd Street. The typical street cross section (viewing the north from the west to the east) is as follows: • Sidewalk –7 feet • Planter strip- 5 feet • On-street parking – 8 feet • Southbound bike lane – 4 feet • Southbound curb lane – 12 feet • Two-way left turn lane – 12 feet • Northbound curb lane – 12 feet • Northbound bike lane – 4 feet • On-street parking – 8 feet • Planter strip – 5 feet • Sidewalk – 7 feet • Total width – 84 feet

The generalized cross section of Ash Way from 164th Street SW to 153rd Street SW is illustrated in Figure 1.

Ash Way from 153rd Street to 134th Street. The typical street cross section (viewing the north from the west to the east) is as follows: • Sidewalk – 5 feet • Planter strip- 5 feet • Southbound bike lane – 5 feet • Southbound curb lane – 12 feet • Two-way left turn lane – 12 feet • Northbound curb lane – 12 feet • Northbound bike lane – 5 feet • Planter strip – 5 feet • Sidewalk – 5 feet • Total width – 66 feet

Figure 2 shows the proposed cross section of Ash Way from 153rd Street SW to 134th Street SW.

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Figure 1 Proposed Cross Section of Ash Way Between 164th St SW and 153rd St SW

Planter Planter Sidewalk Sidewalk Bike Lane Bike Parking Bike Lane Bike Parking

6-7' 5' 7' 5' 12' 12' 12' 5' 7' 5' 6-7'

12' 60' 12' R-O-W 87'

Figure 2 Proposed Cross Section of Ash Way Between 153rd St SW and 134th St SW

Planter Planter Sidewalk Sidewalk Bike Lane Bike Bike Lane Bike

5' 5' 5' 12' 12' 12' 5' 5' 5'

10' 46' 10'

R-O-W 80'

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Summary

Ash Way between 164th Street SW and 134th Street SW will become a more important roadway to support the proposed two Urban Centers within the unincorporated area of Snohomish County. This paper is prepared to identify facility improvements in the Ash Way corridor that should be implemented either through the County’s Capital Improvement Program or by the future developments in the area. The following table summarizes the recommended transportation facilities:

Category of Improvements Recommendations Accommodate two through lanes and one center two-way left turn lane Roadway on Ash Way at 164th Street SW

Add a southbound lane to separate the left turn from the through Intersection movements at the 164th Street SW and Ash Way intersection

Provide two modern roundabouts at the following intersections: Ash Roundabout Way/18th Ave W and Ash Way/Madison Way.

Provide a five-foot bicycle lane in each direction of Ash Way north of Bicycle Lane 164th Street SW

Allow on-street parking within Urban Center with two-hour parking On-Street Parking restriction

Provide five to seven foot sidewalks and five-foot planter strips on both sides of Ash Way, and curb extensions at key intersections and Pedestrian Facility th driveways north of 164 Street SW

Seek opportunities to provide landscaped medians where the two-way Landscaped Median left turn lane is not needed within the Urban Center

Evaluate mid-block pedestrian crossings case by case and provide Pedestrian Street Crossing colored or textured concrete crosswalks

Streetlights are needed. Within Urban Center, provide pedestrian scale Illumination street lights along the sidewalks

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Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge Over I-5

The consultant team, retained by Snohomish County to develop a long-range land use and transportation plan for the I-5/164th Street Urban Center, identified a need to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections between the Martha Lake area, east of I-5, and the Ash Way park-and- ride area, west of I-5. The recommendation is to construct a new facility, an east-west bridge structure over I-5 for pedestrian and bicycle uses, connecting the Interurban Trail, Meadow Road and Motor Place on the east side of I-5 with the proposed Ash Way bicycle lanes and sidewalks on the west side of I-5. This section of the report defines the basic features of that bridge and evaluates engineering feasibilities of the structure.

Existing Interurban Trail

The Interurban Trail, a multi-use trail, is located along I-5 in Snohomish County. It is a paved trail connecting Lynnwood with Everett through the 164th and 128th Street Urban Centers within the unincorporated area of Snohomish County. At about 1,500 feet south of 164th Street SW, the Interurban Trail shifts from the east edge of I-5 to 13th Avenue S due to the I-5/164th Street interchange, and crosses 164th Street SW at the at-grade signalized intersection. The trail proceeds about 1,500 feet north of 164th Street on Meadow Road to 160th Street SW and from there it connects to the exclusive trail along the east edge of I-5.

For pedestrians and bicycles as well as vehicles, 164th Street SW is the only east-west facility that provides a connection over I-5 in the 164th Street Urban Center. The I-5 ramps connected to 164th Street and the interchange design accommodate large volumes of traffic; thus, making pedestrian and bicycle crossing of I-5 on 164th Street difficult. There is no street bridge over I-5 connecting the communities of the east side of I-5 with the west side between 164th Street and 128th Street, which is a distance of about 2.5 miles.

Key Features of the Recommended Overpass

The consultant team, retained for the urban center study, recommends that a trail bridge structure for pedestrians and bicycles be constructed over I-5 north of 164th Street SW. This overpass would connect the Interurban Trail on the east of I-5 with the proposed Urban Center’s central village area and the proposed bicycle lanes on Ash Way on the west side of I-5.

Location. The recommended pedestrian and bicycle bridge should be constructed to connect the following two points over I-5: (1) a point approximately a few hundred feet north of the north property line that defines the Ash Way Park-and-Ride lot, in the vicinity of the Ash Way and 18th Avenue W intersection, and (2) another point near the Motor Place or Interurban right-of-way, several hundred feet south of 160th Street SW on the east side of I-5.

Sound Transit will construct direct transit and HOV access ramps in the median of I-5 that will be connected with a bridge structure to the Ash Way Park-and-Ride Lot. These new ramps are designed to accommodate the transit movements to and from the south only. There will be no new transit ramps to serve the movements to and from the north in Phase 1. Although planning for Phase 2 of the Sound Transit’s Sound Move has not been initiated, the north half of this interchange is expected to be added in the future. The location of the pedestrian bridge over I-5

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must be determined in relation to the clearance requirement of the future transit ramps to and from the north.

On the east side of I-5, it may be desirable to access the pedestrian/bike bridge from Motor Place and the Interurban Trail. The County should investigate a feasibility of using the space occupied by the power substation located between the Interurban Trail and Motor Place. (This is not a critical element to implement the pedestrian bridge.)

Conflict with Power Lines. There are several high voltage power lines supported by wooden poles located along the Interurban Trail corridor. Snohomish PUD will require clearance spaces between the pedestrian bridge and the power lines. Without carrying out more detailed engineering design, it is not possible to determine whether the proposed bridge would interfere with the power lines. Because some lines are related to the substation in the area and they are placed relatively lower in this area than other areas, it is possible that an action would be needed to either raise the lines higher or to place them underground. The estimated cost of raising the power lines is in a range of $50,000 to $175,000. If it becomes necessary to place them underground, the cost will be in a range of $250,000 to $350,000.

Vertical Clearance. The area in which the pedestrian/bicycle bridge is proposed is relatively flat. While the eastside of I-5 is slightly higher than the west side of I-5, there is no obstacle to construct the bridge. The overpass will be required to meet the vertical clearance limit of the interstate freeway. The WSDOT Design Manual requires that a pedestrian bridge over a roadway must have a minimum vertical clearance of 5.3 meters (17.5 feet).

Width of the Bridge. The WSDOT Design Manual, which reflects the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recommendations, specifies that a two- way Class I Bikeway should be designed with a minimum of 8 feet pavement and two feet of clearance to an obstruction. Because the bridge should have railings, a two-foot clearance zone on each side is needed. The total minimum width of the bridge should be 12 feet. The total length of the bridge is estimated to be about 220 feet (70 feet of southbound I-5, 50 feet of median for future transit ramps, and 100 feet of northbound I-5).

Grades. To encourage the use of the overpass by bicyclists, the grade of the bridge structure should not be more than two percent.

Ramps. To comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), and to ensure that the bridge is a multi-use trail, stairways from the ground levels to the bridge structure is not recommended. Ramps should be provided to connect the ground level trails with the bridge structure. The ramps should be designed with a maximum of five percent grade, the maximum grade allowed in the ADA.

Lights. Pedestrian-scale lights are needed to illuminate the bridge surface and the ramps. The lights should be designed to be visually attractive.

Bridge Materials. Pre-cast concrete is the most common material used for this kind of a bridge structure over an Interstate freeway.

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Planning Level Cost Estimates

Mirai Associates with KPG, a subconsultant engineering firm, made an estimate of a proposed pedestrian/bicycle bridge at NE 47th Street over I-5 in the University area of Seattle in 2001. The proposed pedestrian bridge over I-5 in the University area in Seattle is similar to the proposed pedestrian/bicycle bridge in the 164th Urban Center. Using the unit cost information developed for the University Area/NE 47th Street pedestrian bridge, the following planning-level cost estimate is developed for the pedestrian/bike bridge in the 164th Urban Center:

Construction of the bridge and ramps: $3.0 million Contingency @30% $0.9 million Total Construction Cost $3.9 million Engineering and Management @25% $1.0 million Total Project Cost $4.9 million

This cost estimate does not include right-of-way, easement, power line relocation and environmental mitigation costs.

Preliminary Engineering Feasibility Assessment

Although a detailed engineering feasibility investigation was not possible due to funding constraints, it appears that there is no physical obstacle to construct a pedestrian/bike bridge over I-5 at a location several hundred feet north of the Sound Transit proposed direct transit access interchange. This interchange is designed to provide ramps for accommodating transit vehicles to and from the south. Snohomish County should conduct a preliminary design study for the recommended pedestrian/bicycle bridge over I-5.

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