Transportation Element: a Component of the GMA Comprehensive Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Snohomish County Public Works Transportation Element A Component of the GMA Comprehensive Plan This page intentionally left blank. A COMPONENT OF THE GMA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN February 2006 Revised June 2008 June 2015 September 2017 September 2018 Effective date November 29, 2018 Snohomish County Public Works Department 3000 Rockefeller, M/S 607 Everett, WA 98201 This page intentionally left blank. SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT Growth Management Act RCW 36.70A.070 (6). TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Purpose and Background 1 1. Purpose Statement 2. Description of Historical Growth and Development B. Growth Management Requirements and Policy Foundation 2 1. Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 2. PSRC’s Multi-County Planning Policies, Vision 2040 and Transportation 2040 Plans 3. Snohomish County Tomorrow and Countywide Planning Policies 4. Snohomish County’s Growth Management Act Comprehensive Plan C. Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services 6 1. Public Highways, Streets and Roads 2. Bicycle and Pedestrian Facility System 3. Public Transportation 4. Other Public and Private Transportation Facilities and Services (a) Intercity Bus (b) Passenger Rail 5. Freight Rail 6. Ferry System 7. Airports 8. Marine Port Facilities II. RELATIONSHIP OF PLANNED LAND USE TO TRANSPORTATION 15 A. Land Use Map and Travel Demand 15 1. Land Use Forecasts 2. Travel Characteristics 3. Planned Land Use and Transportation Services a) Centers b) Urban Areas Outside Centers c) Rural Areas and Resource Lands B. Planning Level Transportation Analysis for County Arterials and State Highways 20 1. County-owned Arterials 2. State-owned Regionally Significant State Highways (PSRC) 3. State-owned Highways of Statewide Significance (WSDOT) 4. Existing Arterial Level of Service Deficiencies 5. Road Condition Audits C. Local Transit Level of Service Guidelines 23 Transportation Element i Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT D. Intergovernmental Coordination and Impacts on Adjacent Jurisdictions 24 III. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES 27 A. Concurrency Management System 27 1. Background 2. Regulatory Actions a) Chapter 30.66B SCC Amendments b) Level of Service Provisions 3. Nonregulatory Actions a) Comprehensive Plan: Transportation Components b) Transportation Needs Report c) Priority Programming/Concurrency Management d) Transportation Improvement Program e) Capital Improvement Program f) Annual Construction Program for Transportation 4. Process B. Transportation Demand Management 39 1. Background 2. Employer Commute Trip Reduction 3. Residential Corridor-based Trip Reduction 4. Development Transportation Demand Management 5. Process a) Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) b) Transportation Demand Management (TDM) C. Arterial Access Management 41 1. Background 2. Regulatory Actions 3. Process D. Support for Transit 43 1. Background 2. Transit Emphasis Corridors 3. Regulatory Actions 4. Nonregulatory Actions a) Coordination b) Funding 5. Process E. Countywide Nonmotorized Transportation 48 1. Background 2. Regulatory Actions a) Design Standards b) Collaboration on Grants and Funding 3. Process F. Air Quality Conformity and Climate Change 52 Transportation Element ii Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT 1. Air Quality Conformity 2. Climate Change 3. Nonregulatory Actions G. Freight Mobility 56 1. Background 2. Regulatory Actions 3. Nonregulatory Actions 4. Process IV. RECOMMENDED TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS 59 A. County’s Approach to Arterial Road Needs and Improvements 59 1. Evaluation Process for Identifying Deficiencies B. Recommended County Arterial Road Improvements 60 1. Arterial Circulation Map 2. Project Costing Methodology 3. Recommended County Arterial Improvement Projects C. Supportive State Highway Improvements 73 D. Supportive City Street Improvements 74 E. Supportive Public Transportation Improvements 74 1. Operating Agencies and Services a) Community Transit b) Everett Transit c) Sound Transit d) Washington State Ferries 2. Capital Facilities a) Near-Term Projects b) Transportation 2040 Projects V. STRATEGY FOR FINANCING COUNTY TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS 81 A. County Transportation Improvement Expenditures 81 1. Snohomish County’s Transportation Expenditure Programs B. County Transportation Revenues 82 1. Snohomish County’s Sources of Transportation Revenue a) Property Taxes b) Reimbursable Services c) Fuel Taxes d) Real Estate Excise Taxes e) Transportation Impact Fees f) State and Federal Grants g) Other Revenues 2. Summary of Revenues Transportation Element iii Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT C. County’s Financial Strategy 85 1. Financial Strategy Statement 2. Additional Revenue Measures a) County One Percent Annual Property Tax Increase (2015-2035) b) Extend REET Allocation to Transportation (2020-2035) c) Increase County Impact Mitigation Fees (2015-2035) d) Bonding e) Public Works Trust Fund Loan (PWTFL) f) Increase in State Fuel Tax (2015-2035) g) Local Option Vehicle License Fee (2015-2035) 3. Other Miscellaneous Revenues or Cost Reduction Measures a) Joint Funding with Cities b) Encourage Mutually Beneficial Annexations by Cities c) Private-Sector Partnerships d) Road Improvement Districts 4. Summary and Conclusions D. Process for Reassessment of the Comprehensive Plan and Transportation Element 90 1. Reassessment Strategy and Options 2. Reassessment Process VI. COUNTY PROJECT PRIORITIZATION AND PROGRAMMING PROCESS 93 A. Transportation Needs Report 93 B. Transportation Improvement Program 94 C. Annual Construction Program 94 REFERENCES 95 APPENDICES A. Glossary of Acronyms and Definitions A-1 B. Summary of State Projects within Snohomish County B-1 C. Supportive City Street Improvements C-1 D. Transportation Mitigation Fees D-1 E. Traffic Forecasts for Snohomish County Arterial Units E-1 F. Traffic Forecasts for State Highways F-1 LIST OF TABLES 1. Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services 8 2. State Highways within Snohomish County 11 3. Area and Acreage of Future Land Use 15 4. Population, Employment, and Housing Unit Growth in Snohomish County 16 5. Snohomish County Summary of Travel Statistics 18 Transportation Element iv Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT 6. LOS Standard (1) for Local Arterials and State Highways 21 7. Community Transit Level of Service Guidelines 24 8. Level-of-Service Standard for County Arterials 29 9. Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Thresholds 30 10. Rural Arterials with Urban Traffic 32 11. Transit Emphasis Corridors 44 12. Ambient Air Quality Standards in Washington 54 13. County Arterial Mileage by Functional Classification 62 14. Recommended County Arterial Improvement Projects – Projects 64 15. Summary of YOE Costs by Completion Date for Recommended County Arterial Improvement Projects 73 16. Transit Capital Improvements for Snohomish County in the Constrained Portion of PSRC’s Transportation 2040 Plan 78 17. Summary of Transportation Expenditures - 2015 through 2035 YOE Dollars 81 18. Primary Revenue Forecast Summary (YOE Dollars) 85 19. Summary of Expenditures Vs Primary Revenues ($ Millions) 86 20. Additional Transportation Revenues under the County’s Financial Strategy 88 LIST OF FIGURES 1. Comprehensive Planning Framework Policy and Consistency Relationships 7 2. Snohomish County Inventory of Transportation Facilities and Services 9 3. Rural Arterials with Urban Traffic 35 4. The Role of Concurrency Management in the Land Use Transportation Planning Process 38 5. Transit Emphasis Corridors 45 6. Recommended County Arterial Improvement Projects – South Map 69 7. Recommended County Arterial Improvement Projects – North Map 71 8. High Capacity Transit 79 LIST OF MAPS 1. Arterial Circulation Map 2. Countywide Bicycle Facility System Map Transportation Element v Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT This page intentionally left blank. Transportation Element vi Last amended effective date November 29, 2018 SNOHOMISH COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT I. INTRODUCTION This Transportation Element (TE) of the Snohomish County Growth Management Act (GMA) Comprehensive Plan is prepared in accordance with the GMA and the county’s General Policy Plan. Contained within the TE are projects and implementation measures necessary to effectively serve planned land use throughout Snohomish County. Importantly, this element provides guidance for the design, construction and operation of transportation facilities and services through the year 2035. A. Purpose and Background 1. Purpose Statement The purpose of the TE is to present a plan for transportation facilities and services needed to support the county’s 2015-2035 future land use map. The TE recommends specific arterial roadway projects for the unincorporated county in order to meet roadway safety and capacity needs. However, it also recommends various implementation strategies to guide the county in its participation in regional transportation planning. Implementation strategies provide guidance on such issues as: . land use-transportation concurrency; . arterial, highway, and transit level of service; . transit emphasis corridors . access management; . transportation demand management (TDM); . regional High-Capacity Transit; . nonmotorized transportation; . air quality conformance; and . freight and goods mobility. The county’s TE provides an estimate of expenditures and revenues associated