Best Practices Research and Assessment of Station Areas
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Phase 1 RePoRt: Best Practices Research and assessment of station areas east C rrid r Implementati n support FEBRUARY 2013 In association with: BAE Urban Economics and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates The Growing Transit Communities Partnership is funded by the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government. Acknowledgements PRojeCt management team of the east CorridoR task force The following members of the East Corridor Task Force are serving on the Project Management Team for the East Corridor Implementation Support Project. Wes Edwards – King County Tom Hinman – Redmond Community Representative Emil King – City of Bellevue Doug Mathews – Bellevue Community Representative Lori Peckol – City of Redmond Tracy Reich – Impact Capital Arthur Sullivan – A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) Alternates: Paul Inghram – City of Bellevue Sarah Stiteler – City of Redmond Puget sound RegIonal Council, GrowIng TransIt CommunItIes PaRtneRship Ben Bakkenta, Program Manager Mary Pat Lawlor, Principal Planner Cameron Duncan, Planning Technician Consultants Otak, Inc.—Prime BAE Urban Economics, Inc. Mandi Roberts, Project Manager Paul Peninger Kurt Creager Tom Litster Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates Jenny Ngo Kevin Shively C east C rrid r Implementati n support taBle of Contents PRefaCe IntRoduCtIon and The Regional Vision............................................................................................1 PRojeCt oveRvIew Summary of the Growing Transit Communities Partnership..................................1 East Corridor Implementation Support Project.................................................... 4 Phase 1 Tasks and Station Areas Analyzed........................................................... 6 Best PRaCtices Research Purpose of the Best Practices Research..............................................................11 General Approach to the Best Practices Research................................................11 Research Framework–Key Questions Addressed by the Research..........................13 Best Practices Research Findings.......................................................................17 • Affordable Housing...........................................18 • Partnerships.......................................................58 • Business Retention and Attraction..................48 • Transportation Access and Connectivity.........73 assessment of statIon Areas Key Needs and Opportunities in Each Station Area............................................. 99 Assessment Methodology and Criteria..............................................................106 Partnership for Sustainable Communities Livability Principles..........................107 Assessment Matrix..........................................................................................108 Station Areas Selected for Phase 2 Focus...........................................................111 next stePs Phase 2 of the East Corridor Implementation Support Project............................119 Description of Work Elements...........................................................................119 Proposed Deliverables.....................................................................................127 Work Plan.......................................................................................................127 d east C rrid r Implementati n support Forces are charged with analyzing and reviewing focused implementation strategies and tools PRefaCe existing conditions, and identifying unique for specific East Corridor station areas. Seattle opportunities and challenges for development and Mercer Island had already completed The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) of current and future transit station areas. extensive planning for the station areas in is coordinating a regional effort called the their jurisdictions. (They each have one station Growing Transit Communities Partnership to in the corridor.) The cities of Bellevue and help make the most of voter-approved $15 east Corridor Implementation Redmond felt the station areas in the Bel-Red billion investments in regional high-capacity support Project Corridor were in most need of implementation transit. The Growing Transit Communities When developing the Growing Transit support. Given these considerations, the Partnership is funded by a grant from the Communities Partnership work plan, the partners Task Force determined that the East Corridor US Department of Housing and Urban felt that it was important to focus implementation Implementation Support Project should focus Development’s Sustainable Communities activities in specific station areas of the region’s on the following subset of East Corridor station Regional Planning Grant Program. transit corridors to serve as models for other parts areas in the cities of Bellevue and Redmond, of the region. In the case of the East Corridor, along East Link and King County Metro’s The Growing Transit Communities Partnership the intention was to work with the East Corridor RapidRide Route B stations: is supporting neighborhood planning for Task Force to identify what catalyst project, or sustainable communities around more than projects, were most appropriate. Light Rail Station Areas for the East Corridor seventy new transit centers—covering three Implementation Support Project: counties in sixteen cities—that are expected In 2011, the Sound Transit Board of Directors • Hospital Station Area in Bellevue in the region over the next few decades. made its final decision about the East Link • 120th Avenue NE/Spring Creek Station Area The Partnership’s goal is to put jobs and light rail transit (LRT) corridor alignment in Bellevue opportunities closer to where people live, and station locations. Also in 2011, King while sustaining a healthy environment and County Metro began operation of its Bus • 130th Avenue NE Station Area in Bellevue economy in the decades to come. Rapid Transit service (BRT) RapidRide line B. • Overlake Village Station Area in Redmond In order to help areas around LRT and BRT Planning activities focus along the three light stations transform into more transit-oriented • Overlake Transit Center Station Area rail corridors from Seattle north to the city of communities, the four cities participating in in Redmond Everett, south to Tacoma, and east to the city of the East Corridor Task Force (Seattle, Mercer Redmond. Task Forces have been formed for each Island, Bellevue, and Redmond) and other Task Existing Metro Transit RapidRide B Line Station of the three geographic corridors. These Task Force members were interested in developing Areas in Bellevue’s Crossroads Neighborhood: e east C rrid r Implementati n support four focus areas for East Corridor Task Force. In order to keep on schedule, the Task Force identified a subset of Implementation activities the members, called the Project Management The East Corridor Task Force examined key Team, who will help advance the project issues and potential barriers to transit-oriented and bring back timely matters to the Task development in the East Corridor. The Task Force for direction and decisions. The Project Force identified the need for detailed strategies Management Team members were solicited and action steps to implement existing local from the general membership of the Task Force plans, particularly in the areas of: and confirmed by the Task Force co-chairs. • Affordable Housing The Acknowledgements page lists Project Management Team members. • Business Retention and Attraction • Public and Private Partnerships Through spring 2012, the Project Management Team worked to finalize a work program, • Transportation Access and Connectivity. Northgate Walking Tour (Source: Growing Transit Communities, which was brought to the Task Force for Puget Sound Regional Council) approval. The selection process for the It is important to note that these four focus consultant team was handled through PSRC’s areas are not in order of priority, and that competitive procurement process, and a • NE 10th Street Station Area the Task Force specified that each focus area consultant team was selected and contracted should generally be given equal weight and • NE 15th Street Station Area with in early summer 2012. attention during the course of the project. The overall purpose of the East Corridor In July 2012, the consultant team and the Implementation Support Project is to advance east Corridor Implementation Project Management Team began working on implementation and move forward with steps support Project guidance Phase 1 of the East Corridor Implementation that have not already been completed by As the lead and fiduciary agent for the Support Project, which is detailed in the the cities of Bellevue and Redmond in their Growing Transit Communities Partnership chapters that follow. The last part of this Phase respective plans. The project will build on grant, PSRC has overall project management 1 report identifies the process by which the planning decisions that have already been responsibilities.