Regional Transit Long-Range Plan Update Scoping Summary Report February 2014 Scoping Summary Report Contents 1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 2 Purpose of Report ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 3 Long-Range Plan Update Process ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 4 Scoping Process Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 4.1 Public notices --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 4.2 Public scoping meetings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 4.3 Agency scoping ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7 4.4 Other outreach ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 4.5 Comment opportunities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 5 Summary of Comments ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 5.1 Overview of comments --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 5.2 Comments from agencies, tribes, and jurisdictions ---------------------------------------------- 10 5.2.1 Washington State Department of Ecology ----------------------------------------------- 10 5.2.2 Washington State Department of Transportation -------------------------------------- 10 5.2.3 Muckleshoot Indian Tribe ------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 5.2.4 Puget Sound Regional Council ------------------------------------------------------------- 11 5.2.5 Community Transit -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 5.2.6 King County Metro --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 5.2.7 Metropolitan King County Council --------------------------------------------------------- 15 5.2.8 Snohomish County --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 5.2.9 City of Bellevue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 5.2.10 City of Bothell -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 5.2.11 City of Edmonds------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 17 5.2.12 City of Everett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17 5.2.13 City of Fife ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 5.2.14 City of Issaquah ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 5.2.15 City of Kenmore ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18 5.2.16 City of Kent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 5.2.17 City of Kirkland ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 5.2.18 City of Lake Forest Park -------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 5.2.19 City of Lakewood ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 5.2.20 City of Lynnwood ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 5.2.21 City of Mountlake Terrace ------------------------------------------------------------------ 20 5.2.22 City of Puyallup ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21 5.2.23 City of Redmond ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 5.2.24 City of Renton -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 5.2.25 City of SeaTac -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 5.2.26 City of Seattle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 5.2.27 City of Shoreline ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 5.2.28 City of Snohomish --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 5.2.29 City of Tukwila ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 5.2.30 City of Woodinville --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 February 2014 | i Regional Transit Long-Range Plan Update 5.2.31 Port of Seattle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 5.2.32 University of Washington ------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 5.3 Comments from stakeholder organizations -------------------------------------------------------- 26 5.3.1 Bellevue Chamber of Commerce ---------------------------------------------------------- 26 5.3.2 Bellevue Downtown Association ----------------------------------------------------------- 26 5.3.3 Cascade Bicycle Club ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27 5.3.4 Eastside Rail Corridor Regional Advisory Council --------------------------------------- 27 5.3.5 Eastside Transportation Association ------------------------------------------------------ 27 5.3.6 FeetFirst, Futurewise, Housing Development Consortium Seattle-King County, OneAmerica, Puget Sound Sage, Transportation Choices Coalition, Washington Bikes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 5.3.7 Lake2Bay Coalition -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 5.3.8 Northwest Progressive Institute ----------------------------------------------------------- 28 5.3.9 SeaShore Transportation Forum ---------------------------------------------------------- 29 5.3.10 Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce -------------------------------------------- 30 5.3.11 Seattle Subway ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 5.3.12 Upper Eastside TRailway ------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 5.3.13 West Seattle Transportation Coalition ---------------------------------------------------- 30 5.4 Comments from the general public ----------------------------------------------------------------- 31 5.4.1 Service ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 5.4.2 Corridors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 5.4.3 Modes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32 5.4.4 Access ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 5.4.5 Roads and highways ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 33 5.4.6 Environment ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 5.4.7 Funding ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 5.4.8 Multiple agencies/coordination ------------------------------------------------------------ 36 6 Next Steps ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37 Table Table 4-1. Online and print display advertisements ------------------------------------------------------------- 5 Table 4-2. Date and location of scoping meetings -------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Appendixes Appendix A Poster Distribution Locations and Images Appendix B “Dot Exercise” Results Appendix C Topline Results of the Online Survey Attachment Verbatim Comments Received (CD insert in back cover) ii | February 2014 Scoping Summary Report Acronyms and Abbreviations BAT business access and transit BNSF Burlington Northern-Santa Fe BRT bus rapid transit Ecology Washington State Department of Ecology EIS environmental impact statement ERC Eastside Rail Corridor FTA Federal Transit Administration HCT high-capacity transit HOV high-occupancy vehicle I-5 Interstate 5 LRP Long-Range Plan LRT light rail transit PSRC Puget Sound Regional Council RTA Regional Transit Authority SEIS supplemental environmental impact statement SEPA State Environmental Policy Act SR State Route ST Sound Transit ST2 Sound Transit 2 TOD transit-oriented development UW University of Washington WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation February 2014 | iii Scoping Summary Report 1 Introduction Sound Transit is considering updating the 2005 Regional Transit Long-Range Plan. An updated plan will guide the Agency’s future efforts to provide additional high-capacity transit (HCT) facilities and services within Sound Transit’s regional transit district of urbanized Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. Sound Transit’s Long-Range Plan was originally developed in 1996 (The Regional Transit Long-Range Vision, As Adopted May 31, 1996) and last updated in 2005 (Regional Transit Long-Range Plan Adopted July 7, 2005). Sound Transit is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to inform the new Long-Range Plan update. The SEIS is being prepared in accordance with Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), which requires environmental review at the plan level when a government agency is preparing to adopt or amend a plan such as the Long-Range Plan. In October 2013,