INTERCHANGE JUSTIFICATION REPORT Draft SR 509 East D Street Interchange Project December 2012 DRAFT Interchange Justification Report SR 509 East D Street Interchange Project Tacoma, Washington Submitted to City of Tacoma Tacoma, Washington 20 December 2012 Submitted by BergerABAM, Inc. 33301 Ninth Avenue South, Suite 300 Federal Way, Washington 98003-2600 In association with Fehr and Peers Heffron Transportation Merritt Architecture Shannon & Wilson Inc. Widener & Associates Job No. A12.0149 INTERCHANGE JUSTIFICATION REPORT SR 509 East D Street Interchange Project Tacoma, Washington TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION PAGE 1.0 POLICY POINT 1: NEED FOR ACCESS POINT REVISION .......................................................... 1 1.1 Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Transportation Demand ................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Roadway Linkages and Access ....................................................................... 2 1.1.3 Traffic Operations ............................................................................................ 2 1.1.4 Safety ............................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Analysis and Data ......................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Forecasting ...................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Planned Improvements ................................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Operational and Safety Analysis Methods and Assumptions ........................ 6 1.3 Existing Conditions (2012) .......................................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Study Area ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3.2 Transportation Demand ................................................................................... 7 1.3.3 Roadway Linkages and Access ....................................................................... 7 1.3.4 Traffic Operations ............................................................................................ 8 1.3.5 Safety .............................................................................................................16 1.4 No-Build Option Conditions for 2035 (Design Year) .................................................19 1.4.1 Transportation Demand .................................................................................19 1.4.2 Roadway Linkages and Access .....................................................................20 1.4.3 Traffic Operations ..........................................................................................20 1.4.4 Safety .............................................................................................................27 1.5 No-Build Option Conditions for 2015 (Year of Opening) ..........................................29 1.5.1 Transportation Demand .................................................................................29 1.5.2 Roadway Linkages and Access .....................................................................30 1.5.3 Traffic Operations ..........................................................................................30 1.5.4 Safety .............................................................................................................35 1.6 Transportation Demand Management Strategies ....................................................35 1.7 Conclusions ................................................................................................................36 2.0 POLICY POINT 2: REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES .................................................................. 39 2.1 Summary .....................................................................................................................39 2.2 Alternatives Developed ..............................................................................................39 2.3 Alternative Screening ................................................................................................48 2.4 Recommended Configuration ....................................................................................50 2.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................50 3.0 POLICY POINT 3: OPERATIONAL AND COLLISION ANALYSIS ............................................... 51 3.1 Summary .....................................................................................................................51 3.2 Analysis Methods and Assumptions .........................................................................51 3.2.1 Travel Demand Forecasting ..........................................................................52 City of Tacoma BergerABAM, A12.0149 DRAFT SR 509 East D Street Interchange Project 20 December 2012 Tacoma, Washington Page i of ix 3.2.2 Operational and Safety Analysis ...................................................................52 3.2.3 Collision Forecast Methodology ...................................................................52 3.3 Design Year Operations (2035) .................................................................................52 3.3.1 Transportation Demand .................................................................................52 3.3.2 Roadway Linkages and Access .....................................................................55 3.3.3 Traffic Operations ..........................................................................................55 3.3.4 Safety .............................................................................................................64 3.4 Year of Opening Conditions (2015) ...........................................................................66 3.4.1 Transportation Demand .................................................................................66 3.4.2 Roadway Linkages and Access .....................................................................66 3.4.3 Traffic Operations ..........................................................................................66 3.4.4 Safety .............................................................................................................72 3.5 Midday Conditions .....................................................................................................72 3.6 Conclusions ................................................................................................................72 4.0 POLICY POINT 4: ACCESS CONNECTIONS AND DESIGN ...................................................... 74 4.1 Summary .....................................................................................................................74 4.2 Directionality ..............................................................................................................74 4.3 Access Connections to Public Roads ........................................................................74 4.4 Design Standards and Deviations .............................................................................74 4.5 Justification ................................................................................................................75 4.6 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................75 5.0 POLICY POINT 5: LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLANS .............................................. 76 5.1 Summary .....................................................................................................................76 5.2 Land Use .....................................................................................................................76 5.2.1 Current Land Use and Zoning .......................................................................76 5.2.2 Future Land Use .............................................................................................77 5.2.3 Land Use Impacts ..........................................................................................77 5.3 Local Transportation and Land Use Plans ................................................................77 5.3.1 City of Tacoma Comprehensive Plan ............................................................77 5.3.2 City of Tacoma Capital Facilities Program (Metro Parks Tacoma – Waterway Park) ..........................................................................................................77 5.3.3 City of Tacoma Shoreline Master Program ..................................................78 5.3.4 Tideflats Area Transportation Study .............................................................78 5.3.5 Thea Foss Development Authority Master Redevelopment Strategy .........78 5.4 Statewide Transportation Plans ................................................................................79 5.4.1 WSDOT Washington State Transportation Plan ...........................................79 5.4.2 WSDOT State Highway System Plan .............................................................79 5.5 Regional Transportation Plans ..................................................................................79 5.5.1 Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation 2040 Plan .........................79