1 of 11 Funding Application Competition Regional TAP Application Type Bicycle and Pedestrian Status submitted Submitted: September 20th, 2017 4:37 PM Project Information 1. Project Title White Center-RapidRide H Line Non-Motorized Safety Improvements 2. Transportation 2040 ID N/A 3. Sponsoring Agency King County Metro 4. Cosponsors N/A 5. Does the sponsoring agency have "Certification Acceptance" status from WSDOT? Yes 6. If not, which agency will serve as your CA sponsor? N/A Contact Information 1. Contact name David Morrison 2. Contact phone 206-477-3818 3. Contact email [email protected] Project Description 1. Project Scope This project will fund design and construction of missing segments of sidewalk, safety improvements to pedestrian crossings, bicycle corridor treatments and transit-related bicycle parking in King County's White Center designated activity center. The project connects and fills gaps in the pedestrian and bicycle network between the 2,550 residents of the Greenbridge mixed-income development (King County Housing Authority) and a future King County Metro RapidRide H line station that will provide frequent transit to multiple regional growth and manufacturing/industrial centers in Seattle and Burien for jobs, educational opportunities, medical and other services. 2. Project Justification, Need, or Purpose This project provides safety improvements along 100 SW – a direct east-west corridor connecting Greenbridge residents to a new RapidRide bus station near 16th Avenue SW. The improvements will increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between a major mixed-income housing development, local destinations, and the RapidRide H line with frequent service to jobs and other services. The project constructs missing sidewalks along SW 100th Street where none exist currently along a very steep grade and complicated intersection. Five collisions involving pedestrians have occurred along 100th SW between 2009 and 2016. White Center is King County's only designated unincorporated activity center. It is an area where resources are limited and needs are high. This project will improve non-motorized safety along this segment of critical infrastructure located in urban unincorporated King safety along this segment of critical infrastructure located in urban unincorporated King 2 of 11 County, The project will complete a new link in a network of current or planned pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the White Center Area, leveraging investments by other sources. Those other facilities include: the existing off-road path on 12th Avenue SW funded by King County’s Water and Land Resources Division; the existing trail and stair connection between the Greenbridge development and 12th Avenue SW funded by an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act grant received by King County; the future protected bike lane on SW Roxbury Street planned for installation by the City of Seattle; King County Housing Authority and King County Road Services non-motorized improvements along 4th Avenue SW and sidewalk improvements funded as a part of the next stage of the Greenbridge development. The project helps implement King County Metro's long-range plan METRO CONNECTS, which calls for increasing and improving safe walking and bicycling as a key strategy for access to transit. In urban areas, METRO CONNECTS calls for 96% of people reaching transit by walking or biking. To achieve this vision, people need to both be safe and feel safe when traveling to and from transit service. This proposed project directly addresses access to the RapidRide H Line - an upgrade of current Route 120 - which will provide seven-day frequent service connecting the Burien Regional Growth Center, the Duwamish Manufacturing-Industrial Center, and multiple Regional Growth Centers in downtown Seattle by way of the Delridge corridor and White Center. From this route, riders can connect to RapidRide C Line at Westwood Village, RapidRide F Line at Burien (with further connections to Link, Sounder and Sea-Tac Airport), and all of downtown Seattle’s bus, rail and ferry services. White Center and Greenbridge residents are disproportionally lower-income, minority and limited English speakers. Safe, multi-modal mobility options are critical to ensuring that this community has full access to opportunities, both in White Center and via transit to the region's centers. Project Location 1. Project Location The project corridor is SW 100th Street between 10th Avenue SW and 16th Avenue SW. 2. Please identify the county(ies) in which the project is located. King 3. Crossroad/landmark nearest the beginning of the project SW 100th Street at 10th Ave SW. 4. Crossroad/landmark nearest the end of the project SW 100th Street at 16th Ave SW. 5. Map and project graphics King_County_Metro_TAP_Access_to_Transit_Project_Area_Context_Map.pdf, King_County_Metro_TAP_Access_to_Transit_Project_Map.pdf, King_County_Metro_TAP_Access_to_Transit_Section_Drawing.pdf Plan Consistency 1. Is the project specifically identified in a local comprehensive plan? Yes 2. If yes, please indicate the (1) plan name, (2) relevant section(s), and (3) page number where it can be found. This project is included in the King County Metro 2017-19 adopted budget which is included in the King County Comprehensive Plan by reference. The appropriation title is MC RR Expansion, project number 1129747. The project is an Access to Transit improvement supporting Metro’s RapidRide expansion and development. With this funding authority, Metro has entered the planning phase for RapidRide H and will roll out the new service by 2020. The appropriated Metro budget will provide match to TAP grant funds. Additionally, this project supports the King County Comprehensive Plan, specifically policies T- 101 and T-101a. It is also consistent with METRO CONNECTS and the King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation, both adopted by the King County Council. It also supports the most current White Center Community Action Plan, adopted in 1994. Specific citations are as follows: King County Comprehensive Plan (updated December 5, 2016) King County Guiding Principles RP-204 , Chapter Two – Urban Communities Policies U-154, U- 171, Chapter Four – Housing and Human Services Policy H-204, Chapter Eight - Transportation; Policies T-101a, T-102, T-230, T-231, T-233, T-234, T-237, T-313 (Referenced policies may be found on pages 1-17, 2-21, 2-27, 4-22, 8-9, 8-9, 8-21-22, 8-30). Specifically the plan says unincorporated activity centers should include “safe and attractive walkways and bicycle facilities for all ages and abilities, with access to each major destination including schools, community centers and commercial areas.” schools, community centers and commercial areas.” 3 of 11 King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021 (Updated 2013) Objectives and Strategies: 2.1.1, 2.1.4, 3.1.1, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.1 found on pages 18-24. METRO CONNECTS (2017) Access to Transit Section (Pages 54-57). In high density areas, transit access improvements will focus on bicycle and pedestrian facilities. White Center Action Plan (1994) Vision: An Accessible Community (Page 5), Chapter 6: Economic and Community Development ECD-9-11(Page 74). The plan states that new major residential developments should include low-impact design features and should promote public health by increasing opportunities for physical activity in daily life. The development should include: “safe walkways and bicycle facilities for all ages and abilities with access to commercial areas, schools, and community facilities; trails; and pocket parks.” 3. If no, please describe how the project is consistent with the applicable local comprehensive plan, including specific local policies and provisions the project supports. N/A Federal Functional Classification 1. Functional class name 00 Not applicable (transit, enhancements, Etc.) Support for Centers 1. Describe the relationship of the project to the center(s) it is intended to support. For example, is it located within a designated regional, countywide or local center, or is it located along a corridor connecting to one of these areas? The project is located in the White Center designated unincorporated activity center, the only such center in King County. In its own right, it is a fast-growing center for businesses, residential development and local services. In addition, the area’s residents depend on transit connections to other centers in South King County, Seattle and elsewhere in the region for jobs, education, social and medical services. Transit provides those connections, currently via Routes 120 and 128, and in the future via RapidRide H Line. The route 120/RapidRide H Line directly serves regionally designated centers including those in Seattle, Burien and the Duwamish Manufacturing and Industrial Center. From the H Line, riders can connect to other routes in the frequent service network, including RapidRide C and F lines, Link Light Rail, Sounder Commuter Rail, and ferry services. The regional centers provide jobs and educational opportunities at range of skill levels and wages. These opportunities often require travel at night, on weekends or at other times outside hours of peak transit service, making access to frequent transit essential. Area residents already depend on the existing Route 120, with an average of 675 daily boardings in White Center at the stops located at 15th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury St and 15th Avenue SW and SW 100th Street. These two stop-pairs account for 7.4% of the route’s total ridership of approximately 9,200 people per day. Only Burien and downtown Seattle attract more Route 120 riders than White Center. Route 120 is part of Metro’s frequent service network, operating every 15 minutes weekdays from 4 AM through 1 AM and weekends every 30 minutes from 5:30 AM to 1:20 AM. When converted to RapidRide H in 2020, the route will offer even greater frequencies over a longer service span with ridership projected to triple to about 1900 daily boardings in White Center and 27,600 daily boardings for the route as a whole.