SUMMARY MINUTES OF SPECIAL DINNER MEETING

Monday, August 6, 2018 Conference Room 303 - Shoreline City Hall

5:45 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North

PRESENT: Mayor Hall, Deputy Mayor Salomon, Councilmembers McGlashan, Scully, McConnell, Chang and Roberts

ABSENT: None

STAFF: Debbie Tarry, City Manager; John Norris, Assistant City Manager; Randy Witt, Public Works Director; Nytasha Walters, Transportation Planning Manager; and Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk

GUESTS: Washington State Department of Transportation (WDOT): Patty Rubstello, Assistant Secretary of Urban Mobility and Access; Dylan Counts, Director of Regional Transit Coordination; Robin Mayhew, Director of Management of Mobility; and Celeste Gilman, Deputy Director of Regional Transit Coordination

At 5:47 p.m., Mayor Hall called the meeting to order and welcomed Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff to the meeting. Ms. Tarry thanked WSDOT staff for joining City staff on a tour of the 145^th Street Corridor prior to the meeting, and said she hopes it was informative and eye opening.

Councilmember Scully arrived at the meeting at 5:51 p.m.

Ms. Rubstello thanked the City Council for stepping up and demonstrating good multi-modal transportation planning for SR523. She briefly reviewed WSDOT’s organizational structure and said she is responsible for the Urban Mobility & Access Division which includes the Management of Mobility, Regional Transit Coordination, and Tolling Programs.

Councilmember McConnell arrived at the meeting at 5:58 p.m.

Ms. Rubstello shared that WSDOT’s Strategic Goals are Inclusion, Practical Solutions, and Workforce Development. The agency is working towards creating a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, and developing a proposed framework for future investment decisions that will guide the right investment, in the right location, at the right time. She reviewed how WSDOT is focusing on safety and meeting Target Zero goals, using technology in traffic centers and on roads, managing the consumer’s demands and giving people choices, and planning for system expansions that make sense. She talked about the I-5 System Partnership and explained that it is a collaboration of diverse stakeholders creating a vision for I-5 to preserve and redevelop the corridor in a way that optimizes performance for moving people and goods using 21st century tools and metrics, and develops transportation solutions appropriate to the changing needs and values of communities and economy.

Councilmember Chang asked how SR523 (145^th Street) will fit into the work of the I-5 System Partnership. Ms. Rubstello responded that WSDOT will continue working on the Master Plan for I-5 but should get behind the planning for SR523 and help to make it happen.

Councilmember McGlashan recalled Ms. Rubstello stating that adding capacity is sometimes the last resort and he questioned if the I-5 System Partnership is looking at more than just capacity. Ms. Rubstello said nothing is off the table, and they are looking at multi-modal options. Councilmember McGlashan mentioned the idea of building freeway lids that are park-like and said getting people out of their cars and providing them with the ability to get across I-5 will reconnect neighborhoods. He requested that Shoreline be part of the I-5 System Partnership conversation.

Mayor Hall recalled that if a pedestrian bridge is built across I-5 at 148^th Street, the Light Rail Station walkshed will be significantly increased. There is potential for 60 acres of high density zoned land to be developed, and there will not be enough parking spots in the Station garage for this density. The bridge can connect thousands of households with light rail. He emphasized this is a congestion project that Shoreline would like to partner with WSDOT on. Councilmember Scully added that Shoreline has invested $500,000 on designing this bridge, and Shoreline really needs this project. Ms. Rubstello replied that WSDOT thinks in terms of where vehicles and pedestrians start their trip and all the places they travel to get to their end destination. They then design their projects to look at how vehicles, pedestrians, buses, and freight use spaces, while thinking about safety. She agreed the I-5 Interchange is not safe. She stated the Legislature is who dictates which projects get funded and noted the Legislature wants to do projects that matter.

Councilmember Roberts said it is smart to think about freeways moving people and freight, and not simply vehicles. He said a big congestion point is when an HOV lane ends and he asked if WSDOT plans to extend the lanes any further. Ms. Rubstello responded that WSDOT has a HOV System Plan but it is not actively using it, except for in Tacoma. She admitted that HOV lanes on I-5 are not performing well. There are too many vehicles using the lanes, and too many drivers violating the HOV rules, which make the fees go up substantially. WSDOT has identified there are repeat offenders and determined the $136 HOV penalty fee is not enough of a deterrent for violators. They are looking at maximizing the number of persons allowed in the HOV lane, and offering the option of driving on the road shoulder during peak commute times. Councilmember McGlashan said he liked the idea of motorcycles driving on the shoulder, but noted debris would need to be routinely removed.

Mayor Hall mentioned metering of the I-5 on-ramp at 145^th Street and said the sooner the State can find a path for a tolling system, the better the system will work for everyone. Councilmember Chang pointed out that people have to move further out in order find more affordable housing, so tolling them is challenging. There was discussion over the idea of replacing the gas tax with a distance fee.

Councilmember Roberts asked if WSDOT has a policy for adding pedestrian improvements when redoing a corridor and Ms. Rubstello responded that mobility is definitely evaluated.

Councilmember Chang inquired where WSDOT is with planning for autonomous vehicles.

Ms. Rubstello said there are many questions to be addressed, like who is liable in an accident, who owns the vehicles, and is there a possibility of one round-trip turning into several round-trips when the vehicle drives without passengers. She noted there are benefits of autonomous vehicles as well, for example getting people to mass transit, and helping people with mobility issues to get out of the house more often.

Mayor Hall asked about WSDOT’s plans for culverts, and Ms. Rubstello replied that the biggest challenge right now is funding the culvert at 145^th Street.

Deputy Mayor Salomon arrived at the meeting at 6:39 p.m.

Mayor Hall stated Shoreline’s desire to have a strong partnership with WSDOT and asked how Shoreline can support them. Ms. Rubstello responded that what they need is a strong multi-jurisdictional partnership and to continue talking with the Legislature. Mayor Hall thanked WSDOT staff for attending and said the City looks forward to continuing working together to develop transportation solutions that benefit the community.

At 6:44 p.m. the meeting adjourned.

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Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk