CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
Monday, February 25, 2008 Shoreline Conference Center
6:00 p.m. Highlander Room
PRESENT: Mayor Cindy Ryu, Deputy Mayor Terry Scott, and Councilmembers Keith McGlashan, Chris Eggen, Janet Way, Doris McConnell, and Ron Hansen
ABSENT: none
STAFF: Bob Olander, City Manager; Julie Modrzejewski, Assistant City Manager; Mark Relph, Public Works Director; Scott MacColl, Intergovernmental Program Manager
GUESTS: Sound Transit: Joanie Earl, CEO, Sound Transit; Matt Shelden, North Corridor Lead Planner; Patrice Hardy
King County Councilmember Bob Ferguson Staff: Megan Heahlke
Mayor Ryu called the meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. There were introductions around the table.
Joanie Earl started by discussing Proposition 1 and provided some reasons for why Sound Transit believes it failed in November. Quality and quantitative research was conducted a few weeks after to determine why it failed. Voters stated that it was too big, complex, too long a timeframe, too expensive. People did not understand what was in it. In December Sound Transit asked what could be implemented faster by 2020 with a lesser tax rate and could still meet demand in corridors. A needs report was prepared including growth projections for PSRC. The Board held a workshop on March 6 to discuss whether or not to go back to the voters this year or in 2010. The Board needs to decide by the end of March if they are to go out in 2008. If it is this November election, then in June or July the final plan needs to be adopted in order to make the ballot.
Bob Olander stated that the City is concerned with the short timeframe for feedback on the proposal and believes it runs the risk of being criticized by the public.
Joanie Earl said that the new Sound Transit website was developed and is designed to learn the public’s priorities.
Mayor Ryu is concerned with the taxing length from 2009 to 2020 and asked it would slide back if done in 2010. Ms. Earl said that it depends because it’s hard to determine the strategy. Mayor Ryu said that she understands that the Sound Move tax is collected partially by sales tax, MVET, and car rental tax and when the debt is retired it rolls back to pay to operate the system. Ms. Earl said that MVET would be repealed in 2027.
Deputy Mayor Scott asked what was Sound Transit’s part in the failure. Ms. Earl responded that there is no evidence that roads or transit caused the failure. What they have learned is that the public wanted it separated, more incremental, and 80% said the cost was too much with not a lot of project detail. She stated that Sound Transit needs to demonstrate more accountability to the public and that means they need to be more specific with the project schedule.
Matt Shelden stated that they had to shrink the light-rail portions of the proposal and said that most buses use the HOV lanes; however, they would need to work with the State to improve the lanes. Mr. Shelden questioned if it made sense to invest in more bus service if the HOV system isn’t working and this would need to be looked at. Ms. Earl stated that Sound Transit staff is currently developing varying scenarios for the Board to review.
Councilmember Way asked if Sound Transit considered making the service free such as LINK in Tacoma does. Ms. Earl said that there is 1.6 miles of the streetcar system in Pierce County that determined that the cost to collect the fares would cost more than what it would generate.
Mayor Ryu stated that Sound Transit is light-rail and it seems like Sound Transit is duplicating Metro. This is of concern since the Sound Transit Board isn’t elected by the public. Ms. Earl said that Sound Transit is working hard not to duplicate services. They’ve worked with Snohomish County to create multiple buses in Lynnwood. Community Transit and Sound Transit work at augmenting each other. She said that there has been some ongoing discussion regarding a governance structure such as a federated model.
Mr. Shelden said that they are trying to complement each other. They looked at widening the north corridor along I-5 for BRT in Shoreline. However, there isn’t a wide enough median and so it would create too large an impact. He stated that they did look at 185th but estimates came in at $200 million to put an access site at that location; parking would add to the costs. From a rider-ship perspective, significant rider-ship doesn’t exist in Shoreline and Proposition 1 did include light-rail north through Shoreline.
Councilmember Way asked if Sound Transit considered east-west connections and systems. Mr. Shelden said that they are looking at improving access to the system and questioned where it makes sense to feed the system. Metro service is focused at Northgate.
Keith McGlashan said that BRT is different here than in Europe where they take the vehicles out of BRT. Earl said that the State’s policy is that BRT should be at 45 mph at least 90% of the time. Matt said that they are moving toward a HOV based-BRT system. Scott MacColl asked if light-rail on 1-5 would run into the same problem. Matt said that the east side is elevated.
Mr. Shelden said that they want to connect buses at Northgate Transit Center and not take them off the freeway center freeway station. This would provide access to new markets (Northgate, Capitol Hill, Bellevue and Overlake). It would work if Community Transit wanted to serve it. The Sounder serves the north corridor but it will not add service because the market is limited in Shoreline. Mukilteo and Edmonds isn’t a large market, but they have the ability to add capacity. They are working on a parking expansion in Everett. With Ballard and Richmond Beach it doesn’t generate enough rider-ship. Mr. Shelden continued that there just isn’t a reasonable way to provide access to Shoreline.
Ms. Earl asked what is it Shoreline would define as the most effective investment. Bob Olander stated that staff has a number of concerns with the proposal: 1) with the draft due at the end of March it is hard to change or influence changes; 2) substantial investment in Sound Transit - why invest in HOV lanes if they are congested - this is a logical concern; 3) work on Metro service; and 4) Sound Transit 1 included at 145th and 185th light-rail; Sound Transit 2 should include at the very least planning/engineering to convert these into light rail stations in the future. Shoreline is 15th largest city and while we understand that we’re not a major employment center our residents are employed and they vote. Mr. Olander continued that the main concern is that there’s nothing that directly benefits residents of Shoreline and for 12 years we have talked about light rail to our City. Staff cannot support ST2.
Ms. Earl stated that the proposal has not been presented to the Board. Mr. Olander said staff’s first option is extension of light rail at least to Ballinger or maybe at 185th. Ultimately, we would need some freeway stop or direct access to Sound Transit buses or light rail.
Mayor Ryu agrees and said that approximately $3-4 million annually goes to Sound Transit and that provides a few more buses but on the existing roads; it’s going to be a hard sell to the public.
Councilmember Eggen stated that while door-belling and talking to taxpayers he heard a significant amount of resistance; Sound Transit needs to pay off in a reasonable time.
Ms. Earl added that they had to look at what they could do incrementally. Light rail has a high capital cost, but with an effective bus connector system that’s how it can work. There are 54 cities in the Sound Transit District; every city wants to see it.
Deputy Mayor Scott agrees with his fellow Councilmembers and staff. Our citizens understand and want to contribute and asked: Are we spending a lot for little impact? Are we going to voters too quickly?
Councilmember McGlashan said that people support light rail; but people want to get the other person out of their car. It would be helpful to find some way to serve Shoreline - some loop system to deliver them to light rail. Ms. Earl said that the plan is to take light rail to the University of Washington by 2016.
The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
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Julie Modrzejewski, Assistant City Manager