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Home My WebLink AboutAppendix J - Energy Tech Memo I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project, I-5 to SR 169 ENERGY DISCIPLINE REPORT October 2005 %&e( !"b$ AÉ !"`$ !"`$ Aæ %&e( Bothell Kirkland Bellevue Renton AÊ AÐ Aí Aô AÌ Aí Aç AÅ Lake Washington Arterial Road Freeway Municipality Lake Park M0 2 Miles I-405 Project Area Renton Nickel Improvement Project ENERGY MEMORANDUM I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project Prepared for Washington State Department of Transportation Urban Corridors Office And Federal Highway Administration Prepared by Karen Comings, DMJM Harris October 26, 2005 Title VI WSDOT ensures full compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by prohibiting discrimination against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin or sex in the provision of benefits and services resulting from its federally assisted programs and activities. For questions regarding WSDOT's Title VI Program, you may contact the Department's Title VI Coordinator at 360. 705.7098. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information If you would like copies of this document in an alternate format—large print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk, please call 360.705.7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service, or Tele-Braille at 7-1-1, Voice 1.800.833.6384, and ask to be connected to 360.705.7097. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum i T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................................iii Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Memorandum ............................................................................................iv Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................1 What is the Renton Nickel Improvement Project? ...........................................................................................................1 What is the No Build Alternative?................................................................................................................................2 What is the Build Alternative?.....................................................................................................................................2 How will stormwater from the project be managed? .................................................................................................12 What environmental and utilities issues influenced the project design and what was done to avoid and minimize project effects?....................................................................................................................................13 What is planned for wetland and stream mitigation?.....................................................................................................16 What benefits will the project provide?......................................................................................................................17 How will the project incorporate community design preferences?.............................................................................17 How will the project be constructed?.........................................................................................................................18 Why do we consider energy as we plan this project?....................................................................................................19 What are the key points of this report?..........................................................................................................................20 Existing Conditions.........................................................................................................................................................21 What information was used to estimate energy use?....................................................................................................21 How was the study area analyzed?...........................................................................................................................21 How was Average Daily Speed calculated?..............................................................................................................21 How much energy is currently used in the study area?.................................................................................................22 Potential Effects...............................................................................................................................................................23 What methods were used to evaluate the project’s potential effects?...........................................................................23 How much energy is used in the area if the project is not built?....................................................................................24 How much energy is used if the project is built?............................................................................................................25 How much energy will be used to construct the project?...............................................................................................26 What indirect effects will this project have?...................................................................................................................26 Measures to Avoid or Minimize Project Effects ............................................................................................................27 What mitigation is proposed? ........................................................................................................................................27 References........................................................................................................................................................................28 TABLE OF CONTENTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project ii Energy Memorandum E XHIBITS Exhibit 1. Project Vicinity Map..........................................................................................................................................1 Exhibit 2. Project Overview Section 1..............................................................................................................................3 Exhibit 3. Project Overview Section 2..............................................................................................................................4 Exhibit 4. Project Overview Section 3..............................................................................................................................5 Exhibit 5. Project Overview Section 4..............................................................................................................................6 Exhibit 6. Project Overview Section 5..............................................................................................................................7 Exhibit 7. Project Overview Section 6..............................................................................................................................8 Exhibit 8. Project Overview Section 7..............................................................................................................................9 Exhibit 9. Project Overview Section 8............................................................................................................................10 Exhibit 10. Average Automobile Fuel Consumption Rate..............................................................................................21 Exhibit 11. Fuel Consumption Under Existing Conditions...............................................................................................22 Exhibit 12. Fuel Consumption in 2030 Without the Project.............................................................................................24 Exhibit 13. Fuel Consumption for Alternate Routes Under the No Build Alternative.......................................................25 Exhibit 14. Fuel Consumption in 2030 With the Project Built..........................................................................................25 Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum iii GLOSSARY Average daily speed The speed at which vehicles travel a specific road over the entire day. British Thermal Unit This unit is the British standard and measures energy. One BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at its maximum density, which occurs at a temperature of 39.1 degrees Fahrenheit. Commuter hours This refers to those periods in the morning and afternoon when most people travel to and from work. Commuter hours are also referred to as rush hours and in travel models as peak hours. Fuel consumption rate The rate at which vehicles consume fuel while traveling between specific points. general-purpose lane A freeway or arterial lane available for use by all traffic. High-occupancy vehicle These vehicles carry two or more passengers and can drive in the lane restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants. These vehicles are buses, vanpools, and carpools. Hybrid vehicle This vehicle type uses a combination of fuel sources. These are generally electric battery and gasoline or diesel fuel. Rush hour The time during which the heaviest traffic occurs. Rush hour occurs twice each weekday, once during the morning commute and once during the afternoon commute. Renton Nickel Improvement Project iv Energy Memorandum ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS MEMORANDUM ADT Average Daily Traffic BMP Best Management Practice BTU British Thermal Unit CSS Context Sensitive Solutions DVM Daily Vehicle Miles FHWA Federal Highway Administration GP General Purpose HOV High-Occupancy Vehicle mpg Miles per gallon mph Miles per hour WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 1 INTRODUCTION What is the Renton Nickel Improvement Project? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is a highway expansion project that will improve mobility and safety through Tukwila and Renton. On I-405, this project begins just east of the I-5/I-405 interchange in Tukwila and extends north past the Cedar River to the SR 169 (Maple Valley Highway) interchange. The project will build an additional lane both northbound and southbound between I-5 and SR 169. On SR 167, the project will extend the southbound high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane north to I-405 and add a southbound auxiliary lane from I-405 to the SW 41st Street off-ramp. These limits comprise the study area for the project. Prior to planning this specific project, WSDOT created the I-405 Corridor Program. This program provides a comprehensive strategy to reduce congestion and improve mobility throughout the I-405 corridor. The corridor begins at the I-5 interchange in the city of Tukwila and extends northward 30 miles to the I-5 interchange in the city of Lynnwood. The program’s purpose is to provide an efficient, integrated, and multimodal system of transportation solutions. Using the I-405 Corridor Program’s Selected Alternative as the Master Plan to improve I-405, WSDOT developed relatively low cost, congestion relief roadway improvements as an interim step in achieving the Master Plan. As part of this effort, WSDOT began to define the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project was developed as part of a first step in providing a focused strategy to improve I-405 between I-5 in Tukwila and SR 169 in Renton and SR 167 southbound from I-405 to SW 41st Street, see Exhibit 1. This discipline report analyzes two project alternatives: the No Build Alternative and the Build Alternative. Exhibit 1. Project Vicinity Map G r e en R i v e r C e d ar Riv er Interurban TrailCedar River Interpretive Trail Panther Creek Wetlands Green River TrailBlack River Riparian Forest Fort Dent Park Cedar River Park Liberty Park SW 41st St S W 3 4 t h S t S W 2 7 t h S t SW 16th St Southcenter ParkwayW Valley HwyI n t e r u r ban Ave SMa ple V alley H w yRainier Ave SS W Sun s e t B lvdS W 7 t h S t S W G r a d y W a y Lind Ave SWTUKWILA RENTON S pri n g br ook CreekBenson Rd SSW 23rd St Talbot Rd SBenson Dr SI-405 Northern Project Limit at SR 169 I-405 Southern Project Limit at I-5 !"`$ %&e( Aæ Aç Aí SR 167 Southern Project Limit at SW 41st St 0 0.25 0.5 Miles M AÅ Arterial Road Freeway Trail Stream Lake Park Municipality INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 2 Energy Memorandum What is the No Build Alternative? The No Build Alternative assumes that only routine activities such as road maintenance, repair, and safety improvements would take place over the next 20 years. This alternative does not include improvements to increase roadway capacity or reduce congestion. For these reasons, it does not satisfy the project’s purpose—improve I-405 between I-5 in Tukwila and SR 169 in Renton and SR 167 southbound from I-405 to SW 41st Street. The No Build Alternative has been evaluated in this discipline report to establish a baseline for comparing the effects associated with the Build Alternative. What is the Build Alternative? The new lanes that will be built under this project are: An I-405 northbound general-purpose (GP) lane from I-5 to the SR 167 off-ramp. An I-405 northbound auxiliary lane from the SR 167 to I-405 on-ramp to the SR 169 off-ramp. An I-405 southbound auxiliary lane from the SR 169 to I-405 on-ramp to the SR 167 off-ramp. An I-405 southbound GP lane from the SR 167 to I-405 on-ramp to the I-5 off-ramp. A SR 167 southbound auxiliary lane from I-405 to the SW 41st Street off-ramp. Also, the existing inside HOV lane will be extended north to I-405 from its present starting point in the vicinity of SW 21st Street. See Exhibits 2 through 9 show the project features. In addition to adding lanes to I-405 and SR 167, this project will provide the following improvements. Improve Interchanges Minor modifications will be made to the ramps at the SR 167 interchange: The one-lane ramp from northbound I-405 to SR 167 will be widened to a 2-lane off connection, which provides a dedicated lane to southbound SR 167 and a dedicated lane to northbound Rainer Avenue. See Exhibit 5. Traffic from two consecutive single-lane on- ramps from southbound I-405 to SR 167 will be separated by a concrete barrier. This will provide a smoother transition to the mainline and reduce congestion on the on-ramps. What is an auxiliary lane? An auxiliary lane is a lane added between interchanges—from one on-ramp to the next off-ramp. It is dedicated to traffic entering and leaving the freeway and provides motorists with more time and extra room to accelerate or decelerate and merge when getting on and off the freeway. 89:P 89:T Existing On-ramp On-ramp with proposed auxiliary lane INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 3 T u k w i l a P a r k w a y I-405 Southern Project Limit at I-5 Gilliam Creek Cottage Creek Westfield Shoppingtown MallSouthcenter ParkwaySouthcenter Blvd 65th Ave STUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northboundbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. I-405 Southbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. M0250500 Feet I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel Ecology EmbankmentÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW Areas of Construction New ROW Exhibit 2. Project Overview Section 1 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 4 Energy Memorandum ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃInterurban TrailFort Dent Park W Valley HwyInterurban Ave S RENT ONT UKWI L AG r e en RiverSouthcenter B lv d65th Ave SAí %&e( %&e(UP RRBNSF RRBridge Restripe Only Bridge Rail Replacement Bridge Rail Replacement M o n s t e r R d S WTUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. I-405 Southbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. M0250500 Feet I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed %&e( Retaining Wall Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 3. Project Overview Section 2 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 5 ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ SW 16th St S W G r a d y W a y SW G ra d y W a y Oakesdale Ave SWSW 16th St %&e( Potential Staging Area Bridge Replacement S prin g br o o k Cr eekBridge Replacement TUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. The existing Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale Avenue bridges will be replaced and the existing culvert will be removed. I-405 Southbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 70 feet to the outside at some locations. The existing Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale Avenue bridges will be replaced and the existing culvert will be removed.M0250500 Feet I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 4. Project Overview Section 3 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 6 Energy Memorandum ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ SW 19th StLind Ave SWS G r a d y W a y Aæ %&e( Potential Staging Area Noise Wall Renton CinemaRolling Hills Creek Panther Creek Wetlands SW 16th St Lake AveSouthRainier Ave STUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northbound Improvements: A general-purpose lane will be added up to the SR 167 interchange and an auxiliary lane will be added from the SR 167 to I-405 on-ramp north. These lanes will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. I-405 Southbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added up to the I-405 to SR 167 on-ramp and a general-purpose lane will be added south of the interchange. These lanes will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. SR 167 Southbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping existing pavement and adding up to 19 feet of pavement at the outside at some locations. The existing HOV lane will be extended north from SW 21st Street to the interchange with I-405.M0250500 Feet I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed SR 167 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel Proposed Noise Wall ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 5. Project Overview Section 4 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 7 ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃPanther Creek Wetlands S W 2 7 t h S t Talbot Rd SEast Valley RdTalbot Rd SPotential Staging Area SW 23rd St TUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí SR 167 Improvements: In addition to extending the HOV lane north from SW 21st Street, an auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 19 feet to the outside at some locations. M0250500 Feet SR 167 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton RentonÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 6. Project Overview Section 5 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 8 Energy Memorandum ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃSW 41st St S W 3 3 r d S t Panther CreekEast Valley RdTalbot Rd SLind Ave SWAæ SR 167 Southern Project Limit at SW 41st St TUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí SR 167 Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 19 feet to the outside at some locations. The new lane will tie into the existing ramp connection to SW 41st Street. M0250500 Feet SR 167 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 7. Project Overview Section 6 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 9 ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃS G rady W ayB e a c o n S 7 t h S tWilliams %&e( Potential Staging Area Replace Bridge Bridge Widening Existing Bridge to be Demolished Thunder Hills Creek Rolling Hills Creek Noise Wall Benson Rd STalbot Rd STUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec, 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. I-405 Southbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 24 feet to the outside at some locations. Benson Rd S Improvements: The Benson Rd S overpass will be replaced and realigned to the west of its current location. The new overpass will have 2 lanes with 5-foot bike lanes on both sides and a 6-foot sidewalk on the west side.M0250500 Feet I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton Parcel Acquisition New ROW Existing ROW Easement Acquisition Areas of Construction New Pavement Stormwater Flow Control Facility Retaining Wall ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Proposed Noise Wall Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel Exhibit 8. Project Overview Section 7 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 10 Energy Memorandum C edar River Cedar River Interpretive Trail Cedar River Park Liberty Park Ma p l e V a ll e y H w y H o u s e r W a y S N 3 r d S t Bronson Wa y N%&e( I-405 Northern Project Limit at SR 169 Aç Restripe Only Main AvenueCedar Ave SRenton Ave STUKWILA RENTON!"`$ %&e( Sec. 1 Sec. 2 Sec. 3 Sec. 4 Sec. 5 Sec. 6 Sec. 7 Aæ Aç Sec. 8 Aí I-405 Northbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. I-405 Southbound Improvements: An auxiliary lane will be added by restriping the existing pavement and adding pavement up to 15 feet to the outside at some locations. M0250500 Feet I-405 NORTHBOUND Existing Proposed I-405 SOUTHBOUND Existing Proposed Renton Renton Piped River/Creek Channel Open River/Creek Channel ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃ Ecology Embankment Retaining Wall Stormwater Flow Control Facility New Pavement Areas of Construction Easement Acquisition Parcel Acquisition Existing ROW New ROW Exhibit 9. Project Overview Section 8 INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 11 Improve Benson Road The Benson Road overpass will be replaced and realigned to accommodate the southbound auxiliary lane on I-405 as well as future improvements to I-405 as shown on Exhibit 8. Improvements on Benson Road include a 6-foot sidewalk on the west side and 5-foot bike lanes on both sides. Widen and replace bridges Several bridges within the study area will be widened or replaced based on present location, cost, and existing soil conditions. To construct the new lanes, the project will: Widen Talbot Road Bridge on both the northbound and the southbound sides. See Exhibit 8. Replace Springbrook Creek Side Channel Bridge and Oakesdale Avenue Bridge with new southbound and northbound structures and remove the Springbrook Creek box culvert. See Exhibit 4. Replace the rail on the I-405 bridges over SR 181 and the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads. The project will not affect the I-405 bridges over the Green River, Lind Avenue, or the Cedar River. The project will also not affect the Cedar Avenue or Renton Avenue overpasses. The roadway will be restriped in these areas to accommodate the new lanes. Use retaining walls Widening I-405 and SR 167 will require retaining walls to minimize the construction footprint and right-of-way acquisition. Retaining walls will also help avoid and minimize effects to wetlands and other sensitive areas. Improve culverts WSDOT anticipates that construction will affect some existing stormwater cross culverts and one stream culvert. Associated culvert improvements include extending the existing structures due to widening the roadway and stabilizing culvert ends with rock or retaining walls. The I-405 Team will conduct a hydraulic analysis of the culverts to ensure that the modifications will have no effect on the base flood elevations. See the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Discipline Report for detailed discussion on fish passage. Why rebuild Benson Road on a new alignment over I-405? By building the new overpass to the west on a new alignment, the new structure can be constructed while the existing structure remains open to traffic. Traffic can then be shifted onto the new structure, while the old overpass is demolished. What does a “rail” replacement involve? Typically, a bridge rail replacement project consists of making minor adjustments to the width of the bridge deck and replacing the guard rail or barrier. This type of project does not include adding new bridge columns or footings. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 12 Energy Memorandum Build a noise wall One noise wall will be built on the northbound side of the freeway as shown on Exhibits 5 and 8. The wall will begin at the intersection of South 14th Street and South 15th Street and follow South 14th Street east to Talbot Road. This wall will be approximately 2,150 feet long and 18 feet tall. How will stormwater from the project be managed? Stormwater from the project will be managed for both quality and peak flows using currently accepted best management practices (BMPs). The I-405 Team has designed the stormwater management facilities to comply with the following guidelines and procedures: WSDOT Highway Runoff Manual M 31-16 WSDOT Hydraulics Manual M 23-03 Stormwater treatment facilities The project will add new impervious surface within the study area, most of which will be within the Springbrook Creek basin. This project will treat runoff for an area equal to 100 percent of these new surfaces. The project will use BMPs that the HRM lists as enhanced treatment facilities. The I-405 Team has proposed that stormwater be treated using a combination of these facilities. In most of the study area, ecology embankments will be used to capture runoff from the edge of the pavement and provide water quality treatment. Ecology embankments also serve to convey treated runoff to receiving waters or to flow control facilities as required. The project also includes a combined stormwater quality wetland and detention facility that addresses water quality and flow control in one facility. Exhibits 2 through 9 show the location of stormwater facilities that will be built for this project. Ecology Embankment Cross-Section What are the guidelines for stormwater management facilities? Water quality treatment will be provided for an area equal to the new impervious surfaces created on the project. Impervious surfaces, such as pavement, are those that do not allow water to penetrate into the ground. Stormwater from new impervious surfaces or an equal area will be controlled in detention facilities. This process allows water to be held (detained) and thus released at rates that are equal to existing conditions. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 13 Drainage Collection and Conveyance Some changes to existing drainage will be necessary to provide flow control and water quality treatment to address the new impervious area added by the project. However, existing storm drainage systems will be kept to the greatest extent possible and existing flow patterns will be maintained. Where roadway widening affects drainage ditches that convey water from adjacent private properties, the project design will assure that existing conveyance capacities are maintained. What environmental and utilities issues influenced the project design and what was done to avoid and minimize project effects? Throughout the development of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project design, environmental elements were reviewed and design features were modified to avoid or minimize negative effects to the environment. Influence on the project design came from: Soil Conditions: the soils in the project area are highly prone to accentuate earthquake shaking, which influences how bridges can be widened or replaced. Noise: highway noise in the project area already exceeds acceptable levels, which means that including noise walls as part of the project had to be considered. Wetland Locations: many wetlands are located along the edges of the highway, which influence whether the widened sections will use retaining walls or fill slopes. Historical Sites: some historic sites exist within the study area, so the project design was coordinated to avoid these properties. Because the I-405 Team planned for these environmental considerations, several design features have the benefit of avoiding or minimizing potential effects due to the project. These design features are described from south to north below. I-405, I-5 to SR 167 WSDOT will construct a retaining wall from west of the 68th Avenue structure over I-405 at Tukwila Parkway to the Green River. This wall avoids the need to What are detention facilities? These facilities control stormwater runoff so that it can be released at a controlled rate. Two types are commonly used: Ponds. Vaults. Similar to a pond, but with a hard-sided construction. These concrete structures function like a pond but also provide detention storage. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 14 Energy Memorandum The proposed design modifications allow the additional lanes to be added over the Green River by restriping instead of bridge widening. This avoids effects on the river, stream habitat, floodplain, and Interurban Trail. construct a fill slope that would extend into Gilliam Creek. See Exhibit 2. WSDOT will provide a narrower outside shoulder on northbound I-405 at the Green River Bridge. The shoulder will vary from 10 to just over 3 feet at the west abutment of the existing bridge. Narrowing the shoulder avoids modifications to the existing bridge. As a result, the design also avoids effects to the river, the 100-year floodplain, the ordinary high water level, and adjacent riparian zones. At the SR 181 interchange, the bridge and ramp will be restriped to provide the new general-purpose lane and ramp improvements. This approach minimizes the need to widen the existing SR 181 Bridge, reconstruct the SR 181 interchange, or modify the Southcenter Boulevard crossing of the Green River. This in turn avoids relocating or diverting the Interurban Trail, which goes under the bridge. See Exhibit 3. Near the Westfield Shoppingtown Mall, a large Seattle Public Utilities water transmission line parallels I-405. WSDOT will line this pipe so that is can support the loads from the new roadway embankment. This approach allows the line to stay in its present location. WSDOT will remove the existing I-405 bridges over the Springbrook Creek side channel and Oakesdale Avenue and replace them with a single northbound and a single southbound bridge. This approach will allow for the removal of the Springbrook Creek box culvert. Construction of the new bridges will be phased with the southbound bridge built slightly to the north of the existing roadway. This phasing minimizes the need to construct temporary roadway to maintain traffic operations. WSDOT also evaluated the location of the new bridge piers and selected locations that will minimize the effect on the existing stream, stream buffer, and trail that crosses under the bridge. WSDOT will construct a narrower exit gore from I-405 to the northbound ramp at the SR 167 interchange as shown in Exhibit 5. By building a narrower exit gore, the project can be constructed within the existing right- of-way. This has the benefit of avoiding right-of-way acquisition, avoiding effects to the wetland outside the right-of-way, and avoiding effects to the existing Lind Avenue Bridge. What is an exit gore? An exit gore is a roadway feature that separates an exiting lane from the main lanes. An exit gore can be defined either by paint stripes, raised buttons, physical barriers, or a combination of these. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 15 Retaining walls will help to avoid and minimize effects on the Panther Creek wetlands along SR 167 SR 167, southbound from I-405 to SW 41st Street WSDOT will build a retaining wall along a large portion of the west edge of SR 167 southbound instead of an earth fill slope. See Exhibits 6 and 7. The retaining wall minimizes effects on three wetlands. The retaining wall has the added benefit of minimizing right-of-way needs and reduces the effect on existing utility crossings, in particular, the City of Seattle’s 60- inch water line and Olympic Petroleum’s two high pressure pipelines, which all cross under SR 167. I-405, SR 167 to SR 169 WSDOT will add a lane by restriping I-405 northbound next to the Talbot Hill retaining wall immediately east of the SR 167 interchange. Restriping instead of widening avoids the need to reconstruct the existing Talbot Hill retaining wall and avoids effects on properties south of I-405 in this area. Between Talbot Road and the “S-Curves”, northbound I-405 will be widened to achieve standard lane and shoulder widths. Most of this length will be supported by retaining walls to minimize effects to Thunder Hills Creek, adjacent properties, and the existing cut slope south of I-405. To support the fill required to widen the roadway on the north side of I-405 next to the outfall for the original Rolling Hills Creek culvert, the design uses a retaining wall. By using the retaining wall, the project improvements at this location can be constructed without affecting the existing culvert. WSDOT will use a non-standard design for the I-405 to SR 167 exit ramp. The changes from the design standards include not providing a recovery lane, narrowing the distance between the through lane and ramp, and providing narrower shoulders. While these changes deviate from WSDOT design standards they are an improvement over existing conditions. These features will avoid effects to the existing Rolling Hills Creek/Thunder Hills Creek channel located between I-405 and the Renton Cinema complex as shown in Exhibit 5. Using retaining walls along the west side of Benson Road avoids effects to Rolling Hills Creek and the wetlands east of Talbot Road. WSDOT will use retaining walls to support widening southbound I-405 south of the Cedar Avenue overpass. Using retaining walls versus a fill slope, avoids encroaching on Cedar Avenue and Main Avenue in Renton. What is a recovery lane? A recovery lane is a paved area adjacent to an off-ramp. This area gives drivers, who find themselves exiting the freeway unintentionally, room to maneuver back onto the freeway. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 16 Energy Memorandum WSDOT also plans to replace the existing Benson Road overpass on a new alignment. The new bridge will be located slightly to the west of the existing bridge. This will allow traffic to continue to use the existing overpass until the new one is completed. This will minimize disruption for local traffic and to emergency response vehicles. Where northbound and southbound I-405 passes under the Renton Avenue and Cedar Avenue overpasses, WSDOT will add lanes by restriping. This design avoids replacing the two overpasses; however, the available area does not allow the standard shoulder and lane widths. WSDOT shifted a proposed stormwater facility to avoid effects to the existing Renton Coal Mine Hoist Foundation site south of Benson Road. This site is on the Washington Historic Register. What is planned for wetland and stream mitigation? WSDOT will compensate for unavoidable effects to wetlands with credits from the Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank. Mitigation is needed for 1.66 acres of wetlands. The Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank is being developed as a joint effort between WSDOT and the City of Renton. This ‘bank’ will construct a new high quality wetland complex that will serve to replace other wetlands that are filled in by projects such as the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. The location of the bank is shown to the left. In addition to wetland mitigation, the site will also provide flood storage mitigation. The Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank will be one of the first urban mitigation banks to be certified in Washington. To mitigate project effects on streams, WSDOT will remove the existing Springbrook Creek box culvert. With the new I-405 southbound and northbound bridges that will span both Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale Avenue, the box culvert is no longer needed. After the new bridges are in place, the box culvert will be removed and the streambed in that area will be restored. This will improve fish habitat within Springbrook Creek. Any additional stream mitigation required to offset project effects will be accommodated within the project vicinity. Renton Coal Mine Hoist Foundation site looking west r Interurban TrailPanther Creek Wetlands Green River TrailFort Dent Park SW 41st St S W 3 4 t h S t S W 2 7 t h S t SW 16th St W Valley HwyS W 7 t h S t S W G r a d y W a y Lind Ave SWS pri n g br ook CreekSW 23rd St Aæ Aí M 0 0.25 0.5 Miles 100 Year Floodplain 500 Year Floodplain Park Renton Tukwila Springbrook Creek Wetland & Habitat Mitigation Bank Wetlands Local Road Legend Trail Arterial Road Freeway River/Creek Channel Study Area Limits Springbrook Creek Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 17 What benefits will the project provide? The Build Alternative will benefit the area by reducing congestion at chokepoints, reducing the duration of congestion during peak commuter travel hours, and improving freight movement. This section of I-405, from the I-5 interchange to SR 169, is congested due to large traffic volumes and merging and diverging traffic. The new lanes will help relieve congestion by adding roadway capacity. This in turn will improve safety by providing drivers with more time and extra room to accelerate or decelerate and move into and out of the stream of traffic when getting on and off the freeway. This provides a smoother transition for motorists as they get on and off I-405 in Tukwila and Renton and helps decrease rear- end and sideswipe collisions. The project reduces congestion approaching the SR 167 interchange, and it complements the completed southbound I-405 to southbound SR 167 flyover ramp. This project will construct one noise wall along northbound I-405 from the intersection of South 14th Street and South 15th Street east to Talbot Road. This wall will benefit residents in that area by lowering the overall noise levels. Another benefit of this project is that it continues the application of the Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) design choices made by the communities within the I-405 corridor. The Benson Road realignment will reflect the most comprehensive application of these design choices as explained further in the next section. How will the project incorporate community design preferences? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is being planned, developed, and designed according to CSS guidelines. These guidelines establish the community design preferences used to design the project features. Working within the framework for the overall I-405 corridor, the Urban Design Guidelines will be adapted to incorporate the communities’ design preferences. These preferences will be included in the contract documents prepared for the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. The selected I-405 theme of “Culture, Nature, and Progress,” with nature This rendering shows the new Benson Road overpass with the CSS Guidelines applied INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 18 Energy Memorandum being the dominant theme, will be carried into corridor- wide and local I-405 designs. The new Benson Road overpass is the main project feature that will receive CSS treatment. The new southbound and northbound bridges over Springbrook Creek and Oakesdale Avenue will also receive CSS treatments. The rest of the project elements will be designed to match in color and vegetation type only, as many of these elements will be affected by construction of future Master Plan projects. During future Master Plan phases for the overall I-405 corridor, the approved CSS guidelines will be applied throughout. How will the project be constructed? Construction of the entire Renton Nickel Improvement Project is expected to take two years, beginning in early 2008 and being completed in late 2010. However, construction activity will not be constant for the entire study area throughout this time, and in some locations, the work will take substantially less time than two years. Construction will pose some minor inconveniences because of localized travel delays due to temporary lane closures and narrowed lanes and shoulders. At-grade construction At-grade construction, which occurs on the same elevation as the existing lanes, will be staged to minimize traffic delays and detours. Typically, lanes are shifted toward the median. WSDOT then places a concrete barrier to close off the shoulder. Staging allows construction to occur safely without closing lanes for the duration of construction. Access to construction areas will occur from the roadway side to minimize property effects. Bridge construction Construction of the I-405 bridges will occur in multiple stages to minimize traffic delays and detours. The following describes typical staging for bridge construction. As the first stage, traffic is shifted toward the I-405 median and the existing lanes and shoulders are narrowed slightly to allow widening of the existing structure or construction of the new bridge depending on the design. In the next stage, traffic is shifted onto the new bridge area. If the bridge is being replaced rather than simply widened, the old structure is demolished after traffic is shifted to the new bridge. At-grade construction for this project will likely be staged similar what is shown above. Here, the southbound lanes of I-5 were shifted toward the median and a concrete barrier closed off the shoulder to provide crews a safe work area. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 19 The new Benson Road overpass will also be staged. The new structure will be built to the west, while the existing overpass remains in service. After traffic has been shifted onto the new overpass, the existing structure will be demolished. Staging areas Construction staging areas along I-405 and SR 167 will be within the WSDOT right-of-way. Potential staging areas have been identified as shown on Exhibits 2 through 9. Traffic control Detour agreements with the local agencies will be obtained after WSDOT awards the contract. A traffic control plan will be approved by WSDOT prior to starting construction. The plan’s primary objectives will be to provide a safe facility, to streamline the construction schedule, and to minimize reductions to existing traffic capacity. To lessen effects on traffic, the duration of activities will be minimized and reductions in capacity will be limited and will be targeted to a period when they will have the least effect. Why do we consider energy as we plan this project? The use of energy in the form of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels is an important issue, especially for transportation projects like this one. Because non-renewable fuel sources such as gasoline are consumed daily for transportation, the Washington State Transportation Commission has set a goal to “improve the energy efficiency of the transportation system and reduce the consumption of and dependence on non-renewable resources.” Following FHWA requirements, the I-405 team investigated the use of energy to determine whether the construction and operation of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project would have a substantial effect on energy use. Why is it important to reduce consumption of non-renewable energy sources? Non-renewable energy sources have a limited quantity, by definition. Once these resource are expended, they are gone permanently. Therefore it is important to use these resources wisely and conserve them where possible. INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 20 Energy Memorandum What are the key points of this report? The key point of this report is that the Renton Nickel Improvement Project will reduce fuel consumption by reducing the number of drivers who take alternate routes to avoid congestion. With reduced congestion, as many as 11,500 more vehicles will use I-405 instead of taking other, longer routes. This will mean a savings of 600 gallons of gas each day, which is 210,000 gallons each year. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 21 EXISTING CONDITIONS What information was used to estimate energy use? The team estimated direct energy use based on the following factors: The number of vehicles passing through the study area each day (ADT – average daily traffic). The length of the study area. The daily average speed traveled through the study area. An estimate for average fuel consumption per vehicle based on the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. Exhibit 10 shows how fuel consumption decreases or increases as a vehicle changes speed. The team derived fuel consumption using Exhibit 10 and calculated study area average speeds. How was the study area analyzed? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will construct new lanes on both I-405 and SR 167. These two highways were analyzed separately to determine energy use. We did this because the overall project has a ‘T’-shape that is difficult to analyze otherwise. The I-405 Team performed traffic modeling for these two highways. The data from these models were used to determine energy consumption. How was Average Daily Speed calculated? The vehicle speeds were calculated separately for I-405 and SR 167. The speeds shown in the exhibits throughout this memorandum represent the average speed of all vehicles that pass through the area in one typical work day. Speeds during morning and evening commuter hours were generated by the traffic model with ‘rush hour’ assumed to last four hours. Speeds at other hours of the day were assumed to be 60 mph, a number recommended by the I-405 Team. The daily average speed was then calculated for all lanes, including HOV lanes, and weighted by the number of Exhibit 10. Average Automobile Fuel Consumption Rate Source: U.S. Department Of Energy, et al. 2005) Where did the traffic data come from? The I-405 team modeled the traffic flow of the I-405 corridor. This model provided predicted values for numbers of vehicles per day and speeds for peak travel times. More information on the model and the traffic data for the I-405 corridor can be found in the Transportation Discipline Report for the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 22 Energy Memorandum vehicles traveling in each lane. Appendix A contains the average daily speed calculations used in this analysis to determine energy use. How much energy is currently used in the study area? Energy used in the study area is measured by how much fuel vehicles consume as they pass through the study area. Currently, within the study area, vehicles consume about 15,200 gallons of gas on I-405 and 2,500 gallons on SR 167 each day. This equals 1,900 million BTUs and 320 million BTUs respectively, as shown in Exhibit 11. Exhibit 11. Fuel Consumption Under Existing Conditions I-405 SR 167 Study Area Totals Number of Vehicles each daya 127,000 63,000 Daily Fuel Consumption (gallons) 15,200 2,500 17,700 Daily Fuel Consumption (million BTUs)b 1,900 320 2,220 a. Source: I-405 Corridor Traffic Modeling b. 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) According to a Residential Energy Consumption Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2001, the average household consumed about 92.2 million BTUs of energy annually, which is 0.3 million BTUs each day. Thus, the energy consumed by vehicles operating in the study area under existing conditions roughly equals the energy use of approximately 7,400 homes. Appendix A contains the supporting calculations for this fuel consumption rate. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 23 POTENTIAL EFFECTS What methods were used to evaluate the project’s potential effects? This document defines energy use as the consumption of fuel by vehicles measured in gallons per day or in million BTUs. To estimate how energy consumption will be affected by the Renton Nickel Improvement Project, we calculated the gallons of fuel consumed each day within the study area on both I-405 and SR 167. This can be estimated by: 1. Multiplying the consumption rate (gallons per mile) of an average vehicle by the average number of miles traveled through the study area by all vehicles each day. 2. Estimating energy consumption for two traffic conditions: 2030 without the project (No Build) 2030 with the project (Build) Fuel consumption for the Build Alternative is compared against fuel consumption for the No Build Alternative to evaluate which alternative will have the least effect on fuel consumption. Fuel consumption for I-405 was calculated for both northbound and southbound lanes combined. On SR 167, fuel consumption was calculated only for the southbound lanes because this project will not affect the northbound lanes. In addition to estimating fuel consumed in the study area, we also estimated how much energy will be used to construct the project. During project construction, energy will be consumed to mine, fabricate, and transport materials. Operating and maintaining construction equipment will also consume energy. Construction-related effects were estimated What are BTUs? BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and is used to measure energy. BTUs are standard units of measure that are applied to energy consumption regardless of the type of fuel (i.e., gasoline, jet fuel, food, etc.). Because the size of a single BTU is very small, energy consumption is often reported in million BTUs. For example, one gallon of gasoline equals 0.125 million BTUs. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 24 Energy Memorandum by applying a highway construction energy factor1 to the total cost of the Build Alternative. How much energy is used in the area if the project is not built? Exhibit 12 shows that fuel consumption through the study area would be around 23,500 gallons daily by 2030, if the project were not built. Exhibit 12. Fuel Consumption in 2030 Without the Project I-405 SR 167 Study Area Totals Number of Vehicles each daya 149,000 72,500 Daily Fuel Consumption (gallons) 20,500 3,000 23,500 Daily Fuel Consumption (million BTUs)b 2,600 380 2,980 a. Source: I-405 Corridor Traffic Modeling b. 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) Traffic volumes will increase in the future whether or not the project is built. However, the number of vehicles moving through the area will be less without the project than with the project, because without the project, there is more congestion. The traffic data indicate that 11,500 vehicles would seek alternate routes because of congestion, if the project is not built. Drivers of these vehicles would choose to take longer, slower routes; thus consuming more energy than if they drove on I-405. Trip estimates for vehicles traveling alternate routes were based on Table 4-10 in the I-405 Corridor Program Transportation Expertise Report. Exhibit 13 shows the fuel consumption for these alternate trips. The fuel used by vehicles taking alternate trips is included in the values shown in Exhibit 12. 1 Caltrans, 1983, Energy and Transportation Systems, California Department of Transportation. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 25 Exhibit 13. Fuel Consumption for Alternate Routes Under the No Build Alternative Number of Vehicles per daya Fuel Used (gallons/day) Fuel Used (million BTUs) b 18% use I-5/SR 99 Corridor 2,100 750 90 23% use East King County Roads 2,600 350 40 59% use Local Streets 6,800 900 110 Totals from vehicles taking other routesc 11,500 2000 240 a. Source: I-405 Corridor Traffic Modeling b. 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) c. The vehicles taking other routes comes from the difference between vehicles using I-405 under Build and No Build Alternatives. How much energy is used if the project is built? Exhibit 14 presents the estimated fuel consumption in 2030 with the project built. Exhibits 12 and 14 show that this project would save about 600 gallons of fuel each day, which adds up to 210,000 gallons each year. These savings are due to the fact that with less congestion, fewer people will seek lengthy alternate routes. Exhibit 14. Fuel Consumption in 2030 With the Project Built I-405 SR 167 Study area Totals Number of Vehicles each daya 160,500 72,500 Daily Fuel Consumption (gallons) 19,900 3,000 22,900 Daily Fuel Consumption (million BTUs)b 2,500 380 2,880 a. Source: I-405 Corridor Traffic Modeling b. 1 gallon of gasoline = 0.125 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) Because vehicle fuel efficiency will likely continue to improve with the increasing popularity of hybrid vehicles and new technology, fuel consumption may decrease. The estimated energy consumption in this report is based on 2004 fuel efficiency for an average vehicle. Actual fuel consumption in 2030 will likely be less than shown in Exhibit 14. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 26 Energy Memorandum How much energy will be used to construct the project? Energy consumption during construction is proportional to a project’s size, and estimated at about 9.5 BTUs per dollar of construction cost.2 Construction costs were estimated at $219 million by the design team and validated through WSDOT’s Cost Estimating Validation Process (CVEP). Using these values, energy to construct the project is estimated to be about 2,000 million BTUs. This is a cumulative value and it accounts for energy consumed in the manufacture of materials, the transport of those materials, and the operation of machinery and equipment during construction. This estimated construction energy translates to less than the energy consumed in one day by vehicles passing through the study area. What indirect effects will this project have? Emission of pollutants into the air is an effect of fuel consumption. Because this project will allow for less fuel consumption, an indirect effect would be decreased air pollution. This decrease is expected to be immeasurable, however, because the difference in fuel conservation between the Build and No Build alternatives is small relative to fuel use in the area. 2 Caltrans, 1983, Energy and Transportation Systems, California Department of Transportation. Indirect Effects Indirect effects are defined in the WSDOT Environmental Procedures Manual as the “effect caused by the proposed action that is later in time or farther removed in distance, but still reasonably foreseeable. Indirect effects may include growth-inducing effects and other effects related to induced changes in the pattern of land use, population density or growth rate, and related effects on air and water and other natural systems, including ecosystems.” Were cumulative effects looked at for this discipline? The team did not evaluate cumulative effects for this discipline report. A report of cumulative effects is not needed for every discipline studied for NEPA and SEPA documentation. The disciplines that were studied for cumulative effects are Air Quality, Surface Water and Water Quality, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Wetlands. The cumulative effects for these disciplines are presented in the Cumulative Effects Analysis Discipline Report. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum 27 MEASURES TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTS What mitigation is proposed? No specific mitigation is proposed, however, WSDOT will stand by the commitment made in its Corridor Program EIS that relates to energy: Contractors will be encouraged to implement measures to reduce energy consumption during construction. These measures could include limiting the idling of construction equipment and employee vehicles, encouraging carpooling or van pools among construction workers, and locating construction staging areas as close as possible to work sites. Renton Nickel Improvement Project 28 Energy Memorandum REFERENCES California Department of Transportation 1983 Energy and Transportation Systems. U.S. Department of Energy 2002 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 2001. Available at: http://www.eia.doe.gov. U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency 2005 Fuel Economy Guide: Model Year 2005. Available at: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/feg2000.htm. WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) 2005 Transportation Discipline Report, I-405 Renton Nickel Improvement Project. 2004 Environmental Procedures Manual, September 2004. APPENDIX A Calculation Spreadsheets APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum A-1 Fuel consumption for the Renton Nickel Improvement Project was calculated using the following tables. Fuel consumption within the study area on I-405 and SR 167 was calculated separately but the same method was followed for both. Vehicle Volumes and Operational Energy Consumption Rates on I-405 Existing (2002) 2030 No Build 2030 Build Daily Vehicles 127000 149000 160500 Project length on I405 (miles) 3.6 3.6 3.6 Peak-Period Volume (ADT) 70040 57220 61900 Peak-Period Speed (MPH) 52 40 38 Peak-Period Fuel (MPG) 31 29 29 Non-Peak-Period Volume (ADT) 56960 91780 98600 Non-Peak Speed (MPH) 60 60 60 Non-Peak-Period Fuel (MPG) 29 29 29 Fuel Consumption on I-405 (gallons/day) 15205 18497 19924 Fuel Consumption on alternate routes (gallons/day) 2003 Total Fuel Consumption (gallons/day) 15205 20499 19924 Total BTUs per day (millions) 1901 2562 2491 Annual Fuel Consumption (gallons/year) 5549669 7482166 7272310 Daily fuel savings (gallons) 575 Annual fuel savings (gallons) 209856 Vehicle Volumes and Operational Energy Consumption Rates on SR 167 Existing (2002) 2030 No Build 2030 Build Daily Vehicles 63000 72500 72500 Project length on SR 167 1.2 1.2 1.2 Peak-Period Volume (ADT) 28760 25600 27040 Peak-Period Speed (MPH) 51 38 39 Peak-Period Fuel MPG 31 29 29 Non-Peak-Period Volume (ADT) 34240 46900 45460 Non-Peak Speed (MPH) 60 60 60 Non-Peak-Period Fuel MPG 29 29 29 Fuel Consumption on SR167 (gallons/day) 2530 3000 3000 Fuel Consumption on alternate routes (gallons/day) Total Fuel Consumption (gallons/day) Total BTUs per day (millions) 316 375 375 Annual Fuel Consumption (gallons/year) 923493 1095000 1095000 Daily fuel savings (gallons) Annual fuel savings (gallons) 0 Daily Vehicles: The average number of vehicles traveling through the study area on a daily basis was provided by the transportation model developed by the I-405 team. APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project A-2 Energy Memorandum Project Length (miles): The project length was taken from mile post markers as sited in the transportation model output data. Peak-Period Volume (ADT): The number of vehicles traveling during the peak period was taken from the transportation model. The model provides numbers for the peak hour of traffic. In reality, traffic congestion during peak travel times lasts longer than one hour. For this analysis, the morning and evening peaks were each assumed to last for four hours. For this reason, the Peak-Period Volume is reported as four times the number of vehicles in the peak hour. NB/SB I-405 from I-5 to SR 169 Totals 2002 2030 No Build 2030 Build NB/SB am and pm peak totals 17,510 14,305 15,475 Total vehicle in am and pm peak periods, 4-hours each 70,040 57,220 61,900 SB SR 167 from I-405 to 180th 2002 2030 No Build 2030 Build NB/SB am and pm peak totals 6,150 6,400 6,760 Total vehicle in am and pm peak periods, 4-hours each 24,600 25,600 27,040 Traffic volume for I-405 includes the northbound and southbound lanes, while traffic volume for SR 167 is for the southbound lanes only. Peak-Period Speed (MPH): the transportation model output data were used to determine peak period speeds. An average was calculated for general purpose (GP) and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes together based on speeds per vehicle. Average Speed = (Speed HOV)(# vehicles HOV) + (Speed GP)(# vehicles GP) Total Vehicles APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum A-3 Average Daily Speed Calculations Existing Conditions SB/NB - I-405 from I-5 to SR 167 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 48 7996 31984 1535232 HOV 61 704 2816 171776 GP pm peak 4 49 7491 29964 1468236 HOV 61 1069 4276 260836 Totals = 8 17260 69040 3436080 Average= 50 SB/NB - I-405 from SR 167 to SR 169 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 53 7689 30756 1630068 HOV 63 1161 4644 292572 GP pm peak 4 54 7541 30164 1628856 HOV 63 1369 5476 344988 8 17760 71040 3896484 55 I-405 Average Speed 52 SB - SR 167 from I-405 to 41st off-ramp Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 54 2583 10332 557928 HOV 60 167 668 40080 GP pm peak 4 46 3902 15608 717968 HOV 60 538 2152 129120 8 7190 28760 1445096 50 APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project A-4 Energy Memorandum Average Daily Speed Calculations No Build SB/NB - I-405 from I-5 to SR 167 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 36 6942 27768 999648 HOV 61 308 1232 75152 GP pm peak 4 30 6036 24144 724320 HOV 59 604 2416 142544 Totals = 8 13890 55560 1941664 Average= 35 SB/NB - I-405 from SR 167 to SR 169 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 43 6881 27524 1183532 HOV 60 519 2076 124560 GP pm peak 4 43 6510 26040 1119720 HOV 60 810 3240 194400 8 14720 58880 2622212 45 I-405 Average Speed 40 SB - SR 167 from I-405 to 41st off-ramp Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 37 2786 11144 412328 HOV 55 174 696 38280 GP pm peak 4 36 3233 12932 465552 HOV 56 207 828 46368 8 6400 25600 962528 38 APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project Energy Memorandum A-5 Average Daily Speed Calculations Build SB/NB - I-405 from I-5 to SR 167 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 37 8016 32064 1186368 HOV 58 404 1616 93728 GP pm peak 4 26 6503 26012 676312 HOV 58 567 2268 131544 Totals = 8 15490 61960 2087952 Average= 34 SB/NB - I-405 from SR 167 to SR 169 Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 44 7561 30244 1330736 HOV 59 429 1716 101244 GP pm peak 4 38 6703 26812 1018856 HOV 60 767 3068 184080 8 15460 61840 2634916 43 I-405 Average Speed 38 SB - SR 167 from I-405 to 41st off-ramp Lane Interval hours Speed Peak Hour Vehicles Vehicles per Period Speed*Cars GP am peak 4 36 3172 12688 456768 HOV 58 128 512 29696 GP pm peak 4 39 3260 13040 508560 HOV 59 200 800 47200 8 6760 27040 1042224 39 APPENDIX A Renton Nickel Improvement Project A-6 Energy Memorandum Peak-Period Fuel (MPG): The Peak-Period Fuel is the rate at which fuel is used by each vehicle. An empirical relationship between vehicle speed and fuel use was used to determine how much fuel each vehicle uses. These numbers represent an average estimate of fuel consumption. Non-Peak-Period Volume (ADT): The Non-Peak-Period Volume was calculated by subtracting the Peak-Period Volume from the Daily Vehicles. This represents the number of vehicles traveling through the study area during non-peak hours. Non-Peak Speed (MPH): The Non-Peak travel speed was assumed to be 60 miles per hour. This number was recommended by the I-405 transportation team. Fuel Consumption (gallons/day): Fuel consumption was calculated using the following formula. Fuel Consumption = (# vehicles) (project length) / (fuel consumption rate) The daily consumption reported is the summation of the peak and non-peak fuel use. Fuel Consumption on alternate routes (gallons/day): Fuel consumed by people taking alternate routes was calculated based on a percentage of vehicles taking three different options as shown in the table below. Fuel Consumption from taking Alternate Routes Number of Vehicles Distance Traveled (miles) Travel Speed (mph) Fuel Consumption (mpg) Fuel (gallons) 18% to the I-5/SR 99 corridor 2,070 10.8 45 30 745 23% to East King County 2,645 3.6 25 27 353 59% to Local Streets 6,785 3.6 25 27 905 Total Vehicles taking other routes 11,500 2,003 Total Fuel Consumption (gallons/day): The Total Fuel Consumption is the summation of the fuel used on I-405 and the fuel used on alternate routes. Total BTUs per day (millions): The number of BTUs consumed per day is based on a conversion of 1 gallon of gas = 0.125 million BTUs. Annual Fuel Consumption (gallons/year): Daily fuel consumption is converted to annual fuel consumption by multiplying daily fuel consumption by 365 days. Daily Fuel Savings (gallons): The fuel savings for the Build Alternative is the difference between fuel consumption under Build and fuel consumption under No Build. Annual Fuel Savings (gallons): Daily fuel savings is converted to annual fuel savings by multiplying daily fuel saving by 365 days.