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Home My WebLink AboutAppendix W - Transportation DR I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project, I-5 to SR 169 TRANSPORTATION 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 TRANSPORTATION DISCIPLINE REPORT I-405, Renton Nickel Improvement Project Prepared for Washington State Department of Transportation Urban Corridors Office And Federal Highway Administration Prepared by Karl Westby and Michael Lapham, I-405 Traffic Group October 27, 2005 GLOSSARY 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 Transportation Discipline Report i T ABLE OF C ONTENTS Glossary.............................................................................................................................................................................iii Acronyms and Abbreviations Used in this Report ........................................................................................................vi 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 transportation as we plan this project?.........................................................................................19 What are the key points of this report?..........................................................................................................................19 Existing Conditions.........................................................................................................................................................21 What information did we use for the existing conditions?..............................................................................................21 What are the average weekday traffic volumes in the study area?................................................................................21 What are the peak freeway volumes in the study area?................................................................................................21 What about off-peak directions?....................................................................................................................................22 How well does the freeway currently operate?..............................................................................................................25 Peak Direction...........................................................................................................................................................25 Off-Peak Direction.....................................................................................................................................................25 Where are the safety concerns along the I-405 and SR 167 corridors?........................................................................26 What transit service is available in the study area today?.............................................................................................26 How well do the local streets currently operate? ...........................................................................................................27 Potential Effects...............................................................................................................................................................31 How did we develop travel demand forecasts for the freeway?.....................................................................................31 What time periods did we evaluate and why?...........................................................................................................31 How did we determine the general-purpose lane and HOV lane volumes?..............................................................32 What improvements are included in the travel forecast model?................................................................................32 What effect will the project have on freeway travel demand for the study area?...........................................................32 How did we analyze freeway traffic operations?............................................................................................................34 What effect will the project have on how the freeways operate in the study area?........................................................34 No Build in 2014........................................................................................................................................................36 Build in 2014 .............................................................................................................................................................36 What effect will the project alternatives have on freeway safety?..................................................................................41 What effect will the project have on transit service and HOV trips?...............................................................................41 Will the project affect transit travel time?...................................................................................................................41 Will HOV and transit trips change?...........................................................................................................................42 What effect will the project alternatives have on local traffic operations?......................................................................42 Will the project affect bicycle and pedestrian facilities?.................................................................................................45 GLOSSARY Renton Nickel Improvement Project ii Transportation Discipline Report What indirect effects will the project have?.................................................................................................................... 45 What effect will construction have on transportation? ................................................................................................... 45 Will construction vehicle volumes affect the transportation network?....................................................................... 45 Will project construction affect regional freeway traffic?........................................................................................... 46 Will project construction affect the local arterials?.................................................................................................... 47 What are the potential cumulative effects of the Build and No-Build Alternatives? ....................................................... 47 The Build Alternative................................................................................................................................................. 47 The No-Build Alternative........................................................................................................................................... 48 Measures to Avoid or Minimize Project Effects............................................................................................................ 49 How will we avoid or minimize adverse effects from construction?............................................................................... 49 How will we avoid or minimize adverse effects from an improved transportation system? ...........................................49 References....................................................................................................................................................................... 50 Appendices A – Existing Transit Service B – 2030 Results C – Baseline Projects 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. 2002 Existing Morning Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed..........23 Exhibit 11. 2002 Existing Afternoon Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed........24 Exhibit 12. Level of Service (LOS) Criteria for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections...............................................27 Exhibit 13. 2002 Existing Morning Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service.....................................................................29 Exhibit 14. 2002 Existing Afternoon Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service..................................................................30 Exhibit 15. 2014 No Build Morning Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed.........37 Exhibit 16. 2014 No Build Afternoon Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed.......38 Exhibit 17. 2014 Build Morning Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed...............39 Exhibit 18. 2014 Build Afternoon Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed............40 Exhibit 19. 2014 Build/No Build Morning Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service...........................................................43 Exhibit 20. 2014 Build/No Build Afternoon Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service........................................................44 Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report iii GLOSSARY access The ability to enter or approach a facility or to make use of a facility. arterial A major street that primarily serves through traffic, but also provides access to abutting properties. Arterials are often divided into principal and minor classifications depending on the number of lanes, connections made, volume of traffic, nature of traffic, speeds, interruptions (access functions), and length. average weekday traffic (AWDT) This term applies to traffic volumes on a roadway over an average weekday 24-hour period. bicycle lane A portion of a roadway reserved for preferential or exclusive use by bicycles through signs and pavement markings. bottleneck A narrow or obstructed section of a highway; a point or an area of traffic congestion. capacity The maximum sustained traffic flow of a transportation facility under prevailing traffic and roadway conditions in a specified direction. congestion A condition characterized by unstable traffic flows that prohibit movement on a transportation facility at optimal legal speeds. Recurring congestion is caused by regularly occurring excess volume compared with capacity. Nonrecurring congestion is caused by unusual or unpredictable events such as traffic accidents. Corsim An intersection operations simulation software package that represents operating conditions and the effect of design modifications on the affected environment. delay The increased travel time experienced by a person or a vehicle because of circumstances that impede the desirable movement of traffic. demand The desire for travel by potential users of the transportation system. emergency vehicle Any vehicle used to respond to an incident or accident. Examples include police cars, fire engines, ambulances, tow trucks, and maintenance vehicles. general-purpose (GP) lane A freeway or arterial lane available for use by all traffic. Growth Management Act (GMA) Washington State legislation passed in 1990 and subsequently amended that requires long-range comprehensive plans prepared by cities and counties to be balanced with supporting transportation infrastructure (RCW 36.70A). high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) Vehicle that carries two or more people, including buses, vanpools, and carpools. Renton Nickel Improvement Project iv Transportation Discipline Report jurisdiction A municipal government agency, such as a city or county. As appropriate, the term “jurisdiction” also includes federal and state agencies and federally recognized tribes. level of service (LOS) A measure of system operating performance for roadways, transit, non-motorized, and other transportation modes. For example, roadway measures of level of service often assign criteria based on volume-to-capacity ratios. measure of effectiveness A term used to assess how a roadway performs. mode split A particular means of travel. Typically, transportation modes include driving alone (SOV), carpooling (HOV), non-motorized (walking, jogging, biking), or riding transit or high-capacity transit (light rail or commuter rail). Mode split is the percentage of each mode type that vehicles or persons are using for travel. modeling Use of statistics and mathematical equations to simulate and predict real events and processes. non-motorized Bicycle, pedestrian, and other modes of transportation not involving a motor vehicle. off-peak direction Travel direction of the freeway with the lower demand. park-and-ride facility A facility where individuals can park their vehicle for the day and access public transportation or rideshare for the major portion of their trip. peak direction Travel direction of the freeway with the higher demand and more congestion. peak hour The hour in the morning or in the afternoon when the maximum demand occurs on a given transportation facility or corridor. peak period The period of the day during which the maximum amount of travel occurs. It may be specified as the morning (AM) or afternoon or evening (PM) peak. person trips The total number of persons that pass through a section of roadway over a given time. For example, one vehicle carrying two people comprises two person trips, or one bus that carries 20 people comprises 20 person trips. Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) for the Central Puget Sound region, which is comprised of Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kitsap Counties. The MPO and RTPO is the legally- mandated forum for cooperative transportation decision-making in a metropolitan planning area. queue A line of vehicles waiting to move through an access point in traffic, such as a signal or turn lane. ramp metering A system used to reduce congestion on a freeway facility by managing vehicle flow from local-access on-ramps. An on-ramp is equipped with a traffic signal that allows vehicles to enter the freeway at predetermined intervals. single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) A vehicle with only one occupant (i.e., the driver). GLOSSARY Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report v State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) State legislation passed in 1974, which establishes an environmental review process for all development projects and major planning studies prior to taking any action on these projects. SEPA includes early coordination to identify and mitigate any issues or effects that may result from a project or study. Synchro A software application for optimizing traffic signal timing and performing capacity analysis. The software optimizes splits, offsets, and cycle lengths for individual intersections, an arterial, or a complete network. throughput Describes the number of vehicles being carried on a facility. This is usually measured at a specific point on the roadway facility for a predetermined period of time. transportation demand management (TDM) Institutional and operational methods to reduce travel demand on the transportation system. TDM strategies are usually implemented to support the use of HOVs, typically carpools, vanpools, and public transit programs. travel demand forecasting Procedures for determining the desire for travel by potential users of the transportation system, including the number of travelers, the time of day, and travel routes. Two-directional total A traffic volume that combines both directions of traffic into one number. vanpool A prearranged ridesharing function in which a number of people travel together on a regular basis in a van, usually designed to carry five or more persons. vehicle Any car, truck, van, motorcycle, or bus designed to carry passengers or goods. vehicle trips The total number of vehicles that pass through a section of roadway over a given time. Vissim Software used for the modeling and simulation of transportation systems. Renton Nickel Improvement Project vi Transportation Discipline Report ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS REPORT AWDT average weekday traffic EA Environmental Assessment EIS Environmental Impact Statement FHWA Federal Highway Administration GP general purpose HAC high-accident corridor HAL high-accident location HOV high-occupancy vehicle HOV 2+ high-occupancy vehicle requirement of two or more persons per vehicle HOV 3+ high-occupancy vehicle requirement of three or more people I Interstate LOS level of service Metro King County Metro Transit Agency mph miles per hour NEPA National Environmental Policy Act P & R park-and-ride PSRC Puget Sound Regional Council Sound Transit Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority SOV Single occupant vehicle SR State Route TDM transportation demand management VPH vehicles per hour WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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. to the Green River. This wall avoids the need to 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 Transportation Discipline Report 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 transportation as we plan this project? We need to understand the likely effects of transportation improvements on I-405 before we can efficiently design them and get approvals from federal agencies. In the Transportation Discipline Report we present the results of our detailed study of the effects the project will likely have. What are the key points of this report? This report presents these key points: The study area currently experiences congestion during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will increase the number of vehicles and freight traveling through the area and improve travel speeds up to 20 miles per hour when it opens in approximately 2010. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will increase the number of vehicles traveling through INTRODUCTION Renton Nickel Improvement Project 20 Transportation Discipline Report the area and improve travel speeds outside of the peak travel period for several years. Projected future regional population and employment growth in the region will increase freeway demand compared to existing conditions. As traffic volumes increase, the benefits of the project will decrease during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods. Future increased demand will worsen congestion in locations where I-405 and SR 167 are already at capacity. By 2014, with or without the project, freeway speeds fall and a smaller number of vehicles will travel through the study area compared to conditions today. In 2014, the Renton Nickel Improvement Project improves travel speeds and increases the number of vehicles getting through the area for most locations compared to the No Build Alternative. Bottlenecks at the I-405 and SR 167 Interchange and bottlenecks outside the study area limit the benefits of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. These problem areas are beyond the scope of this project. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project improves a portion of the I-405 corridor. It will not offer the full solution for the I-405 corridor, but it is the first step in implementing the long term plan (Master Plan) for the I-405 corridor. The Master Plan includes additional freeway and transit capacity and will substantially replace and upgrade interchanges along the entire length of the I-405 corridor. Coupled with the other Master Plan improvements on I-405, the Renton Nickel Improvement Project will substantially improve travel speeds and throughput. The project extends the southbound SR 167 HOV lane approximately 1,600 feet closer to the I-405 interchange. This enables southbound transit and HOVs leaving Renton on SR 167 to enter the HOV lane sooner and allows them to avoid the weaving area with the ramp to northbound I-405. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 21 EXISTING CONDITIONS What information did we use for the existing conditions? The I-405 Team used the year 2002 to represent existing conditions in the corridor. We assembled the existing I-405 freeway and ramp traffic volumes from available WSDOT information. Traffic on the I-405 freeway uses two types of lanes: general-purpose (GP) lanes and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. The I-405 Team collected local street traffic volume data from the Cities of Renton and Tukwila, traffic impact studies, and other transportation sources. What are the average weekday traffic volumes in the study area? The I-405 Team compiled the existing 2002 average weekday traffic volumes from available WSDOT information. The following volumes represent two- directional totals with northbound and southbound traffic added together. I-405 between I-5 and SR 167 carries 126,000 vehicles per day. I-405 between SR 167 and SR 169 carries 128,000 vehicles per day. The section of SR 167 between SW 43rd Street/S 180th Street interchange and I-405 carries 126,000 vehicles per day. What are the peak freeway volumes in the study area? The peak period is the time of day when the maximum amount of travel occurs. It may be specified as the morning (a.m.) or afternoon (p.m.) peak. The peak hour within the peak period is the hour when the maximum demand occurs. For morning and afternoon peak hours, we calculated the number of vehicle trips and person trips traveling on I-405 and SR 167. Vehicle trips are the total number of vehicles that pass through a section of roadway over a given time. Detectors imbedded in the freeway record the number of vehicles by time of day. We calculated person trips by estimating the number of passengers in vanpools, carpools, and transit buses. For vehicle trips and person trips, we calculated the Mode Split. What are general-purpose (GP) lanes? Roadway lanes available for use by all traffic. What are high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes? Roadway lanes available for buses, vanpools, and carpools with more than one occupant. Currently, two or more (2+) occupants are required to use the I-405 HOV lanes. What is mode split? A mode is a particular form of travel. Typically, freeway modes include driving alone (SOV), carpooling (HOV), or riding transit. Mode split is the percentage of each mode type that vehicles or persons are using for travel. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 22 Transportation Discipline Report Freeway bottlenecks constrain peak period freeway volumes in the study area. The I-405 and SR 167 interchange acts as a bottleneck limiting the number of vehicles passing through the center of the study area. Bottlenecks outside the study area also restrict the freeway volumes. The bottlenecks that constrain the number of vehicles traveling to or from the study area include I-5 to the west and I-405 to the north, in the area of 112th Avenue SE and Coal Creek Parkway. In the afternoon peak period, southbound SR 167 south of SW 41st Street constrains vehicles from leaving the study area. Both northbound and southbound I-405 are considered peak travel directions because both directions carry high volumes during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods. Northbound I-405 carries the highest volumes in the study area between SR 167 and SR 169. This section of northbound I-405 carries 4,460 vehicles and 5,990 persons in the morning peak hour and 5,100 vehicles and 6,450 persons in the afternoon peak hour. While both directions are considered peak travel directions, in the afternoon peak hour, northbound I-405 carries 1,300 more vehicles than southbound I-405. This is due to the southbound I-405 bottleneck at 112th Avenue SE/Coal Creek Parkway limiting the number of vehicles getting to the study area. On SR 167, northbound is the peak travel direction in the morning peak period. Within the study area, northbound SR 167 carries 4,030 vehicles during the morning peak hour. In the afternoon peak period, southbound is the peak travel direction for SR 167. Southbound SR 167 carries 4,440 vehicles during the afternoon peak hour Exhibits 10 and 11 show the existing 2002 morning and afternoon peak hour vehicle and person trips, mode split, and average travel speeds. What about off-peak directions? In the study area only SR 167 has an off-peak travel direction, I-405 does not have an off-peak travel direction. For SR 167, southbound is the off-peak travel direction in the morning peak period. In the afternoon peak period, northbound SR 167 is the off-peak travel direction. Exhibits 10 and 11 show the existing traffic data for both morning and afternoon off-peak directions respectively. What are peak and off-peak travel directions? Peak travel direction is the direction of the freeway with the higher demand and greater congestion. Off-Peak travel direction is the direction of the freeway with lower demand. Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,190 4,910 40-55 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,510 5,560 40-55 mph 55-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,030 5,540 25-40 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,750 3,390 55-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,460 5,990 35-50 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,390 5,500 25-40 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_AM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,510 6,150 35-50 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,050 5,170 40-55 mph 55-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,400 4,010 35-50 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,440 5,860 30-45 mph 50-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 5,100 6,450 40-55 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,810 5,260 30-45 mph 50-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2002_peak_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 25 How well does the freeway currently operate? I-405 and SR 167 general-purpose lanes currently experience congestion and reduced speeds in the peak travel direction for the morning and afternoon peak hours. The I-405 Team calculated average 2002 travel speeds on I-405 and SR 167 with WSDOT speed detector loops, WSDOT Traffic Congestion Maps, and field observations. The traffic speeds are a function of traffic congestion and driver comfort. The HOV lanes generally experience free flow conditions during morning and afternoon peak hours. The HOV lanes reduce speed only when experiencing friction from the adjacent general-purpose lanes that are traveling slower due to congestion. The slowest HOV lane speeds in the study area occur in the morning peak hour. The slowest HOV lane average speeds are 45 to 55 miles per hour (mph) for southbound I-405 from SR 169 to SR 167 and for northbound SR 167 from SW 43rd Street/SE 180th Street to I-405. The 2002 morning and afternoon peak hour average travel speeds are shown in Exhibits 10 and 11, respectively. Peak direction In the 2002 morning peak hour, northbound SR 167 has the slowest average general-purpose lane travel speeds in the study area. Vehicles travel at 20 to 35 mph on northbound SR 167 between the SW 43rd Street/SE 180th Street interchange and I-405. In the 2002 afternoon peak hour, the slowest general- purpose lane speeds were 30 to 45 mph for southbound SR 167, and on the section of southbound I-405 between SR 169 and SR 167. Off-peak direction In the morning peak period, southbound SR 167 has free-flow conditions. In the afternoon peak hour, northbound SR 167 experiences some congestion near the I-405 interchange, and average travel speeds range from 35 to 50 mph. Congestion on I-405 during the morning peak hour at the SR 169 interchange EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 26 Transportation Discipline Report Where are the safety concerns along the I-405 and SR 167 corridors? The I-405 Team collected historical accident information for 2001, 2002, and 2003, which was the most recent data available at the time of the analysis. The overall accident rate for the entire length of I-405 is 1.48 accidents per million vehicle miles of travel. This is similar to other freeways in King County. In the study area, however, the accident rate is 2.35 accidents per million vehicle miles of travel, much higher than the average for the whole corridor. During the three-year reporting period, an average of 323 accidents per year occurred along the 3.6 mile area. Sixty percent of these accidents were rear-end collisions, which is consistent with the high traffic volumes, traffic congestion, and variable speeds occurring in this area. In addition to the accident rate analysis, WSDOT conducted a High Accident Location (HAL) review in 2004, which identified four HAL locations in the study area: Intersection of I-405 southbound ramps at Interurban Avenue (SR 181) I-405 southbound off-ramp to Interurban Avenue (SR 181) Intersection of I-405 northbound ramps at SR 181 I-405 southbound off-ramp to SR 167. The Interurban Avenue and SR 181 HALs were related to high turning volumes at these intersections. The I-405 southbound off-ramp to SR 167 HAL is related to the high traffic volume exiting I-405 and traffic congestion observed in this area. What transit service is available in the study area today? King County Metro (Metro) and Sound Transit provide service in the study area. Only Sound Transit route 560 travels on I-405 between I-5 and SR 167. Several bus routes serve the Westfield Shoppingtown Mall (Southcenter) in Tukwila. No bus routes use the section of I-405 between SR 167 to SR 169. Instead of using this section of I-405, the buses use surface streets to serve the South Renton Park-and-Ride, the Renton Transit Center, and the Boeing Renton Park-and-Ride. Four bus routes travel on SR 167 between I-405 and the How is a high accident location (HAL) determined? Based on historical accident records, this is an area where above average number of accidents occurs. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 27 SW 43rd Street/SE 180th Street interchange: Metro routes 167 and 952, and Sound Transit routes 564 and 565. Existing transit service in the study area is further described in Appendix A. How well do the local streets currently operate? The I-405 Team evaluated local street operations using CORSIM, a microsimulation software. The CORSIM model calculates the average delay experienced by vehicles approaching an intersection. Intersection delay is rated as a level of service (LOS) from A to F, similar to the grading scale used in education. LOS A is the best operating condition with minimal delays and LOS F is the worst with very long delays and heavy congestion. Exhibit 12 shows the LOS ranking for signalized and unsignalized intersections. Exhibit 12. Level of Service (LOS) Criteria for Signalized and Unsignalized Intersections LOS Signalized Stopped Delay per Vehicle (seconds) Unsignalized Average Total Delay per Vehicle (seconds) Description A 0-10 0-10 Little or no delay B 10-20 10-15 Short delays C 20-35 15-25 Average delays D 35-55 25-35 Long delays E 55-80 35-50 Very long delays F >80 >50 Failure - extreme congestion Source: Highway Capacity Manual, 2000. We used 2002 peak hour traffic volumes for the morning and afternoon periods to measure delay and LOS in the study area. We selected 39 intersections for the analysis of the local street system. In the morning peak hour, four intersections perform at LOS D. In the afternoon peak hour, six intersections perform at LOS D, and the intersection of Rainier Avenue S and SW Grady Way performs at LOS F. This intersection operates at LOS F due to the high volumes on Rainier Avenue S and SW Grady Way competing for limited green time. Exhibit 13 shows the LOS for the 2002 morning peak hour, and Exhibit 14 shows the LOS for the 2002 afternoon peak hour. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 28 Transportation Discipline Report This page intentionally blank. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 29 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"`$%&e(AæAÅAÇAíAçGreen Rive rCedar RiverInte rurb an Tra ilCedar River Interpretive TrailPantherCreekWetlandsGreen River TrailBlack RiverRiparian ForestFortDentParkCedarRiverParkLibertyParkSW 41st StSW 34th StSW 27th StSW 16th StSouthcenter Parkway W V a l l e y H w y Interurb a n A v e S M aple Valley HwyR a i n i e r A v e S SW Sunset BlvdSW 7th StSW Grady WayLind Ave SWTUKWILARENTONSpringb r o o k C r e e k B e n s o n R d S SW 23rd StTalbot Rd SB e n s o n D r S ACABDADAACBCAAABBDBBCAAACACABCCCBCBBCBDLegend!IntersectionTrailStreamLocal RoadArterial RoadFreewayParkWaterbodyMunicipality00.10.2Miles{AÊAÉ!"b$Aæ%&e(%&e(!"`$!"`$Snohomish CountyKing CountyAçAèBellevueRentonKentBothellKirklandTukwilaNewcastleLevel OfService(LOS)Signalized StoppedDelay per Vehicle(seconds)Unsignalized AverageTotal Delay per Vehicle(seconds) General DescriptionA0-10 0-10Little or No DelayB10 - 20 10 - 15Short DelaysC20 - 35 15 - 25Average DelaysD35 - 55 25 - 35Long DelaysE55 - 80 35 - 50Very Long DelaysF>80 >50Failure - Extreme Congestion Exhibit 13. 2002 Existing Morning Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service. EXISTING CONDITIONS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 30 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"`$%&e(AæAÅAÇAíAçGreen RiverCedar RiverIn teru rb a n Trai lCedar River Interpretive TrailPantherCreekWetlandsGreen River TrailBlack RiverRiparian ForestFortDentParkCedarRiverParkLibertyParkSW 41st StSW 34th StSW 27th StSW 16th StSouthcenter Parkway W V a l l e y H w y Interurb a n A v e S M aple V alley HwyR a i n i e r A v e S SW Sunset BlvdSW 7th StSW Grady WayLind Ave SWTUKWILARENTONSpringb r o o k C r e e k B e n s o n R d S SW 23rd StTalbot Rd SB e n s o n D r S BACBDABBBDCDBABBCDBBCAAAFBCABBDDBBCBCBCSource: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\templates\SRenton_Project_Vicinity_template.mxd | Last Updated : 02-15-05Legend!IntersectionTrailStreamLocal RoadArterial RoadFreewayParkWaterbodyMunicipality00.10.2Miles{AÊAÉ!"b$Aæ%&e(%&e(!"`$!"`$Snohomish CountyKing CountyAçAèBellevueRentonKentBothellKirklandTukwilaNewcastleLevel OfService(LOS)Signalized StoppedDelay per Vehicle(seconds)Unsignalized AverageTotal Delay per Vehicle(seconds) General DescriptionA0-10 0-10Little or No DelayB10 - 20 10 - 15Short DelaysC20 - 35 15 - 25Average DelaysD35 - 55 25 - 35Long DelaysE55 - 80 35 - 50Very Long DelaysF>80 >50Failure - Extreme Congestion Exhibit 14. 2002 Existing Afternoon Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 31 POTENTIAL EFFECTS How did we develop travel demand forecasts for the freeway? The I-405 Team used the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) four-county travel forecast model as a starting point for determining future travel demand. This model predicts traffic volumes and travel patterns based on adopted land use policies within the region. We then refined the model to include the specific details of the I-405 freeway. What time periods did we evaluate and why? The assumed year of opening of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project is 2014, although this is a conservative assumption and improvements will be in place by 2010. The design year, 2030, is consistent with the corridor planning horizon and the requirement for environmental documentation. We are focusing on the year 2014 because the assumed population and employment growth by 2030 will increase traffic volumes and overwhelm the limited improvements of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. The 2030 results are reported in Appendix B. The project improves a portion of the I-405 corridor, but it will not offer the full solution for the I-405 corridor. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is the first step in implementing the Master Plan for the I-405 corridor. The Master Plan includes additional freeway and transit capacity and will substantially replace and upgrade interchanges along the entire length of the I-405 corridor. These improvements will address the 2030 traffic volumes. The morning and evening commutes using the I-405 corridor last for several hours. To capture these peak commute periods, we considered 6 hours in the morning (5:00 to 11:00 a.m.) and 6 hours in the evening (2:00 to 8:00 p.m.). We evaluated 6 hours to determine how the freeway becomes congested, operations during the congested period, and how congestion dissipates. Although we evaluated 6 hours, the results in this report reflect the morning and Southbound I-405 in Tukwila POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 32 Transportation Discipline Report afternoon peak hours, or highest traffic demand hours for the freeway. For the local street network we used the highest hour of traffic volume to evaluate operations. We used the peak hour because it represents the worst case conditions for the local street operations. How did we determine the general- purpose lane and HOV lane volumes? The I-405 Team started with existing GP lane and HOV lane volumes as measured in 2002. Based on this information, we used the regional travel forecast model to estimate future changes. Forecasts for 2014 and 2030 both assume that HOV lanes will require 3+ persons per vehicle, rather than the currently permitted 2+ persons per vehicle. The PSRC Destination 2030 report indicates that, as future HOV 2+ traffic levels continue to increase, the speeds in the HOV lanes will begin to fall below WSDOT’s 45 mile per hour performance goal for HOV lanes. Consequently, it is assumed that the HOV eligibility will be increased to HOV 3+. The HOV bypass lanes at the on-ramps will retain the HOV 2+ requirement. What improvements are included in the travel forecast model? The travel forecast model includes funded regional improvement projects or those likely to be built. Please refer to the table in Appendix C for a list of baseline projects included in the travel forecast model. Some projects are assumed to be completed by 2014 and others by 2030. What effect will the project have on freeway travel demand for the study area? Weekday traffic volumes are defined as two-directional totals with northbound and southbound traffic added together. With the project, the I-405 and SR 167 2014 weekday travel demand increases compared to the No Build Alternative. For the section of I-405 between I-5 and SR 167, we calculate that the daily demand for the Renton Nickel Improvement Project would be 138,000 vehicles, 7 percent greater than the 129,000 daily vehicles predicted with the No Build Alternative. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 33 For the section of I-405 between SR 167 and SR 169, we estimate that 2014 daily travel demand for the Renton Nickel Improvement Project would be 140,000 vehicles, compared to the 131,000 vehicles for the No Build Alternative, a 6 percent increase. Weekday travel demand for SR 167 would be 133,000 vehicles for both the Build Alternative and the No Build Alternative. While daily freeway demand increases with the Renton Nickel Improvement Project, during the morning and afternoon peak hours the project will have very little effect on freeway demand. The project improvements will increase vehicle capacity on I-405 itself. However, it will not alleviate the following existing peak-hour bottlenecks: SR 167/I-405 interchange I-405/I-5 interchange I-405 north of 112th Avenue SE and Coal Creek Parkway Southbound SR 167, south of SW 41st Street The SR 167 and I-405 interchange constrains vehicles from traveling through the center of the study area. The other bottlenecks are outside the study area and limit vehicles traveling to and from the study area. Although the 112th Avenue SE and Coal Creek Parkway interchanges are several miles away from this project, they influence peak hour operations within the study area. To understand the influence of this location, we removed the I-405 bottleneck at 112th Avenue SE and Coal Creek Parkway from the I-405 Project Travel Demand Model. With the bottleneck removed, the model forecasts that the project’s northbound throughput in the study area will increase during the 2014 morning peak period. Similarly, if the bottleneck on southbound SR 167, south of S 180th Street were improved, the project would produce more benefits in the 2014 afternoon peak hour. Regardless of whether or not the Renton Nickel Improvement Project is built, the SR 167 Improvement Project is anticipated to construct an additional lane in each direction on SR 167 by the year 2030. These new lanes will greatly improve freeway operations on SR 167 and I-405, especially during the afternoon peak period. Generally, the project will have greater benefit during non-peak travel periods when traffic volumes are lower. What is throughput? Throughput is the number of vehicles being carried on a facility. This is usually measured at a specific point on the roadway facility for a predetermined period of time. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 34 Transportation Discipline Report Regardless of whether the project is built, future traffic volumes in the HOV lane are expected to decrease compared to existing volumes with a change of the occupancy designation from the current 2+ persons per vehicle to 3+ persons. How did we analyze freeway traffic operations? The I-405 Team used VISSIM, microsimulation software to analyze the freeway traffic operations. VISSIM describes the movement of individual vehicles including how they accelerate, decelerate, and change lanes in response to freeway geometry and the behavior of other vehicles. To evaluate the performance of freeway traffic operations, we developed the following list of measures of effectiveness: vehicle trips, person trips, and speed. Vehicle trips Vehicle trips are the total number of vehicles that pass through a section of roadway over a given time. For this project, we calculated the microsimulation model trips on an hourly basis. Person Trips Person trips are the total number of persons that pass through a section of roadway over a given time. We calculated the trips by estimating the number of passengers in vanpools, carpools, and transit buses. For this project, we calculated the person trips on an hourly basis. Speed Travel speeds are a function of traffic congestion and driver comfort. The microsimulation model assesses the average travel speed of vehicles in the general- purpose and HOV lanes over time. For this project, we calculated the speeds on an hourly basis. What effect will the project have on how the freeways operate in the study area? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will improve peak period vehicle throughput and increase travel speeds up to 20 mph on I-405 and SR 167 when it opens in approximately 2010. The improved travel What is a measure of effectiveness? Measure of effectiveness is the term used to assess how a roadway performs. Typically, multiple measures are used. The I-405 Project uses the number of vehicles moved, the number of persons moved, and the average travel speed to determine how well the roadway performs. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 35 speeds will help freight mobility in the study area. Projected future regional population and employment growth will increase freeway demand compared to existing conditions. As traffic volumes increase, the benefits of the project will decrease during the morning and afternoon peak travel periods. There will, however, continue to be benefits during the hours outside of the peak travel periods. Future increased demand amplifies congestion in locations where I-405 and SR 167 are already at capacity. By 2014, with or without the project, freeway speeds fall and a smaller number of vehicles actually travel through the study area compared to conditions today. In the 2014 morning and afternoon peak hours, the project will minimally improve travel speeds and slightly improve vehicle and person throughput for most locations compared to the No Build Alternative. Bottlenecks, both at the I-405 and SR 167 interchange and outside the study area, limit the benefits of the project during the peak hours. For both the morning and afternoon peak periods, the project has more benefits for the periods of time before and after the peak travel periods when traffic volumes are lower. The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will delay the onset of congestion and clear congestion more quickly during peak travel periods. During the 2014 morning peak hour, the greatest improvement in throughput would occur on northbound I-405 from I-5 to SR 167, where the project will carry 900 more vehicles and 1,050 more people than the No Build Alternative. This is more than a 25 percent increase in vehicle and person throughput. The project will also reduce congestion on eastbound SR 518 by one hour during the morning peak period. Average travel speeds for the study area improve slightly or are the same with the Build Alternative compared to the No Build Alternative in the 2014 morning peak hour. In the 2014 afternoon peak hour, the greatest improvement over the No Build Alternative will occur on northbound SR 167 from S 180th Street to I-405 where the project will carry 1,200 more vehicles than the No Build Alternative. As well as higher throughput, the northbound SR 167 travel speed will increase approximately 15 miles per hour. For the remaining freeway locations, there is less than 300 vehicles difference between the Build and the No Build Alternatives in the afternoon peak hour. I-405 and SR 167 interchange, looking south POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 36 Transportation Discipline Report No Build in 2014 Peak direction Exhibit 15 shows that northbound SR 167 becomes very congested during the morning peak hour. Specifically, without project improvements, vehicle throughput would drop more than 50 percent below existing levels. Exhibit 16 shows that southbound SR 167 will become more congested in the afternoon peak hour, accommodating only 3,440 vehicles, down from the existing 4,440 vehicles. Off-peak direction In the morning peak hour, the off-peak travel direction of southbound SR 167 continues to operate well with the No Build Alternative in 2014. In the afternoon peak hour, the off-peak travel direction (northbound) of SR 167 becomes more congested and vehicle throughput decreases compared to existing conditions. Build in 2014 Peak direction Exhibit 17 shows both Build and No Build Alternatives will operate with high levels of congestion on northbound SR 167, the peak travel direction in the morning. Exhibit 18 shows both Build and No Build Alternatives will operate with high levels of congestion on southbound SR 167, the peak travel direction in the afternoon. Off-peak direction In the morning peak hour, the off-peak travel direction (southbound) of SR 167 operates well for both the Build and No Build Alternatives, where vehicles will continue to travel at near free-flow conditions of 60 mph. The Build Alternative will carry 1,200 more vehicles than the No Build Alternative in the afternoon peak hour for the section of northbound SR 167 from S 180th Street to I-405. Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,150 3,940 25-40 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,100 5,51 0 20-35 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 1,970 2,990 5-20 mph 35-50 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,960 3,960 50-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,850 3,830 40-55 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,550 6,020 35-50 mph 50-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_nobuild_AM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,000 4,480 15-30 mph 45-55 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,640 5,140 10-25 mph 40-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,130 3,810 15-30 mph 45-55 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,440 5,240 15-30 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,960 5,290 40-55 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,360 5,410 25-40 mph 50-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_nobuild_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,070 4,980 30-45 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,350 5,610 20-35 mph 45-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,120 3,190 10-25 mph 35-50 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,300 4,390 55-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,230 4,310 40-55 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,760 6,310 40-55 mph 55-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_AM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,220 4,800 10-25 mph 45-55 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,850 5,350 45-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,330 5,200 30-45 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,460 5,330 10-25 mph 40-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,250 5,660 30-45 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,220 5,250 15-30 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 41 What effect will the project alternatives have on freeway safety? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will add a lane northbound and southbound on I-405 and a southbound lane on SR 167. The project will improve safety in the study area by reducing the congestion- related accidents as compared to the No Build alternative. The project will narrow lane widths and reduce shoulder widths on I-405 in the vicinity of the railroad bridges, the Cedar Avenue and Renton Avenue overpasses, and the SR 181 interchange. While the additional lane on I-405 in this area will decrease congestion related accidents, the reduced lane and shoulder widths may slightly increase other types of accidents. What effect will the project have on transit service and HOV trips? For both the 2014 No Build and Build Alternatives, the HOV lane occupancy designation is assumed to change from the current HOV 2+ to HOV 3+. With a future HOV lane occupancy designation of 3+, the HOV lanes would perform well for both the Build and No Build Alternatives. The HOV lanes would operate close to free-flow conditions (i.e., 60 mph). However, the HOV lanes would experience slower speeds during the peak hours when the adjacent general-purpose lanes become congested. HOV drivers tend to slow down as a precaution in case a driver from the adjacent slower lane suddenly decides to enter the HOV lane. The Build Alternative extends the southbound SR 167 HOV lane approximately 1,600 feet closer to the I-405 interchange. This enables southbound HOVs leaving Renton on SR 167 to enter the HOV lane sooner and allows them to avoid the weaving area with the northbound I-405 on-ramp. Will the project affect transit travel time? With the 2014 and 2030 Build Alternatives, transit peak-hour travel times will be similar to the No Build Alternatives. The extension of the southbound Bus in the HOV lane POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 42 Transportation Discipline Report SR 167 HOV lane will improve travel time for HOVs leaving Renton southbound on SR 167 during the afternoon peak. Will HOV and transit trips change? The number of buses with the Build Alternative will be the same as the No Build Alternative for 2014 and 2030. The number of HOV trips on I-405 and SR 167 will be similar for the Build and No Build Alternatives. What effect will the project alternatives have on local traffic operations? The I-405 Team anticipates that future traffic volumes will increase and local traffic operations will generally worsen compared to existing conditions, regardless of which alternative is implemented. We calculated intersection LOS for both Build and No Build Alternatives with CORSIM, microsimulation software. The analysis focused on the 2014 morning and afternoon peak hour. Refer to the Glossary for a definition of level of service and delay. Within the study area, the project will result in a limited increase in traffic volumes on I-405, and it will have no effect on surface street traffic volumes during the morning and afternoon peak hour. Therefore the Build Alternative will have the same intersection LOS as the No Build Alternative. Exhibit 19 shows the Build and No Build intersection LOS for the 2014 morning peak hour. Both the Build and No Build Alternatives will have one intersection operating at LOS F and four operating at LOS E. As shown in Exhibit 20, in the 2014 afternoon peak hour, both the Build and No Build Alternatives will have ten intersections performing at LOS F, and six intersections operating at LOS E. The four most congested areas are: Around the I-405 ramps at SR 181 in Tukwila North of the I-405 and SR 167 interchange near the Rainier Avenue S/SW Grady Way intersection in Renton Around the I-405 ramps at SR 169 in Renton Around the SR 167 ramps at SW 41st Street and SW 43rd Street in south Renton POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 43 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"`$%&e(AæAÅAÇAíAçGreen Rive rCedar RiverInterurban TrailCedar River Interpretive TrailPantherCreekWetlandsGreen River TrailBlack RiverRiparian ForestFortDentParkCedarRiverParkLibertyParkSW 41st StSW 34th StSW 27th StSW 16th StSouthcenter Parkway W V a l l e y H wy Interurb a n A v e S M aple Valley HwyR a i n i e r A v e S SW Sunset BlvdSW 7th StSW Grady WayLind Ave SWTUKWILARENTONSpringb r o o k C r e e k B e n s o n R d S SW 23rd StTalbot Rd SB e n s o n D r S BCCCDADBEDCEDAABCDCFCAAAEBCACDDCBCBBCBE;,g y; | gpj p_p_j_y_p|pLegend!IntersectionTrailStreamLocal RoadArterial RoadFreewayParkWaterbodyMunicipality00.10.2Miles{AÊAÉ!"b$Aæ%&e(%&e(!"`$!"`$Snohomish CountyKing CountyAçAèBellevueRentonKentBothellKirklandTukwilaNewcastleLevel OfService(LOS)Signalized StoppedDelay per Vehicle(seconds)Unsignalized AverageTotal Delay per Vehicle(seconds) General DescriptionA0 - 10 0 - 10Little or No DelayB10 - 20 10 - 15Short DelaysC20 - 35 15 - 25Average DelaysD35 - 55 25 - 35Long DelaysE55 - 80 35 - 50Very Long DelaysF>80 >50Failure - Extreme Congestion Exhibit 19. 2014 Build/No Build Morning Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 44 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"`$%&e(AæAÅAÇAíAçGreen Rive rCedar RiverInterurb an TrailCedar River Interpretive TrailPantherCreekWetlandsGreen River TrailBlack RiverRiparian ForestFortDentParkCedarRiverParkLibertyParkSW 41st StSW 34th StSW 27th StSW 16th StSouthcenter Parkway W V a l l e y H w y Interurb a n A v e S M aple Valley HwyR a i n i e r A v e S SW Sunset BlvdSW 7th StSW Grady WayLind Ave SWTUKWILARENTONSpringb r o o k C r e e k B e n s o n R d S SW 23rd StTalbot Rd SB e n s o n D r S FBBECFAFCBFCEFACBCEFEDBAAFCFAEEFFBBCBCB;,g y; | gpj p_p_j_y_p|pLegend!IntersectionTrailStreamLocal RoadArterial RoadFreewayParkWaterbodyMunicipality00.10.2Miles{AÊAÉ!"b$Aæ%&e(%&e(!"`$!"`$Snohomish CountyKing CountyAçAèBellevueRentonKentBothellKirklandTukwilaNewcastleLevel OfService(LOS)Signalized StoppedDelay per Vehicle(seconds)Unsignalized AverageTotal Delay per Vehicle(seconds) General DescriptionA0-10 0-10Little or No DelayB10 - 20 10 - 15Short DelaysC20 - 35 15 - 25Average DelaysD35 - 55 25 - 35Long DelaysE55 - 80 35 - 50Very Long DelaysF>80 >50Failure - Extreme Congestion Exhibit 20. 2014 Build/No Build Afternoon Peak Hour Intersection Level of Service POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 45 Will the project affect bicycle and pedestrian facilities? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project includes reconstruction of the Benson Road bridge over I-405. The new bridge will have a wider sidewalk on one side of the street and bike lanes on both sides of the street. The project will extend the sidewalk on Benson Road to create a continuous sidewalk from the City Hall Building to the existing sidewalk south of the Benson Road bridge. The Interurban Trail, Springbrook Trail, and the Green River Trail are regional pedestrian trails that travel through the study area. I-405 crosses a bridge spanning Springbrook Creek and Springbrook Trail. During construction of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project, this bridge will be removed and replaced with a new bridge. During construction, Springbrook Trail under I-405 will be closed for public safety reasons. A signed detour will be provided during the closure and notices will be provided to bicycle clubs and posted to keep the public informed about construction. See the Section 4(f) Evaluation for more details on these trails. What indirect effects will the project have? We determined the project will have no indirect effects related to transportation. What effect will construction have on transportation? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project will widen I-405 and southbound SR 167, widen or replace I-405 bridges, and reconstruct and realign the Benson Road bridge. Construction is expected to take two years. However, construction activity in some locations will take substantially less time. Will construction vehicle volumes affect the transportation network? Construction trucks carrying dirt from the detention pond near the Benson Road bridge will affect Renton city streets. These trucks will mainly be restricted to activities along Benson Road. Approximately 15,500 cubic yards of material will be required to reconstruct POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 46 Transportation Discipline Report the Benson Road overpass over I-405. Assuming 18 cubic yards per truck load, roughly 900 loaded and 900 unloaded trucks will be added to Renton city streets during construction. The removal of material for the bridge project will add 30 trucks per weekday to Renton city streets for about three months. The Benson Road overpass over I-405 currently carries 15,500 vehicles per day. Existing traffic counts show that 2 percent or 310 of the vehicles are trucks. Therefore, I-405 Project will increase the present number of trucks by 10 percent for three months. Will project construction affect regional freeway traffic? During construction of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project, the existing mainline I-405 lanes will be realigned through the construction area. Temporary night and weekend lane closures may be required for the mainline widening. Full freeway closures may be required at limited times to shift traffic between phases of construction or during demolition and construction of the Benson Road overpass. In the event such closures are necessary, they will be of short duration during nights or weekends. The traffic effects of these closures will be localized in the immediate Tukwila/south Renton area and are not likely to affect neighboring jurisdictions such as Seattle, SeaTac, or Bellevue. I-405 bridge construction will occur in multiple stages to minimize traffic delays and detours. The final staging concept is undetermined. The first stage of one possible concept will shift traffic toward the I-405 median and the existing lanes and shoulders will be narrowed to allow widening of the existing structure or construction of the new bridge depending on the design. In the next stage, traffic will be shifted onto the new bridge area, and if the bridge was replaced rather than simply widened, then the old structure will be demolished after traffic is shifted. WSDOT will reconstruct the Benson Road overpass over I-405 in stages to minimize closures on I-405. Any closures of I-405 will occur at night or on weekends. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 47 Will project construction affect the local arterials? The new Benson Road overpass will be staged to minimize the impact to local street operations. The new structure will be built to the west, while the existing one remains in service. After traffic has been shifted onto the new overpass, the existing one will be demolished. What are the potential cumulative effects of the Build and No-Build Alternatives? The Renton Nickel Improvement Project is part of the first stage in constructing the I-405 Corridor Program Master Plan. Benefits from the Renton Nickel Improvement Project are limited but will contribute to the cumulative benefits realized under the Corridor Program. The I-405 Corridor Program Final EIS describes and evaluates the long term plan (Master Plan) for the I-405 corridor and provides the appropriate background to address the transportation cumulative effects of the Renton Nickel Improvement Project. FHWA does not require a cumulative effects report for every National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) discipline studied. Rather, the disciplines subject to a cumulative effects analysis are determined on a case- by-case basis early in the NEPA process. The Transportation Discipline Report for this project was selected to include a cumulative effects review because of this project’s close association with other corridor projects. Specific improvements to the study area that will be realized by the Renton Nickel Improvement Project and the Corridor Program Master Plan are compared below. The Build Alternative The Renton Nickel Improvement Project Build Alternative provides the following benefits: Improves travel speeds and throughput when it opens in approximately 2010. Improves travel speeds and throughput for most locations compared to the No-Build Alternative in 2014. POTENTIAL EFFECTS Renton Nickel Improvement Project 48 Transportation Discipline Report Extends the southbound SR 167 HOV lane closer to the I-405 interchange improving transit and HOV travel time. In addition to these benefits, the Renton Nickel Improvement Project will realize other transportation benefits when the I-405 corridor long-term plan is complete. Combined, these projects will: Reduce peak traffic congestion periods. Improve travel speeds on I-405 and SR 167. Improve vehicle throughput on I-405 and SR 167. Reduce congestion related accidents compared to the No-Build Alternative. These benefits will be realized through year the 2030. The No-Build Alternative Assuming neither this project nor the Master Plan are constructed, the cumulative effects will remain the same as the current conditions. Traffic demand on I-405 will increase, and travel speeds and throughput will be reduced. Additionally, the peak periods of traffic congestion will become longer than they are today. The specific results of the No-Build Alternative are reported on page 36 of this report. The No Build scenario will not result in any cumulative transportation effects. Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report 49 MEASURES TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTS How will we avoid or minimize adverse effects from construction? We will coordinate with the local agencies and other projects to prepare a Traffic Management Plan prior to making any changes to the traffic flow or lane closures. Local agencies, the public, school districts, emergency service providers, and transit agencies will be informed of the changes in advance through a public information process. Pedestrian and bicycle circulation will be maintained as much as possible during construction. Transportation demand management (TDM) strategies will form an important part of the construction management program. TDM strategies in the Renton Nickel Improvement Project area will be implemented prior to construction to increase public awareness and participation in HOV travel. The major focus will be on expanding vanpooling and vanshare opportunities. How will we avoid or minimize adverse effects from an improved transportation system? We foresee no adverse effects that would require separate mitigation. What is transportation demand management (TDM)? Institutional and operational methods to reduce travel demand on the transportation system. TDM strategies are usually implemented to support the use of HOVs, which typically include carpools, vanpools, and public transit programs. Renton Nickel Improvement Project 50 Transportation Discipline Report REFERENCES HNTB, Mirai Associates, McGowan Environmental. Prepared for WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation). 2003 Traffic Analysis White Paper: I-405 Congestion Relief and Bus Rapid Transit Projects. King County Metro 2005 Online, Transit Schedules, transit.metrokc.gov. Sound Transit. 2003 Sound Transit Express. Service Implementation Plan. 2005 Transit Schedules, www.soundtransit.org. Washington State Department of Transportation WSDOT 2003 Average Travel Times for the Top 22 Commutes. APPENDIX A Existing Transit Service Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report A-1 Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report A-2 Exhibit A-1. Existing Transit Service in the Study Area Route Service Area Service Type 101 Downtown Seattle (Tunnel), SODO, South Renton P&R, Renton Transit Center, Fairwood Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 105 Renton Transit Center, Renton Technical College Renton Highlands Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 106 Downtown Seattle (Tunnel), SODO, Rainier Beach, Skyway, Renton Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 107 Rainier Beach, Lake Ridge, Renton Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 110 SW Renton, South Gate, FAA, Renton Transit Center, Renton Boeing, Paccar/Kenworth, North Renton Weekdays 126 Rainier Beach, South Center Mall, Tukwila Train Station Weekdays 128 West Seattle, White Center, South Center Mall Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 140 Burien Transit Center, Sea-Tac Airport, McMicken Heights, Southcenter, South Renton P&R, Renton Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 143 Downtown Seattle, Renton, Maple Valley P&R, Black Diamond Weekdays 148 Renton Transit Center, South Renton P&R, Royal Hills, Fairwood Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 149 Renton Transit Center, Maple Valley P&R, Black Diamond Weekdays 150 Downtown Seattle, South Center Mall, Kent Boeing, Kent Transit Center, Auburn Commuter Rail, Auburn Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 153 Kent Transit Center, East Valley Road, South Renton P&R, Renton Transit Center Weekdays 155 Fairwood, Cascade Vista, Valley Medical Center, Southcenter Weekdays 160 Downtown Seattle, Tukwila, Kent East Hill Weekdays 163 Downtown Seattle, SODO, Tukwila P&R, Valley Medical Center, Kent East Hill Weekdays 167 University District, Bellevue Transit Center, Wilburton P&R, Newport Hills P&R, Kennydale, Renton Boeing, South Renton P&R, Kent Transit Center, Auburn P&R Weekdays 169 Renton Transit Center, South Renton P&R, Valley Medical Center, Kent East Hill, Kent Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 240 Clyde Hill, Bellevue Transit Center, Factoria, Newcastle, Renton Highlands, Renton Boeing, Renton Transit Center, South Renton P&R Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday 247 Redmond, Overlake, Overlake Transit Center, Overlake P&R, Eastgate P&R, Factoria, Newport Hill P&R, Renton Boeing, Renton, South Renton P&R, Kent, Kent Boeing Weekdays 280 Night Owl Service, S Renton P&R, Tukwila, Downtown Seattle, Bellevue Transit Center, Kennydale, Renton Nightly 342 Shoreline P&R, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell P&R, Bellevue Transit Center, South Bellevue P&R, Newport Hills, Kennydale, Renton Boeing, Renton Transit Center Weekdays ST 560 Bellevue Transit Center, South Bellevue P&R, Newport Hills P&R, Kennydale, Renton Boeing, Renton Transit Center, Burien Transit Center, West Seattle Weekdays, Saturday, Sunday ST 564 Auburn Transit Center, Auburn Commuter Rail Station, Kent Transit Center, Renton Transit Center, Boeing Renton, Bellevue Transit Center Weekdays ST 565 Federal Way Transit Center, Auburn Transit Center, Auburn Commuter Rail Station, Kent Transit Center, Renton Transit Center, Boeing Renton, Bellevue Transit Center Weekdays Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report A-2 Exhibit A-1. Existing Transit Service in the Study Area Route Service Area Service Type 908 Renton DART Service, Maplewood, Renton Highlands, Renton Technical College, Renton Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday 909 Renton DART Service, Kennydale, Renton Highlands, Renton Transit Center Weekdays, Saturday 952 Auburn P&R, Kent P&R, Renton Boeing, Kennydale, Brickyard, Everett Boeing Weekdays Source: King County Metro webpage and Sound Transit webpage APPENDIX B 2030 Results Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON Exhibit B-1: 2030 No Build A.M. Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,860 4,880 20-35 mph 45-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,770 5,030 20-35 mph 45-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,560 3,880 5-20 mph 30-45 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,690 3,550 45-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,390 4,580 35-50 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,240 4,500 20-35 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON Exhibit B-2: 2030 No Build P.M. Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,390 6,450 20-35 mph 50-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,540 5,270 15-30 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,040 2,560 10-25 mph 40-50 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,740 5,900 35-50 mph 55-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,950 5,550 35-50 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,380 5,590 25-40 mph 50-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON Exhibit B-3: 2030 Build A.M. Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,090 5,120 30-45 mph 55-60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,920 5,190 15-30 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 1,790 2,990 5-20 mph 30-45 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,190 4,310 50-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,850 3,850 40-55 mph 60 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,790 5,170 20-35 mph 45-55 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 Aæ Aç !"`$ Aí %&e( %&e( !"`$ N orthboundI-405Legend Trail Stream Local Road Arterial Road Freeway Park Waterbody Municipality Southbound Lane Northbound Lane Study Area Segments I-405 I-5 to SR 167 I-405 SR 167 to SR 169 SR 167 180th to I-405 0 0.25 0.5 Miles / AÊ AÉ !"b$ Aæ %&e( %&e( !"`$ !"`$ Snohomish County King County Aç Aè B e l l e v u e R e n t o n K e n t B o t h e l l K i r k l a n d T u k w i l a N e w c a s t l e S o u th b o u n d I -4 0 5 N o rth b o u n d I -4 0 5 NorthboundSR167SouthboundSR167SouthboundI-405TUKWILA RENTON Exhibit B-4: 2030 Build P.M. Peak Hour Vehicle and Person Trips, Mode Split, and Average Travel Speed SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 3,210 4,840 10-25 mph 40-50 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 I - 5 t o S R 1 6 7 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,400 6,370 30-45 mph 55-60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o I - 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 2,840 3,690 15-30 mph 45-55 mph N O R T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 1 8 0 t h t o I - 4 0 5 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,220 6,360 45-60 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D S R 1 6 7 I - 4 0 5 t o 1 8 0 t h SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,000 5,590 15-30 mph 45-55 mph N O R T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 7 t o S R 1 6 9 SOV HOV TRANSIT Mode Type by Vehicle: Mode Type by Persons: Average GP Travel Speed: Average HOV Travel Speed: SOV HOV TRANSIT Vehicle Trips: Person Trips: 4,160 6,690 40-55 mph 60 mph S O U T H B O U N D I - 4 0 5 S R 1 6 9 t o S R 1 6 7 Source: WSDOT; 2004, King County; 2004 | \\SEAW405\405gis\project\srenton\map_docs\discipline_reports\transportation\2014_build_PM.mxd | Last Updated 04-06-05 APPENDIX C Baseline Projects Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report C-1 Within the I-405 Corridor, there is one improvement project being constructed. Table A-1 shows Sound Transit’s NE 128th Street HOV project in Kirkland which is assumed to be operational by 2014. Table C-1. Nickel Projects Assumed for 2014 within the I-405 Corridor Projects Assumed Completed by 2014 I-405 NE 128th Street HOV and Transit Access Outside of the I-405 Corridor, the 2014 network will consist of projects that are currently planned and programmed by WSDOT and other transportation agencies. For the most part, these projects are fully funded or expected to be funded within the next six years. Table C-2 lists projects which are consistent with the No Build Alternative assumptions used in the programmatic EIS. Table C-2: Transportation Projects Assumed for 2014 Outside of I-405 Corridor Regional Projects Completed or Assumed to be Completed by 2005 Location Project Seattle/Tacoma Sound Transit Link Light Rail (Phase 1) Tacoma to Seattle Sound Transit Commuter Rail Regionwide Sound Transit 2006 Bus Service concepts I-5 S 320th termini of HOV lanes (Federal Way) SR 519 Phase 1 I-90 Direct HOV/Transit access Eastgate Park-and-Ride I-90 Sunset Interchange in Issaquah that Includes the Sammamish Plateau Access Road I-5 Direct HOV/Transit access Lynnwood Transit Center SR 525 SR 99 to Paine Field (5 lanes) Nickel Projects Constructed by 2005 Jurisdiction Project Pierce SR 7 to SR 507 to SR 512 Pierce SR 161 (S 176th to S 234th Street) - Corridor Improvements Pierce SR 16 (Olympic View Drive to Union Avenue ) - HOV Improvements King I-5 (NE 175th Street to NE 205th Street ) - NB Auxiliary Lane King I-90 (Bellevue Way to I-5) - Two-way Transit & HOV King SR 161 (Jovita Boulevard to S 360th Street) - Widen to 5 Lanes King SR 167 (15th Street SW to 15th Street NW) - HOV improvement King SR 522 Access Bothell to UW Campus King I-5 (Pierce County Line to S 320th) - Stage 4 HOV King SR 99 (Aurora Avenue to N Corridor) - Transit/HOV Lanes Snohomish SR 9 (SR 522 to 176th Street SE) - Stage 1 and 2 Snohomish SR 527 (132nd SE to 112th SE) - Additional Lanes Nickel Projects Constructed After 2005 Pierce I-5 (Port of Tacoma Road to King and Pierce County Line) - HOV Lanes Pierce SR 161 (360th to Jovita) - Additional Lanes Pierce SR 410 (214th to 234th) - Additional Lanes APPENDIX C Renton Nickel Improvement Project C-2 Transportation Discipline Report King SR 520 (West Lake Sammamish Parkway to SR 202) - Add HOV Lanes Snohomish I-5 (SR 526 to US 2) - HOV Lanes Snohomish SR 522 (Snohomish River to US 2) - 4 Lane Widening 2014 Committed Arterial Projects (I-405 Corridor Program EIS Project # shown in second column) Bothell, Snohomish R.AC- 21 120th NE and 39th SE (NE 195th to Maltby Road) - 4/5 lanes including new connection Bellevue R-08 NE 29th Place (148th Avenue NE to NE 24th Street) - Construct new 2 lane road Snohomish R-10 SR 524 (24th Street SW to SR 527) - Widen to 4/5 lanes including sidewalks, bicycle lanes Kirkland R-21 NE 120th Street (Slater Avenue to 124th Avenue NE) - Construct new 3 lane roadway with pedestrian and bicycle facilities Redmond/ WSDOT R-25 SR 202 Corridor Improvements (East Lake Sammamish Parkway to Sahalee Way) - Widen to 3/5 lanes; intersection improvements with bicycle and pedestrian facilities Redmond R-26 NE 90th Street (Willows Road to SR 202) - Construct new 4/5 lanes with bicycle facilities Redmond R-28 West Lake Sammamish Parkway (Leary Way to Bel-Red Road) - Widen to 4/5 lanes with CGS*, bicycle lanes Renton R-36 Oakesdale Avenue SW (SW 31st to SW 16th) - Construct new 5 lane roadway with CGS KCDOT R-39 & R.AC-2 140th Avenue SE (SR 169 to SE 208th Street) - Widen to 5 lanes; (SR 169 to SE 196th Street) - Widen for turn channels on SE 196th. Combines 2 King County CIP projects. A major north-south arterial that serves the Soos Creek Plateau and Fairwood KCDOT R-40 & R.IC-24 Juanita-Woodinville Way (NE 145th Street to 112th Avenue NE) - Widen to 4/5 lanes with CGS, walkway/pathway KCDOT R-47 NE 124th Street (Willows Road to SR 202) - Widen to 3/4 lanes with CGS; bicycle facilities; traffic signal Woodinville R-51 Woodinville-Snohomish Road/140th Avenue NE (NE 175th Street to SR 522) - Widen to 4/5 lanes with CGS; bicycle lanes Bellevue R-101 150th Avenue SE (SE 36th to SE 38th) - Widen to 7 lanes; add turn lanes Redmond R-111 & R.AC- 15 Willows Road Corridor Improvements - Channelization of Willows Road and Redmond Way intersection; widening of Willows Road from NE 116th to NE 124th Snohomish R-117 39th Avenue SE Realignment at SR 524 and York Road - Construct 4-way intersection to replace 2 offset intersections WSDOT R.PB-27 SR 520 and SR 202 interchange - Complete interchange by constructing a new ramp and thru lane on SR 202 to SR 520 (ETP R-29) NOTE: Part of Nickel Package * CGS – Curb, gutter, and sidewalks Outside of the I-405 Corridor, the 2030 network will consist of planned, programmed and reasonably foreseeable projects to be implemented during the next 20 to 25 years. This network includes all of the projects assumed for 2014, plus additional regional and local projects that have been given high priority in recent programming processes. Several of these projects have the potential to affect the travel conditions along the I-405 Corridor, so their inclusion in the network is important to establish realistic traffic forecasts for environmental and design purposes. All of the projects are included within the PSRC Destination 2030 as being important to implement by 2030. While several projects are currently not funded, they have been consistently included in multi- jurisdictional funding forums, such as the RTID and ETP 10-year Mobility Action Priorities. Given APPENDIX C Renton Nickel Improvement Project Transportation Discipline Report C-3 the importance of transportation in the Puget Sound Region, it is reasonable to assume that transportation investments will continue throughout the next 30 years. The assumed projects represent only a portion of the overall regional needs. The projects included in Table C-3 are assumed to be completed by 2030. The selection of these projects met the following rationale: • Included within Destination 2030 • Included within established funding and prioritization processes (e.g. RTID, ETP, SKATBD, etc.) • Could potentially affect transportation conditions along the I-405 Corridor • Environmental processes either complete, in process, or expected to be underway by 2005 By meeting these tests, the listed projects were considered to have a reasonable likelihood of being implemented prior to 2030. Table C-3: Regional Projects Assumed for 2030 Outside of I-405 Corridor Project Project Description for Modeling Purposes (2030) Description in Metropolitan Transportation Plan) Justification for Assumed Model Description SR 509 Extension 6-lane freeway 6-lane freeway FEIS, ROD - RTID funding SR 167 Extension (Tacoma) 6-lane freeway 6-lane freeway FEIS, ROD - RTID funding SR 167 (I-405 to Puyallup) Add HOV lanes 15th Street SW to SR 161 (Puyallup) Add 1 lane each direction Carr Road/180th Street to SR 18 Add HOV lanes 15th Street SW to SR 161 (Puyallup) Pre EIS study completed; EIS started; RTID funding being considered for minimum of 1 lane each direction I-405 to SR 18 Alaskan Way Viaduct Existing capacity (4/6-lane expressway) Existing capacity (4/6-lane expressway) DEIS started SR 520 (I-405 to Montlake Boulevard) 4-lane freeway + 1 HOV lane (6-lane option) 6-lane freeway + 1 HOV lane (8-lane option) DEIS started; no preferred alternative - use conservative approach SR 518 Add 1 eastbound GP lane from airport access to I-5; interchange improvements at SR 509/SR 518 Add 1 eastbound GP lane from airport access to I-5; interchange improvements at SR 509/SR 518 Environmental expected 2005; RTID funding; ties directly into I-405 I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Alternative R-8A - no rail across I-90 Not specifically listed except for potential future conversion to light rail DEIS and FEIS done; preferred alternative selected; ties to future light rail across corridor SR 18 (Auburn to I-90) 4-lane expressway SR 516 to I-90 4-lane expressway SR 516 to I-90 EIS started (Nickel funding)