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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 3180 CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON RESOLUTION NO. 3180 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, IN SUPPORT OF EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF THE KING COUNTY SIX- YEAR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR 1996-2001 BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER 1996 FOR THE RENTON AREA. WHEREAS, the City of Renton adopted a Transit Plan in 1994 which focused on improving transit service within the City; and WHEREAS, the Metropolitan King County Council passed Ordinance 95-609 on December 11, 1995, adopting the King County Six-Year Transit Development Plan for 1996-2001 (Six-Year Plan) to guide transit service and capital investment decisions; and WHEREAS, the City of Renton has taken part in the development of the Six-Year Plan through its participation in the Eastside Transportation Program (ETP) and the South County Area Transportation Board (SCATBd) ; and WHEREAS, King County Executive Gary Locke proposed a single `early implementation project' effective September 21, 1996, to provide a working example of the Six-Year Plan service concept; and WHEREAS, both the Eastside Transportation Program and the South County Area Transportation Board recommended that Renton be selected as the early implementation project for the Six-Year Plan; and 1 RESOLUTION NO. 3180 WHEREAS, a Sounding Board of Renton citizens made up of diverse community interests was developed to work in partnership with the City of Renton and Metro; and WHEREAS, members were appointed to work collaboratively with the City of Renton and Metro to review the Six-Year Plan, recommend alternatives for public review, attend public outreach on the alternatives, review public input on alternatives and make a recommendation on the proposed service changes; and WHEREAS, the Sounding Board has reviewed proposed revisions to the proposal developed after an extensive community outreach effort by Metro and City of Renton Transportation Systems Division staff, and met on February 22 and 29, 1996, and, based upon a thorough review of the proposed transit service changes in Renton, recommended the set of transit service changes proposed by Metro and the City of Renton; and WHEREAS, the Sounding Board made written recommendations outlined in Attachment I regarding priorities for future transit service; and WHEREAS, the City of Renton Transportation Systems Division has reviewed proposals to date and concurs with the proposed service changes proposed for the City of Renton; and WHEREAS, the adopted Six-Year Plan provides for a comprehensive package of transit service including a combination of 2 RESOLUTION NO. 3180 local, inter-community, regional and peak period park-and-ride services, that when combined will provide improved service and connections for the City of Renton, addressing many of the goals and objectives of the Renton Transit Plan; and WHEREAS, the adopted Six-Year Plan includes $1 .4 million per year for new transit service, and a restructuring of existing service already in place in the Renton area; and WHEREAS, the Six-Year Transit Development Plan for 1996-2001 calls for the use of a mix of transit vehicles including smaller transit vans and mini-buses that will fit in with the size and scale of suburban neighborhoods; and WHEREAS, the Six-Year Transit Development Plan for 1996-2001 provides for a comprehensive package of transit capital improvements including the creation of both an interim and permanent Downtown Renton Transit Hub to respond to near term demand; and WHEREAS, the participation of Renton staff and elected officials have beneficially contributed to the Early Implementation Plans for the Renton area; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RENTON, WASHINGTON, DO RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS : SECTION I . The above recitals are found to be true and correct in all respects . 3 RESOLUTION NO. 3180 SECTION II. The Mayor and City Council support the Sounding Board recommendations with a modification to the Sounding Board recommendation to use a combination of Wells Street, Williams Street and Burnett Avenue for access to the downtown interim hub. Small shuttle vans should be used for operation on Burnett Avenue . This modification is being made to address citizen concerns yet provide regional transit service connections as proposed under the Metro Six-Year Plan and to support the development of alternatives to the single occupant vehicle consistent with the City' s Comprehensive Plan. SECTION III. The Mayor and City Council adopt, as part of this resolution, the recommendations of the City of Renton Transportation Systems Division outlined on Attachment II . SECTION IV. The Mayor and City Council support the reorientation of service proposed in the `Renton Early Implementation Project' for the Six-Year Transit Development Plan for 1996-2001 to focus on a downtown Renton transit hub with improved connections both within Renton and to communities in south and east King County. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 1st day of April , 1996 . Marilyn i /Petersen, City Clerk 4 RESOLUTION NO. 31A0 APPROVED BY THE MAYOR this 1st day of April , 1996 . Je Tanner, Mayor Approved a to form: thAtv, 'If Atettel Lawr , '""Warre irCity Attorney RES.496:3/29/96:as. 5 , t ATTACHMENT I Renton Area Sounding Board - • .'?ice Blackburn March 25,.1996 ::carina Brock Paul Crane Renton City Council zany Dochnahl 200 Mill Avenue S. •arkFristo Renton, WA 98055 m Hellen arrell Ingelmund • • rbara Krauss Dear Council Members: vary Deems . 'T•1Lukins The purpose of this letter is to present the recommendations of the Renton Area avid Mason net R.Owen. Sounding Board on public transportation changes to take effect in September Carolyn V.Parnell 1996. Metro, in partnership with the City of Renton, established the 18-member 'hal Peretti Sounding Board last fall to help develop a transit plan for the Renton area. ;a Pozega • • :Marge Richter Dick Stredicke Our responsibilities include advising Renton and Metro Transit on project goals, 3erry Whitney-Nokes service options and preferred alternatives, and helping with public outreach. Our recommendations are the product of four months of hard work. We listened to public comments from November and February outreach periods, which included workshops, information tables and surveys, to ensure that our ideas reflected°the`needs of the broader community. While we recognize that our recommendation does not meet every identified need, we believe it reflects the most desirable set of tradeoffs within the available scope and budget of the Renton Early Implementation Project. The Sounding Board requests that the Renton City Council pass a resolution to King County Executive Gary Locke and the King County Council supporting these recommendations. I ask that you refer this recommendation to your Transportation Committee for discussion at its committee meeting scheduled for March 28. • Thank you again for giving us the opportunity to participate in this exciting process. We.look forward to improved public transportation for the Renton area in September. Sincerely, c7L, . Ca.cY �•6\ W • ',\r==i�; Jeff Lukins . _ on behalf of the Renton Area Sounding Board ,..- . •Renton Area Early Implementation Project • 1. t end. o .a G COUNTY • Fairwood service: We agree with the deletion of direct service to downtown Seattle as long as the transfers are safe, certain and comfortable. We support the proposed doubling of p.m.peak service on Route 145 to 15-minute headways to facilitate transfers and minimize wait times. We endorse splitting Route 155 and adding service to the Fairwood Library. Route 155 should be a Metro fixed-route service, not a contract dial-a-ride service. • Renton Highlands and Kennydale: We agree with the rerouting of Route 240 through residential areas of Newcastle but would like Metro to explore ways to provide replacement service with an all-day Route 925. We endorse Alternative B to Route 240, using N.E. 12th Street instead of Sunset Blvd., to provide more residential service and address safety issues. The new community service (Route 908) should be connected to the transit hub. Emphasis should be on community destinations such as the courts and health clinic. The Renton Senior Center should be served by some runs of Route 908,using the current Route 155 routing through North Renton. Nighttime service should be provided by demand-responsive service (designated as Route 909), which would provide a ride home from the transit hub and scheduled service between Renton Technical College and the hub. Lake Kathleen and Maplewood: We have looked at ridership figures and understand the reasons for suspending service to Lake McDonald and serving that neighborhood with a park- and-ride lot; however we want reassurance that Metro will work with transit-dependent individuals in that area who are unable to drive to the park-and-ride because of disability or age. Southcenter, Sea-Tac,Burien and eastside connections:. Proposed service on Route 340 is not as frequent as we would like, particularly on weekends; we endorse further improvements as part : 1998implementation. Weprefer Alternative B for Route 340, a routingdown Y of-the 1997-and p Burnett Avenue, because it would be faster. Burnett Avenue routing: Use of Burnett Avenue has been a basic assumption in our . ` >_ discussions. However, after hearing neighborhood concerns, the Sounding Board has decided it . • •r could support keeping Route 340 on Rainier Avenue, which would reduce daily bus volumes on . . • • Burnett Avenue by about 15 percent. 1- Innovative commuter services: We support the idea of a set-aside for partnerships with . employers to provide innovative commuter.service. We request that anyunspent funds be reallocated to transit service in Renton. = • • March 25, 19% Page 2 ' - Renton Area Sounding Board Recommendations Renton Early Implementation Project Metro Six-Year Transit Development Plan March 1996 Renton Area Sounding Board Recommendations THE PROCESS The Renton Area Sounding Board endorses the model that the King County Council adopted in the Six-Year Plan. The Six-Year Plan supports Renton as an urban center and improves transit linkages within a multi-centered network. The Sounding Board is extremely impressed with the new process used in this plan. At its core, this process relied on the expertise of Metro and City staff and their willingness to communicate openly and often with citizens. We encourage all parties to use this process. We believe that other jurisdictions will embrace this new concept with enthusiasm. We were pleased to be the first community group to experience the Six-Year Plan's community-based planning process. We feel that the process represented the energy of the community and the expectations of the council. The process was flexible enough to respond to community concerns as they arose;allowing us to take limited service hour and mold them to fit community needs. The following is our summation of the plan from an overall perspective. Additional data. is included in this package to support the Sounding Board's recommended specific route changes. REGIONAL SERVICE We believe the "hub and spoke" system will provide the overall system flexibility required to improve local service. We encourage more regional hubs throughout King County, allowing more express point-to-point service,as mapped in the Six-Year Transit Development Plan,on page xvi. The group understands it will take time for the regional system to become totally functional, and believes the Renton hub is an excellent start to this concept. SPAN AND FREQUENCY The hub should be connected with fast, frequent express routes to the other major hubs in". the region. Service in the evenings and the weekends is also a priority. As the system ridership increases, span and frequency should be expanded, keeping in mind budget restrictions. The Sounding Board concurs with the span and frequency of service proposed by staff, including the tradeoffs that were necessary,in some cases, to provide service to our entire community. In the future, we would like to see expanded span and frequency on the routes listed in the final section of this document, Future Priorities. We recognize the importance of early morning and evening service; riders must not be stranded, particularly those returning from late-night sporting and cultural events. As an ideal, the Board would eventually like to see 15-minute service on all major routes, with all neighborhoods connected to the hub. Sounding Board Recommendations SIGNAGE AND CUSTOMER INFORMATION The new system should ensure signage and route systems are very clear. The Sounding Board will study signage issues in the coming months and make a recommendation. RENTON SHUTTLE Our best example of the success of this project is the Renton Shuttle which, in combination with the Renton Early Implementation Project is key to the overall transit system in Renton. Citizens, civic groups and business labored for years to establish transit connections for neighborhoods. As hard as we worked, we could never have served our area better than what King and the City of Renton have produced. INNOVATIVE COMMUTER SERVICES We support the idea of a set-aside for partnerships to provide innovative commuter service. We request that any unspent funds be reallocated to transit service in Renton. • FUTURE PRIORITIES As the region embraces the hub concept, we need to work together on how to best expand the system. Our ability to use the overall system hours more efficiently will allow us to - bring more frequency to the region. The hub and spoke system allows the flexible to change the system to meet shifting demands. Routes should be reviewed regularly. Among priorities for future service are: • Having more small buses operate in our community. As Metro Transit purchases more small buses and vans, the Renton area should be treated equitably in their distribution. • Frequent service as indicated in the Six Year Transit Development Plan on all core routes, especially on the I-405 Corridor • Working with the Renton School District to explore ways of serving schools. • Increased evening and weekend service,especially on Route 340 • Expansion of the Renton Shuttle. First priority should go to serving Coulon Beach Park and the Community Center, with eventual addition of weekend service and service to the Renton Highlands. • Later-night service on Route 101 • Exploring future community service areas in additional neighborhoods as transit needs are identified. • We would like the City of Renton, Metro and Valley Medical Center to explore better, ways of providing bus zone improvements and improved access between the bus zone and the hospital • As part of the Kent implementation, consideration should be given to the area south • of Petrovitsky Road • SBRec325.DOC 3/25/96 Page 3 Sounding Board Recommendations • The new community service (Route 908) should be connected to the transit hub as shown in Alternatives A or C or a hybrid of the two. Emphasis should be on community destinations such as the courts and health clinic. Service should be flexible. • Nighttime service should be provided by demand-responsive service (designated as Route 909), which would provide a ride home from the transit hub and service between Renton Technical College and the hub. • The Renton Senior Center should continue to receive transit service. We recommend that Metro work with the center to determine which runs of Route 908 should serve the center. This service should follow the current Route 155 routing through North Renton. Lake Kathleen and Maplewood • We have looked at ridership figures and understand the reasons_for suspending service to Lake McDonald and serving that neighborhood with a park-and-ride lot; however would like reassurance that Metro will work with transit-dependent individuals in that area who are unable to drive to the park-and-ride because of a disability or age. Southcenter, Sea-Tac, Burien and eastside connections • Proposed service on Route 340 is not as frequent as we would like, particularly on weekends; we endorse further improvements as part of the 1997 and 1998 implementation. • We prefer Alternative B for Route 340, using Burnett Avenue, because it would be faster. • We endorse improved frequency along the I-405 Corridor to connect with eastside hubs • We support the development of a hub along the I-90 Corridor in the South Bellevue or Factoria area allowing transfer of buses to better serve east west transit movements and connections from the south. Burnett Avenue Routing • Use of Burnett Avenue has been a basic assumption in our discussions. However, - after hearing neighborhood concerns, the Sounding Board has decided it could support keeping Route 340 on Rainier Avenue,which would reduce daily bus • volumes on Burnett Avenue by about 15 percent. SBRec325.DOC 3/25/96 Page 5 • l ATTACHMENT II Recommendations of the Transportation Systems Division on the Metro Six-Year Plan and the Renton Early Implementation Project: 1. Priorities for transit to support the city's Level of Service standard and Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan (in order) are as follows: A. Implementation of the King County Six-Year Transit Development Plan and Renton Early Implementation Project. B. Placement and operation of an interim transit hub on Burnett Avenue between S.2nd and S.4th Streets. This hub must function as a hub in its "interim" state and not merely as another bus stop downtown. The current proposal, including any Renton City Council adjustments, should be made to ensure the usefulness of the interim hub. It should be recognized that the city's comprehensive plan calls for a long range (up to twenty years) relocation of the Renton park and ride lot to the edge of the city to intercept single occupant vehicle traffic. It may be possible to eliminate redundancy in park and ride/interim hub connections in the current proposal to improve travel times and provide a first step toward park and ride relocation. Elimination of redundancy should favor the interim hub and not the current park and ride lot. C. Routing of the bus traffic is important, but it is not as high a priority as A. and B (above). We believe that the current proposal, with proposed City Council adjustments to routing can be revised to maintain travel times. We encourage King County Council support toward this end. 2. Compromises in routing are acceptable to meet community concerns and respond to the very tight time frame imposed on the early implementation project. The Division recommends maintaining the current schedule. 3. The Division recommends that if the final King County Council proposal for the Renton Early Implementation Project deviates significantly from the City of Renton Council recommendations on April 1st, 1996, including routing, that revisions must be reintroduced to the City of Renton Council for approval. 4. The Division recommends that flexibility must be maintained throughout future service changes to reduce impacts and improve ridership. The Division will continue to work with King County Metro staff to make improvements to the transit travel times including reductions in community impacts and subject to City Council approvals.