Center CityCenter CityAccess StrategyAccess StrategyA Transportation Vision for Growth and AccessA Transportation Vision for Growth and Access

For the region to grow and compete, the heart must be healthy

Downtown Seattle is the heart of the region

For the region to grow and compete, the heart must be healthy

Downtown Seattle is the heart of the region

For the region to grow and compete, the heart must be healthy

Downtown Seattle is the heart of the region

For the heart to be strong and vibrant access to and within it must be inviting and available

The good news is that the heart is growing

more people are working Center City EmploymentCenter City Employment

127,005

157,651

207,252

244,952

283,758

307,859

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

The good news is that the heart is growing

more people are working

The good news is that the heart is growing

more people are working

more people are shopping

more people are visiting

and playingmore people are living

Outer Ring

• limits points of regional access

Ship Canal/ Lake Union, Lake Washington, Duwamish River, Puget Sound

However access to and through downtown is limited and constricted

Outer Ring

• limits points of regional access

Ship Canal/ Lake Union, Lake Washington, Duwamish River, Puget Sound

However access to and through downtown is limited and constricted

Inner Ring

• limits access to Center City

points of access to/from I-5, Spokane Street and Alaskan Way Viaduct are few and congested.

Denny Way limits access to/from north

How People Will Get to Work in 2020

2002 2000 2020 2020 NetMode Split Employees Mode Split Employees Change

Drive Alone 43% 105,329 43% 132,379 27,050 Transit 35% 85,733 35% 107,751 22,017

Rideshare 9% 22,046 9% 27,707 5,662 Walk 5% 12,248 5% 15,393 3,145 Bicyle 1% 2,450 1% 3,079 629 Other 7% 17,147 7% 21,550 4,403 Total 100% 244,952 100% 307,859 62,907

Mode

If Mode Split Remains the Same?

Can We Accommodate 27,000 New Drive Alone Commuters ?

• 27,000+ new SOV drivers = 27,000 new parking spaces =$750 million in parking development costs = 20 city blocks of 10 story garages

• Traffic would fill 12 lanes at peak hour capacity in each direction

Downtown- Inside the “Rings”

Perimeter Bottlenecks Meter Traffic Into Downtown

Opportunities exist to reallocate right-of-way with fewer negative impacts on automobile traffic than other cities.

In the future, we must emphasize efficient modes of transportation.

Maximize moving people not vehicles- a question of geometry not ideologyEfficiency of Buses Downtown

Future Center City Transportation Future Center City Transportation NetworkNetwork

Future Center City Bicycle & Pedestrian Framework

Center City Access StrategyCenter City Access Strategy

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Transportation Demand Management

Highway access for regional & local through trips

New connections better using existing street grid & breaking through choke points –transit and freight prioritized

Integrated network of rail, ferry & bus that is easy to use Signal upgrades & incentives to get people out of cars, etc.

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ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS

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• Sound Transit Link Light Rail from SeaTac to Northgate

• Monorail Green Line

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• Electric Trolley Bus Network

• Third Avenue Transit Spine

• Olive Way Bus Lane

• New high-volume passenger only ferry service

• Expand Streetcar network

• Replace viaduct

• Downtown access provided by Alaskan Way

• Extension of S. Dearborn and S. King Streets if future T-46 development

• New connections between Third & Fifth avenues and E-3 Busway

• New connection between Airport Way and King Street

• Improve management of I-5 with new collector distributor (within existing ROW) to reduce I-5 weaving at downtown exits

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• Monorail Green Line

• Olive Way Bus lane

• Expand Streetcar network

• Two-way Mercer Street

• Drop one lane of inbound traffic from southbound Aurora to

Dexter. Move double left-turn from Aurora to Dexter at Denny

• Two-way operation on Westlake and Ninth Avenues

• Introduce Bus Rapid Transit along Aurora with southbound bus lane and priority at Denny off-ramp intersection (consider using 6th Avenue N for transit priority)

Temporary Broad Street Grade Separation during construction of AWSVP

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ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS (NORTH)(NORTH)

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• Sound Transit Link Light Rail from SeaTac to Northgate

• Monorail Green Line

• Improve management on I-5: reconstructed Spokane Street/I-5 Interchange, reconfigured access to I-90 and North I-5

• Reconstructed Spokane Street

• New Lander Street RR Overpass

• Reconstructed Alaskan Way

• East Marginal Way RR Overpass

ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS ACHIEVING THE VISION: CENTER CITY ACCESS (SOUTH)(SOUTH)

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4th Avenue S

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

How can we make this better? Anything missing?

Agree on Projects

Further Analysis/Design

Seek Funding

Implementation

Timing must be coordinated with key decision making points on Alaskan Way Viaduct, Interstate 5 and other major regional projects