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BASELINE CONDITIONS What is the baseline v isual c harac ter of the study area?

TheWashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation(WSDOT)RoadsideClassificationPlan(WSDOT,1996)classifiestheI405corridorbetweenNE6thStreetinBellevueandI5inLynnwoodasurban,semiurban,andrural. ThesouthernmostportionoftheprojectareatoSR520isclassifiedasurban. NorthofSR520throughapproximatelyNE140thStreetinunincorporatedKingCountyisclassifiedassemiurban. Northofthispoint,I405isclassifiedasrural.ThebaselineconditionssurroundingtheI405corridorrangefromheavilyforestedtorelativelydenselydeveloped,withmixedlanduses.Terrainofthefreewaycorridorrangesfromflattogentlyrolling. Adjacentareasareflattohilly,withridgesandhillstoboththeeastandwestinsomepartsofthecorridor.Severalparksareadjacenttothefreewaycorridor,butaregenerallynothighlyvisiblefromthefreewayitself.The

baseline

conditions

for

the

Bellevue

to

Lynnwood

Improvement

Project

include

improvementsmadefortheKirklandNickelProject,theNE195thStreettoSR527AuxiliaryLaneProject,andtheNE8thtoSR520BraidedRampsProjectduetotheoverlapinprojectfootprints.TheI405CorridorProgramDraftVisualResourcesExpertiseReport(DavidEvansandAssociates[DEA],2001)identifiesthelandscapecharacterunitssurroundingthestudyarea(Exhibits7and8),whichincludetheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjectstudyarea.

Pag e 30 I-405, Bellevue to Lynnwo od Imp rovement Projec t

Visual Qua lity Tec hnica l Memo randum

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Exhibit 7: Landscape character units and description

Landscape character unit Description

The setting and character are generally urban in nature. This is aBellevue developed area with mid- and high-rise buildings, roadways,

highways, and overpasses. Vegetation is limited.

This landscape character unit includes urban and suburbandevelopment. Commercial strip development and transportationOverlake

facilities are noticeable; trees and other vegetation are visible butsubordinate to the built features.

Bridle Trails State ParkThis is a linear, wooded park, separated from I-405 by 116thAvenue NE and a row of single-family homes. The park is notreadily noticeable from I-405.

Watershed ParkThis wooded park is bisected by I-405 and is surrounded withsingle-family residential development. The park is not readilynoticeable from I-405.

Kirkland

The Kirkland landscape character unit encompasses a large area ofresidential neighborhoods (comprised of primarily single-family

homes) with some commercial land uses. The character of the builtenvironment is general suburban. Developed areas include largetrees and roadways.

Spinney Homestead ParkThis is a small neighborhood park with open play fields, screenedfrom I-405 by an earthen berm. The park is not readily visible fromI-405.

Totem Lake is primarily an urban area with commercial and lightindustrial development, including the Totem Lake Mall and othershopping areas. The area includes some multi-family residential

Totem Lakedevelopment. The area is highly developed and areas ofvegetation are visible as I-405 traverses this landscape characterunit.

Kingsgate is primarily a single-family residential area, withKingsgate roadways and mature vegetation.

This is a small wooded park west of I-405 separated from theEdith Moulton Park

freeway by a row of houses. The park is not evident from I-405.

Kingsgate Park is a small wooded area with no developed facilities.Kingsgate Park

It is not evident from I-405.

Bothell

This landscape unit encompasses both sides of I-405. It includesmulti-family and single-family residential, a mobile home park, andthe I-405/SR 522 interchange. This landscape character unitincludes stands of mature trees, relatively large undeveloped areas(such as those adjacent to the I-405/SR 522 interchange), andhighly evident, major transportation infrastructure (I-405, SR 522).

The Snohomish County landscape character unit is semi-rural incharacter, with generally low-density residential development,

Snohomish Countytransportation infrastructure, open spaces, and stands of maturevegetation. It includes the I-405/I-5 junction.

I-405, Bellevue to Lynnwo od Imp rove me nt Projec t Pag e 31

Visua l Quality Tec hnica l Memo randum

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NE124thSt

S n o h o m i s hCo u n ty

King Co u n ty

Exhibit 8: Landscape character units - sheet 2 of 2

LYNNWOOD

!"`$

!"`$A

A12

Landscape Unit

1. Bellevue

2. Overlake

3. Bridle Trails State Park

4. Watershed Park

5. Kirkland

6. Spinney Homestead Park

7. Totem Lake

8. Edith Moultan Park

9. Kingsgate Park

10. Kingsgate

11. Bothell

%&(e12. Snohomish Co.

Arterial

Freeway

Stream

Park

Water Body

Railroad

Municipality11

BOTHELL

/0 0.5

Miles

1

A 520-i5_LandscapeUnits042507.mxdUpdated: 04-25-0711

Lynnwood

!"`$S H E E T

2Bothell

AKirkland

10 S H E E T

%&(e1L a k e 9

W a s h i n g t o n

ABellevue

8!"b$

!"`$Newcastle

7

Tukwila%&(eRenton

KIRKLAND AA

I-405, Bellevue to Lynnwo od Imp rove me nt Projec t


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What are the viewpoints, how d id we selec t them, and what is the

visual q uality o f the views?

Representativeviewsoftheprojectaredescribedbelow. Viewpointswereidentifiedtorepresentareaswherelargenumbersofviewerswillbepresent,theexistingI405corridorisvisible,andthebuildalternativesareanticipatedtocreatechangesinthevisualenvironment.Sevenrepresentativeviewpointswereselected(seeExhibit6)forvisualqualityevaluation(seeAppendixB). DuetotheoverlapintheprojectareasoftheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjectandtheKirklandNickelProject,severalofthesameviewpointswereselectedforevaluation. Viewpointswereselectedbasedontheirsafeandeasyaccessibility;viewpointsfromindividualresidenceswerenotspecificallyaddressed.Rep resenta tive v iews , south to no rth

I-405 at NE 60th Street (views to the south [A] and north [B])ApedestrianbridgecrossesoverI405nearthesouthernlimitsoftheprojectarealinkingNE60thStreetonthewestsideofI405totheneighborhoodsandBridleTrailsStateParkontheeastsideofI405. Thefreewayinthislocationisrelativelystraightandlevel,alignedinanorthsouthdirection.

Exhibit 9: I-405 at NE 60th Street(Views A and B)

RepresentativeViewA(seeExhibit9andAppendixC)lookssouthboundfromthevicinityofthepedestrianbridgealongthetravellanesofsouthboundI405. Theprimaryviewergroupishighway

users

who

are

in

a

level

position.

I

405is

in

theforegroundandtherearedistantviewsofhillsandtheroadway. Thesidesoftheroadwayarewellvegetatedwithtreesandshrubs. Anoisebarrierencroachesonthewestsideoftheproject,endingjustsouthofthepedestrianbridge. Theroadwayitselfdominatestheview;theprojectsconstructedelementslackvividnessandunity. Overallvisualqualityisratedat2.7outof7,moderatelylow.RepresentativeViewB(seeExhibit9andAppendixC)looksnorthboundfromthevicinityofthepedestrianbridgealongthetravellanesofnorthboundI405. Theprimaryviewergroupishighwayuserswhoareinalevelposition. I405isintheforegroundwithdistantviewsoftheNE70thStreetinterchange. Thesidesofthefreewayarewell

520-i5_RepView_NE60th_042507.mxd Updated: 4-25-07

!!!!

0 500 1,000

Feet

/!!

RepresentativeViewpoint

Arterial

Freeway

Park

Stream

Railroad

Municipality

NE 60th St



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vegetatedwithmediumtolargetrees. Anoisewallencroachesonthesouthboundsideofthefacility. Thefreewayitselfdominatestheview;constructedelementslackvividnessandunity. Totalvisualqualityisrated2.7outof7,moderatelylow.I-405 at the NE 124th Street overcrossing (view to north)

RepresentativeViewC(seeExhibit10andAppendixC)looksnorthboundfromtheoverpass. LandusesincludetheTotemLakeShoppingCentercommercialstripandlargerbuildings,includingaparkinggaragetotheeast. Thereissomeresidentialdevelopmentonthewestsideofthefreeway,butnotasmuchasontheeastside. TherecentKirklandNickelProjectimprovementsandthefreewayarethepredominantfeatures. Thetotalvisualqualityforthisviewpointisrated2.1outof7,low. Theprimaryviewergroupislocalroadwayusers.NE 160th Street, facing northeast

RepresentativeViewD(seeExhibit11andAppendixC)looksnorthandeastfromthenorthboundI405ramp.Highwayusersaretheprimaryviewergroupandtheyareinalevelposition. Treesandmultifamilyresidentialdevelopment(SonomaVilleroCondominiums)areontheeastsideofthefreewayintheforeground. Totalvisualqualityisrated2.7outof7,moderatelylow.Sonoma Villero Condominiums

RepresentativeViewE(seeExhibit11andAppendixC)lookswesttowardthenorthboundrampatNE160thStreetandontoI405. TherearecurrentlymediumandtalltreesintheforegroundbetweenthecondominiumbalconiesandthenorthboundrampthatblockmostofI405andanypossiblebackground. Theprimaryviewersarethecondominiumresidents. Thetotalvisualqualityforthisviewpointisrated2.7outof7,

moderately

low.

SR 522/University of Washington Bothell Campus

RepresentativeViewF(seeExhibit12andAppendixC)faceseastfromthecollegecampustotheSR522/I405interchange.Wetlandsandvegetationcanbeseenintheforegroundalongwithvegetatedhillsidesinthemiddleground. Someoffice/medicaldevelopmentinthedistanceisscreenedbytrees. Thedominantfeaturesarethevegetatedwetlandandtheinterchange.Withinthestudyareathisistheonlyrepresentativeviewpointwithawaterfeature. Thetotalvisualqualityforthisviewpointisrated4.6outof7,aboveaverage,mainlyduetothewetlandsandthehills(landform). Theprimaryviewergroupsarelocalroadwayusers,collegestudents,andcollegestaff.



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Exhibit 10: I-405 at the NE 124th Exhibit 11: I-405 at the NE 124thStreet crossing (View C) Street crossing (Views D and E)

!!

520-i5_RepView_NE124th_042507.mxd Updated: 4-25-07

0 500 1,000

Feet

King County

City of Kirkland

NE 124th St

/!!


Arterial

Freeway

Park

Stream

Railroad

Municipality

NE 132nd St

0

!!

!!

500 1,000

Feet

ToltPipelineTrail

NE 160th St

/

BTL_RepView_NE160th.mxd Updated: 12-23-10

!!


Arterial

Freeway

Park

Stream

Railroad

Municipality

SR 527/I-405 interchange areaRepresentativeViewG(seeExhibit13andAppendixC)facessoutheastfromacommercialstripdevelopmenttoI405.Midrisebuildingsarevisibleontheeastsideofthefreewaywithavegetatedridgelineinthebackground. Thefreewayandafrontageroadarethedominantfeatures. Thetotalvisualqualityforthisviewpointisrated2.4outof7,low. Theprimaryviewersareretailcustomersanddrivers.



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Exhibit 12: University of Washington Exhibit 13: SR 527 / I-405 interchangeBothell Campus (View F) area (View G)

0

!!

500 1,000

Feet

/

%&(e

A

520-i5_RepView_SR522.mxd Updated: 7-2-07

!!


Arterial

Freeway

Park

Stream

Railroad

Municipality

0

!!

490 980

Feet

228th St SW

/

A

%&(e

520-i5_RepView_SR527.mxd Updated: 7-3-07

!!


Arterial

Freeway

Park

Stream

Railroad

Municipality

Who will experience c hang es in visual quality and how sensitive a re

they to the c hanges?

Twoprimaryviewergroupswillexperiencechangesinvisualqualityhighwayusers,whowillexperienceviewslookingawayfromtheprojectandI405neighbors,whowillexperienceviewslookingtowardtheproject.Highwayuserswillbecommuters,localtraffic,andothertraffic. However,driverswillhaveanarrowerfieldofviewthanpassengers,aswellasareducedperceptionofviewsawayfromtheimmediateroadwayinfrontofthem. Typically,driversaremoresensitivetochangestotheviewoftheroadway(e.g.,lighting,signs,additionalchanges,barriers,etc.)andlesssensitivetochangesawayfromtheroadway. Conversely,passengersaremoresensitivetochangesintheviewsoftheareassurroundingthefreeway. Overall,commutersareconsideredtohavethelowestsensitivitytoviewslookingawayfromtheproject;localtraffichasahighersensitivitythancommuters;andotherviewershavethehighestsensitivity.I405neighborsincludelocalresidentsandusersofthelocaltransportationnetworkandcommercial,industrial,institutional(e.g.,medical,educational),andrecreationalareas.



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Residentsmayviewthestudyareaonafrequent(evendaily)basisandgenerallyhaveastrongsenseofidentityassociatedwiththeareainwhichtheyliveorwork. ThereareseveralparksneartheI405corridor;however,thehighwayisgenerallyobscuredfrommostareasoftheseparksmakingparkusersunlikelytonoticepotentialchangestoI405. Thosewhousethelocaltransportationnetworkmayroutinelybeexposedtoviews

of

the

areas

affected

by

the

project,

such

as

in

the

local

roads

that

cross

I

405.

Theseusersarelikelytobelesssensitivetochangesthanlocalresidentswhohavelongerandmorefrequentexposurestoviewsoftheproject.



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POTENTIAL EFFECTS What a re the p otential visual e ffec ts of the projec t?

Visualeffectsaremeasuredbyexaminingthedegreeofchangetovisualresourcesthatwilltakeplaceinrelationtoviewerresponsetothatchange.Wecandeterminechangesinvisualresourcesbyunderstandingchangesinvisualquality,usingtherepresentativekeyviews;viewerresponseisdeterminedfromthesensitivitiesofviewergroupsandthefrequenciesanddurationsoftheirexposurestotheviews. Visualeffectsareconsideredforbothprojectconstructionandoperation.FortheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProject,overallvisualqualityeffectswillbeminor.Mostviewpointswillremainrelativelyunchangedoncetheproposedprojectiscompleted. Basedonouranalysis,twoviewpointsdecreasedintheirratings. Ona7pointscale,oneviewpointscoredecreasesfrom2.7to2.2,andtheotherviewpointscoredecreasesfrom2.7to2. Thevisualqualityanalysiscategorizesascoreof2aslowvisualquality,

and

ascore

of

3as

moderately

low.

The

viewpoints

remain

in

alow

to

moderatelylowscorebracket(SeeAppendixB). Therefore,theoverallvisualqualityeffectsfortheI405,520toI5ImprovementProjectareconsideredtobeminor.Theparagraphsbelowsummarizethevisualeffects.Representative Viewpoint D, NE 160th Street, facing northeast

RepresentativeViewpointD(fromthehighway)looksnortheastfromtheI405northboundrampatNE160thStreet(seeExhibit10andAppendixC). Theprojectedvisualqualityscoreforthisviewpointis2.2outof7,a0.5decreaseinscore. Theviewcurrentlyincludesabufferandtreesintheforegroundandcondominiumsinthebackground. Althoughsometreeswillbetakenfromthebuffertobuildaretainingwallandanoisewall,theseprojectelementswilldecreasethenoisefromtheI405rightofway. Visualqualityscoresforcriterialikevegetationandencroachmentwilldecrease.Sincethedevelopmentinthatareaisnotunified,thenewwallswillnothelptoincreaseanynaturalorhumanmadeunity. Therefore,thevisualqualityofthatviewwilldecreaseslightly. Exhibits15and16showtheexteriortreatmentforthewallsatthisviewpoint.Representative Viewpoint E, Sonoma Villero Condominiums

RepresentativeViewpointE(towardthehighway)facesthenorthboundramptoI405andI405atNE160thStreet(seeExhibit8andAppendixC). ThisistheviewoppositeRepresentativeViewpointD. Theprojectedvisualqualityscoreforthisviewpointis2outof7,a0.7decreaseinscoreduetothenoisewall. Thenoisewallisanticipatedtobe20to30feettallandmaybelessthan20feetfromcondominiumpatiosordoors.Exhibit14showstheconceptforthenoiseandretainingwallsatthisviewpoint.Exhibits15and16showthefinishforthenoisewallthatwillbeconstructedatRepresentativeViewpointE.



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Exhibit 14: Cross section of noise wall and retaining wall at Sonoma Villero Condominiums

How will project construction temporarily affect visual quality?

Theproposedprojectwillcreatetemporaryvisualeffectsforhighwayusersandneighborsduringconstruction.Constructionactivitieswillreducethevisualqualityintheprojectareaduetothepresenceofconstructionequipment,materials,signs,andstagingareas. Temporarylightingwilllikelybeusedfornighttimeconstructionofsomeprojectelements. Detoursorlaneshiftswillrequiregreaterdriverattentionandwilldistracthighwayusersfromviewsoutsideoftheconstructionareas. Theprimaryvisualeffectswilloccurduringclearingandgradingactivities. Giventhatalargeportionofthe

study

area

has

recently

experienced

construction

effects

from

the

Kirkland

Nickel

Project,continuedconstructionactivitieswillhaveminorvisualqualityeffects.MostoftheresidentialareastotheeastandwestoftheI405corridorarescreenedfromthehighwaybyacombinationofvegetation,topography,andstructures. ViewsofI405arelimitedandoccurprimarilyatcrossstreetsandassociatedinterchanges,orlocalroadsthatarenearthefreeway. Insomecases,existingnoisewallswillobscuretheconstructionactivityfromsurroundingareas.ThevisualeffectsofconstructionwillnotchangemostviewsfromI405. Screeningbytopography,vegetation,and/orexistingstructuresrestrictsmostviewstotheforegroundormiddleground.Wheredistantviewsarepresent,theywillremainvisible. Clearingofvegetationforconstructionwillgenerallybelimitedtoareasadjacenttotheexistingfacilities.



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How will the p rojec t operation affec t visual resources?

TheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjectwillnotcreateadverselongtermvisualeffectsforI405usersandneighbors. Althoughsomechangestothevisualresourceswilloccur,thesechangesarenotsubstantialenoughtoaltertheoverallvisualqualityofthecorridorortheratingscoresoftherepresentativeviewpoints. Permanenteffectsoftheprojectwillbeminorbecauseviewersensitivityisrelativelylow,andcontextsensitivesolutions(CSS)willbeincorporatedintotheproject.TheessenceofCSSguidelinesisthataproposedtransportationprojectmustbeplannednotonlyforitsphysicalaspectsasafacilityservingspecifictransportationobjectives,butalsoforitseffectsonaestheticandenvironmentalelements. CSSisdiscussedfurtherinafollowingsectiononavoidanceandminimization. I405isalreadyamajorfreeway,andmostoftheimprovementsinthestudyareaconsistofaddedpavementoroperationalimprovementswithintheexistingrightofway,whichdoesnotchangesubstantiallythevisualquality. ExhibitB2(AppendixB)presentstheprojectvisualconditionswiththeprojectimprovements.ThenewnoisewallshaveaesthetictreatmentsthatweretheoutcomeoftheCSSprocess. TheyhaveafracturedfinpatternonthesidefacingtheI405corridorandanashlarpatternonthesidefacingthecommunity. ThefracturedfinpatterniscurrentlyusedontheexistingnoisewallsalongtheI405corridor,andtheuseofthesamepatternwillensurevisualcontinuitythroughoutthecorridor. Thenoisewallsalsoincorporateanaestheticpostandcaptreatment. Retainingwallswillhaveaesthetictreatmentsimilartothenoisewalls. Exhibits15and16showanexistingnoisewallwithCSStreatmentfromthecommunitysideandfromtheI405corridorside.I

405users

will

be

exposed

to

increased

human

madeencroachment

and

complexity

withinthecorridor,particularlywhereaccessrampsandoverpassesdominatetheview;however,thesechangesareslightwhencomparedtotheexistingconditions. Portionsoftheprojectareawhere20feetormoreofnewpavementwillbeaddedarealreadythemosthighlydeveloped,encroacheduponareas.Additionalprojectelements,suchassignage,retainingwalls,stripebuffers,gantries,andotherstructuralelements,willbewithintheexistingrightofway,and,inmanycases,withintheexistingscreeningofnoisewallsandvegetation. Exhibits17and18showwhattheexpresstolllanesandgantriesmightlooklike,includingthebufferandsignageforingress/egressandtollinginformation. Agantryisametalframeworkspanningtolllanesthatmaycontainadvancewarningsigns,signals,monitoringequipment,andelectronictollreadersneededtocommunicatewiththevehicletransponders. Thisispartofthetechnologythatreplacesatraditionaltollplazaandenablesinmotion,electronictollcollection. Therewillbeapproximately34tollinggantriesandapproximately15othertollsignstructures.



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Exhibit 15: View of noise wall from community side (ashlar pattern)

Exhibit 16: View of noise wall f rom I-405 corridor side (fractured fin pattern)



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Exhibit 17: Simulation at NE 100th Street, demonstrating advance access signage

Exhibit 18: Simulation at NE 85th Street, facing north, demonstrating destination rate signage



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Exhibit19showsacrosssectionofthenorthboundrampsfromI405andNE160thStreettoSR522. ThisissimilartothelocationshowninExhibit14. TheretainingwallsandelevatedstructurewillhaveCSStreatment,asdescribedabove. Vegetationremovalwithintherightofwaytoaccommodatetheadditionalgeneralpurposelaneswillhaveaslightadverseeffectonthevisualenvironment. CSStechniques,suchaslandscapingand

the

use

of

aesthetically

pleasingdesigns

for

I

405and

related

facilities,

will

enhance

theattractivenessoftheconstructedenvironmentandwillalleviateminoreffectstovisualresources.Exhibit 19: Cross section showing braided ramps to SR 522

ExhibitB3(AppendixB)presentsthevisualqualityeffectdeterminationusedtoassessthelevelofeffectsfortheproposedprojectpertainingtotherepresentativeviewpoints.Fortheseviewpoints,virtuallynochangewilloccurinvisualquality.

Will the p rojec t c reate new sources of shad ows, light, or glare?Exposuretolightgeneratedbyconstruction(illumination,headlights,andsolarreflection)willincreaseduringconstruction. Thisprojectwillreplaceallimpactedlightingandinstallapproximately200newlightsintheprojectarea,mainlyforthenewexpresstollandHOVsigns. AlllightsinstalledonI405willbe50feetorlessinheightusingcutofffixtures,withlampsrecessedintothelightfixture. Thisconfigurationisdesignedtolimittheamountoflightthatcanspilloutsidetheroadwayarea,resultinginreducedglareandlightpollution. ThenewlightpoleswillbepaintedtomatchtheCSSstandardsCascadeGreen.Mostresidentialareasarescreenedbyvegetation,topography,andnoiseorretainingwalls. ThenewlightingwillbecontainedintheI

405corridor;

therefore,

light

and

glare

are

expected

to

remain

the

same

within

the

studyarea.Does the projec t have o ther effec ts that could be de layed o r will be

distant from the projec t?

TheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjecthasnoothervisualqualityeffectsthatcouldbedelayedordistantfromtheproject. Thisprojectwillbeconstructedasoneof



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thelaterpiecesintheoverallI405CorridorProgramschedule. Othereffectsfromearlierphases,liketheKirklandNickelProject,willalreadybeinplaceandareconsideredinaseparateanalysis. Visualeffectswillbelimitedtotheprojectareaandsurroundings.Did we look a t cumulative effec ts?

TheI405teamdidnotevaluatecumulativeeffectsonvisualquality. InaccordancewithCouncilonEnvironmentalQuality(CEQ)guidelines,ananalysisofcumulativeeffectsisnotneededforeverydisciplinestudiedinNEPAdocumentation. DisciplinesselectedforcumulativeeffectsanalysisshouldbedeterminedonacasebycasebasisearlyintheNEPAprocess,generallyaspartofearlyagencycoordinationandscoping. FortheI405,BellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProject,thedisciplinesevaluatedforcumulativeeffectswereairquality,surfacewater,wetlands,andfishandaquatichabitat(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation[WSDOT],2010).



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MEASURES TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE PROJECT EFFECTS What are we do ing to avoid or minimize p rojec t effec ts?

Toaddressthetypeofdisruptiontothevisualenvironmentthatwilloccur,lightandglareeffectswillbereducedbyshieldingfreewaylightingandusingdowncastlighting.TheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjectisbeingplanned,developed,anddesignedinaccordancewithContextSensitiveSolutions(CSS)guidelines. Theseguidelinesprovideanapproachthatincorporatescommunityvalueswhilemeetinglocal,regional,andnationalrequirementsforthesafe,efficient,andeffectivemovementofpeopleandgoods. CSSconsiderstheelementsofmobility,safety,environment,andaestheticsthroughouttheproject. Toadheretotheseguidelines,theproposedprojectisbeingdevelopedtofititsphysicalsurroundingsandpreservetheseelements.TheapplicationofCSSguidelinesreducestheneedforadditionalmitigationofvisualeffects. TheBellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProjectwillconsidercommunityinputduring

development

to

ensure

that

local

concerns

are

met

early

in

the

project

planning

anddesignphases.Measuresthataretypicalfortransportationprojects,suchasretainingexistingnaturalvegetationtothemaximumextentpractical,andplantingnewvegetationtoscreenconstructedelements,havebeenincorporatedwithintheCSSofI405andrelatedtransportationfeatures. OtherareassubjecttoCSSincludestructuralelements,landscapefeatures,lighting,signs,andspecialelementssuchasparkingstructuresandpedestrianbridges.UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS

What are we d oing to m inimize unavoidable ad verse e ffec ts?Theprojectwillnotcauseanyadverseaffectsthatcannotbeavoided. Theeffectsofprojectconstructionandoperationareminor,asdiscussedearlierinthistechnicalmemorandum.Whiletheaverageoverallvisualqualityratingintheprojectareadecreasedslightlyfrom2.95to2.7ona7pointscale,thevisualqualityremainsmoderatelylowtolow,asassessedinthebaselineconditions.



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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Term Acronym

CSS context-sensitive solutions

DEA David Evans and Associates

EIS environmental impact statement

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

GIS geographic information system

HOT high-occupancy toll

HOV high-occupancy vehicle

NEPA National Environmental Policy Act

RCW Revised Code of Washington

ROW right-of-way

SOV single-occupant vehicle

SR state route

WSDOT Washington State Department of Transportation



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GLOSSARY

Visual quality assessmentWord definitions Meaning

context-sensitive

solutions (CSS)

Context sensitive solutions (CSS) is a

collaborative, interdisciplinary approachto develop a transportation facility that fitsits physical surroundings and isresponsive to the communitys scenic,aesthetic, social, economic, historic, andenvironmental values and resources,while maintaining safety and mobility.

CSS is an approach that

considers the total context withinwhich a transportationimprovement project will exist.

continuity The uninterrupted flow of visual patternelements, e.g., the maintenance of visualrelationships between related landscapecomponents or features.

A view with high continuity hasan uninterrupted visual pattern.A view with low continuity hasone or more elements (colors,forms, lines, etc.) that disrupt thevisual pattern.

de minimus effect An effect so small that it is insignificant.

distance zones(foreground,middle ground,background)

Three conventional terms in painting(foreground, middle ground, background)which can be helpful in describingdistance relationships.

Foreground: In a visual analysis, thisdistance zone is where the viewer hasimpressions of immediate details andintensity of color is at a maximum. Thisarea can be designated with clarity andsimplicity not possible for the

middleground and background becausethe observer is a direct participant (0 to0.25 mile).

Middleground: In a visual analysis, thisdistance zone is where the parts of thelandscape can be seen to join together,where hills become a range or treesmake a forest. This is also wheremanmade changes may be revealed asresting upon the landscape, or whereconflicts of form, color, shape, or scaleshow up (0.25 to 1.0 mile).

Foreground is what viewers seerelatively close. Detail and colorare clear. For example, a singletree may stand out as a keyelement of the landscape.Viewers are often highly

sensitive to changes to thevisual quality of the foreground.

Middleground is farther awaythan the foreground. In themiddleground, smaller detailsare lost as the larger picturetakes form. Colors andcontrasts are clear, but lesssharp than in the foreground.Single trees are less likely tostand out instead, the viewersees a woodland or forest.



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WordVisual quality assessmentdefinitions Meaning

Background: In a visual analysis, thisdistance zone is where surfaces of

Background is the distance view.Forms in the view blend

landforms lose detail distinctions and theemphasis is on outline or edge. The

background becomes an effectivebackdrop against which foreground andmiddleground is more clearly seen (>1.0mile).

together. Edges and outlines,rather than details, are seen.

Colors become softer and moremuted. Individual trees can nolonger be seen, and thewoodland or forest becomes agreen mass.

high-occupancy High-occupancy vehicle is a specialvehicle designation for a bus, carpool, or vanpool

provided as an encouragement toincrease ride-sharing. Speciallydesignated HOV lanes and parking areamong the incentives for persons to pooltrips, use fewer vehicles, and make thetransportation system more efficient.HOV lanes are generally inside (left-side)lanes, and are identified by signs and adiamond on the pavement. Currently,two or more (2+) occupants are requiredto use the I-405 HOV lanes. Motorcyclesare allowed to use freeway HOV lanes aswell.

intactness The visual integrity of the natural andhuman-built landscape and its freedomfrom encroaching elements. Highintactness means that the landscape isfree of eyesores and is not broken up by

features that are out of place.

landscape cover This refers to what is on top of the land.For example, the landscape cover of ahillside may be vegetative (forested,brush, grass, etc) or manmade (urban,suburban, industrial, etc.).Subcategories of landscape cover typesare defined as necessary.

landscape form, A defined topographic feature, such aslandform an island, specific hill, or range of hills.

A landscape is consideredintact where the visualelements fit together in size,shape, color, and positionwithout other elements

encroaching where nothinglooks out of place. An intactlandscape can be natural,manmade, or a combination ofthe two.

landscape type Similar combinations of landscape formand landscape cover. Forested plateaus,valley bottom farmlands, and woodedbluffs are all landscape types. There arealso manmade landscape types, such asstrip development along urban roadways.



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landscape unit Places or districts with clear landform orlandcover boundaries that form anoutdoor area with similar visual characterand visual continuity. For example, a

landscape unit can be a singleneighborhood, or several neighborhoodscombined.

local values andgoals

The landscape setting and its visualresources may be valued by local viewergroups for reasons not evident in anassessment based strictly on visualresources and not widely known outsidethe community.

A visual quality assessmentshould consider local values inaddition to the technicalevaluations of what can be seen.

observerviewpoint

A point from which a select view isevaluated.

A viewpoint is simply wherepeople are located when theysee something. Within this

assessment, a viewpoint is usedto indicate where photographsare taken to represent viewscharacteristic of what manypeople in the area will see.

scale Within the context of a visual analysis,the apparent size relationships betweenlandscape components or features andtheir surroundings.

The relative size of what is seen.

semi-urbanlandscape

Landscape characterized by intermixedbuilt and natural or naturalized elements,with built elements prevailing.

Used to characterize alandscape unit or acharacterization from the

WSDOT Roadside ClassificationManual.

sightline An imaginary straight line between apersons eyes and a distant object.

slope The change in elevation over a distance,or an inclined land form.

An area of landform surfacedifferentiated from other areasby its degree of slope. It is acomponent of landforms but notlimited in place or extent.Example may include a cliff,gentle slopes, and flat plain.

topography The physical features of a geographic

area taken collectively; especially, thevariations in elevation of the earth'ssurface.



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transportationfacility

Roadways, access ramps, noise walls,retaining walls, traffic barriers, transitstations, park-and-ride structures, non-motorized facilities, signage, lighting,

stormwater treatment and conveyance,and landscaping within the project area.

unity The visual coherence and compositionalharmony of the landscape whenconsidered as a whole. High unityfrequently reflects the careful design ofindividual human components and theirrelationship in the landscape.

The degree to which the visualresources of the landscape jointogether to form a coherent,harmonious visual pattern. Unityrefers to the compositionalharmony or inter-compatibilitybetween landscape elements.

urban landscape A landscape characterized predominantlyby built elements.

view That which can be seen either from or Views are narrowed down totoward the transportation facility. representative viewpoints for

analysis.

viewer The degree to which a viewer notices theawareness landscape.

A viewers receptivity to thevisual character of the landscapecan be affected by elements andrelationships in the landscapesetting itself or by expectationsabout the setting. Visualexperience contrary toexpectation may be suppressedor heightened, depending on thedegree of disagreement.

viewer exposure How many people see something from aparticular viewpoint and over whatduration they see it. View durationconsiders how often viewers observe theview, the frequency of views, andwhether the viewers or the objects arestationary or moving.

viewer groups Groups of people who are differentiated Classes of viewers differentiatedfrom others by their viewing by their visual response to thecharacteristics or visual response to a I-405 facility and its setting;landscape feature. For example, local response is affected by viewerpark users are one class of viewer, and activity, awareness, and values.

are likely to have a different visualresponse to a landscape feature thanpeople viewing the same feature from anindustrial setting.



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Visual quality assessment

Word definitions Meaning

viewer response A positive or negative measure of how Factors affecting how a viewerpeople react to changes in what they responds to change in visualsee. resources include viewer

exposure, viewer sensitivity,

cultural significance, and localvalues.

viewer sensitivity The degree to which people respond towhat they see. A viewer with highsensitivity to a particular view willrespond strongly to any change in theview. Viewer sensitivity does not implysupport for or opposition to a proposedchange in the view.

The viewers variable receptivityto the elements within theenvironment that he/she isviewing, affected by vieweractivity and awareness. Aperson cannot readily noticeevery object and all theattributes of the objects thatcompose the total visualenvironment.

viewshed The area that can be seen from a givenviewpoint or group of viewpoints; it is alsothat area from which that viewpoint orgroup of viewpoints can be seen.

visual The visible portion of the landscape unit A portion of the area visible orassessment unit that contains the transportation facility. potentially visible from a highway

project or from which thehighway project may be seen; tobe useful in visual assessment, itshould be identified on the basisof visual distinctions, such aslandscape unit boundaries.

visual character

The visual patterns formed by everythingthat can be seen and how those patternsfit together in the visible landscape. Thedescription of character considersdominance, scale, diversity, andcontinuity to further define the visiblelandscape.

The visual character of alandscape is formed by the orderof the patterns composing it.The elements of these patternsare the form, color, line, andtexture of the landscapes visualresources. Their inter-relationships can be objectivelydescribed in terms ofdominance, diversity, continuity,and so on.

visual corridor The changing views along the facilityexperienced by users.

A continuous succession ofvisually and spatially distinct

experiences.

visual effect The degree of change in visual resourcesand the viewer response to thosechanges caused by facility developmentand operations.

A combination of the change invisual resources and peoplesresponse to the change.



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Word

visual quality

visual resources

Visual quality assessmentdefinitions

A subjective measure of the character ofthe visual resource. The many factorsthat contribute to a landscapes visualquality are grouped under intactness,

unity, and vividness.

The collection of all features and thingsthat can be seen in an area.

Meaning

The appearance of the featuresthat make up the visiblelandscape. Includes land, water,vegetative, animal, and otherfeatures that are visible.

vividness

windshield survey

Describes how the landscape elementscombine to form a colorful, striking, orotherwise memorable composition.

The process of driving by an area to lookat properties for general housekeepingand verify property addresses; a methodof observing a study area by driving thearea in a vehicle.

The memorability of the visualimpression received fromcontrasting landscape elementsas they combine to form astriking and distinctive visualpattern.

Basic method for fieldreconnaissance to narrow downrepresentative viewpoints foranalysis.



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REFERENCES GIS data sources

Exhibit 5

PugetSoundLiDARConsortium,LiDAR,2002.http://pugetsoundlidar.ess.washington.edu/About_PSLC.htmHDR.2006 2007.Viewshed.Exhibit 6

HDR.20062007.Viewpoint.Exhibit 7

DavidEvans&Associates.2001.I405CorridorProgramVisualResourcesExpertiseReportpreparedfortheWSDOTI405CorridorProgram.Updated2007byHDR;Landscape

Unit.

PugetSoundLiDARConsortium,LiDAR,2002.http://pugetsoundlidar.ess.washington.edu/About_PSLC.htmExhibits 8 through 12

HDR.20062007.Viewpoint.Base data

AllGISexhibitscontainoneormoreofthefollowingasbaselayers:GDT(GeographicDataTechnology,Inc.),April2005. GDTDynamapTransportation.KingCountyStandardGISDataDisk,extractJune2006:

2005. TrailsinKingCounty. DataupdatedbyI405stafftomatchfieldwork,2002LiDARandorthorectifiedaerialphotography.

USGS(UnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey).June2002. ColorAerialPhotography.http://edc.usgs.gov/products/aerial/hiresortho.htmlWSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation).March2001. Aerialphotographyprogram.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation),SpatialDataCatalog,2006,CityLimits.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation),SpatialDataCatalog,1997,Railroads.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation),SpatialDataCatalog,2006,Water.



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WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 20062007. I405Staff;Parks.MergeddatafromKingandSnohomishcountiesstandarddataandcitiesofBellevue,KirklandandBothellstandarddata,2006.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 20062007. I405Staff;Streams.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 20062007. I405Staff;TenthMilePosts.Text reference s and verbal c ommunications

DEA(DavidEvansandAssociates,Inc.). 2001. I405CorridorProgramDraftVisualResourcesExpertiseReport.FHWA(FederalHighwayAdministration). 1981. VisualImpactAssessmentforHighwayProjects(FHWAHI88054).WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 1996. RoadsideClassification

Plan.

WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 2005a. I405,SR520toSR522 KirklandNickelEnvironmentalAssessment.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 2005b. I405,SR520toSR522 KirklandNickelProjectVisualQualityDisciplineReport.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 2006. EnvironmentalProceduresManual.WSDOT(WashingtonStateDepartmentofTransportation). 2010. I405,BellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProject;CumulativeEffectsAnalysisTechnicalMemorandum.



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Thispageisintentionallyblank.Thispageisintentionallyblank.



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APPENDIX A DETAILED STUDY APPROACH What too ls and voc ab ulary d id we use for this assessment?

Toolsusedforthisassessmentincluded: GIStodeterminethetopographicviewshed; FieldreconnaissanceandobservationofthestudyareatodeterminevisibleareasandrepresentativeviewsfromandtowardI405;

TheVisualQualityRatingMatrix(seeAppendixB),basedontheFederalHighwayAdministrations(FHWA)VisualImpactAssessmentforHighwayProjectsmanual(FHWAHI88054)(FHWA,1981);

Photographsfromwithintheviewsheds(seeAppendixC); Designinformationtodeterminetheprojectrelatedchangesandvisualeffects.

ThevocabularyusedintheassessmentfollowstheFHWAVisualImpactAssessmentmanual(FHWA,1981). Asnotedabove,weevaluatevisualresourcesbyexaminingvisualcharacterandvisualqualitytodetermineresourcechanges,andbyassessingviewerexposureandviewersensitivitiestodetermineviewerresponse. Resourcechangeandviewerresponseare,inturn,usedtodeterminevisualqualityeffectsoftheproject. Thevisualassessmentapproachandtherelationshipoftheseelementsareshownbelow.

Exhibit A-1: Visual assessment approach

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Visual character

Visualcharacterreferstothevisualpatternsformedbyeverythingthatcanbeseenandhowthosepatternsfittogetherinthevisiblelandscape. Theaffectedvisualenvironmentcontainslandscapecomponentsthatincludetopographicfeatures(e.g.,mountains,valleys)andlandcover. Landcoverincludeswater,vegetation,andthebuiltenvironment.

We

can

categorize

these

components

in

distinctive

landscape

character

unitsbasedonpatternscreatedbydominance,scale,diversity,andcontinuityofelementsinthelandscape. Dominancereferstothepositionofanindividualelementoritsextentorcontrastinrelationtootherelements. Scalereferstoapparentsizerelationshipsbetweenanelementanditssurroundings. Diversityisafunctionofthenumber,variety,andintermixingofelementsinaview. Continuityreferstothemaintenanceofvisualrelationshipsbetweenconnectedorrelatedlandscapefeatures.Theviewshedanalysisdefinesthephysicallimitsofthevisualresourcesthatcanbeaffectedbytheproject. Thetopographicviewshedisthevisibleareawithoutregardforscreeningeffectsfromvegetationorstructures. Theviewshedistheareafromwhichtheprojectcanbeseenandtheareathatcanbeseenfromtheproject. Thebasisfortheanalysisisasimplelineofsightdeterminationbasedsolelyontopography. Thisunobstructedlineofsightdeterminationisapplicableforviewsfromtheroadandviewstowardtheroad. Theexistingviewshedisthevisibleareaincludingthescreeningeffectsofvegetationandstructures.Visual qua lity

Wecandeterminethevisualqualityoftheaffectedenvironmentbyanalyzingthelandscapeusingasetofprovenevaluativemeasurestoassessthreecomponentsofvisualquality: vividness,intactness,andunity. Thesemeasuresareusedtoevaluatevisualqualityofkeyviewpoints.Vividnessdescribesthewaylandscapecomponentscombineindistinctiveandmemorablevisualpatterns. Fouraspectsofvividnesscanaffectthelandscape:topography,water,vegetation,andconstructedelements. Thedistinctivenessorqualityofaspecificelementwithinalandscapescenedefinesthiselement. Vividnessisrankedonascaleof1to7,witharatingof7indicatingahigh(desirable)degreeofvividness.Intactnessmeasuresthevisualintegrityofthenaturalandhumanmadelandscapeanditsfreedomfromencroachingelements. Highintactnessmeansalandscapeishighlynaturalandfreeofeyesores,orisnotbrokenupbyfeaturesthatareoutofplace.Intactnessissubdividedintotwocategories: thelevelofhumanmadedevelopmentandthedegreeofencroachment. Aratingof7indicatesalandscapethatishighlyintactandcontainsnoencroachments.Unitydescribesthevisualcoherenceandcompositionalharmonyofthelandscapeconsideredasawhole. Itreferstothefitbetweenelementsofthelandscape,butdoes

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notconnoteuniformityindesignorcharacter. Oneaspectofthiscriterionistheunitybetweenconstructedandnaturalpatternelements,whichusuallyatteststothecarefuldesignofindividualcomponentsinthelandscape. Unityisrankedonascaleof1to7,with7representingalandscapewithacoherent,harmoniousvisualpattern(desirable).Anoverallvisualqualityrankingisdeterminedbytakinganumericalaverageofthethreerankingsforvividness,intactness,andunity.Viewers

Vieweranalysisconsiderswhowillseethevisualresourcesoftheprojectareaandthechangesthatwillresult,aswellasthecircumstancesunderwhichtheviewerseesthem.Locationisakeyfactorinvieweranalysis. Viewerlocationisevaluatedintermsofwheretheviewpointisrelativetothevisualresource. Theviewpositionisdescribedassuperior(above,orlookingdownat,theresource),normal(levelwiththeresource),orinferior(below,orlookingupat,theresource). Anexampleforsuperiormaybeaviewfromanoverpassorpedestrianbridge,anormalviewmightbefromtheroad,andaninferiorviewmightbefromaparkortrailatalowerelevation. Thedistanceofvisualresourcesobservedfromaviewpointischaracterizedasforeground,middleground,andbackground.Thedurationofviewerexposureconsidershowlongaviewerisexposedtoaviewduringasingleinstance(examplesmightincludeanindividualmakinghismorningcommutetoworkoranindividuallookingoutthewindowfromherresidence). TheviewofacommuteronI405mayberelativelybrief,whilethatofaresidentmaybelonger. Thefrequencyofviewingconsidershowoftenviewersareexposedtoaview.Perceptionsofthevisualenvironmentvaryamongviewergroups. Thisvariableperceptionisreferredtoasviewersensitivity,anditisinfluencedbyviewersvisualpreferencesandthecircumstancesunderwhichtheyencounteraview. Vieweractivities,suchasdrivinginheavytrafficonadailybasis,maydistractviewersordesensitizethemtomuchofthevisualenvironment. Viewerawarenesscanbeheightenedbyencounteringavisualchange,suchasenteringanurbanareaorencounteringadramaticviewofwateroramountain.Visual resource c hang e

Visualresourcechangeevaluatesthedegreeofchangeinavisualresourcewithoutregardtoviewerresponse. Therefore,wefirstidentifyprojectrelatedchangestoviews,thenevaluatethevisualqualityoftheviewinrelationtothosechanges(usingthesamethreemeasuresinevaluatingtheviewsexistingcondition: vividness,intactness,andunity).Weuseavisualqualityrankingmatrixtocomparethevisualqualityoftheviewwithandwithouttheproject,allowingthechangetobeexpressedasthedifferencebetweenthetwo. Thechange,combinedwiththeviewersensitivityforaparticularareaandprojectresultinahigh,medium,orlowvisualeffect. Astandardbaseline,likean

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undevelopedforest,forexample,isnotused.Thevisualeffect,likethescoringinthefield,isassignedrelativetothebaselineandtheprojectedchangesintheprojectarea.Viewe r response

Viewerresponseistheevaluationofhowviewersrespondtothechangesinvisualresources. FortheI405,BellevuetoLynnwoodImprovementProject,wecategorizedviewersasI405users(viewsfromtheproject)andI405neighbors(viewstowardtheproject).

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APPENDIX B VISUAL QUALITY RATING MATRIX Exhibit B-1: Visual quality analysis baseline conditions

Representative Viewpoints

NE60thStreetI-405

A.facingsouth

B.NE60thStreetI-4

05

facingnorth

NE124thStreet

C.facingnorth

NE160thStreet

D.facingnortheast

E.SonomaVillero

Condominiumsfacin

g

west

SR522(UWBothe

ll)

F.facingeast

SR527Interchang

e

G.facingeast

ViewerOrientation

To the Highway X X X X

From the Highway X X X

View Distance Foreground X X X X X X X

Middle ground X X X X

Background X X

ViewerPosition

Inferior

Normal X X X X X X

Superior X

Vividness Landform 3 3 2 2 2 5 2

Water NA NA NA NA NA 5 NAVegetation 2 2 1 3 4 5 3

Human-made 3 3 2 3 3 4 3

Average 2.7 2.7 1.7 2.7 3 4.8 2.7

Intactness Development 2 2 3 3 3 4 2

Encroachment 3 3 2 4 3 4 3

Average 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.5 3 4.0 2.5

Unity 3 3 2 2 2 5 2

Total VisualQuality

2.7 2.7 2.1 2.7 2.7 4.6 2.4

7 = very high; 6 = high; 5 = moderately high; 4 = average; 3 = moderately low; 2 = low; 1 = very low.

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Exhibit B-2: Visual quality analysis projected conditions

Representative Viewpoints

NE60th

A.

S

treetI-405

facingsouth

NE60thStreetI-405

B.facingnorth

NE124thS

treet

C.facingnorth

NE160thS

treet

D.facingnorthe

ast

SonomaVillero

E.Condominium

sfacing

west

SR522(UW

Bothell)

F.facingeast

G.SR527Interchange

facingeast

Viewerorientation

Toward thehighway

X X X X

From the highway X X X

View distance Foreground X X X X X X X

Middleground X X X X

Background X X

Viewer position Inferior

Normal X X X X X X

Superior X

Vividness Landform 3 3 2 1 2 5 2

Water NA NA NA NA NA 5 NA

Vegetation 2 2 1 2 2 5 3

Human-made 3 3 2 2 2 4 3

Average 2.7 2.7 1.7 1.7 2 4.8 2.7

Intactness Development 2 2 3 3 2 4 2

Encroachment 3 3 2 3 2 4 3

Average 2.5 2.5 2.5 3 2 4.0 2.5

Unity 3 3 2 2 2 5 2

Total Visual

Quality 2.7 2.7 2.1 2.2 2 4.6 2.47 = very high; 6 = high; 5 = moderately high; 4 = average; 3 = moderately low; 2 = low; 1 = very low.

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Exhibit B-3: Visual quality effects determination

Viewpoint

A. NE 60th Street I-405,

facing south

Baselinevisualquality

2.7

Projectedvisualquality

2.7

Degreeof

visualchange

0

Primary viewergroups

Highway users

Number ofviewers

High

Viewersensitivit

Low

B. NE 60th Street I-405,facing north

2.7 2.7 0 Highway users High Low

C. NE 124th Street, facingnorth

2.1 2.1 0Local roadwayusers

High Low

D. NE 160th Street, facingnortheast

2.7 2.2 -0.5 Highway users High Low

E. Sonoma VilleroCondominiums, facingwest

2.7 2 -0.7Condominiumresidents

Low High

F. SR 522 (UW Bothell),facing east 4.6 4.6 0

Local roadway

users, collegestudents, andstaff

Moderate High

Retail customersG. SR 527 Interchange,

2.4 2.4 0 and local Moderate Medium facing east

roadway users

7 = very high; 6 = high; 5 = moderately high; 4 = average; 3 = moderately low; 2 = low; 1 = very low.

I-405, Bellevue to Lynnw oo d Improveme nt Projec t

Visual Qua lity Tec hnica l Me mo randum

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APPENDIX C REPRESENTATIVE VIEWS Representative View A: NE 60th Street at I-405, view facing south

Representative View B: NE 60th Street at I-405, view facing north

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Representative View C: NE 124th Street, view facing north

Approaching Representative View D: NE 160th Street Representative View D: NE 160th Street northboundnorthbound ramp to I-405, view facing northeast ramp to I-405, view facing northeast

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Representative View E: Sonoma Villero Condominiums, view facing west

Representative View E: Sonoma Villero Condominiums, view facing west

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View F: SR 522 (UW Bothell), view facing east

Representative View G: SR 527 interchange, view facing east

Documents

WADOT BTL App R Visual Quality PArt2