Access or Mobility?

Submitted by Paul Ellis

As the name "Regional Access Mobility Partnership" (emphasis added) implies, RAMP has considered "access" and "mobility" to be largely interchangeable terms. A recent discussion kicked off by the new Gulf Coast Institute blog (supporting transportation planning in the Houston region) highlights that transportation researchers are supporting much more attention to “access,” or the ability to interact, as a different goal from “mobility,” or the ability to travel.

Christof Spieler augments this distinction in a responsive post on his blog, Intermodality, citing examples not just from Houston but from London, as well. "If we think about transportation in terms of connecting people to where they want to go--not just in terms of moving cars or buses," Spieler concludes, "we get better results."

Speiler argues that ideal for transportation isn’t how fast one can travel but how many places one can get to in a given period of time. "Access is opportunity and quality of life," he observes. "Mobility is just speed." It's a distinction worth noting...

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Counting the Cost for Regional Projects

Submitted by Paul Ellis

In September, WSDOT issued revised cost estimates for the SR-520 and Alaskan Way Viaduct projects using a methodology called Cost Estimate Validation Process; since then, the agency has been working to bring the cost estimates for other regional projects up to date. WSDOT just released the updated cost estimates for state highway projects included within the RTID Blueprint for Progress developed last January.

Cost Estimate Validation Process (CEVP) is an intense workshop in which a team of top engineers and risk managers from local and national private firms and public agencies examine a transportation project and review project details with WSDOT engineers. CEVP evaluation of regional projects reflects the increases that have occurred with respect to commodity prices and/or impacts from revisions or refinements to project scopes, risk factors like potential for increased environmental mitigation cost or unforeseen changes in design standards for seismic safety, and roughly a 3.5% rate of inflation per year.

WSDOT's updated estimates put the following price tags on key projects promoted by RAMP:

• SR-167 extension - $1.468 billion
• SR-704 construction - $453 million
• SR-162 improvements - $286 million

One conclusion of the CEVP evaluation of regional projects is hardly a surprise to followers of this blog: the cost of delay is huge.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

ST2 Plan Prepared to Leave the Station

Submitted by Paul Ellis

Yesterday Sound Transit board members considered a preliminary second-phase draft package, instructing staff to return a slightly revised package to them for adoption in January.

The draft package identifies an extensive array of regional transit system expansions forming the transit element of the Roads & Transit measure that will go to voters next November.

The option endorsed by the board is the most expensive but also provides the greatest amount of funding for extension of the agency's light rail system. Under this proposal, light rail would be extended from Sea-Tac Airport to the Port of Tacoma. The package would fund preliminary engineering, permitting and some real estate acquisition for further extension to the Tacoma downtown area, which would be completed subject to available funding; board members are hoping funding will be able to accommodate a light rail extension to the Tacoma Dome. Other projects identified in Pierce County include additional parking at the commuter rail stations in Puyallup and Sumner. The light rail extension and commuter rail parking were identified last year by RAMP as priority projects for Pierce County.

After the official board vote in January, another round of public meetings will take place, which means proposals could be revised prior to the November election.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Governor Gregoire Postpones Decision on Seattle Viaduct

Submitted by Paul Ellis

Governor Christine Gregoire said today that the residents of Seattle should decide how to replace the aging and earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Gregoire had been expected to announce her decision about what should be done on the state's largest mega-project--whether to replace it with a tunnel or rebuild an elevated structure.

Instead, she called for a referendum in which Seattle voters will decide between rebuilding the structure or replacing it with a tunnel. All other options--including tearing the viaduct down and having surface streets take the traffic--are now off the table.

The price difference between the two options is $1.8 billion. The state has already dedicated $2.2 billion to the Viaduct, almost enough to cover the $2.8 billion rebuild. Gregoire seems set on asking the City of Seattle to raise local revenues enough to cover the remainder of the $4.6 billion price tag if voters decide they want a tunnel.

Governor Gregoire did announce one firm decision today--that the state should build a new six-lane span to replace the floating bridge that carries SR-520 across Lake Washington.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

RAMP Responds to the Regional Transportation Commission

Submitted by Paul Ellis

RAMP Co-Chair David Graybill has responded on behalf of the coalition to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) draft recommendations released last month. In a letter to RTC Co-Chairs John Stanton & Norm Rice, Graybill stated that:

• "We agree with RTC that regional transportation is in crisis and that this crisis has resulted from chronic underfunding--delayed investments that mean, as construction costs continue to rise, ever higher prices for needed projects. We further agree that the public has often shown its support for wise expenditures and accountability.


• "We cannot agree, however, with your conclusion that the absence of unified regional governance is the major impediment to our collective success in easing gridlock and building a better transportation system; in fact, we are concerned that the RTC’s recommendations as currently expressed seem to ignore and overreach progress now taking place in several agencies such as RTID and WSDOT.


• "The role of RAMP and similar alliances in other counties was not addressed in your report. Although participation is voluntary, RAMP serves as an effective vehicle for coordination between agencies and jurisdictions, and provides a forum for unified discussion on road and transit improvements. We also provide benchmarking for successes in prioritization, accountability and funding. While your draft report is critical of existing organizational structures, it does not present corresponding models that work. We believe RAMP is a good model and should be considered in your final recommendations.


• "We also take issue with the RTC’s finding on sub-area equity—not only does it introduce a “sense of fairness,” it provides a safeguard for accountability. As some have said: “All politics is local politics,” and we’ve seen in regional road and transit votes in other parts of the country that the system which best improves everyone’s transportation network is the one that passes muster with voters."

The RTC is scheduled to meet again tomorrow at the University of Washington Seattle.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Invitation to RAMP Participants

The Puget Sound Regional Council would like to hear from RAMP participants regarding the agency's update to Destination 2030, the region's 30-year comprehensive transportation plan.

Interested participants are invited to take part in an online survey that will only take a few minutes and will provide valuable information to the Council as they proceed with the update.

Introducing the Plateau Transportation Partnership

Submitted by Paul Ellis

At their December 6 meeting, RAMP participants heard about a new transportation coalition: the Plateau Transportation Partnership.

This new group brings together Plateau 465, Cascadia, Falling Water, the Weyerhaeuser Co., Miles Sand & Gravel and Woodworth & Co. as well as Troutlodge, Inc., Tacoma Water and Puget Sound Energy to allow these parties to share information and perspectives regarding the need for a comprehensive transportation plan for the Bonney Lake plateau area, which includes the Alderton-McMillin planning area and the cities of Orting, Sumner and Bonney Lake. This group will also leverage potential economic efficiencies relative to “pooling” private and public resources for the joint development of much needed transportation infrastructure in that east county area.

To further these goals, the Plateau Transportation Partnership has been formed in order to:

• Create, with Pierce County, a public-private partnership to fund and construct Rhodes Lake Road E., upon route establishment by Pierce County, from SR-162 to 198th Ave. E.;
• Create, with the State Department of Transportation, a public-private partnership to fund and construct SR-162 from 128th St. E. to Pioneer Way E.;
• Work with RAMP and WSDOT to leverage these partnerships to gain support for the RTID funding initiative;
• Work with RAMP, Pierce County, the cities and others to increase the priority of funding transportation improvements in the SR-167, SR-410, and SR-162 corridors.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Pierce County's First HOV Lane Opening

Submitted by Paul Ellis

Tri-State Construction and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) crews are close to opening Pierce County's first mainline high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane--eastbound SR-16 from Jackson Ave. to Union Ave. An anticipated stretch of dry weather will allow crews to apply the final striping before opening the lane as early as next week.

This initial HOV lane serves about three miles of freeway, part of a 22-project program that will build 79 miles of carpool lanes in Pierce County.

In addition to building an HOV lane, WSDOT is improving safety between Jackson and Union by widening shoulders, lessening the curve at Center St. and improving the flow of merging traffic. Crews began construction of the lanes between Union and Jackson in 2004 as part of the overall SR-16 corridor project.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

SR-167 Environmental Review Completed

Submitted by Paul Ellis

The Federal Highway Administration and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently published the the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the SR-167 Extension Project.

The 878-page document released Friday completes the project's environmental analysis. It outlines the footprint of the proposed highway through the Puyallup and Fife valleys and includes plans to avoid or lessen the highway's potential effects on farmland, wetlands, stormwater management and flood plains. The EIS includes responses to comments and questions heard from community members, organizations and government agencies near the proposed new highway during the seven-year study.

The Federal Highway Administration is expected to approve the project's environmental plan this spring with a Record of Decision, allowing WSDOT to move forward with final design. The Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) has indicated it will place a segment of the new highway on its list of projects for voters to consider next November. In the meantime, the project team continues to design the highway and buy property to secure the corridor.

Copies of the EIS are currently available on CD at no cost by e-mailing Project Manager Steve Fuchs. An electronic copy of the document will be available on the project website soon, as well.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Looking Ahead to 2007

Submitted by Paul Ellis

RAMP began work today on the slate of items for the 2007 Legislative Session. As Tacoma-Pierce County's primary coalition for transportation issues, RAMP will clearly advance the area's consensus regarding transportation projects, policies and priorities.

RAMP will continue to push for full funding for projects, including:

• Completion of SR-167 from Puyallup to SR-509;
• Building SR-704 (and changing its name to the "Armed Services Highway");
• Improving SR-162 between Sumner and Orting;
• Expansion of Sound Transit services, especially connecting light rail from Tacoma Dome Station to SeaTac Airport;
• Construction of grade separations for Sounder, Tacoma Rail and Port traffic bottlenecks

RAMP will support policies essential to our region's economic development, which include:

• Supporting tolling to encourage effective use of the transportation system through congestion management as well as to provide a supplementary source of transportation funding;
• Indexing the state gas tax to keep pace with inflation;
• Supporting any technical changes necessary to allow the Roads & Transit ballot issue to move to the electorate next fall;
• Opposing cargo taxes that would hamper the state's competitiveness, driving economic activity from Washington to neighboring states and countries, and harming Washington ports, manufacturers, growers, and exporters;
• Keeping the state accountable for efficiencies in the construction of transportation projects by producing verifiable and quantifiable results through cost savings, project prioritization, benchmarks, planning and project streamlining;
• Maintaining subarea equity while working collaboratively with the rest of the region

RAMP maintains that governance revisions are secondary to the provision of adequate financial resources; to that end, RAMP will support Legislative goals and recommendations that make adequate financing their top priority.

The Legislative package is open for comment from RAMP participants and will be presented for final adoption at the January 3rd meeting.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.

Update on RTID

Submitted by Paul Ellis

Over the next few months, the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) will need to make tough decisions about which roads and bridges will be included in the regional Roads & Transit ballot measure next November.

Work to date is incorporated in the Blueprint for Progress, a draft proposal created by the RTID Executive Board that proposes regional road and bridge investments in key highway corridors in Snohomish, Pierce and King counties. The RTID Executive Committee will meet January 12th to discuss the Blueprint and possible changes to the plan; RTID hopes to adopt a draft Blueprint at their January 26th Executive Committee meeting.

In February the Executive Committees of RTID and Sound Transit will launch a joint effort to gather input on the integrated Roads & Transit effort.

Paul Ellis is lead staff for RAMP; an employee of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Ellis led the Pierce County Transportation Advisory Committee (PCTAC), the community's largest transportation planning effort.