Drafter
Clerk 05/16/2025
Title
AN ORDINANCE establishing the Locally Preferred Alternative including the alignment and station locations of the RapidRide K Line.
Body
STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. Via Ordinance 18449, enacted February 1, 2017, the King County council adopted the King County Metro transit department's long-range transit service and capital plan, METRO CONNECTS, which identifies an expanded network of future RapidRide lines for implementation, including the RapidRide K Line connecting Kirkland and Bellevue.
2. Via Ordinance 19861, enacted December 2, 2024, the council adopted, and the executive signed the 2025 Annual Budget Ordinance, which included capital project 1134292 to implement the RapidRide K Line.
3. Via Motion 14956, passed September 18, 2017, the council approved a report on the implementation of new RapidRide lines as required by Ordinance 18409, Section 132, Proviso P5, titled Implementation of New RapidRide Lines/METRO CONNECTS RapidRide Expansion, which identified the K Line as one of the next-generation RapidRide lines to be implemented.
4. As documented in the RapidRide K Line Community Engagement Summary Reports, the Metro transit department conducted community engagement concerning the proposed alignment and station locations for the RapidRide K Line in the communities in which it will operate, including Kirkland and Bellevue. As part of the community engagement, the Metro transit department consulted the cities of Kirkland and Bellevue to accommodate city priorities regarding station locations and proposed right-of-way improvements, street and facility design, and proposed transit priority treatments, consistent with bus rapid transit concepts.
5. The RapidRide K Line will apply to receive grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration's Small Starts grant program, with the goal of entering into a Small Starts grant agreement.
6. The Federal Transit Administration requires that Small Starts grant-funded projects operate transit service at the level specified in the grant agreement for a period of five years. The period of performance for such service level commitments is at the discretion of the Federal Transit Administration and is a prescribed condition of receiving federal financial assistance.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The RapidRide K Line Locally Preferred Alternative that establishes the alignment and general station locations, substantially as set forth in Attachment B to this ordinance, is hereby approved to allow design and construction of RapidRide infrastructure and facilities design and construction to proceed.
SECTION 2. Before implementation of RapidRide K Line service, the executive shall notify King County council and the cities of Kirkland and Bellevue of any substantial changes to station locations. The notice to the King County council shall be filed in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy with the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers. Following the implementation of RapidRide K Line service, the Metro transit department shall consult with the cities of Kirkland and Bellevue before making any changes to the routing or station locations.
SECTION 3. Before the start of RapidRide K Line service, the executive shall transmit to the council a service change ordinance in accordance with K.C.C 28.94.020 that identifies hours of operation and service levels by period of the day.
SECTION 4. For the purpose of securing federal financial assistance for the development and implementation of RapidRide K Line capital projects as documented in the six-year capital improvement program, the executive or designee is authorized to enter into a RapidRide K Line project agreement that includes defined service level commitments as a prescribed condition of receiving federal funds, but only if the following conditions are met:
A. The contractual service commitment does not exceed the period of performance specified in the federal grant agreement; and
B. The contractual service commitment does not exceed five years from the opening of revenue service.