Drafter
Clerk 6/21/2007
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the operation and maintenance of the Seattle Streetcar on behalf of the city of Seattle, adopting an agreement between King County and the city of Seattle and consenting to the city of Seattle's exercise of power reserved to King County in accordance with RCW 35.58.260.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle ("Metro") was authorized by public vote in 1972 to perform the metropolitan transportation functions of a metropolitan municipal corporation.
B. In 1994, King County assumed the rights, powers, functions and obligations of Metro in accordance with chapter 36.56 RCW; consequently, all the powers and functions of Metro have been vested by state law in the legislative authority of King County.
C. Under RCW 35.58.260, upon being authorized to perform the metropolitan functions of a metropolitan municipal corporation, Metro assumed from the city of Seattle all rights the city possessed with respect to construction, acquisition, maintenance, operation, extension, alteration, repair, control and management of passenger transportation. Before the city exercises such powers in the future, the city is required to obtain King County's consent.
D. The city intends to construct and own, and has begun construction on, a one-and-three-tenths-mile streetcar running from Westlake Center in Seattle to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center near the south end of Lake Union. The streetcar will connect the South Lake Union and Denny Triangle neighborhoods with downtown Seattle and connections to other regional and local transit services and thereby increase transit ridership and reduce single occupancy vehicle trips to and from those neighborhoods.
E. The city formed Local Improvement District 6750 to provide $25,700,000 to construct and equip the streetcar line.
F. The city has experience in building a streetc...
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