Drafter
Clerk 08/23/2007
Title
AN ORDINANCE related to the June 24, 2002, Agreement regarding the Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and Related Facilities between and among King County, the city of Seattle and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority; authorizing removal of the Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane traffic and street improvement, identified as a primary mitigation project in the agreement, following reopening of the downtown Seattle transit tunnel in September 2007.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. Pursuant to RCW 81.112.070, RCW 81.112.080, chapter 39.33 RCW and other applicable laws, the city of Seattle ("the city") and King County are authorized to convey, lease or otherwise contract with the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ("Sound Transit") for the use of their respective public transportation facilities and properties. Sound Transit may contract with the city and King County for the use and acquisition of rights to various transportation facilities, structures, lands, interests in land, air rights and rights-of-way of all kinds.
B. On November 5, 1996, central Puget Sound area voters approved local funding for Sound Move, Sound Transit's ten-year regional transit system plan, which contemplates that light rail, commuter rail and regional express bus/HOV systems will be integrated with local transit systems.
C. On May 24, 2000, the King County council passed Ordinance 13857 authorizing the executive to execute the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel Transfer Agreement among the city, King County and Sound Transit.
D. On November 29, 2001, the Sound Transit Board of Directors adopted Resolution No. R2001-16 selecting the alignment and profiles, station locations, and vehicle maintenance base site to be built for the initial segment of the Central Link Light Rail project, which is planned to permit light rail travel through downtown Seattle using the tunnel, an action that required the temporary rerouting of buses traveling through the tunnel onto surface streets and subsequent joint bus and rail operations in the tunnel.
E. On July 1, 2002, the King County council passed Ordinance 14396 authorizing the executive to execute the agreement regarding the Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and Related Facilities between and among King County, the City of Seattle and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, superseding the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel Transfer Agreement authorized by Ordinance 13857.
F. The city, King County and Sound Transit subsequently collaborated to implement the downtown Seattle traffic and street improvements to keep downtown traffic moving during the temporary rerouting of buses traveling through the tunnel, as required under Section 10.0 of the agreement.
G. On September 24, 2005, King County closed the tunnel for Sound Transit's retrofitting for use by both buses and light rail trains.
H. Sound Transit has substantially completed the tunnel retrofit, and expects to reopen the tunnel for use by buses on September 24, 2007, and expects to begin joint bus and light rail operations in the tunnel in 2009.
I. The Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane traffic and street improvement was identified as a primary mitigation project under Section 10.2 of the agreement.
J. Pursuant to Section 10.9 of the agreement, removal of primary mitigation projects requires approval by the Seattle city council, the King County council and the Sound Transit board of directors.
K. The city, King County and Sound Transit agree that the Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane traffic and street improvement will no longer be needed for bus operations after tunnel reopening, and the public would benefit from eliminating the Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane.
SECTION 2. Subject to the approval by the Seattle city council and Sound Transit board of directors, the city is authorized to eliminate the Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane traffic and street improvement. The Ninth Avenue transit contraflow lane project was identified as a primary mitigation project under Section 10.2 of the agreement. The project included removal of on-street parking, and roadway striping, signage and traffic signal changes to provide one northbound contraflow lane between Olive Way and Stewart Street.