Fiscal Note
|
Department: Seattle
Transportation |
Contact
Person/Phone: Jon Layzer,
684-8084 |
DOF Analyst/Phone: Jeff Davis,
684-8071 |
Legislation Title:
AN ORDINANCE relating to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel ("Tunnel"); authorizing execution of an Agreement with the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ("Sound Transit") and King County regarding the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel and related facilities that, among other things, describes how joint bus and rail transit operations will be implemented in the Tunnel by King County and Sound Transit, confirms the authority of Sound Transit and King County to use certain City rights-of-way for public transportation purposes, identifies a funding plan and schedule for completing various downtown Seattle street and traffic improvements to accommodate downtown bus service during and after retrofit of the Tunnel, identifies various payments and other actions to be made or undertaken by one or more parties thereto, and supersedes the Agreement authorized by Ordinance 119949.
Summary of the
Legislation:
This legislation authorizes an agreement among the City, Sound Transit, and King County describing:
· King County and Sound Transit responsibilities for design and construction of modifications to the Tunnel to allow for joint bus/rail operations;
· King County, Sound Transit, and City of Seattle responsibilities during construction of these modifications, including surface street improvements and other investments to "monitor and maintain" downtown traffic as agreed to in 2000; and
· King County and Sound Transit responsibilities for joint bus and light rail operation in the Tunnel after completion of construction.
Background:
On May 22, 2000, the City Council passed Ordinance 119949 authorizing the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel Transfer Agreement among the City, King County and Sound Transit. The agreement assumed completion of light rail from the University District to South 200th Street before the start-up of light rail service, and assumed that only light rail would operate in the Tunnel. Since that time, Sound Transit has reevaluated its plan for the staging of light rail construction. In November 2001, the Sound Transit Board of Directors voted to move forward with construction of an "Initial Segment" of light rail between downtown Seattle and the vicinity of SeaTac Airport. Under the revised plan, light rail service will begin on the completed Initial Segment in 2009. King County and Sound Transit buses and Sound Transit light rail will operate together in the Tunnel ("joint operations") until at least 2016. Because of these changed circumstances, the City, King County, and Sound Transit wish to enter into a new agreement to supersede the 2000 Downtown Seattle Tunnel Transfer Agreement. The new agreement addresses key issues associated with the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the Tunnel and related facilities to accommodate joint bus/rail operations.
Public Private Partnership Review Status: Not applicable.
Is the legislation subject to public hearing requirements? No.
Fiscal Sustainability Issues: As part of the 2000 Downtown Tunnel Transfer Agreement, the City, Sound Transit, and King County agreed to implement specified transportation improvements in downtown Seattle to mitigate expected traffic impacts of additional buses travelling on downtown streets during Tunnel retrofit, and other investments to monitor traffic and bus system performance. The total budget for these "monitor and maintain" projects was $13.5 million (in 1999 dollars), and the City's financial commitment was "capped" at approximately $510,000 (in 1999 dollars).
In negotiating the new (proposed) agreement, the City, Sound Transit, and King County have refined the list of "monitor and maintain" projects and updated budget estimates to "year of expenditure" dollars consistent with Sound Transit's overall financial planning (as well as City and County capital budgeting). The total budget for the refined list of projects is $15.9 million (in year of expenditure dollars), and the City's contribution is capped at $627,421 (in year of expenditure dollars). The City's commitment is equal to $546,000 in 2002 dollars -- substantially unchanged from the 2000 agreement. These City expenses would be shared between Seattle Transportation and Seattle Fire Department and are for investments of lasting value to the City, including implementation of emergency vehicle signal preemption on 3rd and 4th Avenue.
The City would assume lead responsibility for construction of an estimated $7.1 million of the "monitor and maintain" projects, with the limited City funding supplemented by Sound Transit and King County. King County would assume lead responsibility for implementation of the remainder of the projects, which include bus zone improvements, other transit system enhancements, and transit system performance studies. The City, King County, and Sound Transit also would undertake certain activities funded through existing, ongoing programs. Costs for these activities are not estimated for the purposes of this agreement. For the City, these activities include implementation of midblock crosswalk restrictions, active management of construction in the public right-of-way, and 2nd and 4th Avenue transit lane re-striping.
City, King County, and Sound Transit funding for the "monitor and maintain" projects has been incorporated into the capital financial planning for each party, and is not expected to be adversely affected by recent revenue and budget challenges.
Estimated Expenditure Impacts (all figures are year of expenditure dollars):
|
FUND |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
Total |
|
Transportation Department |
555,859 |
2,255,687 |
2,649,860 |
415,571 |
695,513 |
518,454 |
23,966 |
7,114,909 |
Estimated Revenue Impacts (all figures are year of expenditure dollars):
|
SOURCE |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
Total |
|
Sound Transit |
454,093 |
2,122,086 |
2,050,853 |
100,240 |
69,208 |
26,718 |
23,966 |
4,847,163 |
|
King County |
101,766 |
|
188,194 |
288,608 |
598,647 |
463,110 |
|
1,640,325 |
|
TOTAL |
555,859 |
2,122,086 |
2,239,047 |
388,848 |
667,855 |
489,828 |
23,966 |
6,487,488 |
Estimated FTE Impacts: Seattle Transportation anticipates implementing the specified improvements within its existing CIP work program. No additional (dedicated) staffing is requested for this work.
Do positions sunset in the future? If yes, identify sunset date? Not applicable.
Other Issues: The City's investment in these improvements will leverage substantial funding from Sound Transit and King County. Improvements are targeted to mitigate impacts during the period in which the downtown Tunnel is closed for retrofit, but the improvements will have a lasting value to the City after the Tunnel is reopened for joint bus/rail operations. The City, King County, and Sound Transit have agreed that some of these improvements could be implemented sooner than planned if funding is available. The parties also anticipate coordinating the Tunnel closure and surface improvements with other major projects in downtown, such as the Alaska Way Viaduct replacement, or the Monorail.