1 of 8 Funding Application Competition Application Type Status Submitted: Regional TAP Bicycle and Pedestrian submitted September 20th, 2017 2:48 PM Project Information 1. Project Title Bell St Protected Bike Lane 2. Transportation 2040 ID 3. Sponsoring Agency Seattle 4. Cosponsors 5. Does the sponsoring agency have "Certification Acceptance" status from WSDOT? Yes 6. If not, which agency will serve as your CA sponsor? Contact Information 1. Contact name Jim Storment 2. Contact phone 206-684-5013 3. Contact email jim.storment@seattle.gov Project Description 1. Project Scope The City of Seattle will build a protected bike lane (PBL) on Bell St from 5th Ave to Denny Way, and also build traffic calming features to support 2-way bicycle travel in Bell Street Park from 5th Ave to 2nd Ave. 2. Project Justification, Need, or Purpose The Bell St PBL will be the final piece in a bicycle network spanning the north end of the Downtown Seattle Regional Growth Center (RGC). It builds upon several bicycle projects recently completed (Westlake Cycle Track) or currently in construction (2nd Ave, 7th Ave, and 9th Ave N PBLs). The 2nd Ave PBL (from Pike St to Denny Way) will be completed in late 2017. The 7th Ave PBL (from Pike St to Bell St) and the 9th Ave N PBL (from Denny Way to Westlake Ave) will be completed in 2018. In addition, portions of the 4th Ave PBL are expected to be completed as early as 2018 with the entire corridor completed by 2021. When the Bell St PBL is completed, an "all ages and abilities" bicycle network will extend nearly 4 miles throughout Downtown Seattle and the Belltown/Uptown neighborhood. The north-south PBLs, which will be in place shortly, create the spine of downtown Seattle's
The north-south PBLs, which will be in place shortly, create the spine of downtown Seattle's bicycle network. Providing the Bell St east-west link completes a critical connection in the basic bike network. It will not only serve as a commuter route, but it also will provide a safer, fully connected, all ages and ability facility for a wide variety of intra-city bicycle trips. These include trips to and from the Central Business District, Pike Place Market, Seattle Waterfront, Washington State Ferry terminal, Seattle Art Museum, Benaroya Hall, and Pioneer Square, to name a few. 2 of 8 Project Location 1. Project Location Bell St 2. Please identify the county(ies) in which the project is located. King 3. Crossroad/landmark nearest the beginning of the project 2nd Ave 4. Crossroad/landmark nearest the end of the project Denny Way 5. Map and project graphics Bell_St_Protected_Bike_Lanes.pdf Plan Consistency 1. Is the project specifically identified in a local comprehensive plan? 2. If yes, please indicate the (1) plan name, (2) relevant section(s), and (3) page number where it can be found. 3. If no, please describe how the project is consistent with the applicable local comprehensive plan, including specific local policies and provisions the project supports. Seattle's Comprehensive Plan strongly prioritizes transportation investments that support non-motorized travel modes and help achieve the City's air quality goals. The plan's Transportation element speaks strongly to the need for safe, convenient, and affordable travel options for people who walk or bike. In its introduction, the Transportation element notes that "While many people still rely on a personal car as their best or only transportation option, the City plans to make travel more efficient and predictable for all by offering highquality travel options... The City can make improvements to better connect people to urban centers and urban villages by many travel options, especially by transit and bicycle." The plan also outlines a series of overarching transportation goals, including the following: - T 1.1 Provide safe and reliable transportation facilities and services to promote and accommodate the growth this Plan anticipates in urban centers, urban villages, and manufacturing/industrial centers. - T 1.2 Improve transportation connections to urban centers and villages from all Seattle neighborhoods, particularly by providing a variety of affordable travel options (pedestrian, transit, and bicycle facilities) and by being attentive to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities. - T 1.3 Design transportation infrastructure in urban centers and villages to support compact, accessible, and walkable neighborhoods for all ages and abilities. - T 1.5 Invest in transportation projects and programs that further progress toward meeting Seattle s mode-share goals, in Transportation Figures 1 and 2, and reduce dependence on personal automobiles, particularly in urban centers. (Downtown goes from 77% to 85%.) - T 1.7 Recognize the connection between transportation choices and climate change and work to reduce vehicular emissions. Individual sub-elements continue to echo the theme of increasing non-motorized travel. For example, the Transportation Options and Safety sub-elements offer recommendations like these: - T 3.1 Develop and maintain high-quality, affordable, and connected bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. - T 3.2 Improve transportation options to and within the urban centers and urban villages, where most of Seattle s job and population growth will occur. - T 3.11 Develop and maintain bicycle and pedestrian facilities, including public stairways, that enhance the predictability and safety of all users of the street and that connect to a wide range of key destinations throughout the city. - TG 6 Provide and maintain a safe transportation system that protects all travelers, particularly the most vulnerable users.
particularly the most vulnerable users. 3 of 8 Finally, within the Comprehensive Plan's specific sections on its unique RGCs, the City identifies goals like these for Downtown Seattle: - DT-G9 Support transportation improvements that complement and reinforce desired land use patterns. Strive to accommodate growth in peak hour travel primarily by transit, and encourage transit and pedestrian travel as the primary means of internal circulation. - DT-TP5 Promote pedestrian circulation as the principal method of movement for trips within Downtown. Improve the street-level environment as the primary component of the pedestrian network. Strive to make the pedestrian network accessible to the elderly and disabled. Continue to support a comprehensive program of public improvements to streets and sidewalks in coordination with the transportation, open space, land use, and urban design policies. Federal Functional Classification 1. Functional class name 19 Urban Local Access Support for Centers 1. Describe the relationship of the project to the center(s) it is intended to support. For example, is it located within a designated regional, countywide or local center, or is it located along a corridor connecting to one of these areas? Bell St is located within the Seattle Downtown RGC, the largest and most active center in the region. The RGC holds approximately 25,000 homes and 166,000 jobs, and it is experiencing very rapid growth. Seattle was the fastest-growing city in the nation in 2016, and it has been consistently in the top 5 in recent years. Seattle also topped all US cities for its number of construction cranes and high-rise projects simultaneously underway (approximately 60 and growing - more than New York and San Francisco combined). In July 2017, for the first time, there were more tech jobs in Seattle than in Silicon Valley (8,135 vs. 7,702). The city as a whole, and its downtown core, is experiencing at least 2-3% growth every year in a totally urbanized, built-out city with no room to sprawl. The City accommodates over 1,000 new residents every week through infill development alone. However, the city is not adding substantial drive-alone traffic - due in part to its strategic planning and investments. Since 2010, 95% of the net gain in downtown commute trips has been absorbed by non-drive alone modes. 2. Describe how the project supports existing and/or planned population/employment activity in the center. Seattle's Comprehensive Plan calls for continued growth in the Downtown area, adding an estimated 12,000 households and 35,000 jobs by 2035. This level of growth severely strains a transportation network that's already very physically constrained and catching up with years of intensive development. Without opportunities to widen roadways, the pressures of rapid growth demand more non-motorized choices for many short-distance trips - as well as some longer-range commute trips from neighborhoods on the perimeter of the urban center. Within downtown, the majority of residents live and work within the urban center. They pay a high price for their home's location. Their home-buying decisions are based upon being able to live and work within the same neighborhood, and to live comfortably without paying to own and park a car. Parking options downtown are expensive, inconvenient, and hard to find. Downtown residents depend upon a robust, "all ages and abilities" network to make walking and biking safe and convenient throughout their neighborhood. The success of the RGC, and its ability to meet its growth targets, will depend on increasing the viability of non-motorized modes. Downtown's residents and commuters need to know that regardless of their destination, they will find a connected, easy to use, all ages and abilities network for their trips. In addition to serving nearby residents, Bell Street's connection to other high-quality nonmotorized facilities enables employment growth in the Downtown RGC by opening access to downtown from many locally designated growth centers like Ballard, Fremont, and Queen Anne. The new PBL will connect to the existing 2nd Ave and Westlake PBLs, creating a complete network for bicycle commuters who travel into Downtown Seattle from these northerly neighborhoods. Thousands of people currently ride to work from these neighborhoods, and with the completion of the 2nd Ave and Westlake PBLs, they can make this trip almost entirely on separated, safer facilities - but they lack a high-quality east-west connection between the 2 facilities. Specifically, automated counters recorded more than 981,000 riders crossing the Fremont Bridge in 2016 and more than 3,200 riders on the Westlake PBL in approximately the first 5 months of 2017. Upgrading Bell St closes this gap in the network, providing seamless access for southbound commuters into the Downtown Seattle employment hub.
3. Describe how the project helps the center develop in a manner consistent with the adopted policies and plans for the center. In addition to the citywide goals stated in Seattle's Comprehensive Plan (described above), the plan also contains specific sections on its unique Regional Growth Centers. In the section for Downtown Seattle, the City identifies goals like these: - DT-G9 Support transportation improvements that complement and reinforce desired land use patterns. Strive to accommodate growth in peak hour travel primarily by transit, and encourage transit and pedestrian travel as the primary means of internal circulation. - DT-TP5 Promote pedestrian circulation as the principal method of movement for trips within Downtown. Improve the street-level environment as the primary component of the pedestrian network. Strive to make the pedestrian network accessible to the elderly and disabled. Continue to support a comprehensive program of public improvements to streets and sidewalks in coordination with the transportation, open space, land use, and urban design policies. One of the overarching themes of this section is achieving economic growth in the Downtown RGC through community vitality. The City of Seattle seeks to make downtown an inviting place where people want to work and play, thereby attracting employers and investors. The strategy is working. Amazon's website clearly explains their location decisions: "Several years ago we outgrew our space and we made a conscious choice to invest in downtown Seattle even though it would have been cheaper to move to the suburbs. We now employ more than 25,000 people in Seattle who come from all around the world. Our employees tell us that they love being in the heart of the city. In fact, about 15% live in the same zip code as their office and about 20% walk to work. And they frequent the restaurants, food trucks and shops that have popped up all around South Lake Union, the neighborhood in Seattle we call home." Expedia, Weyerhaeuser, and other recent relocations tell a similar story. From the Seattle Times, " 'We looked all over the Puget Sound region as to what the opportunities were,' said Mark Nagle, vice president of global real estate for Expedia, which is moving its headquarters to Seattle from Bellevue. The fast-growing company, which now has 3,000 employees, picked the Amgen campus because it will allow Expedia to grow in one place." Companies increasingly choose locations where their employees can comfortably walk or bike to work, and use the same travel options for shopping, dining, and generally enjoying their community. The Bell St Protected Bike Lane is an important link in creating that environment in Downtown Seattle. Criteria: Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects 1. Describe how the project extends or completes a regional or local bicycle and pedestrian system, and/or adds facilities to an existing bicycle and pedestrian system or network. Bell Street's connection to the 2nd Ave and Westlake PBLs create a complete network for bicycle commuters who would travel to Downtown Seattle from neighborhoods to the north. Thousands of people currently ride to work from these neighborhoods, and with the completion of the 2nd Ave and Westlake bikeways, they can now make this trip almost entirely on safer, separated bicycle facilities - but they lack a high-quality east-west connection between the 2 facilities. Building traffic calming measures such as partial closures in the Bell St Park area will promote and enhance the pedestrian environment and improve safety with lower speeds and traffic volumes. Improvements to the easterly section of Bell St will allow 2- way bike travel on a roadway that now only accommodates 1-way travel for people on bikes or in motor vehicles. 2. Describe how the project addresses a need in the community and reduces key barriers to use and functionality, i.e., safety and comfort, distance, slope, gaps, etc. Upgrading Bell St closes a gap in the RGC s robust non-motorized network, providing seamless access for people on bikes to and from the downtown Seattle employment hub as well as destinations in Belltown, South Lake Union, the Seattle waterfront, and Pioneer Square. Today bicyclists transferring between the 2nd Ave and Westlake PBLs must ride in traffic for this segment of their trip. Typically they would travel westbound on Bell St and eastbound on Blanchard (a principal transit corridor). This gap of nearly 7 blocks discourages many bicyclists and potential bicyclists which is a barrier to achieving a significant mode shift. The bicyclists on these corridors must mix with motorized traffic in a highly complex urban environment. This barrier reduces safety for all riders, as well as motor vehicle drivers. 3. Describe the connections to other multimodal facilities the project provides. The Bell St project is a network connector, opening access to numerous local destinations as well as multimodal travel options. Within a mile, the network provides access to light rail, commuter rail, ferries, local and regional bus routes, and streetcars. Downtown Seattle is the regional hub of transit activity, and virtually all modes of transportation available in the region are linked to Bell St via current or planned PBLs within the greater downtown area. 4 of 8
4. Describe how the project will benefit a variety of user groups, including those groups identified in the President's Order for Environmental Justice, seniors, people with disabilities, those located in highly impacted communities and/or areas experiencing high levels of unemployment or chronic underemployment. The Downtown Seattle RGC shows unusually high rates of poverty. The 2 census districts served by this project have poverty rates of 17% and 24%, compared to the regional average of 11.3%. In addition, numerous social services agencies operate in the area - drawing more people and families in need to this area from throughout the region. At least 5 agencies are located within 2 blocks of the project site: - Compass Housing Alliance (homeless shelter/transitional housing) - Low Income Housing Institute (homeless shelter/transitional housing) - Donated Dental Services (free, volunteer-based dental care) - Casa Latina (immigrant workers' counseling) - Washington State of SnoKing Community Services (refugee services, homeless counseling, medical assistance, etc.) These agencies and their customers depend on safe and affordable access, especially nonmotorized access, to reach vital services. 5. Discuss whether the resource is threatened and if there will be a loss of opportunity if this project is not funded. Rapid growth in the project area creates a significant pressure to develop the bike network promptly. The planned PBL is surrounded by some of the largest public and private developments in the region, and failing to deliver a complete bike network along with these major developments will create a missed opportunity for large-scale mode shift. Years later, after new employees and commuters have become entrenched in their habits and comfort zones, it's much harder to generate an interest in low-impact, non-motorized commute modes. Seattle's current growth simply cannot be accommodated without a connected bike network. 5 of 8 A few of the major land developments nearby include these sites: - The Washington State Convention Center is designing a $1.6 billion expansion, set for completion in 2021. The Convention Center is 7 blocks from Bell St. - A major renovation of Seattle's Central Waterfront, estimated at $700 million, will be completed in stages from approximately 2019 to 2023. Bell St connects directly to the Seattle waterfront. - The South Lake Union Regional Growth Center, 2 blocks from the project site, is seeing explosive growth. Amazon is working on a campus expansion worth more than $2 billion, while other major employers like Vulcan and Facebook have aggressive expansion plans of their own in this RGC. - The Downtown Regional Growth Center, where the Bell St PBL will be located, is already slated for at least $5 billion of new real estate development. PSRC Funding Request 1. Has this project received PSRC funds previously? 2. If yes, please provide the project's PSRC TIP ID Phase Year Alternate Year Amount PE 2018 2019 $0.00 construction 2019 2020 $1,400,000.00 Total Request: $1,400,000.00 Total Estimated Project Cost and Schedule PE Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount Local Secured $300,000.00 Expected year of completion for this phase: 2018 $300,000.00
Construction 6 of 8 Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount TAP(UL) Unsecured $1,400,000.00 Local Secured $300,000.00 Expected year of completion for this phase: 2020 Summary 1. Estimated project completion date 2020 2. Total project cost $2,000,000.00 Funding Documentation 1. Documents BMP_Budget.pdf $1,700,000.00 2. 2. Please describe the secure or reasonably expected funds identified in the supporting documentation. For funds that are reasonably expected, an explanation of procedural steps with milestone dates for completion which will be taken to secure the funds for the project or program should also be included. The City of Seattle will complete PE using local funds (Levy to Move Seattle). The City is requesting $1,400,000 for Construction. The required local match, and any additional construction costs, will also be covered by levy revenues. Project Readiness: PE 1. Are you requesting funds for ONLY a planning study or preliminary engineering? 2. Is preliminary engineering complete? 3. What was the date of completion (month and year)? 4. Have preliminary plans been submitted to WSDOT for approval? 5. Are there any other PE/Design milestones associated with the project? Please identify and provide dates of completion. You may also use this space to explain any dates above. 6. When are preliminary plans expected to be complete and approved by WSDOT (month and year)? June 2018 Project Readiness: NEPA 1. What is the current or anticipated level of environmental documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for this project? Categorical Exclusion (CE) 2. Has the NEPA documentation been approved? 3. Please provide the date of NEPA approval, or the anticipated date of completion (month and year). June 2018 Project Readiness: Right of Way
1. Will Right of Way be required for this project? 2. How many parcels do you need? 3. What is the zoning in the project area? 4. Discuss the extent to which your schedule reflects the possibility of condemnation and the actions needed to pursue this. 5. Does your agency have experience in conducting right of way acquisitions of similar size and complexity? 6. If not, when do you expect a consultant to be selected, under contract, and ready to start (month and year)? 7. In the box below, please identify all relevant right of way milestones, including the current status and estimated completion date of each. 7 of 8 Project Readiness: Construction 1. Are funds being requested for construction? Yes 2. Do you have an engineer's estimate? 3. Engineers estimate document 4. Identify the environmental permits needed for the project and when they are scheduled to be acquired. additional environmental permits are anticipated, aside from the standard NEPA checklist required for all projects receiving federal funds. 5. Are Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) approved? 6. Please provide the date of approval, or the date when PS&E is scheduled to be submitted for approval (month and year). June 2018 7. When is the project scheduled to go to ad (month and year)? March 2020 Other Considerations 1. Describe any additional aspects of your project not requested in the evaluation criteria that could be relevant to the final project recommendation and decisionmaking process. A Bell St Streetscape Concept Plan has been developed for this corridor, with the intent to extend the Bell St Park concept (non-motorized priority) from 5th Ave to Denny Way. This plan has been presented publicly, and is supported by several significant stakeholders in the area. If this alternative plan is heavily endorsed by the community, the City would revise its designs in late 2018/2019 to incorporate the community's input. These changes would not alter the project outcome: a new 2-way bicycle connection along Bell St, connecting the basic bike network through the Belltown/Uptown RGC. 2. Describe the public review process for the project and actions taken to involve stakeholders in the project's development. As part of Seattle s Center City Bike Network plan, the City has developed a Public Involvement Plan that guides outreach and strives for inclusion. Furthermore, the City has created a robust alternatives analysis to provide the east-west bicycle connection along the Bell St corridor. This alternatives analysis was thoroughly vetted with major stakeholders in the Belltown/Denny Triangle area including Amazon and Clise representatives. These alternatives were presented at several public forums, as well as with individual stakeholders. The final recommendation from this outreach effort was an approved concept plan for the 2- way PBL on Bell Street. It was recognized that Bell St, with traffic calming enhancements, would serve as the non-motorized connection between the network's north-south spines.
would serve as the non-motorized connection between the network's north-south spines. The adjacent parallel Streets, Blanchard and Lenora Streets, would serve as the transit/vehicular connections for the neighborhoods. 3. Final documents Bell_St_Photos.pdf 8 of 8
Planned Bell St Protected Bike Lanes Transportation Alternatives Program Grant Application Bell St Protected Bike Lanes
Bell St Protected Bike Lanes Bell St Park is a curbless street that supports public gatherings and offers recreational space for a dense urban community. Motor vehicles are allowed for local access, but non-motorized uses are prioritized and cars enter as occasional guests. Many people on bikes enjoy the park since conflict points with motor vehicles are minimized. However, the City has found that many users still need some markings and signage to interact safely especially when crossing busy intersections. East of the park, Bell St becomes a typical one-way street. Cycles mix with motor vehicles and pedestrians in a challenging urban street environment. However, this section is still an important connection in the City s high-priority bike network.