Everett Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday February 15, 2024 8:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Microsoft Teams Virtual Meeting In attendance: Members Staff Guests Stephen Fickenscher Corey Hert, Public Works Kern McGee Christina Strand Tom Hood, Public Works Daniel Evans Kathleen Baxter, Public Works Karissa Miller, Public Works Thomas McCleave Gerardo Magallanes, Public Works Hal Gausman Michael Brick, Public Works Sonja Bodge Michael Schmieder, Transit Vinh Ngo Liz Vogeli, City Council Meeting called to order at 8:03 a.m. by Stephen Fickenscher. ➢ M/S/P: January meeting minutes, with amendments to Police report. ANNOUNCEMENTS & REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ➢ Inquiry regarding SB5383, a proposed bill regarding responsibilities of pedestrians and drivers with crossing between two intersections. The bill did not get out of committee and will likely not be considered during this legislative session. ➢ Comment that Utah has a bill amending their Pedestrian Safety and Facilities Act to require municipalities and Department of Transportation to consider bike safety in all road projects. Washington state law (RCW 47.04.035) does have a complete streets requirement and WSDOT does now interpret that projects with State or Federal funding address all modes of transportation. The City’s Safe Streets for All safety action plan will include a checklist that identifies complete streets gaps on upcoming projects. ➢ Request to discuss potential updates to Everett Mall Way with the upcoming changes there – business access transit, pedestrian safety, etc. ➢ Inquiry regarding how street and alley vacation funds are spent. City Engineer stated they have been used over the last several years to fund projects that are geographically diverse, many were pedestrian safety and sidewalk projects. ➢ Announcement that service changes are happening in March for Community Transit, most in Lynnwood and some minor changes in Arlington. Times are all changing – check schedules, sign up for rider alerts, etc. ➢ Question about who Puget Sound Regional Council is. PSRC is a metropolitan planning organization required by state law under the Growth Management Act and made up of four counties in the region. PUBLIC COMMENT ➢ Inquiry on new contact for bike plans and pedestrian improvements moving forward now that 1 |Page  CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee Christina Curtis has left the City – Tom Hood and Corey Hert will be available, the position is being recruited and will be refilled. ➢ Request for update on where we are in process of hiring and training a signal operations engineer to address signal updates and studying pedestrian favorable treatments – search is still ongoing. ENGINEERING REPORT ➢ Transportation Projects: o Bridge Program – multi-year process to get bridges replaced; first is Edgewater Bridge with construction beginning in June when school is out, second is Merrill & Ring Creek Bridge with design beginning mid-2024, and Marshland Bridge on Lowell Snohomish River Rd. Last is a new bridge, Epic Bridge, currently undergoing a type, size, and location study. o US2/I5 Interchange Study – Looking at improvements connectivity from US 2 and Everett to solve congestion issues on the regional system. o Freight Mobility Study – I5 to the Port of Everett route using 41st, Rucker, Pacific and W Marine View Drive; study will conclude mid-2024 and design will begin on selected improvements. Public outreach will begin in the next few months. o Citywide Bicycle Wayfinding – signage and markings to direct to various destinations within the city, working with contractor now to get submittals reviewed. o Wall Street Connector Project – enhanced, non-motorized connection between Everett Station and Angel of the Winds Casino, construction will begin very soon. o Pavement Management System – new vendor on board, kickoff meeting happened in February; testing and analyzing will begin in May to help determine how much pavement preservation funding is needed to maintain the system. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING REPORT ➢ Photo enforcement – 6 intersections and one school zone at Horizon Elementary on Casino Rd. Signs going up in March, warnings in April and issuing citations in May. Red light photo enforcement will be rolled out as summer progresses – open house about the program on February 27th at Connect Casino Rd. ➢ School speed zone study from last April showed that 98% of vehicles were doing 20mph+ projected citations should be higher than projected in the school zone. ➢ SS4A RFQ submittals have been received – proposals will be reviewed, interviews held, and a selection made in the next month. ➢ Upcoming WSDOT Projects – SR 529 bridge repairs, I5 NB repairs and SR 529 roundabouts in Marysville to include an HOV lane between Everett and Marysville, SR 526 eastbound widening going to advertisement in September, NB I5 asphalt removal and concrete replacement between 41st and E Marine View Drive in June, SR 529 mechanical rehabilitation at the Snohomish River Bridge also this summer – all expected to have high impact. ➢ Requesting speed trailers are currently done through the traffic engineering webpage, but in the future, there may be a consideration to add a direct link on the Everett at Work app. TRANSIT REPORT ➢ Long range plan Vision 2044 – After review of first phase of outreach, conclusion was that more time is needed to complete the long-range plan; public outreach has paused but work continues by staff. Outreach expected to reconvene in 2025. ➢ Fleet electrification – Officially met the zero emission 1-million-mile mark. Current fleet has 42 fixed route buses, 19 of which are battery electric, 9 Proterra and 10 Gillig. 14 more Gillig 2 |Page  CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee battery electric buses to come in 2025. Additionally, 5 reconditioned buses will be added to the fleet in the next few months. ➢ Microtransit – pre-application process for grant designed to support projects that improve connectivity to regional population centers and reduce transportation delay. Competitive grant process, pre-application due March 5th. Grant could cover up to 80% of operating costs for four years of microtransit service. AGENDA ITEMS ➢ 2044 Comprehensive Plan: o Currently in Phase 3, drafting alternatives and environmental impacts. A bit behind original schedule, City Council adoption will likely happen in early 2025. ▪ Alternative 1, concentrated growth – primarily along the Broadway and Evergreen Way Corridor; high-rise, multi-family buildings. ▪ Alternative 2, dispersed growth – mostly mid-rise, multi-family buildings expanding beyond Broadway and Evergreen Way, impacting Casino Rd. and Everett Mall Way. Also includes middle housing (i.e.: duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes and townhomes) which will be scattered through the residential zones citywide. • Both alternatives include transition areas to frame arterial corridors, transit stations areas and downtown. • Both alternatives are a blended approach, including single-family housing as well. o Transportation Element of the Comprehensive Plan: ▪ Establishes strategic framework to guide transportation investments to align with the community’s visions and goals. ▪ Goals for the update include understanding current and future transportation system, planning for changing growth patterns (light rail), and identifying and prioritizing projects. ▪ TAC committee’s role will be to review and provide feedback, assess policies, and provide input on projects. Adjournment: 9:45 a.m. Next Scheduled Meeting: March 21, 2024 3 |Page