Everett Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Thursday, July 18th, 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 Danielle Wilkins Jenny Liu, Public Works Kathleen Baxter, Public Works Daniel Evans Karissa Miller, Public Works Hal Gausman Nataya Foss, Public Works Sonja Bodge Michael Schmieder, Transit Vinh Ngo Melinda Adams, Transit Matt Coomes, Transit Craig Davis, Police Liz Vogeli, City Council Meeting called to order at 8:05 a.m. by Stephen Fickenscher. ➢ M/S/P: June meeting minutes. ANNOUNCEMENTS & REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ➢ Inquiry about the feasibility of a micro-transit shuttle looping around downtown Everett, following up on the June Transit Development Plan presentation. ➢ Concern about large trucks damaging union landscaping alone East Marine View Drive, effecting aesthetics and traffic calming of plants in the medians. Inquiry about whether Proposition 1 funding could support landscape improvements. ➢ Request to expand secure bicycle parking at downtown Everett businesses. There are currently no regulations on bicycle parking capacity. The Downtown Everett Association is considering placing bike racks inside and outside the Everpark garage. ➢ Inquiry about plans to improve pedestrian crossings. Everett Ave has been considered for reconstruction due to its pedestrian crash history. However, other corridors, including Highway 99, Evergreen Way, and Everett Mall Way, also need reconstruction to accommodate pedestrians. The goal is to initiate these improvements, but it is a 10-year process. While Everett Ave is not the highest priority, strong interest could expedite action. ➢ Inquiry about the Everett Mall expansion and potential pedestrian improvements. The mall development is responsible for frontage improvements, not large-scale corridor improvements. These improvements require initiation by the city, state, and partnerships, likely involving a citizen advisory team. Medians, pedestrian refuges, and signals can restrict access, necessitating outreach to local businesses. ➢ The Swift Gold Line is in the public comment phase until August 7th. Sound Transit will celebrate the opening of the 1 Line on August 30th from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, with small celebrations at each station. 1 |Page  CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee ➢ Inquiry about the Henry M. Jackson pedestrian bridge proposed in 2008. The City completed a type, size and location assessment and received a $700,000 federal grant, the project was deemed too expensive, and the funds were repaid. ➢ Inquiry about status of the pedestrian bridge at Everett Community College; the design phase commences next year. ➢ Appreciation for efforts to prevent through-access in neighborhoods circumventing the bridge detour. The congestion has improved. ➢ Inquiry about activity at Reservoir 2 – service trucks have been seen hauling material on 35th, despite the construction being completed in Fall 2023. The site has been used for storage for other projects. Hauling will be completed soon, and impacted streets will be paved afterward. ➢ Inquiry about the shuttle at 7th and Broadway: WSDOT offers pedestrian and bicycle access with a shuttle running every 30 minutes across SR 529. ➢ Concern about downtown Everett events with street closures leading to limited parking and pedestrian safety at night; traffic engineering carefully manages street closures, but parking challenges are a trade-off for increased foot traffic for businesses during downtown events. ➢ Concern about the rise in delinquent car tabs; priority calls often take precedent. ➢ Inquiry about Parking Enforcement's role; the parking enforcement officers are part of the police department. They have a limited commission to enforce parking violations, they do not have the authority to make arrests. ➢ Inquiry about Amtrak’s role at Everett Station – Amtrak does not pay rent, as the station was built in partnership with them. ➢ Inquiry about securing a new tenant for Everett Station; with WorkSource moving out, efforts are ongoing to find new tenants. Due to federal facility restrictions and city requirements, attracting lessees is challenging. Transit administration offices were recently relocated to make space for Citrine, a nonprofit for breast cancer survivors, which has generated $8,000 a month in rent. ➢ Inquiry about staffing levels and bus driver facilities; comfort stations are well-maintained, and Everett Transit is attracting many applicants from other agencies due to a favorable work environment. Current staffing numbers are strong. ➢ Inquiry about bus passenger safety initiatives – Everett has not faced safety concerns like other transit lines in the region. Centralized safety messaging is being developed, and a risk manager has been hired to enhance passenger safety. A comprehensive safety assessment is currently underway for all stations, including Everett Mall and College Station. ENGINEERING REPORT ➢ EPIC Bridge: Public meeting at the PUD building July 18th at 6:30 pm will present the preferred bridge location. ➢ Edgewater Bridge: Mukilteo Boulevard will close in November for 12 months, with a reopening anticipated in November 2025. ➢ Reservoir 3: A groundbreaking ceremony with city dignitaries and press will take place on July 23rd. ➢ Culvert replacements: The City of Everett and Tulalip Tribes are securing federal PROTECT grants for culvert replacements to improve fish passage. The first grant will replace the Olympic Boulevard culvert in Howarth Park, with design work starting soon. 2 |Page  CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee ➢ Swift Gold Line: Everett Transit is scheduled to present to council on June 31st but needs additional information to address potential council concerns. Transit has prepared a list of questions for Community Transit, and a public Q&A webinar is scheduled for July 23rd. The request for information includes: o Clarification on the center lane options for the Swift Gold Line o Project impact or removal of Everett Transit improvements constructed 5 years ago with external funds o Sound Transit removed their downtown service five years ago. With the Gold Line, they now propose looping through downtown. Clarification for the need for the downtown alignment. o Displacement of on-street parking for each alternative ➢ Pavement Management System: The city is developing a data-driven system to replace the more subjective visual inspection used in recent years. This system will assess citywide pavement conditions, create maintenance plans, and prioritize freight routes which deteriorate more quickly. ➢ Proposition 1: o Public information sessions will be held: ▪ Saturday, July 27th from 11:30 to 1:00 pm at Everett Public Library. ▪ Tuesday, July 30th from 5:30 to 7:00 at Everett Station in the Weyerhaeuser room. o The proposition addresses a $12.6 million budget deficit, impacting park maintenance, libraries, the animal shelter, street maintenance, neighborhood associations, social services, arts, community events, and more. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING REPORT ➢ Photo enforcement: Infractions at Horizon School District are done for the school year. Infractions at 16th and Broadway began on July 10th. Next will be red light cameras at Rucker and 41st NB and SB and 112st at Evergreen Way EB. These are expected to be operational by the end of July. ➢ SS4A Action Plan: The Council approved a $900,000 Professional Services Agreement with Kimley Horn. Naming for the plan and branding are still open for suggestions. The first meeting is September 10th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Two teams will develop the Everett Safety Action Plan: o Steering Team: A permanent group of six decision-makers from police, fire, public works, administration, communications, and TAC. Christina Strand will represent TAC and the team will handle implementation. o Stakeholders Team: 40-50 representatives from TAC and other groups will participate in four workshops to inform the plan. Danielle Wilkins and Daniel Evans will be invited to be standing members of the team after expressing interest. ➢ WSDOT Projects: Increase in aggressive driving due to SR 529 closure and I-5 construction. The city will implement stronger measures at 7th and Broadway to address cut-through and congestion. Drivers at 41st are also making U-turns across 6 lanes. Good news is that WSDOT plans to open the HOV lane this fall, just before the interchange reopens fully in 2025. ➢ Loop ramp to NB I5 is closed, Broadway is the current detour and not truck friendly as the loop ramp; currently working with WSDOT to design a truck specific route. ➢ Introducing Jenny Liu, Public Works’ new Signal Operations Engineer. Jenny previously worked as a consultant at HDR and has experience in traffic signal operations in Austin, Texas. Her 3 |Page  CITY OF EVERETT Transportation Advisory Committee current priority is to evaluate and adjust pedestrian signal times and implement leading pedestrian intervals. ➢ Several new traffic technician positions are being added. Gerardo Magallanes has been promoted to Project Coordinator and will be overseeing the photo enforcement program. POLICE REPORT ➢ 4th of July: The event was successful, though traffic control was more challenging due to the SR 529 closure. ➢ Police are interceding in intersection takeover gatherings quickly, discouraging road closures and takeovers in Snohomish County. AGENDA ITEMS ➢ Transit Development Plan 2024 – 2029 and 2023 Annual Report: o Inductive Charging Stations: Ten are coming online soon. ▪ Eclipse Mill Park: On-route charging installation is underway, expected to be live in August. ▪ College Station: Two inductive chargers were expected to be ready by July, but due to infrastructure delays, they will go live in February 2025. ▪ Seaway Transit Center: Construction of two inductive chargers begins on July 15th, concludes in August, and they will also go live in February 2025. o Monument signage installation at Everett Station is underway, featuring seven dynamic high-resolution displays for real-time arrival/departure information and other updates. o Mall Station Relocation: 60% of engineering and design is complete. The station will be moved 450 feet west, with traffic flow reversed due to private site development. The new design will feature a one-sided platform and a sawtooth design will allow each bus to pull into its own spot, making it more efficient than the current curved layout. Completion is expected by February 2025. o Reconditioned Buses Timeline: Arrivals start on July 8th, with one bus arriving each week, concluding on August 9th. o Starting in September, additional service will be added to Route 29 between College and Mall stations. o Overall, the traffic impacts on N Broadway due to the 529 construction have been less than expected. The next major challenge will be the paving of W Casino Rd, with extensive community outreach underway. Adjournment: 9:50 a.m. Next Scheduled Meeting: August 15, 2024 4 |Page