Transportation Levy to Move Seattle HOW DOES THE TRANSPORTATION LEVY TO MOVE SEATTLE BENEFIT COMMUTERS AND ADDRESS CONGESTION? June 2015 When the levy proposal talks about a reliable transportation system under “An Interconnected City,” it is addressing the issue of congestion. FROM THE MAYOR’S TEN YEAR TRANSPORTATION PLAN, MOVE SEATTLE “More people are walking, biking, and using transit than ever before. At the same time, we recognize that many people today rely on a personal vehicle as their best or only travel option. We need to make travel for all more efficient and predictable and we can do this by offering everyone more high-quality choices. Fewer cars on the road mean that when you do have to drive, you’ll be up against less traffic. It also means that freight deliveries and transit will make it to their destinations on time. A key to building a reliable transportation system is to build a system that is resilient – a system that has enough alternate routes and modes for people that it isn’t paralyzed by a construction project, a stadium event, a crash or a bridge opening. Better information for travelers and more viable transportation options all contribute to a more resilient, reliable system.” SO WHAT WOULD THE LEVY DO TO HELP THE RELIABILITY OF SEATTLE’S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM? Install new transit plus multimodal corridors $100 million over 9 years • 200 people can travel in about 177 cars. The same number of people can fit in 3 buses, making transit a much more efficient use of the limited street space we have. The levy will invest in seven additional corridors with Rapid Ride level of service or better. This can help address congestion by encouraging more people to use transit, resulting in fewer cars on the road. Maintain and improve the traffic signal system $37 million over 9 years • SDOT’s Transportation Operations Center (TOC) is the nerve center for Seattle’s transportation system. We gather real-time information on congestion from many sources including traffic detectors, CCTV cameras, ramp meters, road crews, incident response teams, and the media. We use this information to make real-time changes to keep people and goods moving. Successful operation of the TOC depends on the traffic signal system staying in a state of good repair and receiving needed upgrades to ensure it can be adjusted in real time. Improve traffic signal timing $13 million over 9 years • People traveling along a street see big benefits when signals are retimed together – ensuring they work as a system and people aren’t unnecessarily delayed. The levy proposes optimizing traffic signal timing on 45 corridors. Improve SDOT’s Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) $17 million over 9 years • An intelligent transportation system is a subtle, but very important piece of technology infrastructure. ITS applies emerging technology — everything from new traffic signal hardware to dynamic message signs — to the challenges of transportation congestion. It enables SDOT to change signal timing in real time to keep people moving. It also provides information to travelers so they can avoid congestion by taking different routes or choosing a different mode of travel. Build a new light rail station at Graham Street and the Northgate pedestrian bridge $25 million over 9 years • The levy would provide local funding to support a new light rail station at Graham Street in South Seattle, and a bridge over I-5 to the Northgate light rail station will make fast, reliable trains that don’t get caught in congestion a real option for thousands more Seattlites. This means fewer people will need to drive to their destination – they’ll be able to take transit instead. Driving will continue to be the best option for some, but with more people on transit, that means fewer cars to compete with on the road. Create a new connection at Lander Street $20 million over 9 years • The Lander Street Overpass has been a priority of the freight sector for years. In addition to providing a key new freight connection, the overpass provides a critical back-up route for buses that might otherwise get stuck in special event traffic or train delay. The levy would allocate significant funding to help secure federal, state and other partners’ resources for completing the overpass. Build protected bike lanes and greenways $65 million over 9 years • Each person on a bike is one less person Implement a program to eliminate serious and fatal crashes in Seattle $71 million over 9 years • Crashes contribute to approximately 25% of all roadway congestion. Investing in safety corridors, signs and markings maintenance, and corridor safety programs is key to keeping Seattle’s streets safer and more reliable by reducing the number of crashes and other safety incidents. Make bus service more reliable $35 million over 9 years • In addition to remaking whole corridors, spot improvements like retiming a traffic signal so buses are prioritized, or rebuilding a sidewalk to get to a bus stop more easily are important for improving people’s commutes. Spot improvements eliminate bottlenecks in key locations, helping bus riders beat congestion. in the line of cars at a stop sign or circling looking for a parking space. In addition, people on bicycles rarely get caught in traffic jams, so their trips are extremely reliable.