SOUTH LANDER STREET GRADE SEPARATION AND RAILROAD SAFETY PROJECT Partners: Washington State Department of Transportation and BNSF Contact: Jessica Murphy, Project Manager, SDOT 206.684.0178 Jessica.Murphy@seattle.gov www.seattle.gov/transportation/southlander_Fastlane.htm Project Name South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Previously Incurred Project Cost Future Eligible Project Cost Total Project Cost NSFHP Request Total Federal Funding (including NSFHP) Are matching funds restricted to a specific project component? If so, which one? Is the project or a portion of the project currently located on a National Highway Freight Network? ESTIMATE $2,533,400 $137,466,600 $140 million $55 million $55 million No Not currently but the local MPO is considering this link for the Critical Urban Freight Network (Decision by 8/2016) Is the project or a portion of the project located on the No National Highway System? Does the project add capacity to the Interstate No system? Is the project in a national scenic area? No Do the project components include a railway-highway Yes grade crossing or grade separation project? Yes Do the project components include an intermodal or freight rail project, or freight project within the boundaries of a public or private freight rail, water (including ports) or intermodal facility? How much of requested NSFHP funds will be spent The entire $55 million NSFHP request will on each of these projects components? be spent on the grade separation. State(s) in which project is located? Washington State Small or Large project? Large Submitting an application for TIGER for this project? No Urbanized Area in which project is located, if City of Seattle applicable? Population of Urbanized area? 652,405 (as of 2013) Is the project currently programmed in the: • TIP No • STIP No • MPO Long Range Transportation Plan Yes, Project ID # 5254 • State Long Range Transportation Plan Does not include project programming • State Freight Plan? Yes – Project Ref # 200 for First/Last Mile connection and Truck Freight Economic Corridor South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation TABLE OF CONTENTS Project Overview 1 Project History 2 Project Description 2 Project Location 3 Map 1: National and Regional Significance 4 Map 2: Project Location 5 National and Regional Significance 6 Selection Criteria 9 Project Partners 13 Grant Funds, Sources, and Uses of Project Funds 14 Project Cost Effectiveness 15 Project Readiness 17 Conclusion 21 Appendix 22 South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation For nearly 20 years, the South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railway Safety Project (referred to as the South Lander Street Project throughout the rest of the document) has been a priority for the City of Seattle, the Port of Seattle, their maritime industrial stakeholders, and the surrounding SODO (South Of Downtown) and West Seattle communities. Located in Seattle’s regionally designated Duwamish Manufacturing/Industrial Center (Duwamish MIC), the project supports essential access between Port of Seattle terminals, intermodal facilities, and the state highway system. The South Lander Street Project is a perfect example of how an investment in one transportation facility can dramatically improve freight reliability, maintain functionality for a critical rail line with regional, national and international significance, reduce travel time, and improve safety for people and goods movement by all modes. The Port of Seattle and the Port of Tacoma (whose seaport terminals are now combined into the new Northwest Seaport Alliance) comprise the fourth largest gateway to North America and generate $4.3 billion in state tax revenue from container shipping. Their largest trading partners include China/Hong Kong ($33.0 billion), Japan ($16.2 billion), the Republic of Korea ($6.3 billion), and the State of Alaska ($5.4 billion). With 1.59 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) traveling through the Port of Seattle annually and Seattle’s economic boom at full throttle, now is the time to bring the South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railway Safety Project to fruition in order to realize regional economic benefits and increase national global competitiveness. PROJECT OVERVIEW The South Lander Street Project will build an east-west bridge over the primary north-south BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) rail line – a line that carries 3,200 rail cars per day, half of all BNSF freight traveling in Washington state, through this area. By creating a grade-separated travelway for people driving, walking, and biking, and for freight trucks to cross the rail line, we will eliminate a significant source of travel time delay for both people and goods movement. This separation will: • • • • substantially reduce delays to vehicular traffic; improve safety for all modes, particularly freight; reduce emissions due to significant idling reductions at the current at-grade crossing; and allow Amtrak to more safely manage their nearby maintenance yard. The project will eliminate the more than 4.5 hours of delay to traffic on S Lander St and the 485 gate violations that occur daily due to the conflict between the freight rail line and multi-modal traffic on S Lander St. In addition to the significant freight and reliability improvements, this investment will provide a reliable east-west connection to the Seattle bicycle network and the soon to be extended SODO Trail. It will enhance pedestrian accessibility between the adjacent Link light rail station, nearby bus stops, and numerous area employers including Starbucks’ national headquarters, district headquarters for Seattle Public Schools, and more than 600 small and micro businesses scattered throughout the SODO area. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 1 PROJECT HISTORY While a S Lander St grade separation has been cited as a need in City studies going back to 1918, the modern vision of the project begins with the 1998 Freight Action Strategy for the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma Corridor (FAST Corridor), which identified major traffic and congestion chokepoints that were impeding access to the region's three major seaports. While there are multiple rail crossings in this corridor, S Lander St was considered the most viable option because of its wide right of way, distance between rail and adjacent streets, and relatively small rail crossing width. These factors allow for a shorter crossing that has sufficient space to reach the necessary clearance requirements. South Lander Street Project is also a high priority project in the 2015 Plan to Move Seattle, the ten-year City strategic plan for increasing safety, reducing congestion, and balancing modal needs. The plan elevated the South Lander Street Project as a City priority not only because of its safety, congestion, and multimodal access benefits, but also because of its role in the regional freight network. Based on available state and local data, more than half of the BNSF railcars that move through Washington State go through the S Lander St crossing, on a street network that serves all of the Port of Seattle's major seaport terminals. The FAST Strategy and the 2015 Plan to Move Seattle serve as examples of the multitude of plans and studies produced over the last 20 years by state, regional, and industry partners that have identified S Lander St as a priority freight mobility project for the region. The South Lander Street Grade Separation Project is called out in the 2015 Joint City/Port Freight Access Project, the 2014 Washington State Freight Mobility Plan, the Puget Sound Regional Council’s 2014 longrange transportation plan, and the forthcoming 2016 Seattle Freight Master Plan. In 2015, Seattle voters approved a nearly $1 billion property tax levy focusing on the four pillars of freight, transit, walking, and biking, which included specific funding for the South Lander Street Project. The Levy to Move Seattle is providing $20 million of the local match for this project. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The South Lander Street Project is critical to enhancing connections between major freight facilities and the seaport terminal, improving area travel time, extending reach of the light rail line to key employers, and improving safety on the rail corridor. S Lander St currently intersects with the BNSF rail line between 1st Ave S and 4th Ave S, at a location where more than 3,200 rail cars per day cross the east-west street. In addition to BNSF trains, Amtrak passenger trains cross S Lander St Freight Specific Benefits of approximately eight times per day, and Sounder Commuter the Project: Rail crosses 20 times per day. These train crossings result • Significantly reduced in a cumulative 4.5 hours of crossing closure for the 12,900 delays for truck freight vehicles that cross the BNSF rail line per day at S Lander St. using S Lander St to In addition, while most heavily used freight lines are not in reach the SeaPort areas with high levels of foot traffic, more than 1,500 people terminals from I-5; use S Lander St to cross the BNSF rail line a day on foot or by bike. The high level of activity around this corridor • Ability for rail freight emphasizes the need for a S Lander St grade separation.1 to increase (as anticipated) without The proposed 1,250 lineal foot long grade separation project the need for significant will continue the current four travel lanes (two in each traffic mitigation. direction) and create a separated space for people biking 1 Based on traffic data observed / collected by the City of Seattle in January 2016. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 2 and walking. The BNSF rail lines, also used by Amtrak and Sounder Commuter Rail, will continue at their current grade and will be able to travel unimpeded through the crossing. The grade separation will allow Amtrak to more fully utilize their rail yard just north of S Lander St to perform train-building operations without impacting safety. From a traffic management perspective, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will encourage private vehicles to choose S Lander St over other east-west travel options in SODO to reduce congestion and delay at other crossings. Figure 1: Proposed Cross Section Figure 2 below provides an overview of expected benefits. For details, please see the benefit-cost analysis on page 16. Figure 2: Expected Benefits Due to South Lander Street Grade Separation Project Type of Improvement Passenger Car Volume Current Condition Expected Improvement 10,800 11,800 Truck Volume 2,100 2,300 Pedestrian Volumes 1,400 1,400 100 100 4.75 Hours 0 Hours Bicycle Volumes Crossing Closure Safety Experience 85 collisions over 5 years and 485 crossing violations per day 32 collision outcomes improved and 0 crossing violations per day The $140 million project cost includes environmental review, completion of design and preliminary engineering phases, and construction. A large component of the project cost is in the foundation, which accounts for deep, unsuitable soil conditions with low-bearing capacity and high potential for liquefaction. At this location, the depth to competent soil is over 150 feet below ground surface. In 2007, SDOT prepared draft environmental documents, and developed the project to 30% design. Those tasks, including associated outreach, engineering, easement acquisition and coordination with stakeholders, represent an approximate investment of $2.5 million to date. Please see Figure 5 for project cost details. PROJECT LOCATION This project lies within the regionally designated Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center (MIC), the region's largest and densest MIC. The immediate area around S Lander St is rich in transportation assets, but struggles to connect east-west to create a seamless network. S Lander St is one of only three east-west streets that connect between 1st and 4th Aves in the mile-long South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 3 Map 1: National and Regional Significance South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 4 Map 2: Project Location South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 5 stretch between I-90 and the S Spokane St Viaduct, a critical National Highway Freight Network route to I-5 from maritime and industrial hubs. The other six east-west streets in this area simply dead-end into the rail tracks, making the centrally located S Lander St the optimal location for a grade separated crossing. 1st and Lander (the project beginning) is: Latitude: 47.579815 Longitude: 122.334193 4th and Lander the project end) is: Latitude: 47.579089 Longitude: 122.329082 To the immediate west of the project is the Duwamish Waterway, which serves as an important marine route for freight. BNSF and Union Pacific (UP) rail lines run along the waterway, blocking vehicle access to the Duwamish Waterway itself. S Lander St runs east-west, intersecting the BNSF rail line between 1st and 4th Aves. Between 4th and 6th Aves, Sound Transit's SODO light rail station serves 2,400 people per day. The SODO Trail runs along the SODO busway for over a mile, connecting the central Duwamish MIC with downtown Seattle. While industrial areas do not usually have a high volume of people walking, as this area is also the headquarters for many large companies and public sector agencies (notably Starbucks, the Seattle Public School District, and a large US Post Office sorting facility), there are many people moving throughout the corridor on foot, on bike, by transit, or by private vehicle. While a key connector in a busy commercial and industrial area, S Lander St is also an important connection for many lower-income workers who live nearby and work in the area. There has been a recent spike in minority, senior, and disabled populations living in the adjoining neighborhoods, but according to the Puget Sound Regional Economic Strategy, economic vitality has remained stable, likely because the Greater Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center, which includes the Port of Seattle, is a significant generator of living-wage jobs. In 2015, the Port created over 8,900 direct jobs. Many employees are already experiencing delays or safety concerns due to the current conflict between the rail line and the increasing freight traffic. Providing these workers with consistent, safe and reliable access to their worksites is critical. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE The South Lander Street Project will help maintain the SODO area’s economic vitality and the Port of Seattle’s ability to move containers between sea and overland routes. As part of the Northwest Seaport Alliance (along with the Port of Tacoma), the Port of Seattle supports regional and national growth and is a key driver in the local and regional economy. The Northwest Seaport Alliance is the 4th largest port in the country by export value and by TEUs. Annually, Alliance terminals ship more than 3.4 million containers, generating more than $4.3 billion in state tax revenue. Approximately $2.2 billion of those goods travel to and from the ports by rail. Directly and indirectly, marine cargo operations generated $138.1 billion in total economic activity in 2013, almost one third of Washington’s gross domestic product. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 6 Projections show a continued upward trajectory for cargo shipping within the Alliance, and the projected growth in freight rail cargo underscores the importance of the South Lander Street Project. Since half of BNSF rail traffic in Washington State moves through SODO and closes this crossing to vehicle traffic for almost 20% of the day, the State, Port and City significantly benefit from this project. Additional Improvements: Expected Users of the Project Rail and truck freight operators are the primary beneficiaries of the project, but bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists, and passenger rail users will also see improvements: People biking and walking Current counts record 100 people biking on S Lander St on the average workday (based on counts taken on a rainy Seattle January day). Between 2011 and 2015, seven serious injuries occurred involving people biking and six involved people walking, including two fatalities involving rail. Separated space for people biking and walking will improve safety, both real and perceived, and enhance an important connection to the SODO Trail, which will connect the industrial area with downtown Seattle and regional transit connections and give many more maritime, industrial and warehouse workers in SODO the option of biking to work. The Duwamish MIC has many major employers such as Starbucks headquarters, Seattle Public Schools’ headquarters and a major US Post Office distribution facility. Area employees frequently end up waiting for as long as fifteen minutes for trains to clear the intersection, or violate the crossing safety mechanisms. In an average 24-hour period, there are 485 violations by people walking, biking, or driving who ignore the rail alerts. A representative hour of crossing operations may be seen here. A grade separated roadway with a dedicated multiuse facility will allow people walking to freely and safely cross the S Lander St tracks to reach their work or transit destination. Transit users The South Lander Street Project is located near and will benefit multiple transit connections with the SODO Link light rail Station within 1,200 feet, the King Street Station terminus for Sounder Commuter Rail within 1.5 miles, and seven local and regional bus stops within a half mile. Link Light Rail: The SODO station, located just one block away from the proposed project location, is part of the Central Link light rail line that runs between SeattleTacoma International Airport, through downtown Seattle, to the University of Washington. On average, 2,400 people a day access Link light rail at the SODO station. With the recent extension of the University light rail phase and future extensions underway, 2040 projections show there will be 255 daily train trips and 3,900 – 4,300 daily boardings and alightings at the SODO station. Additionally, if voters approve Sound Transit’s proposed ST3 System Plan in November 2016, a new West Seattle to Downtown Seattle light rail line would provide a transfer connection at the SODO station by 2033 and increase station utility. Sounder Commuter Rail: Sounder commuter service runs on the BNSF main line across S Lander St providing service between Seattle and the cities of Tacoma (28 miles to the south South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 7 of Seattle) and Lakewood (40 miles south). Service along this line currently includes 20 daily train trips with 9,400 passengers. By 2040, daily train trips are projected to increase to 26 train trips with an estimated passenger service of 29,100-33,000.2 King County and Sound Transit Buses: King County Metro currently provides bus service along S Lander St. Two all-day bus routes, 21 and 50, provide 14 peak-hour trips and 210 daily bus trips with 6,200 observed daily route-level boardings in 2015. Four peak-only bus routes, 37 (northbound), 116X, 118X, and 119X, also operate along S Lander St. These four routes provide six peak hour trips and 28 daily bus trips with 1,000 2015-observed daily route-level boardings. The South Lander Street Project will also provide a resiliency route for West Seattle and Burien buses (carrying 25,000 riders per day) redirected from other downtown transit corridors due to incidents. Intercity Passenger Rail: Similar to Sounder Commuter Rail, Amtrak provides passenger rail service across S Lander St for the Amtrak Cascades, Empire Builder, and Coast Starlight routes with ten daily train trips in 2015, increasing to 14 daily trips in 2018. Amtrak Railyard and Maintenance Facility Amtrak’s largest railyard and maintenance facility in the Pacific Northwest is located immediately north of the S Lander St crossing. The current intersection configuration makes it difficult for Amtrak to perform necessary operations functions in its railyard, often resulting in Amtrak passenger cars intruding into the S Lander St detection zone and crossing. Amtrak is completing a multi-year $100 million upgrade begun in 2011 to handle the burgeoning Amtrak and Sounder passenger rail needs in Seattle. Without a grade separation at S Lander St, Amtrak will not be able to best utilize their facility improvements or keep from further adding to the crossing delay impacting the surface street freight network. Private Vehicles Private vehicles face the same delay that truck freight does. Many of these cars are taking employees to and from jobs at the Port or the nearby employment centers, and most deal with a significant amount of delay and uncertainty. Building a grade-separated bridge for road traffic will significantly reduce travel time and improve reliability for people’s trips in the area. Emergency Response Emergency responders face up to eight minutes of delay a day at the S Lander St crossing, a time difference which can literally mean the difference between life and death. In addition, when they encounter a clocked crossing, emergency responders must make a real-time routing decision, and either wait for the crossing to clear, attempt to reroute to an unobstructed crossing, or call for another fire house to dispatch from an unobstructed route. All alternatives increase response times and risk exposure. This is especially important when hazardous materials are involved; the City of Seattle’s Incident Management Team has already experienced an incident involving difficult access to derailed rail freight carrying Bakken oil. 2 2040 Values assume only Sound Transit’s ST2 System Plan and funding only South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 8 SELECTION CRITERIA Economic Outcomes The economic benefits of this project are two-fold. First, reducing or eliminating truck and private vehicle delay will produce significant travel time savings, benefiting the City and State’s economy. The Port of Seattle estimates that for every eliminated hour of truck delay, the state receives a $114 benefit per truck to the tax base. Based on 2016 observations by SDOT, the South Lander Street Grade Separation Project will eliminate 330 hours of truck delay, and 670 hours of personal vehicle delay every day. Correlating that data with analysis from the Washington State Freight Mobility Plan, the project will result in a $9.5 million benefit to the state's tax base. Qualitatively, eliminating this significant congestion chokepoint will encourage more businesses to consider the area to the west of the intersection as a potential location. While the area already hosts shipping or manufacturing headquarters for Fortune 500 corporations, congestion and the lack of viable alternatives for getting around rail delays deter other businesses from moving to or expanding in the area. While the location is very close to the I-5 freeway and the Link light rail line, the potential delays due to congestion make what should be a transit-rich environment a challenging one. Creating a grade-separated crossing will allow workers and companies to take full advantage of the transit, biking, and walking connections, as well as the economic opportunities that exist in the immediate area. It will also be consistent with Puget Sound Regional Council’s 2015 Industrial Lands Analysis recommendations for continued economic vitality of this area. Finally, local workforce training programs believe this project will make their training centers more accessible for potential workers and students. The project is estimated to create 125 jobs during construction, which will mean a 17.8% increase in heavy and civil construction employment in the area. Mobility Outcomes The South Lander Street Project will reduce delay and establish a reliable corridor for all users, which is critical to the continued growth of the area and region. Currently the rail line bifurcates the Port area, creating backup and congestion for people driving. Given the transportation needs of the Port, the location of I-5 immediately to the east of the project, the Link light rail line between I-5 and the BNSF rail line, and the SODO Trail alongside the Link light rail line, the project represents a significant opportunity to improve mobility in the area. SDOT anticipates that the active transportation safety improvements will be particularly critical for the area’s service workers, many of whom live in the lower-income Beacon Hill neighborhood, which is just on the other side of I-5 from this project. “PSRC’s recent Industrial Lands Analysis (2015) identifies the Duwamish MIC as a hub for living-wage jobs in maritime, logistics and aerospace sectors and recommends policy and investment strategies, including infrastructure investments like Lander, to ensure continued industrial and economic vitality for the MIC and the Puget Sound Region as a whole.” – Josh Brown, PSRC Executive Director South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 9 Interestingly, demographic groups who typically face higher levels of economic distress are not so distressed in the neighborhoods around SODO, presumably because of the high number of living wage jobs that are accessible to workers without college degrees or the same level of technical training required in other Seattle-area job centers.3 Safety Outcomes The City of Seattle has a Vision Zero program goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030. Between 2011 and 2015, S Lander St was the site of 85 collisions, 42 of which resulted in injuries and two of which resulted in fatalities. Based on the Federal Rail Administration’s Web Accident Prediction System, of all 37,100 BNSF, Union Pacific, and Amtrak crossings, the S Lander St intersection falls within the top 0.5% of rail intersections likely to experience a rail collision. "In a recent survey to 450 SODO employees and managers at more than 40 work sites, fifty-nine percent of cited traffic and safety at the district’s several rail crossings as the top concern for the district. We have identified the Lander Project as our best opportunity to address the impact of 87 daily road closures and 19 daily illegal crossings.“ – Angie Davis & Todd Biesold, Co-Presidents SODO Business Improvement Area The project will remove a safety gap in the network for people walking and biking. The crossing is intimidating for bicyclists, who have to contend with fast moving cars, railroad tracks, and rail cars in an area with constrained right of way. People walking frequently ignore the safety warnings and rush ahead of oncoming trains in order to avoid being delayed for long periods of time. The grade separation will create dedicated space for people walking and biking and remove the conflict between these vulnerable users and oncoming trains. Community and Environmental Outcomes A net reduction in carbon emissions due to decreased congestion is likely, but the most significant environmental benefit will come from reduced particulate matter pollution (PM). The Duwamish Valley, the area of Seattle where this project and most of the Port activities are located, is designated as a highly-impacted community and a maintenance area for PM10 by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, due to elevated levels of particulate matter compared to the rest of the region. The chart below uses data collected in January 2016 by the Puget Sound Regional Council to show that idling of Heavy Trucks (as defined by the Federal Highway Administration) during railroad crossing closures is the major producer of PM2.5. 3 http://www.psrc.org/assets/2897/_04-30_repreport.pdf?processed=true http://www.psrc.org/assets/2897/_04-30_repreport.pdf?processed=true South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 10 Figure 3: Estimated Particulate Matter Emitted Due to Truck Idling at S Lander St Crossing Vehicle Heavy Trucks Percent of Traffic Number of this type of vehicle observed in January 2016 Percent of PM2.5 emitted during crossing closures It takes this many cars to equal one of this type of vehicle’s emissions 4.15% 537 75.67% 117.57 Medium Trucks 11.70% 1513 11.29% 6.22 Light Vehicles (cars) 84.15% 10880 13.04% 1.00 Based on these numbers, each Heavy Truck’s delay is the equivalent of delaying 117 cars. Therefore reducing idling by Heavy Trucks is the most effective way to reduce the amount of particulate matter in the air. Every benefit to a heavy truck is like helping over 100 cars, and the S Lander St crossing is used by over 2,100 Heavy Trucks a day. Partnership The South Lander Street Project represents a coordinated effort by the City, the Port, the State of Washington, and representatives from the private sector. While it is a City-led project, the Port of Seattle and the Northwest Seaport Alliance have contributed time to bring the project up to the current phase of design. The BNSF railway is contributing at least 5% of the project’s construction costs and committing to work with the City and Port to find a freight schedule that will be compatible with project construction. The local Manufacturing and Industrial Council, which is a local workforce economic development center, is working with project managers to support outreach to local businesses and nearby residents. “The City of Seattle’s South Lander Street Grade Separation project supports the [Puget Sound Clean Air] Agency’s strategic objectives to reduce diesel emission from maritime activities and to reduce greenhouse gases from transportation sources.” – Craig Kenworthy, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency Executive Director Innovation Practical Design The original design for this project was initiated over a decade ago, and since technologies and needs have changed, the City intends to incorporate the principals of Practical Design into the remaining design and engineering process as the project progresses forward. There are many examples of grade separation projects around the country, and rather than simply apply the formulaic design standards for all scope elements, the City intends to apply a Practical Design framework to the project moving forward and look in granular detail at every element of the project to ensure that the transportation system needs are being met in the most efficient means possible - both in the short term and over the structure's lifecycle. Accelerated Bridge Construction Accelerated Bridge Construction, or ABC, is growing in popularity across the country and this project will employ as many principles of ABC as possible to minimize impacts to rail operations and freight surface traffic impacts during construction. This includes looking at Cityowned facilities to pre-assemble structural elements such as rebar cages, store precast materials, or potentially even pre-construct major portions of the bridge structure, such as the bike and pedestrian facilities. SDOT will consider these strategies through the lens of Practical Design to balance cost with the potential reduction in user impacts. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 11 Race and Social Justice Initiative The South Lander Street Project is adjacent to several residential neighborhoods with ethnically and racially diverse populations. The City of Seattle, on average, has an ESRI Diversity Index of 49; and the neighborhoods surrounding the South Lander Street Project are in the 66 to 79 range.4 Since 2005, the City’s Race and Social Justice Initiative (RSJI) has set out a goal of eliminating racial inequity and institutional racism in Seattle. SDOT is in the process of examining the South Lander Street Project through RSJI’s Racial Equity Toolkit, which lays out a process and set of questions to analyze the development and implementation of the project, along with post-construction evaluation of the project, and the benefits and burdens of the project as they relate to racial equity in Seattle. The remaining design, outreach, and construction phases will incorporate the toolkit recommendations. Past and future phases of public engagement on the project have also been guided by the City’s Inclusive Outreach and Public Engagement program, another element of RSJI, designed to help project teams gather input from economically and racially disadvantaged communities, including immigrant and refugee populations, through partnerships with community based organizations and employment of community liaisons with appropriate language and cultural skills. Cost-Share PROJECT FUNDING PLAN Figure 4: Project Funding Plan FASTLANE Grant: Levy to Move Seattle: Local Funding Sources: WSDOT: BNSF1: FMSIB2: PSRC2: 1. BNSF is committing at least 5% (approximately $5 million) pursuant to 23 CFR 646.210 2. In process $55M $20M $10M $35M $8M $5M $7M TOTAL: $140M The City of Seattle has a history of voting to tax itself for major capital projects, notably passing a $930 million levy for transportation in 2015. That levy (the Levy to Move Seattle) is dedicating $20 million for the South Lander Street Project. The State of Washington has awarded $7 million from their 2015 legislative funding package, and BNSF is committing at least 5% (approximately $5 million) pursuant to 23 CFR 646.210. The City has applied and received very positive feedback on two companion grant applications that were submitted to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB). These grants would provide another $18 million to the project’s cost-share. The City of Seattle and its partners are committed to funding the additional cost of the project, should a FASTLANE grant be awarded. With a total project cost of $140 million, this means that the FASTLANE ask of $55 million is 39% of the total cost. In total, federal funding will make up less than 52% of the project’s total cost. Without the additional $55 million from the FASTLANE grant program, the South Lander Street project will have to be shelved again, as it was in 2007, until future funds 4 http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/dpdd017055.pdf South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 12 can be identified. PROJECT PARTNERS The South Lander Street Project represents a coordinated effort by the City of Seattle, the Port of Seattle, and the State of Washington, as well as BNSF and other private sector partners. While it is a City-led project, the State of Washington has contributed time and funding to bring the project up to its current state of design. As mentioned earlier, BNSF railway is contributing at least 5% of the project’s construction costs to support the project, as well as committing to work with the City and State to facilitate construction within the railshed. The local Manufacturing and Industrial Council, which is also a local workforce economic development center, is working with project managers to support outreach to local businesses and nearby residents. The Puget Sound region has come together for the delivery of this important project. Elected officials from all levels of government have prioritized this project, including Senators Cantwell and Murray and other Congressional delegation members, Governor Inslee and many state legislators, the King County Executive and many King County councilmembers – all supporting the Mayor of Seattle and the Seattle City Council in this application. Key stakeholders such as BNSF, Amtrak, and the Port of Seattle consider this project a top priority. In addition, there is strong community support from industrial representatives, labor organizations, local businesses, and groups that support livable communities. These supporters include, but are not limited to: Duwamish Manufacturing and Industrial Council, South Downtown Business Improvement Association (representing over 70 businesses), Cascade Bicycle Club, Feet First pedestrian advocacy group, Great Northern Corridor Coalition, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Puget Sound Regional Council, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Seattle Building Trades, Seattle Mariners, Sound Transit, Starbucks, Transportation Choices Coalition, and the Washington Maritime Federation. The strong showing of support from the region is a demonstration of the importance of this project. Jurisdictional and Stakeholder Collaboration The South Lander Street Project has benefited from strong stakeholder partnerships that have been operating for years in the area. These include the Manufacturing and Industrial Council (MIC), made up of nearly all the industrial interests in Seattle, plus the Port of Seattle, South Seattle College’s vocational program, Boeing, Seattle Public Schools, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association and SODO BIA. Formed in 1998, the same year that the South Lander Street Project emerged as a statewide priority, the MIC kept the project alive through the recession, ensuring that the project would emerge as a top priority for the Levy to Move Seattle, which passed in November of last year. As discussed throughout the application, the South Lander Street Project has been prioritized in numerous local, regional and state freight plans and policies. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 13 Disciplinary Integration As mentioned above, the South Lander Street Project enjoys a wide range of support from public and private entities. The design is being carefully coordinated with Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, WSDOT, King County Metro, Sound Transit, the Port of Seattle, BNSF, Amtrak and other stakeholders. Because the project retrofits and improves public utility infrastructure in the corridor, the relevant public utilities have agreed to contribute revenues from utility rates to support relocations and improvements associated with the project. Utility infrastructure improvements that are associated with the project will benefit water, sewer, drainage, and electrical distribution systems. GRANT FUNDS, SOURCES, AND USES OF PROJECT FUNDS Project Funds With this FASTLANE proposal, the City is requesting $55 million in federal funds through the NSFHP program to construct this project. Of the total $140 million total project cost, the remaining portion of funding is composed of the following: "The Manufacturing Industrial Council’s interest in this project arises from [our] role as a service organization for businesses that comprise the greater Seattle industrial base. … Many of the employees were concerned for their personal safety because of the failure to provide adequate separation for railroad traffic. … These concerns were brought to the attention of the City of Seattle. We applaud city leadership for developing more cost-effective strategies for funding and building the overpass." - Dave Gering, The Manufacturing Industrial Council • $20 million in funds from the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle • $7 million from Washington State through the 2015 Connecting Washington state transportation revenue package • $5 million minimum BNSF contribution pursuant to 23 CFR 646.210 • $10 million anticipated from Puget Sound Regional Council STP funding • $8 million anticipated from FMSIB funding • The City of Seattle and its partners are prepared to provide between $35-$53 million depending on reallocations and outstanding state grant requests. Although the South Lander Street Project has enjoyed vast public and private support, given the current funding sources, the project is $55 million short. The Levy to Move Seattle creates a significant opportunity, but for large-scale freight projects like this one, federal funding is essential to enable the project to move forward. Future Eligible Costs The City of Seattle will manage ongoing maintenance and operations costs after initial construction. The City has a robust asset management program in place for maintenance and preservation activities, including long-term condition forecasting and optimization modeling to meet federal performance monitoring requirements and industry best practices. Project Details Figure 5 summarizes the budget breakdown for the duration of the project. Of the total $140 million project cost, $15 million (11%) will be allocated to project design and the remaining $125 million (89%) will be allocated to project construction. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 14 Figure 5: South Lander Street Project Budget (spending in millions of dollars) Project Phase Completion 2003-2007 Prior Project Development $2.5 Preliminary Engineering & Environmental 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 $14.3 Right of Way $0.7 Construction $35 $75 $45 Closeout $1 $1 NSFHP funding of $55 million will be spent in 2018 for construction towards grade separation and will account for 44% of construction phase expenditures. PROJECT COST EFFECTIVENESS The South Lander Street Project is anticipated to have many tangible benefits that will improve community health and wellbeing. In this section, the expected future benefits to the grade separation are quantified by comparing a scenario with the operation of the South Lander Street Project to a scenario without the grade crossing. Anticipated benefits include improvements in congestion from lower expected average commute times, anticipated fuel savings, and improvements in air quality from reduced CO2, PM2.5, NOx and VOC. The transportation benefits are determined using data outputs from a dynamic assignment traffic model. Finally, the net present value of project benefits was determined by totaling the stream of annual benefits over the 75-year project design life using discount rates of 7% and 3%, respectively. Figure 6 summarizes the quantified benefits from the project. Overall, the South Lander Street Project is expected to eliminate delay and reduce emissions. With a discount rate of 7%, the total design benefits of the project are approximately $235 million, when using a discount rate of 3%, the project benefits exceed $690 million. The largest contributing factor to these benefits is due to improvements in commute time savings. With a discount rate of 7%, personal vehicles and heavy trucks receive the largest valued reductions in commute times, equivalent to approximately $130 million and $100 million, respectively. Travel time savings result from one of two potential sources. Existing travelers in the study region benefit from shorter delays and faster travel with the South Lander Street Project compared to baseline travel conditions. In addition, after the grade crossing is constructed, some travelers may choose to reroute their journey to take advantage of the more reliable trip times that result in reduced congestion elsewhere in the transportation network. Reduced air pollution also contributes a relatively small, but non-negligible share of overall project benefits. The total value of air pollution reduction has a present value of $192,000 using a discount rate of 7% or $246,000 with a discount rate of 3%. The total benefits to reduced fuel consumption are equivalent to approximately $198,000 with a discount rate of 7%. However, reductions in diesel consumption are somewhat offset by increases in consumption of gasoline. 5 Anticipate construction award and associated costs in 2017, with actual construction beginning in 2018 South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 15 Figure 6: Summary of Economic Benefits from Lander Street Crossing - 2014 Dollars Benefit Discount Rate = 7.0% Discount Rate = 3.0% Time Savings $235,483,945 $690,891,214 Heavy Truck $100,112,492 $253,157,384 $4,722,700 $22,206,324 $130,648,753 $415,527,506 Fuel Savings $198,353 $195,585 Gasoline -$49,628 -$102,679 Diesel $247,981 $298,264 $192,496 $246,198 Medium Truck Personal Vehicle Emissions Savings $53,561 $53,561 $106,472 $150,731 NOX $31,635 $40,662 VOC $828 $1,245 $235,874,794 $691,332,998 Project Cost -$105,283,973 -$123,577,050 Net Benefit $130,590,821 $567,755,948 CO2 PM2.5 Total Benefits There are several other expected benefits to the South Lander Street Project that, although difficult to empirically quantify, are important to acknowledge. First, separating automobile traffic and rail traffic at a busy transportation corridor is likely to cause significant improvements in future safety conditions. For instance, during the period 2011 to 2015, there were a total of 85 vehicle collisions, seven bicycle and six pedestrian collisions that occurred in the S Lander St rail corridor. Based upon an analysis of the conditions that lead to these collisions, approximately 32 (35%) of these collisions could have been avoided through the institution of the South Lander Street Project. Accounting for the combined cost of property damage, injury and the potential for fatality, the National Highway Transit Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that the average cost of a vehicle collision is approximately $22,000 in 2013 dollars.6 Hence, even small reductions in the collision rate could have large economic impacts when considered over the full project lifecycle horizon. Although not quantified in the above analysis, the South Benefit Cost Ratio Lander Street Project is likely to significantly improve the operating condition for bicycle and pedestrian travelers in 7% discount = 2.24 this area. The final project design will include a mixed-use 3% discount = 5.59 facility for people walking and biking on the north side of the crossing. Increased accessibility for these users has the potential to decrease commute times, increase safety and increase recreational enjoyment of people walking and biking in this area. The South Lander Street Project also supports incident management goals for the City and the region. SODO is located on soils subject to liquefaction during seismic events, and the South Lander Street Project would create a resilient network connection to critical industrial, port and rail facilities. 6 Blincoe, L., T. R. Miller, E. Zaloshnja, and B. A. Lawrence. 2014. The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (No. DOT HS 812 013). South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 16 PROJECT READINESS Detailed Project Description The City of Seattle has previously considered eight existing corridors for an east-west grade separation project and evaluated both underpass and overpass options for the corridors. S Lander St became the preferred route. S Holgate St, the other primary option to connect the industrial business district and nearby neighborhoods, would require a prohibitively long structure to cross the Amtrak maintenance yard (over 500 feet of tracks to cross on S Holgate St versus less than 100 feet on S Lander St). After consideration and study, the City of Seattle is proposing a new concrete bridge structure and approaches within the S Lander St right-of-way between 1st and 4th Aves S to grade-separate vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic from railroad traffic on both the BNSF Railway main line and the spur track that serves a major waste recycling facility immediately south of S Lander St. The proposed bridge superstructure is four lanes wide and will include two through lanes in each direction. The proposed bridge structure cross section also includes a multi-use facility for people biking and walking. The new proposed cross section is consistent with the City of Seattle's Complete Streets Ordinance. Figure 7: Proposed Design The intersection at 3rd Ave S will be retained by raising the 3rd Ave S approaches to meet the proposed new higher transition grade on S Lander St. Turning movements at this intersection are proposed to be restricted to right-turn movements only from northbound and southbound 3rd Ave S, and the left-turn movement will be restricted from eastbound S Lander St to northbound 3rd Ave S. This intersection modification is designed to reduce collisions along the corridor. Pedestrian access to buildings along S Lander St will also be maintained. Signal modifications, ADA ramps, and related improvements are also part of the project scope. The at-grade BNSF railroad crossing on S Lander St will be closed. The proposed bridge substructure includes drilled shafts, concrete columns, and auger cast piles for the approach structure. The foundation takes into consideration unsuitable soil conditions with low bearing capacity and high potential for liquefaction, and therefore includes updated consideration for deeper bridge shaft lengths and diameters to account for the existing soil conditions. The shafts will be located and positioned between existing large diameter utility tunnels (90 and 96 inches, respectively) that are parallel and beneath the new bridge and approach structures in order to protect and provide South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 17 continued access. Concrete columns will extend 150 feet from the foundation shafts to support the bridge superstructure. Due to the soft/loose soil conditions, current design includes a “hollow box” design on the bridge approaches that significantly reduces the weight on the existing utilities detailed above and provides resiliency in the event of a potential seismic event. In addition to the significant freight and roadway improvements, this project will help connect the corridor to the rest of the Seattle bicycle network (including the critical north-south connection on the soon to be extended SODO Trail) close an existing gap in the sidewalk for people walking, and provide an important linkage to the SODO light rail station. Technical Feasibility The project was developed to 30% design in 2007, which included an update of a Type, Size and Location (TS&L) study originally completed in 2004. Subsequently, a Value Engineering and Constructability review was completed in 2008. The design will be refreshed and completed during 2016-2017. During this timeframe, the City will also take advantage of updated travel data to refine and value engineer its design for multimodal needs using National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) guidance. Seattle is performing a full benefit cost analysis (BCA) using a 75-year design life consistent with AASHTO standards. The cost estimate for the project described in this application is based on the 30% design and includes a 30% contingency. Contingencies will be updated as design work progresses. Project Schedule The South Lander Street Project schedule encompasses a 5-year period with construction beginning in January of 2018 and the substantial completion and the crossing open to traffic by the end of 2019. Full completion and closeout are scheduled in June 2020. Figure 8 below is the proposed project timeline describing the project schedule for each of the components. The project schedule for the remaining design may appear overly simplistic, due to the fact that SDOT intends to evaluate a variety of contracting procurement options to best fit the needs of the project. All methods result in construction beginning in early 2018, but the path between now and then is different based on the delivery method chosen. The delivery method workshop is scheduled for May 2016. Options that will be considered include standard design-bid-build and two alternative qualifications based delivery methods including Design-build, and General Contractor/ Construction Manager as identified in Revised Code of Washington Section 39.10. SCHEDULE Figure 8: South Lander Street Project Schedule 2016 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2017 Q1 Q2 Q3 2018 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2019 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 2020 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Planning and Environmental ROW Acquisition Design Open to Traffic Project Closeout Construction South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 18 Required Approvals Preliminary National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review processes necessary for the FASTLANE were started in 2006. During this phase, a TS&L was performed which considered several alternative concepts for the project. Following the TS&L, an alternative alignment analysis and draft environmental discipline reports were prepared. Updates to the environmental reports should begin in April 2016 and are expected to wrap up by the end of 2017. The environmental process will be coordinated with WSDOT. Prioritization and support for the South Lander Street Project is built on nearly 20 years of state, regional and local studies dedicated to improving the flow of goods from Eastern Washington farms to Puget Sound shipping terminals, from shipping terminals to nearby intermodal terminals, and to distribution centers east to Chicago and beyond. The project’s collaborative, partner-oriented history situates it to move quickly to construction. From 2003-2007, the City performed a robust public engagement process with the SODO Business Association (now replaced by the SODO BIA), the Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Council, the Seattle School District, individual businesses and property owners, and the City's Freight, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Advisory Boards. A renewed public involvement effort is underway to reengage previously involved and new stakeholders, as well as the broader public. Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan recognizes the significant historic and continued importance of freight in the City’s prosperity. The Comprehensive Plan’s Transportation, Economic Development and Container Port sections speak to the key role that Seattle’s freight system plays in the economic vitality of the City, the greater Puget Sound region, and Washington State. Freight-specific goals include “TG18: Preserve and improve mobility and access for transportation of goods and services” and “TG19: Maintain Seattle as the hub for regional goods movement and as a gateway to national and international suppliers and markets.” The 2015 Seattle Industrial Areas Freight Access Project (FAP) was prepared to supplement the latest Comprehensive Plan update by identifying and initiating solutions to freight mobility, circulation, and access needs within and between manufacturing industrial centers. The FAP also emphasized corridor connections from the centers to the regional transportation system, including interstate and state highways, Port of Seattle facilities, first- and last-mile connectors and local rail yards. The FAP specifically identifies the South Lander Street Project as a high priority for City freight mobility. The Port of Seattle also prioritized the South Lander Street Project in the 2014 Washington State Freight Mobility Plan due to its importance as a state truck freight economic corridor and as a first- and last-mile connector. Areas of Risk and Mitigation The Seattle Department of Transportation has identified right of way (ROW), utilities, contaminated soils, maintenance of traffic (MOT), and cost control as areas of potential risk. Scope challenges associated with these risks are described below as well as opportunities and mitigation measures. Right of Way Prior designs (circa 2007) of the project structure required permanent ROW acquisition. However, the current design refines the modal needs into a planned four-lane vehicular cross South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 19 section with a multi-use facility on one side, resulting in a structure that is likely to be much narrower in width. This reduction in width alleviates the need for permanent ROW acquisition, which reduces the risk to the project schedule and budget. The project will still need temporary access rights during construction to blend the new roadway into existing properties at access points such as driveways, walks, and planters. These access changes will preserve access to adjacent properties and are of much lower risk to the project schedule than the uncertainty of permanent property acquisition. Utilities The South Lander Street Project spans east-west approximately 1,250 lineal feet within an existing fully developed urban arterial street right of way just south of downtown Seattle. Arterial streets and right-of-way within the downtown area of the city include a very dense distribution of existing underground utilities and other features that must be maintained. These utility assets also have their own unique requirements and rules for operating on or near them, particularly older more vulnerable utility systems, some of which have exceeded their design life. Protection, replacement, or relocation are the options identified that would maintain current life cycles or provide opportunity to improve present life cycle paths, and that would also maintain or improve access for the operation and maintenance of these utilities. The project will impact two large diameter sewer lines, including a 90” City of Seattle storm trunk and a 96” King County sewer trunk that both have existing foundational support systems. These main trunk lines run parallel to the S Lander St centerline and are located well within the footprint of the new bridge structure and approach structures. The most cost effective approach for the project at this time is to protect the existing two large diameter sewers in place. This will include designing new approach structures that significantly reduce added weight on the upper soil zone and the utilities. A “hollow box” approach structure is a preferred alternative that has been analyzed and recommended by geotechnical and structural engineers for the project. Previously considered options include common MSE fill material, polystyrene fill material, grout injection, and a protective slab on piles. However, none of these options was recommended due to their weight and impact on the underlying soils and utility main lines. Stormwater code compliance will be required for the project and will create opportunities to incorporate water quality treatment facilities to treat and improve runoff generated from the new bridge's vehicular pavement surfaces. Flow control is not required as part of this project since the project is located within a designated storm drainage basin that is not identified as capacity constrained, and ultimately discharges to a receiving water body, the Duwamish River. Other utilities impacted by the project include electrical distribution and private services, water main distribution and private services, and private franchise utilities such as natural gas and telephone/communications. Some of these systems will require relocation or other inplace protection measures to construct the transportation improvements. Utility outages and disruptions will be minimized to the extent possible. The project team will plan and work with all utility owners to allow their systems to remain functional and serviceable and to maintain current levels of service. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 20 Contaminated Soils Based on the historical uses of this industrial neighborhood, the City anticipates the presence of contaminated materials so that the discovery of said materials is not a schedule risk. The City has reviewed historical property uses, and in-site testing confirms the presence of contaminants, allowing the City and eventual contractor to plan for the removal and disposal of said materials. The City has an existing generator profile with the adjacent disposal and recycling facility for which this material can be disposed of at a citywide negotiated rate. In addition, further records review and potential added testing needs will be re-reviewed as the design progresses to account for any new discoveries. Maintenance of Traffic Recognizing the importance of S Lander St to the transportation network in the city and the region, the City will look at alternative and innovative methods for traffic management during construction in an effort to balance user delays over the construction duration. Options include full closures, one-direction detours, bypasses, and the like. In addition, as discussed previously, the City is exploring Accelerated Bridge Construction options, including off-site preassembly. Community stakeholders and freight users will be engaged in the evaluation of traffic maintenance options to minimize impacts to the surrounding community. Particular importance will be placed on the maintenance of BNSF’s critical main line capacity throughout the project schedule, through the use of railroad flaggers as necessary. Cost Control SDOT has a threefold approach method for managing cost in the project: Completeness of design/estimation: SDOT will ensure completeness in design and accuracy of design estimates. SDOT has chosen a design firm with extensive experience in similar projects working directly for contractors in alternative delivery projects. This means they have significant expertise in identifying lower-cost design solutions, utilization of bottom-up estimating rather than unit price histories that may not be analogous to the project site, and the ability to identify constructability impacts on project cost. Contingency-based risk budgeting: SDOT will comprehensively identify cost risks, review them at all stages of design and construction, and update allotments for risk contingency based on calculated ranges of specific risks and likelihood of occurrence. Change control: When change does arise, SDOT has an established Change Control Board that reviews and approves all contingency expenditures above established threshold amounts and, once the project’s risk contingency is spent beyond a certain proportion, reviews all contingency expenditures. This tracking allows SDOT to identify potential for cost overruns early enough to make adjustments to bring the project back within the budget. CONCLUSION The South Lander Street Project will reduce delay for truck freight, increase the ability for rail freight to grow unimpeded, improve safety for all modes (particularly for people walking and biking across the rail line), and connect job centers with a well-developed transportation network. The multiple benefits come in part because the historic nature of the project, its critical role in the freight network, and the diverse group of stakeholders advocating for it. These attributes help ensure the project addresses multiple needs and leverages existing investment. They also make it an excellent candidate for the FASTLANE grant program, and one where investment will have a ripple effect far beyond the city and region. South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 21 APPENDIX All Appendix items and supporting documents can be found on the South Lander Street Project webpage. Application PDF Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424) Budget Information for Construction Programs (Standard Form 424C) Supporting Documents and Links Full Benefit Cost Analysis Planning and Reports: • 1998 Freight Action Strategy for the Everett-Seattle-Tacoma Corridor (FAST Corridor) report: www.psrc.org/transportation/freight/fast/fast-projects/ • FAST Corridor Partnership (1998): www.psrc.org/transportation/freight/fast/fast-partners/ • Plan to Move Seattle (2015): www.seattle.gov/transportation/moveSeattle.htm • Joint City/Port Freight Access Project (2015): www.seattle.gov/documents/departments/ seattlefreightadvisoryboard/freightaccessprojectfab_03172015.pdf • Washington State Department of Transportation Freight Plan (2014): www.wsdot.wa.gov/ freight/freightmobilityplan.htm • Puget Sound Regional Council Long Range Transportation Plan (2014): www.psrc.org/ transportation/t2040/t2040-pubs/final-draft-transportation-2040/ • Draft City Freight Master Plan (2016) • Levy to Move Seattle: www.seattle.gov/transportation/levytomoveseattle.htm • City of Seattle 2015-21 All-Hazards Mitigation Plan: www.seattle.gov/Documents/ Departments/Emergency/PlansOEM/HazardMitigation/Seattle%202015%20-%202021%20 HMP%20Final.pdf • Seattle Climate Action Plan: www.seattle.gov/environment/climate-change/climate-actionplan • Old grade separation schemes (1918): Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 • State authorizing legislation: seattle.legistar.com/LegislationDetail. aspx?ID=2592263&GUID=CCCD2AE1-E1CA-4563-8605-1170A7E5366C&FullText=1 • PSRC Industrial Lands Analysis: www.psrc.org/growth/industrial-lands/ • 2015 WBAPS WEB Accident Prediction System Report: United States, Washington State, City of Seattle Letters of Support: Elected Officials: • Governor Jay Inslee • Senator Patty Murray • Senator Maria Cantwell • Congressman Jim McDermott • Congressman Adam Smith (WA-9) • Mayor Ed Murray and Seattle City Council Councilmembers (Harrell, Bagshaw, Burgess, Gonzalez, Herbold, Johnson, Juarez, O'Brien, Sawant) • King County Executive Dow Constantine • King County Council (Councilmembers McDermott, Dembowski, Gossett, Kohl-Welles and Balducci) South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 22 • Washington State House Transportation Committee (Representatives Clibborn, Pike, Gregerson, Fey, Moscoso, Moeller, Sells, Tarleton, Bergquist, Orcutt and Farrell) • Washington State Senator Steve Hobbs • Washington State Senator Curtis King • Washington State Representative Judy Clibborn Project Partners: • Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board • Puget Sound Regional Council • Port of Seattle • Washington State Department of Transportation • BNSF Public Institutions: • Puget Sound Clean Air Agency • Sound Transit • Seattle Freight Advisory Board • Great Northern Corridor Coalition Community Organizations: • El Centro de la Raza • Seattle Mariners • Manufacturing Industrial Council • Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board • Cascade Bicycle Club • Transportation Choices Coalition Labor Unions: • International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 • Sailors' Union of the Pacific • Seattle/King County Building & Construction Trades Council Businesses: • Seattle Chamber of Commerce • SODO Business Improvement Area • Transportation Institute • Washington Maritime Federation • Washington Council of International Trade • Pacific Merchant Shipping Association • Amtrak South Lander Street Grade Separation and Railroad Safety Project Seattle Department of Transportation 23