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Articles 12/21/05 • Tacoma Train Tour Hopes for All Aboard • No Christmas Train, But Try the Day After News Tribune Website TG e.ws T,'bccne- Nov. X Zoos' FARE WILL BE $50 Tacoma train tour hopes for { all aboard A Canadian businessman's steam locomotive arrives in Tacoma.He plans to operate a passenger rail tour between Tacoma and Frederickson. BY ADAM LYNN The News Tribune A Canadian railroad legend is gam- bling that folks are willing to shell out $50 a pop to be pulled by vintage steam locomotive between Tacoma and Frederickson. Tom Payne of Vancouver, B.C., hopes to start his "excursion tours" before Christmas. _ His business plan:Tug 600 paying customers each Saturday and Sunday between Tacoma's Freighthouse Square and the railroad Y near the { ; I Frederickson Industrial Park.Round a trip:Three hours. "I think there's a good market here,' said Payne, a lifelong railroad man who in 2002 was inducted into the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame. "I• think we can make a go of it." 9 Tangible evidence of Payne's com- mitment to the proposition was un- loaded Monday at the Coast Engine& Equipment Co.yard near the Port of Tacoma As motorists gawked from state Highway 509, two massive cranes hoisted Payne's Reading 2100 engine and two tender cars from a flatbed rail car and placed them gently on a spur line where they will sit for a week or more being tuned up. Six passenger coaches are sitting on Tacoma Rail - spurs on the Tideflats. "It is one of the prettiest steam lo- comotives in the United States;'Coast Please see TRAIN,back page Two giant cranes lower a Baldwin y steam locomotive weighing 418,000 ,�, M✓4 pounds to the tracks Monday on - the Tacoma Tideflats. LUI KIT WONG/The News Tribune __ the n�� b'1bune.letwk PRINTER-FF Tacoma,WA-Thursday, December 15,2005 <Back to F No Christmas train, but try the day after ADAM LYNN;The News Tribune Last updated:December 15th,2005 06:35 AM(PST) An excursion train tour between Tacoma and the southern Pierce County community of Frederickson won't be running by Christmas as the Canadian businessman trying to start the venture had hoped. Tom Payne said he's now shooting for a Dec.26 debut.That would coincide with the opening of the annual Model Train Festival at the Washington State History Museum,which is expected to attract thousands of train enthusiasts to Tacoma. "That's our best target date at this time,"said Payne, president and chief operating officer of Golden Pacific Railroad Inc. "Nobody is going to be interested in taking a train ride before Christmas anyway.They're busy with other things." Payne himself is busy trying to get federal and local railroad officials to sign off on his plans,or the Boxing Day opening might be postponed. One snag is getting government approval of a recent inspection of his passenger cars, he said. Canadian and U.S.railway officials don't agree which rules apply to the cars'air brakes, Payne said. "There's a jurisdictional dispute there,"he said. Payne also has no operating agreement with Tacoma Rail. His train would run on the utility's tracks between Freighthouse Square in Tacoma to the Railroad Y in Frederickson,which is south of Puyallup and west of Orting. "There are some loose ends that need to be finalized,"Tacoma Rail spokeswoman Sue Veseth said. "Most of them are things he needs to do." Veseth declined to elaborate. In the meantime, Payne said,crews took his Reading 2100 steam locomotive on a recent"shakedown"trip on the potential route and found a few issues with the engine and tender car that need to be tweaked. Those alterations are being made, he said. Payne,a legendary railroad man in Canada,said delays happen, and he's confident his train will be on the tracks soon. He hopes to charge passengers$50 a piece for a three-hour ride. "It just takes time,"he said. Adam Lynn:253-597-8644 adam.lynn .thenewstribune.com Originally published: December 15th,2005 02:30 AM(PST) http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5399915p-4880065c.html 12/15/2005 IM, 19%.W J 1 11 V Ul lt. - 14 V %-1111JL111d5 U d.11l, UUL Ll y llle uay alter Wrmt) Page 2 of 2 7-8742 .1. Privacy Policy I User Agreement I Contact Us I About Us I Site Man I Jobs _The TNT I RSS 1950 South State OItw tarn ©Copyright 2005 Tacoma News, Inc.A subsidiary of The Mon 98405 cClatchy Company A, http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5 399915p-48 80065 c.html 12/15/2005 Articles 12/21/05 Sound Transit Considers 81 Projects News Tribune Website -te a nev �7b1,l1" e.400,. PRINTER-FF Tacoma,WA-Thursday,December 15,2005 <Back to F Sound Transit considers 81 projects AARON CORVIN;The News Tribune Last updated: December 14th,2005 02:13 PM(PST) Sound Transit is checking a new wish list of projects that would fluster even Santa Claus. If the three-county agency that connects urban Pierce, King and Snohomish counties asked voters to pay for all 81 of the rail and bus projects on its current list,the price tag could balloon to as much as$18 billion. But it's not going to ask for all of that.As Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, board chairman of Sound Transit,said, there are"many more good ideas than we can possibly afford here." Instead,the agency is winnowing the list as it considers sending a second package of mass transit projects and taxes to voters, possibly in November 2006. The agency hopes to produce a draft package by March. Last week, it released its first report of cost and ridership estimates for most of the 81 projects. On Thursday,the board expects to further cull the list of projects. In the South Sound,the projects range from a$4 million study of possible light-rail lines in South King County to an extension of light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to the Tacoma Dome at a cost of$3.3 billion to$3.7 billion. Also in the offing is more parking at the Sounder commuter rail stations in Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner, as well as a new station in North Sumner. More parking sounds like a good idea to Puyallup resident Scott Case,who has been riding the commuter train for about two months. High gas prices and traffic congestion on Highway 167 ushered the 46-year-old computer systems analyst onto Sounder. He zips from Puyallup to work at the Boeing plant in Kent. "If they're going to add extra trains,"he said, "that means there has to be extra parking." On the other hand, Case said, he opposes a new North Sumner station."That would add more time to the travel,"he said. Case's nuanced view of the future of Sound Transit illustrates the difficult job the agency has in determining which package of projects voters might favor. Over the past year, Sound Transit has used dozens of local meetings to narrow a list of more than 500 potential bus and rail projects to 81.The preliminary report issued by the agency last week contains a range of cost estimates, ridership numbers and risk assessments for most of the 81 projects. The report does not account for inflation or financing costs. It also does not spell out when a project might get built or how it would fit into an overall plan. "These numbers and these projects are going to change as we go forward,"said Joni Earl, chief executive officer of Sound Transit. To move forward, Sound Transit must also craft a tax plan to send to voters. Voters approved the$4 billion initiative to create Sound Transit in 1996.The plan envisioned a regional system with light rail,commuter trains and express buses. Most of that initial system is either built or under construction. Most funding comes from local taxes, including a sales tax of 0.4 percentage points and a vehicle license tax of 0.3 percentage points. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5397783p-4878450c.html 12/15/2005 iii%, i416;w3 111vu11G - ovullu llailblL 1:U11M Ulb O1 projects Wrint) Yage 2 ot 3 Sound Transit's financial plan assumes collection of the vehicle license tax through 2028,when bonds backed by the tax are retired. However, the state Supreme Court is reviewing a case challenging whether the agency can continue to collect the tax after voters in 2002 approved Initiative 776,which aimed to limit car-tab taxes to$30 a year. As a result, Sound Transit is focusing on its authority under state law to ask voters for another sales tax increase of up to 0.5 percentage points. If Sound Transit sought and won approval of that maximum increase, it could raise an additional$6.5 billion for new transit projects in its five subareas: Pierce County, South King County, East King County, North King County and Snohomish County. Brian McCartan, deputy chief financial officer for Sound Transit, said the tax plan is nowhere near completion. "We really can't take the financial numbers further until we start a discussion with the board in January or February about project packages,"he said. Jack Crawford, a Kenmore city councilman and chairman of the Sound Transit board's finance committee, said credibility with voters must guide the agency into its second round of projects. The agency's early days, marred by budget problems, project delays and political accusations,didn't help. "We fell on our noses because we were too optimistic.We tried to proceed too fast,"Crawford said. "We've gotten to a place where we have the respect of the majority of people. If we promise them something and can't deliver, we're going to lose that again.We've got to know that the money is there to pay for it before we say we're going to do it." Highlights of possible Sound Transit projects in Pierce County: Light rail in Tacoma Proposal:A 5.5-mile extension of Tacoma's light-rail line from the Theater District downtown to Tacoma Community College. One option abandons Tacoma's streetcars in favor of bigger light-rail vehicles.The other option sticks with the streetcars. Cost: $548.1 million to$666.4 million Average weekday boardings: 8,000 Express bus service to Seattle Proposal:A new route that complements commuter rail service between Tacoma and Seattle.The idea is to run an express bus to train stations along the Tacoma-to-Seattle commuter rail line during off-peak periods when the train is not operating. Cost:$1.3 million for annual operation and maintenance Annual service hours: 13,100 More parking at Puyallup's train station Proposal:A parking garage, a parking lot and a pedestrian bridge Usage: 500 additional parking spaces Cost:$52 million to$56.1 million Train service from DuPont http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5397783p-4878450c.html 12/15/2005 Proposal: Extend Sounder commuter train service from Lakewood,where trains are planned to begin running in 2007,to DuPont. Cost: $125.6 million to$135.7 million Average weekday boardings: More than 1,000 Find out more about the 81 projects under consideration:www.soundtransit.org/st2 The Sound Transit board will hold a workshop to talk more about the next wave of projects. When: 1 to 4 p.m.Thursday Where: Board Room,401 S.Jackson St.,Seattle 27 proposed south sound transit projects Aaron Corvin:253-552-7058 aaron.corvin@thenewstribune.com Originally published: December 14th,2005 02:30 AM(PST) A% Privacy Policy I User Agreement I Contact Us I About Us I Site Map Jobs@The TNT RSS 1950 South State Street,Tacoma,Washington 98405 253-597-8742 ©Copyright 2005 Tacoma News, Inc.A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company A►. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5397783p-4878450c.html 12/15/2005 � t w Alaskaxom .. o Quick searches, . w .. .. , � Help Toolbox> Q Subscribe �Advertise �About us newsQ Contact i tribune.,co,", LOCAL SEARCH BETA•What's this? � News Q Local search HOME SPORTS • BUSINESS • OP-ED PHOTOS • A&E • SOUNDLIFE • ADVENTURE HEALTH • CL; OBITUARIES Local • Crime • Nation/World • Northwest • Elections Government • Military/Iraq Education Obituaries Vitals • Weird LOCAL NEWS A Tacoma,WA-December 15,2005 om New Night rail To New or additional commuter rail service New or expanded express bus Govt/( COMML q. ASSIST View. k " Govt/( MASTEI #PWD • View W, Tac Govt/( 27 Mechar Service •View Govt/( WASTE • -- TREATP OPERA- View a ^ 4 ` Health : $Ur Adult D 16 Day He •View kQW S12 Health �..., LLLLLL Assista • View, *--'�To DuPont Sotxce:Sound Tran+t FRED MATAMOROS/The News Tribe Vie http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-photo/story/5397783p-4878453c.html?phot... 12/15/2005 ruvw >Jc�all ragcI 11c1VcwNIIluu.11c.culll I Iacoma, WA Yage 2 of 3 27 PROPOSED SOUTH SOUND TRANSIT PROJECTS This map illustrates the South Sound transit sow projects being considered by Sound Transit as part of a second round of bus and rail projects in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties: • 1. Light rail from South 200th Street to Kent-Des Moines Road •2. Light rail from Kent-Des Moines Road to Tacoma Dome Station •3. Study of potential light-rail lines in South King County •4. New light-rail station on Commerce Street in Tacoma •5. Convert Tacoma's streetcar system to match Seattle's heavier rail system •6. Extend Tacoma's streetcar system to Tacoma Community College, using the Seattle technology •7. Extend Tacoma's streetcar system to TCC using the lighter streetcar technology •8. Bus-only access ramps on Interstate 5 at South Industrial Way and Airport Way/Fifth Avenue South •9. Car-pool access ramps on Highway 167 at Smith Street • 10."Business access and transit-only"lanes and "transit signal priority"on Highway 161, new Meridian/South Hill Park&Ride and new bus route serving the Sounder train south corridor • 11. New express bus route serving all Sounder stations between Tacoma Dome and King Street during off-peak periods • 12. Express bus"transit signal priority"on Highway 516 • 13. Express bus"transit signal priority,"left-turn lane and a bus route modification to improve access to the Sounder Tukwila Station • 14. Extension of express bus route to Tacoma Dome Station during peak periods with limited stops • 15. Parking garage at Burien Transit Center • 16. Surface parking expansion at Tacoma Dome Station • 17.Sounder train station at Tukwila • 18.Sounder parking garage at Auburn station • 19. New Sounder station in North Sumner •20. Parking garage and pedestrian bridge at Sumner •21.Sounder station Parking garage and pedestrian bridge at Puyallup •22.Sounder station Parking garage and pedestrian bridge at South Tacoma •23.Sounder station Parking garage at Lakewood •24.Sounder station Expanded Sounder service levels during peak, off-peak and weekend periods, and related track and signal improvements between Lakewood and Seattle •25. Sounder track and structure upgrades between Tacoma Dome Station and Reservation Junction •26. Extension of Sounder service to DuPont, upgrade of track and signals between Lakewood and DuPont and a new station at DuPont •27. Extension of light rail from Sea-Tac Airport to South 200th Street « Back http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-photo/story/5 397783p-4878453c.html?phot... 12/15/2005 Articles 12/21/05 Sumner Could Be Next City to Quiet Trains News Tribune Website b �sh PRINTER-FF Tacoma,WA-Wednesday, November 30,2005 < Back to F Sumner could be next city to quiet trains ROB TUCKER; The News Tribune Last updated: November 30th,2005 06:23 AM(PST) There once was an era when people longed to hear the trains coming to town, even encouraged of Dinah to blow her horn. But the lyrics from old folk songs have long since lost their romance in local urban areas. More city residents are disturbed by railroad whistles nowadays, as more freight and commuter trains roll down tracks. In Sumner, some residents have told officials the whistles are too loud and harm their sleep patterns and quality of life.The noise is also hard to talk over—as council members noticed at least once during their Monday night meeting. The railroads"have got to become good neighbors,"said Sumner City Councilman Mike Connor. As the number of trains increases, he warned, engineers "will be laying on horns all day long. It's a major impact." The good news is that Congress last summer allowed cities for the first time to decree"quiet zones"at crossings where railroad trains cannot blow their whistles. Four Washington cities have found ways to go quiet. BNSF Railway trains run silent through parts of Seattle, Wenatchee, Yakima and Spokane. The bad news is that cities must pay for the required crossing safety upgrades, and those aren't cheap.A proposed quiet zone in downtown Sumner, for instance, could cost more than$300,000 for upgrades at four crossings. Irritation about train whistle noise seems to be spreading across the region. Concerns from a hotel on Ruston Way in Tacoma prompted the city and the hotel owner to pay for a wayside horn installed at a crossing—a quieter method of alerting people when a train passes. Kent might try to eliminate whistles, and Puyallup has looked at ways to shush the trains that roll through downtown. "For us to accomplish it, it's very expensive,"said Puyallup Mayor Kathy Turner. "We need federal help." George Cabaniss, a resident of Lakeland Hills near Sumner, said he has a petition with more than 50 signatures from neighbors disturbed by whistles when trains run through Sumner in the valley below. He's asked city officials to declare a quiet zone along a crossing on 24th Street East. Sumner leaders, who welcomed a new commuter train station five years ago, now want to take their complaints to a newly formed association of valley cities, where Kent, Puyallup and others share their concerns. More than 60 BNSF freight,Amtrak, commuter rail and Union Pacific trains roll through Sumner daily. The city could try wayside horns mounted at crossings instead of regular train whistles.The horns, which automatically go off when a train passes, aren't as loud but cost$15,000 to $30,000. For the Sumner quiet zone's four crossings, the bill could be up to$240,000. Railroads aren't required to pay for the upgrades, according to federal law. That frustrates Sumner residents. http://www.thenewstn'bune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5366044p-4854853c.html 11/30/2005 Ally 1\V WO 1111JU11%� - UU11111G1 %,VUIU uc 11GAL l:lty to quiet trains Wnnt) Page 2 of 2 "In an urban center,"said Councilman Connor, "the railroad ought to pay for mitigation.They need to step forward,with the amount of money they're making." But others said if the railroad had to pay for noise relief in every city on its line,the company could go out of business. The BNSF line covers 32,000 miles, crossing 28 states and two Canadian provinces, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas. Sumner Police Chief Colleen Wilson cautioned the council about creating quiet zones, especially in the north industrial area where people often walk the tracks. "I've worked in railroad towns for 30 years,"she said. "I've picked up a lot of dead people.A quiet zone is a huge change. I just don't want to pick up a dead kid on the tracks." University Place officials had to do that Nov.20 when a BNSF train struck and killed two teenagers north of Sunset Beach. Melonas said that train was blowing its whistle as it approached. Rob Tucker:253-597-8374 Lob tucker a thenewstribune.com Originally published: November 30th,2005 02:30 AM(PST) Privacy Policy I User Agreement I Contact Us I About Us I Site Mao I Jobsa-The TNT I RSS 1950 South State Street,Tacoma,Washington 98405 253-597-8742 ©Copyright 2005 Tacoma News Inc.A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company �. http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/v-printer/story/5366044p-4854853c.html 11/30/2005 Articles 12/21/05 Waldrick Road Trestle Gets Hit by Big Rig's Top Olympian Website This is a printer friendly version of an article from the The Olympian To print this article open the file menu and choose Print. Back Waldrick Road trestle gets hit by big rig's top THE OLYMPIAN A tractor-trailer scraped its top Sunday night on the underside of the trestle near Waldrick Road, but it didn't strike the structure hard enough to damage it, East Olympia Fire Station Capt. Tom Schierberg said Monday. 13 The driver of the 40-foot tractor-trailer, licensed out of British Columbia, realized his vehicle was too tall for the 12-foot, 6-inch clearance, and he unsuccess-fully tried to lower the rig enough to pass under it. Firefighters rerouted car traffic for an hour, until the truck driver had backed nearly a mile to a road that could bypass the trestle, he said. The road was clear by 8:30 p.m. Burlington Northern Santa Fe spokesman Gus Melonas said Monday that there was no disruption in train traffic. http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20051206&Category=NEWSOI&ArtNo=5... 12/6/2005 Articles 12/21/05 More Workers Taking Skills, Money Elsewhere Olympian Website rnnter-menuiy di uric PagV �- This is a printer friendly version of an article from the The Olympian To print this article open the file menu and choose Print. Back More workers taking skills, money elsewhere Strategy sought for better jobs in Thurston County By Jim Szymanski The Olympian A steadily increasing number of Thurston County residents commute to jobs outside the county, which economic development experts say is partly due to a lack of good-paying local jobs. 13 Nearly 30 percent more people now commute to jobs outside the county than work for state government in Thurston County, and the number of outbound commuters is growing steadily. State government jobs have long stabilized the region's economy, cushioning it from economic downturns. But growth in state jobs has been relatively flat for several years. Working outside the county often means longer commutes, more traffic on freeways adding to air pollution, and lost revenue for local businesses and governments. Outbound commuters tend to spend some of their income at businesses near their workplace, depriving their home communities of sales taxes needed for parks, roads, schools and public services. It's a trend that cuts to the heart of the ongoing local debate between proponents of economic development and proponents of slow growth. "It's something we're concerned about,"said Michael Cade, executive director of the Economic Development Council of Thurston County. "If we don't pay attention to it now, it could turn into a real big problem." Because of the trend, the EDC is working to develop its first written strategy for recruiting good jobs to the county and keeping them here. Commuting patterns under analysis by the Thurston Regional Planning Council show that the number of commuters outbound from Thurston County surpassed the county's state government work force in 1997 and continues to grow at a faster clip. In that year, an estimated 21,629 commuters left the county for civilian and military jobs compared with state government employment of 21,581. The gap has been growing steadily. This year, an estimated 29,931 people, not including military personnel, leave the county every work day to get to their jobs, compared with a state government payroll estimated at 23,194. "Clearly, we're not creating enough family-wage jobs to keep our people home,"said Dennis Matson, Cade's predecessor at the Economic Development Council. "As they work elsewhere, they shop elsewhere and put more pressure on mass transit." While the number of commuters coming to Olympia from other counties also is increasing, more people leave the county than come into it, TRPC data show. In 2005, the data show an outbound commute, including military personnel, of 32,331 compared with 17,282 inbound commuters. EDC board President Michael Edwards attributes the trend to the changing nature of Thurston County and its http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20051218&Category=NEW S&ArtNo=51... 12/18/2005 r iIII«i-ii►ciiuiy d LAIC Page Page 2 of 3 three major cities. "We're becoming more of a bedroom community than we already were," Edwards said. There's an emotional side to the trend as well. Children who grow up in Thurston County often have to leave the county to find good jobs. "I have three boys and they're all in Seattle in the dot-corn business," Edwards said. "I think if we could stop the brain drain, we in South Sound would all be better off." What's happening here is part of a national trend, said Pete Swensson, a TRPC planner. "More and more of this is going on nationally," he said. It has implications for traffic and air pollution and, as gasoline prices continue to rise, longer commutes pinch motorists'disposable incomes, Swensson said. When disposable income winds up in the gasoline tank, it doesn't go to local retail stores or entertainment venues, Swensson said. Addressing the issue of longer commutes by recruiting higher-paying jobs locally is complex, state economist Paul Turek said. Local leaders have been slow to find solutions and it's a delicate balancing act to please constituents who favor economic development and those who favor slowing growth to preserve South Sound's quality of life. "If you want more quality of life, you're going to have to sacrifice growth and the income gains that come with that,"Turek said. "If you want to provide more wealth to your citizens, the best way to do it is through economic growth." Housing lures commuters Two Intel engineers, Don Hayward and Nabil Azouz, who live in Olympia but commute to DuPont in Pierce County, explained why they regularly ride an Intercity Transit van 20 miles to work and back each day. Hayward moved from Utah nearly 9 years ago but didn't find many conveniences near the DuPont facility when he arrived. "We were not interested in living in a big metropolitan area, but when we looked (for a home) near the DuPont plant, there was nothing in the area," Hayward said. Since Hayward moved here, the Northwest Landing residential area near Intel has added new shops for residents. Azouz moved to Olympia seven years ago from the choked highways of Santa Clara, Calif. "I wanted to get away from the traffic," he said. "I was looking for a quiet place convenient to shopping." The DuPont homes were slightly more expensive than Thurston County homes, and the conveniences on Olympia's west side persuaded them to settle in Thurston County, Hayward and Azouz said. South Sound's booming housing market is only increasing the challenge of keeping the area from becoming more of a bedroom community. People from other counties often move here for cheaper housing and commute to jobs in the counties where they used to live. According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, the median price of a King County home is $100,000 more than in Thurston County; the median price in Pierce County is about $10,000 more than in Thurston County. Strategy in works Most outbound commuters, nearly 63 percent, go to Pierce County, followed by 10.7 percent to Lewis County and 5 percent to King County, TRPC data show. Other out-of-county destinations include Mason, Grays Harbor http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20051218&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=51... 12/18/2005 11111W1-11"111uly al L1%11%+F"5v _ »a_ -_ and Snohomish counties. For much of this year, the EDC has been working to develop its first written economic development strategy to recruit and retain higher-paying jobs for Thurston County. The strategy won't be ready to discuss publicly until next year, Cade said. But he said recruiting businesses in the health care field that could support the county's hospitals might show promise, as well as building demand for distribution warehouses along Interstate 5 in South Sound. "It's still a work in progress,"Edwards said of the county corporate recruitment effort. "We're still putting our act together." As the county's population grows, putting more demands on roads, schools and recreational needs, Thurston County must find an economic development strategy that persuades workers to stay closer to home, Edwards said. "The residential impact on infrastructure has to be offset,"he said. "If you don't have a good mix of jobs and housing, you're going to come up short on the funding for infrastructure and services." Jim Szymanski is business editor of The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-357-0748 or jszymanski@theolympian.com. com. http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20051218&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=51... 12/18/2005 Articles 12/21/05 • Funds Approved by Senate for Nashville-Area Commuter Rail • New Mexico to Buy 100 Miles of BNSF Mainline • Mayor to Take Over Atlanta Streetcar Project • Bush, in Reversal, Clears $1.3 Billion in Aid to Amtrak • Minnesota Light-Rail marks 10 Millionth Passenger • BNSF the Center of Merger Speculation Trans.com Newswire Trains.com Funds approved by Senate for Nashville-area commuter rail NASHVILLE, Tenn. -The U.S. Senate has approved the $6.2 million appropriation for the Music City Star, the commuter rail system to connect Nashville to surrounding counties, according to a story in Nashville's newspaper The Tennessean. The funds were a part of a Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary and Housing and Urban Development bill passed by the Senate Thursday, according to a release from Tennessee senators Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander. The measure will be sent to a joint conference committee to resolve differences with the House version of the bill. Construction on the mass-transit project began last month despite the concern that clean-up from Hurricane Katrina would derail funds for the project. The first corridor, out of a total of seven anticipated, will connect Lebanon to Nashville and has a planned opening date of January 2006. Funding for the system will be 80 percent federal, 10 percent state, and 10 percent city or local government. Service between Nashville and Lebanon, 32 miles east, will utilize trackage of short line Nashville & Eastern, which operates 130 miles of the former Tennessee Central Railway between Nashville and Monterey, Tenn. The service will initially rely on refurbished equipment, existing track, and financial backing from neighboring communities, and will cost just under$40 million to build. Former Amtrak locomotives and former Chicago Metra bilevel cars are already on the property. TRAINS News Wire for November 23, 2005 New Mexico to buy 100 miles of BNSF main line ALBUQUERQUE—The state of New Mexico has reached a tentative deal to buy about 100 miles of BNSF main line for a planned commuter train service linking Belen,Albuquerque and Santa Fe, according to a story in the Albuquerque Journal.The deal might also include an additional 170 miles of track and right-of- way between Santa Fe and the Colorado border,said Lawrence Rael, executive director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments,whose agency has been working on the New Mexico Rail Runner Express. Rael and state Transportation Secretary Rhonda Faught said Tuesday they could not disclose the anticipated price tag for the purchase, which is expected to be final by early next month. Service on the initial 47-mile Belen-Albuquerque-Bernalillo segment of RailRunner commuter service is scheduled to begin in January,and planners hope to get a commuter train into Santa Fe sometime in 2008. The additional mileage,from Santa Fe north to Raton, Colo.however, is a new twist. Faught said most of the money for the purchase is for the needed Belen-to-Santa Fe leg, not for the additional track.And Faught and Rael said the extra track could pay off down the line. Currently,the line is used by BNSF freight and Amtrak's Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief; both carriers would still have full use of the line despite a change of ownership. The state has already written a$75 million check for a RailRunner yard,equipment and track improvements, using a portion of a$1.6 billion transportation package approved by the Legislature in 2003. Planners hope to secure$75 million more in federal funding. A Colorado group called Front Range Commuter Rail is pushing for a high-speed commuter train that would one day link Cheyenne,Wyo., Denver, Albuquerque and intermediate points, according to a recent Associated Press report. Rael said New Mexico's ownership of the line between the Colorado border and Santa Fe would make such a plan more feasible.State ownership of the northern New Mexico leg also could help allow Las Vegas, N.M.,to start a commuter-train service into Santa Fe. Mayor to take over Atlanta streetcar project ATLANTA-Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is taking over a project that could see streetcars rolling down the city's famous Peachtree Street, according to an Associated Press story in the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Monday is the last scheduled meeting of the Atlanta Streetcar board of directors.The panel of business and community leaders was scheduled to turn over the effort to Franklin,who is expected to announce a plan to move the project forward as part of a larger economic initiative. The nonprofit Atlanta Streetcar board was formed 2 years ago to decide whether a streetcar line should be pursued "Obviously,we're not in the business of building streetcars,"said Michael Robison,chairman of the board of Atlanta Streetcar Inc. "That is something that the next level of leaders is going to be taking on." Plans call for a 12-mile line,from south of Atlanta's downtown to its Buckhead shopping and entertainment district.A shorter line would connect the new Georgia Aquarium and the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic district. The Peachtree line alone could generate more than$4 billion in new investment,with both lines attracting 21,500 riders a day, according to consultants for the project. JARail\Passenger Rail\PRW Setup\TRAINS News Wire for November 23.doc TRAINS News Wire for December 1, 2005 Bush, in reversal, clears$1.3 billion in aid to Amtrak WASHINGTON-After vowing to eliminate all subsidies for Amtrak, President Bush signed legislation Nov. 30 that will provide the financially ailing passenger railroad with$1.3 billion in federal aid for next year, according to a story in the Newark(N.J.)Star-Ledger.The Amtrak appropriation is part of a$137.6 billion transportation funding bill. The White House, intent on breaking up Amtrak by shifting some of its costs to the states and potentially selling off portions of the passenger carrier to private interests, had proposed zero funding for fiscal 2006, in part to spur financial reforms. Both the House and Senate rejected the administration plan to end subsidies, coming up with a compromise $1.3 billion package that represents a$108 million increase over current funding.Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said the appropriation will allow the passenger carrier to continue operating in the year ahead and avoid the possibility of insolvency. The measure includes$495 million for operating subsidies and more than$780 million to maintain and repair capital infrastructure, of which$280 million could be used for debt-service obligations. According to Trains magazine Correspondent Bob Johnston,Congress could not resist placing restrictions on how the money was to be spent.Johnston said conditions include that no funds may subsidize net losses on food, beverage, or sleeping-car service if the DOT Inspector General cannot certify savings by July 1, 2006,and Amtrak cannot offer discounts of more than 50 percent off"normal peak fares,"putting an end to internet discounts,statewide passes,and cash-generating off-peak yield management over lightly patronized route segments. Separate legislation to provide a long-term financing solution and mandate specific reforms for Amtrak is pending in Congress.That plan, sponsored by Sens.Trent Lott(R-Miss.)and Frank Lautenberg(D-N.J.), is opposed by the Bush administration because it envisions maintaining a nationally run rail system and continuing large subsidies for years to come. The congressional plan had been backed by Amtrak President David Gunn,who was fired earlier this month by the board of directors. TRAINS News Wire for December 2, 2005 Minnesota light-rail marks 10 millionth passenger MINNEAPOLIS - Metro Transit's Hiawatha light-rail line noted its 10 millionth passenger Friday, and although it was impossible to tell which rider tripped the magic number, a Minneapolis woman took home a prize, according to a story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Through computer monitoring, Metro Transit officials were sure the 10 millionth rider would arrive on the 11:07 a.m. train at the Mall of America. Barbara Lickness was designated No. 10,000,000 and was awarded a pass to ride the agency's buses and light-rail for free through May 2006. Other passengers received coupons for two free rides. Ridership on the Hiawatha line has been greater than projected. Metro Transit General Manager Brian Lamb, who was at the mall for the celebration, said officials initially thought it would take until August 2006 to transport 10 million people after the light-rail's opening in June 2004. Metro Transit says weekday light-rail ridership last month averaged 26,200. TRAINS News Wire for December 8, 2005 BNSF the center of merger speculation FORT WORTH -BNSF Railway's healthy financial position is fuelling speculation in the trade media that it may be considering new merger opportunities to significantly increase its service profile in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, according to a story in The CalTrade Report, published in Los Angeles, Calif. According to the publication, last week,several Canadian industry publications quoted an international rail consultant as saying that the rail carrier—one of the two major railroads serving California—may again attempt a merger with Canadian National,which operates across Canada plus, in the U.S.,the former Illinois Central, Grand Trunk Western, and Wisconsin Central railroads. An article in a transportation law publication last month speculates that BNSF may also make a grab for Kansas City Southern,which controls the Texas-Mexican,which links KCS proper and the newly renamed Kansas City Southern of Mexico,formerly TFM.Wall Street analysts report that BNSF will have some$2 billion in"free cash"to spend over the next 26 months on increasing the dividend paid to investors, buying back its own stock(reducing available shares and lifting the stock price),or acquisitions. BNSF is North America's second-largest railroad, behind Union Pacific, operating 32,000 miles of railroad and collecting$10 billion annually in freight revenue. Union Pacific,the other big railroad serving California,operates a slightly larger network than BNSF and earns$12 billion in freight revenue annually.A BNSF combination with either KCS or CN could more than overtake Union Pacific in terms of network coverage and revenue.According to one railroad industry consultant, Canadian National would be BNSF's most logical partner. BNSF and CN in 2000 voluntarily cancelled merger plans after U.S. regulators imposed a 15-month freeze on railroad consolidations while new rules were written. However, according to the Association of Transportation Law Professionals, BNSF may have an interest in acquiring KCS, a combination considered by some analysts to be more likely than a renewal of a BNSF-CN consolidation. KCS would be an attractive match because of its control of Tex-Mex and KCSM, one of two major Mexican railroads and the one that controls virtually all tracks into and out of the Port of Lazaro Cardenas. KCSM is currently spending$12 million to improve its rail-monopoly access. The Port of Lazaro Cardenas is 600 rail miles closer to Houston than the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach;only 200 miles farther from Chicago than from Southern California;and the closest Mexican port to Mexico City,the capital and largest city. Labor costs are reported to be 30 percent cheaper at Lazaro Cardenas that at U.S. ports. Furthermore,Wal-Mart is reportedly working with ocean carrier Maersk to invest in additional port capacity at Lazaro Cardenas,while terminal operator Hutchison Wampoa already is in the process of increasing the port's capacity ten-fold. Meanwhile,the Wall Street firm of UBS projects that the Lazaro Cardenas port expansion and increased Asian imports will boost KCSM's rail-freight revenue associated with port traffic from$29 million to as much as$225 million by 2025. UBS projects that the Port of Lazaro Cardenas will be handling 2 million containers by 2025,compared to the current 9 million at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and under 2 million at the ports of Oakland and Seattle. FROM �WSDOT RRIL 360 70S 6821 2001,03-20 13: 12 #977 P.01/06 Aft V R I Washington State Facsimile Transmittal Department of Transportation 13 CATE TIME 110.OF PA incl.Trans.) Q �/ ❑Call for Pickup ❑ Deliver FROM TCf Ray Allred, Rail Planning Specialist A N LOCATION WSDOT Rail Office VOICE HONE NO, FAX PHONE NO. VOICE PHONE NO_ FAX PHONE NO- (360) 705-7903 (360) 705-6821 COMMENTS f P I- l y NOTICE: Some fax machines produce copies on thermal paper. The image produced is highly unstable and will deteriorate significantly in a few years. This record should be copied on a plain paper copier prior to filing as a record. DOT Form 700.050 CF R.v.Afl AIA4 FROM :WSDOT RAIL 360 705 6821 2001.03-20 13:12 #977 P.02/06 WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND RAIL DIVISION FREIGHT RAIL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION The Washington State Department of Transportation(WSDOT)has limited funds available for freight rail assistance projects which support light density rail lines, improve rail access to ports, and preserve or restore rail corridors and infrastructure. These funds are available through WSDOT'S Rail Office. The primary source of state funds is the Freight Rail Assistance Fund(FRAF). All FRAF funds Dave been allocated through June 30, 2001 (end of current biennium budget period). With the legislature in session, it is unknown at this time what level of funding will be available on July 1,2001 (start of 2001 —2003 budget period). FRAF funding is available for projects,which support branch and light density lines,but additionally for projects,which improve rail access to ports, and preserve or restore rail corridors and infrastructure. Projects must have a benefit/cost ratio that exceeds 1.U. This will be calculated based on avoided highway impacts of truck traffic, shipper savings,opportunity costs, employment impacts,relocation costs,operating costs,project costs and other related costs associated with the loss of rail service. Projects will be prioritized based on net present value,immediacy of need,local interest and commitment, financial need, and other related criteria. Due to the limited nature of currently available funding,projects will be funded from this prioritized list based on financial need. 1. Name and address of requesting FRAF applicant: 2_ Contact person_ Name Title Phone Number FROM :WSDOT RRIL 360 705 6821 2001.03-20 13:12 #977 P.03/06 3. Project description. (Use additional sheets if necessary. Include maps and sketches if possihle.) 4. Describe how the project benefits the movement of common carrier rail freight. (Use Additional sheets if necessary.) 5. Is the project line included on the state rail system map? 6. Describe how this project will: a. Increase business on a light density line,or b. Mitigate the impacts of an abandonment,or c. Decrease a port-rail access or congestion problem,or d. Increase mainliDe capacity. (Use additional sheets as necessary.) 7. Explain how this project is consistent with stat regional, and local,plans. FROM :WSDOT RRIL 360 705 6621 2001.03-20 13:12 33977 P.04/06 8. Project timetable. 9. If this project is not completed,what will result? 10. What is likelihood of project being completed witbout BRAA.ftwding? 11. Is property to be improved under public ovm.ership? 12. Funds are available as 0%interest loans. However, funds may be granted for projects onup blit property,but only if essential. Projects will be prioritized for available funds based on willingness of recipient to repay. is requesting jurisdiction able to repay if assistance is provided as a loan? 13. Total cost of project $ 14. State assistance requested $ 15. Local owitribution $ 16. Private contribution $ 17. Other funding $ Describe-- FROM :WSDOT RAIL 360 705 6821 2001,03-20 13:13 #977 P.05/06 18. If local contribution is not monetary, describe nature of in kind contribution. 19. Identify the source of the required 20%match_ 20. Provide a copy of your most recent audited financial statement and a copy of your most recent year revenues and expenses. Include amount(if any) of reserve funds as of December 31 of the most recent year. 21.. Names of shipper(s)utilizing the subject rail line or facility. Include contact person name, title, and phone number for each shipper. 22. Traffic history for the naost recent two calendar years. Include carloads and commodities by shipper. FROM :WSDOT RAIL 360 70S 6821 2001,03-20 13:13 #977 P.06/06 23. Provide evidence of local support and shipper commitment for this project. (You may provide letters of support as an attachment to this application.) 24. Why is this project needed and what are the expected benefits to your community/region? Additional information will be requested as necessary. Submit completed application to: Ray Allred Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office 310 Maple Park Avenue SE P.O. Box 47387 Olympia, WA 985047387 Ph. (360) 705-7903 Fax(360) 705-6821. Filc:frail THURSTON REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL TO., Ken Garmann FAX PHONE: CONTACT PHONE: FR.QM, Thera Black FAX PHONE: (360) 754-4413 CONTACT PHONE: (360) 786-5480 There is a total of 12 page(s), including this page. If you do not receive all pages, please call 786-5480. NOTES: Hi, Ken! .Attached is the program outline you were looking for from Jude regarding the Community Preservation Grant program (TEA21). l conveyed to Jude your interest in having us add completion of the Y-2/Y-3 bypass study to the letter of intent she's drafting, since WSDOT told you it could only be submitted by an RTPO. Jude assured me that any agency at all can submit a letter of intent. However, she is not sure that they'll support EIS work with these funds. Take a look at the program description and see what you think. You may want to talk with her directly since time is short and i'll be out of the office the rest of this afternoon. Good luck with your funding efforts! T0'd 2961# Wd9P:T 866T 9Z J0d BVEV 8Sb 09E :01 SONO ON-ld 0Sd NO1SNnH1:WONA FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:36PM 9962 P.02 Adft AUG 21 1998 Washington State Transportation Builgmy Department of Transportation - —oo ,�Lu,�,wp,p Box-17300 Sid Morrison PLANNING COUNCkym"-WA 98504-7300 Secret,Rry of Transportation August 19, 1998 ' 7 Harold Robertson, Director Thurston Regional Planning Council 2404 Heritage Court SW#B ..: - Olympia,WA 985026031 Re: Community Preservation Grant \-4 k Program-Section 1221 of TEA 21 Dear Mr. Robertson: Under TEA 21 - Section I221, Congress established the Community Preservation Pilot Program. This innovative pilot program provides funding for planning, research and implementation projects linking transportation and land use. The intent of the pilot program is to highlight techniques,strategies and projects used to link transportation and land use. The goal is to capitalize on the use of alternate modes of transportation to preserve the capacity of the road and highway system. Ultimately,the pilot program seeks to fund strategies and projects that change travel behavior. To be eligible for this innovative TEA 21 pilot program,applicants must submit the Letter of Intent to the Federal Highways Administration(FHWA)by October 30, 1998. Grant applicants can be either local,regional or state government. Washington is a leader in research on transportation and land use linkages. The state's growth management program integrates local and regional plans and seeks modal integration. This leadership places communities in Washington in a unique position to obtain implementation grants ? through the federal Community Preservation Pilot Program. Currently, WSDOT is taking a cooperative,statewide approach to structu ' the grant propos However, regional and local governments are welcome to submit their own unique, and Letter of Intent to the FHWA. We are encouraging participation in drafting a cooperative approach to the Pilot Program by requesting that your organization begin thinking about a project to propose. Projects proposed for the cooperative approach should creatively link transportation and land use and seek to capitalize on the use of alternate modes- Participation in the structuring of the cooperative approach to the Pilot Program is also welcomed as discussions have just begun. FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:36PM #962 P.03 Mr, Harold Robertson August 19, 1998 Page 2 A project example might be the implementation of changes to land use near a proposed transit station that effectively reinforces the use of several modes. Other examples are the implementation of the"skinny street"concept applied to an urban center or the completion of a bicycle and pedestrian facility, linked to changes in land use. Initial discussions concerning the Pilot Program have centered on encouraging communities to suggest implementation projects already identified in long range plans. The federal timeline for the submittal of the Luer of Intent to FHWA is short. Please indicate in writing whether your organization may propose a project, or otherwise wishes to participate. Please call Ryan Zulauf at(360)-705-7968 by August 27, 1998,to indicate your organizations desire to participate. While we recognize the short federal deadline may be a hindrance, participation by your organization is critical to the success of this cooperative response to the Community Preservation Pilot Program. Communities in Washington are uniquely situated to take advantage of this funding source under TEA 21. Let's work together to keep Washington a leader in creative transportation and land use solutions. I look forward to working with you and your organization to find new, creative transportation solutions, Sincerely, CHARLES E.HOWARD, JR Planning Manager Planning and Programming Service Center CElVRZ:jr Enclosure cc: WSDOT Regional Administrators WSDOT Regional Planners TPO Regional Planners ,FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:37PM U962 P.04 Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program ~ TEA-21 Outreach: Discussion Materials for Initial Stakeholders Meeting U.S. Department of Transportation Room 10234, 1:00 pm to 4:30 p.m. August 5, 1998 i. INTRODUCTION The Department of Transportation (DOT) is preparing to implement Section 1221 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21' Century (TEA-21), which establishes the Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program (TCSP). This paper provides information and questions for an initial meeting with stakeholders on the implementation of this program. The results of this meeting will be used in a Federal Register Notice and a larger stakeholder meeting being planned for mid-September. Il. BACKGROUND The TCSP provides funding for planning grants, implementation grants, and research to g investigate and address the relationship between transportation and community and system preservation. States, local governments, and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are eligible for discretionary grants to plan and implement strategies which improve the efficiency, of the transportation system, reduce environmental impacts of transportation, reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investments, ensure efficient access to jobs, services and centers of trade, and examine development pattems and identify strategies to encourage private sector development patterns which achieve these goals. Funding for the TCSP is $20 million in t~Y.1999 and$25 million per year for FY2000. through,2003: .The size, scope and number of grants funded under TCSP will be dependent on the proposals received from potential grantees. DOT anticipates that in the first year of the program there may be 20 to 30 grants, Community Preservation Practices: The projects and research funded under this program will develop, implement, and evaluate transportation activities that support transportation and community and system preservation practices. The program will demonstrate transportation strategies that balance short and long term environmental, economic, and social equity needs of communities. Examples of current community preservation practices include policies to direct spending to high growth areas; urban growth boundaries to guide metropolitan expansion, and green corridors that provide access to major highway corridors for efficient and compact development. 1 FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:37PM 9962 P.05 Outreach and cooperation with partners and stakeholders: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which is administering this program for DOT, is establishing this program in cooperation with other Federal agencies, state, regional, and local governments To prepare the initial design and implementation of this program, FHWA has established a working group with representatives from Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Research and Special Programs AdministrationNolpe Research Center, Office of the Secretary of Transportation, and the Environmental Protection Agency. With this working group, FHWA is gathering input through a Federal Register Notice and through meetings with stakeholders conducted as part of DOT's outreach plans following the passage of TEA-21. For ongoing input into the development and priorities for the program, FHWA is considering workshops with current and potential grantees and stakeholders and Federal Register Notices to announce priorities for upcoming grants. In addition, Section 5107 of TEA-21 establishes an advisory board under the Surface Transportation-Environment Cooperative Research Program. This board of scientists, engineers, and State and local agencies may provide another opportunity to gather ongoing input for the development of the program. Research: The TCSP includes a comprehensive research program to investigate the - relationships between transportation, community preservation, and the environment, and to investigate the role of the private sector in shaping such relationships. The research program also includes monitoring and analysis of projects carried out under C c the grant program. The goal of the research program is to build a knowledge base of work in this field that will enable State, regional and local government agencies, the private sector and interest groups to create communities which meet current and long term environmental, social equity, and economic goals. With coordination and input from its partners and stakeholders, the FHWA will identify and initiate needed research to support the purposes of the TCSP. The research may be conducted through cooperative agreements with organizations, contract support, or through State, local and MPO grants. FHWA is proposing to-concentrate the research program on five areas: 1. Synthesizing existing research and knowledge; 2. Identifying gaps in our knowledge base and strategies for closing them; 3. Evaluating effectiveness of each grant project and an overall program evaluation; 4. Developing needed tools and methodologies; and 5. Effectively coordinating and disseminating results, tools and information developed by the program. 2 •FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:38PM 4962 P.06 III. PURPOSES OF THE TCSP Activities funded under TCSP must addrbss and integrate each of the purposes of the program. Hold well proposed projects achieve each of these purposes will be a principal criterion in selecting proposals for funding. Activities eligible for funding under Title 23 or Chapter 53 of title 49 U.S.C. or other activities determined by the Secretary to be appropriate are eligible for funding. Additional priorities and criteria for planning and or implementation grants follow in Parts III and IV. Grant proposals must address how proposed activities will demonstrably: 1) Improve the efficiency of the transportation system; Proposals for TCSP activities should identify, develop and evaluate new measures of transportation efficiency that are based on maximizing the use of existing community infrastructure, such as highways, rail and transit systems, natural resources, and the built environment. Performance measures should include a focus on people and access rather than cars, or goods carried and services provided carried rather than miles traveled. 2) Reduce the impacts of transportation-on the environment; Proposals for TCSP activities should explore the long term direct and indirect social, economic and environmental impacts of transportation investments on the c $ natural and built environment. Performance measures should relate the results of F individual activities to the larger community and regional environment and the S transportation system. 3) Reduce the need for costly future public Infrastructure; Proposals for TCSP activities should describe how they will reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investment and/or create tools and techniques to measure these savings. Performance measures should include projected investment savings from these activities. 4) Ensure efficient access to jobs„ services and centers of trade; and Proposals for TCSP activities should clearly demonstrate how they improve efficient, affordable access to jobs, services and centers of trade. This could also include the use of new technologies to reduce the need to travel., Performance measures should include improved access to jobs and services, and for freight movements. 5) Encourage private sector development pattems. Proposals for TCSP activities should identify effective strategies to encourage private sector investments that result in land development patterns that help meet the goals of the program. Performance measure should demonstrate and monitor changes in development patterns from TCSP activities. 3 FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:39PM ##962 P.07 IV. CRITERIA FOR PLANNING GRANTS • Planoipg assistance under the TCSP is intended to provide financial resources to States and communities to explore integrating their community preservation and environmental initiatives with transportation programs. • Each planning grant will include a project evaluation component. • Priority will be given for proposals that: -- meet the purposes of the program described above;. -- demonstrate a commitment of non-Federal resources; and -- include public and private involvement including the involvement of non- traditional partners in the project team, V. CRITERIA FOR IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS • Implementation assistance under the TCSP is intended to provide financial resources to States and communities that have established community preservation programs to enable them to carry out projects that address transportation efficiency while meeting community preservation and environmental goals. Implementation grants are an incentive to applicants that have already instituted preservation practices, • Priority will be given to applicants that have already instituted preservation or development programs and policies that: ' -- Are eligible for Federal highway and transit funding; -- Are coordinated with State and locally adopted preservation and development plans; — Integrate transportation and community and system preservation practices; -- Promote investments in transportation infrastructure and transportation activities that minimize adverse environmental impacts; -- Encourage private sector investments and innovative strategies that address the purposes of TCSP; -- Propose activities that meet the purposes of the program; and/or -- Propose activities where implementation and results will be timely. • Implementation grants will be distributed equitably with respect to a diversity of populations and geographic regions. • These grants will need to include an evaluation component to measure the results of the activities. 4 FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:39PM 4962 P.08 VI. PROGRAM ISSUES Relationship of TCSP To Current Transportation Planning Processes; Activities funded by this program may be used to test or implement new, innovative planning methods and programs that significantly update and improve upon existing Statewide and MPO long-range transportation plans. The TCSP funds are intended to leverage new community preservation initiatives rather than to fund the ongoing planning activities of States and MPOs. TCSP funded activities must demonstrate coordination with the State or MPO to ensure the planning process is not circumvented. In addition, activities should encourage and improve public involvement in the overall planning process as well as in the individual project. Construction projects funded by the TCSP will ultimately be included in an approved State or MPO Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). TCSP funds should not be requested for projects that have already been scheduled for funding and are in the current State or MPO TIP. Non-construction activities funded by the TCSP, such as the development of regional plans and policies, project evaluations, and land development code changes, may not need to appear in a Statewide or MPO .TIP, but should still have the support or endorsement of the State or MPO. Nan-construction projects such as these may result in changes to existing State and MPO plans and would need coordination with other jurisdictions within a metropolitan region or State. VII. LETTERS OF INTENT t To lessen the burden of the application process, FHWA plans to request brief Letters of Intent (LOI) (3-4 pages). An LOI would briefly describe how the proposal addresses each of the purposes of the program and the specific criteria for planning or implementation grants. FHWA is particularly interested in supporting projects that are ready to begin and to collect and document results that can be shared with others quickly. The LOI's should highlight when the proposal would be initiated and when results are expected. From the LOIS, FHWA will select the ones that will be asked to Prepare a grant request for further consideration. PROPOSED TIME LINE FOR TCSP TCSP Milestones FY 1999 FY 2000 =1998March sed Issue Federal Register Notice and A999 Request for Letters of Intent Comments and Letter!selected f Intent Due Oct. 30, 1998 May 1999 Select 1 st round to Pare Grant Nov. 30, 1998 June 1999 Requests Grant proposals from Jan. 30, 1999 Aug. 1999 Letters of Intent Due Grants awarded Feb. 30, 1999 Qct. 1999 5 FROM:THURSTON REG PLNG CNCL T0: 360 458 4348 AUG 26, 1998 1:40PM 9962 P.09 VIII. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION . The followirt questions provide a framework for initial discussions with stakeholders at the August 51h meeting. I. Project selection criteria: Should there be any additional weight or priority applied to any of the criteria? Are the criteria by which the proposals will be evaluated clear and understandable? 2. Planning: How can we ensure that TCSP-funded activities support the existing Statewide and metropolitan planning process? How can this be done while still supporting innovative activities that may challenge existing planning documents and processes or develop new planning techniques? 3. Grants: The TCSP addresses broad issues with regional or Statewide implications. Would funding of improvements to a single bus stop location, neighborhood street, or job center provide meaningful community preservation impacts on the larger region? How should we balance grant-making between planning and implementation grants? Should there be a cap on the size of implementation grants? Should land acquisition and right-of-way purchases be funded? - 4. Project timeliness: How important should the time line for implementation of projects be in our evaluation of proposed projects? i 5. Evaluation of projects: How can project sponsors effectively evaluate the results of activities? How can the results of individual project evaluations be used to evaluate the overall impacts of TCSP? 6. Research: What gaps currently exist in our knowledge of community preservation practices? What experience -- both good and bad -- do we have with work in this field? What tools do practitioners need to achieve the integration of these issues in the planning process and in project implementation? T. Public and private sector involvement: How should grantees demonstrate a commitment of non-Federal resources and effective involvement of public and private partners? How can we broaden the base of project participants and sponsors, to encourage participation beyond the traditional recipients of Federal-aid Highway funds? B. General: Should requests for comments on the program and requests for Letters of Intent go out in the same Federal Register notice? Is the time line for Letters of Intent and grants realistic? Should Letters of Intent be used for FY 2000 grants and beyond? What should the program be called (e.g., TCSP, Community Preservation Grants. other)? 9. Other issues: What other issues should be addressed? 6 I ransportation r y Act for the 21 st Century http: /w-%Yw.tbwadot.gov..'tea2 1.!h211-ubb.htrn#I SEC. 1221. <<NOTE: 23 USC 101 note.>> TRANSPORTA:`ION AND COMMUNIT`_' AND SYSTEM PRESERIIAT--ON PILOT PROGRAM. M D 3 (a% Establishment.--=n cooperation with appropriate State, regional, and Local governments, the Secretary shall establish a, comprehens-ve C initiative to investigate and address the relationships between M transportation and coumunity and systen preser*ration and identify o p__:-ate sector-based initiatives. z (b) Research.-- X (1) =n genera=.--In cooperation. with appropriate Federal 0 agencies, State, regional, and local governments, and other T entities eligible for assistance under subsection (d), the z Secretary shall carry out a comprehensive research program to investigate the relationships between transportation, community z preservation, and the environment and the role of the private sector in shaping such relationships. (2) Required elements.--The program shall provide for monitoring and analysis of projects carried out with funds made available to carry out subsections (c) and (d) . o (c) Planning. — (1) lanning. -- (1) in general.--The Secretary shai_ allocate funds made available to carry out this subsection to States, metropolitan planning organizations, and local governments to plan_, develop, and implement strategies to integrate transportation and � community and system preservation plans and practices. m (2) Purposes.--The purposes of the allocations shall be-- (A) to improve the efficiency of the transportation m system; a (B) to reduce the impacts of transportation on the environment; (C) to reduce the need for costly future investments in public infrastructure; (D) to provide efficient access to jobs, services, C and centers of trade; and M (E) to examine development patterns and identify ru strategies to encourage private sector development patterns which achieve the goals identified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) . W (3) Criteria.--In allocating funds made available to carry M out this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to F, applicants that-- (A) propose projects for funding that address the m purposes described in paragraph (2) ; and 3 (B) demonstrate a commitment of non-Federal resources to the proposed projects. LO (4) Additional criteria.--In addition, the Secretary shat) N give consideration to applicants that demonstrate a commitment ID 73 of 77 911419 1:52 P' „a(J.NVV1&aicvu c v fua rur me GIsC t.enrufY http:i-,vww.tbwa.dot.govftea121;h2,10,-ubb.htrn#1: to public and private involvement, including involvement of nontraditional partners in the project team. ;d) Allocation of Funds for Implementation.- -(1) _o General .--The Secretary shall allocate funds !made = available to carry out this subsection to States, metropolitan M planning organizations, and vocal governments to carry out -rn4 projects to address transportation efficiency and conr..unity and z system preservation. (2)� Criteria.--=n allocating funds made available to carry M out this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to � applicants that-- r (A) have instituted preservation or development M plans and programs that-- n (i) meet the requirements of title 23 and C) chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code; and U i) (I) are coordinated with State and local adopted preservation or development plans; (II) are intended to promote cost-effective o and strategic investments in transportation infrastructure that minimize adverse impacts on the environment; or (III) are intended to promote innovative private sector strategies. (B) have instituted other policies to integrate m transportation and con. mu .ity and system preservation m practices, such as-- Z. (i) spending policies that direct funds to m high-growth areas; A (ii) urban growth boundaries to wide W A .metropolitan expansion; rn (iii) ' 'green corridors” programs that provide access `o major highway corridors for areas targeted for efficient and compact c development; or rn (iv) other similar programs or policies as N determined by the Secretary; (C) have preservation or development policies that include a mechanism for reducing potential impacts of LO transportation activities on the environmen`_; a10o (D) examine ways to encourage private sector investments that address the purposes of this section; and (E) propose projects for funding that address the 3 purposes described in subsection (c) (z) . (3) Equitable distribution.--In allocating funds to carry st out this subsection, the Secretary shall ensure the equitable N distribution of funds to a diversity of populations and 74 of 77 x')41'98 1.52 PN <..,,�r..,,a...,,, �• V r%tL IV] WC Z I:A t.rnrury http:.'www.Yhwa.dot.gov..'tea21/h2An-ubb.htm#K geographic regions. t !=lUse of allocated funds.-- 71 (A; In general.=-An allocation of funds made 3 available to carr.: out this subsection shall be used by the recipient to implement the protects proposed in the c application to the Secretary. (B) Types o: projects.--The allocation of funds I sna-'_ be available for obligation for-- (i) any project e-igible for funding ender title 23 or chapter 53 of title 49, United States M Code; or (ii) any other activity relating to Z transportation and community and system c) preservation that the Secretary determines to be C) appropriate, including corridor preservation n activities that are necessary to implement-- (I) transit-oriented development pans; (II) traffic calming measures; or o (==_T) other coord'-nated •• transportation and community and system.. preservation practices. (e) Funding.-- ;'_; In genera'_.--There is authorized -o be appropriated frcr.. m the Hichway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) to m carry out this section $20,000,OCO for fiscal year 1999 and � $25,OOO,00 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2003. m (2) Contract authority.--Funds authorized under this A subsection shall be available for obligation in the sage manner A as if the funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, m United States Code. SEC. 1222. ADDrT10NS TO APPALACHIAN REGION. 3) C M (a1 In General.--Section 403 of the Appalachian Regional Development N Act of 1965 (40 U.S.C. App.} is amended-- <<NOTE: 40 USC app. 403.>> °1 111) in the undesignated paragraph relating to Alabama-- (A) by inserting "Hale, " after ' 'Franklin, "; and LO LO (BY by inserting "Macon, ' ' after ' 'Limestone, '.'; m (2) - in the undesignated paragraph relating to Georgia-- (A; by inserting ' 'Elbert, " after ' 'Douglas, ' '; and (B; by inserting "Hart, ' ' after "Haralson, " • (3) in the undesignated paragraph relating to '_Mississippi by 3 striking "and Winston' ' and inserting "Winston, and `_'alobusha" ; and LO (4) in the undesignated paragraph relating to Virginia-- N (A) by.inserting. ' '14ontgcnery, ' ' after ' 'Lee, ' ': and N 75 of 77 8/14/948 1:52 P1v FEB 0 9 2001 s _ �_ SERVICE DATE dH ,cy deg FEB — 7 2001 STATE OF WASHINGTON WASHINGTON UTILITIES AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION 1300 S. Evergreen Park Dr. S.W., P.O. Box 47250 • Olympia, Washington 98504-7250 (360) 664-1160 • TTY (360) 586-8203 February 6, 2001 RE: In the Matter of Adopting and Repealing Provisions of Chapter 480-62 WAC Relating to Railroad Companies—Operations Docket No. TR-981102 TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: The Commission has amended and adopted permanently the Commission's rules regarding railroad companies—operations (chapter 480-62 WAC), in Docket No. TR- 981102. The Commission filed the Order with the Code Reviser on January30, 2001. It will be effective on the 31"day following filing. The Adoption Order and rules are available for inspection on the Commission's web site at www//wutc.wa.gov/rulemakings/981102. The Commission will send paper copies of these documents or send copies via electronic mail, if requested. To receive the documents in this manner you may (1) call the Commission's Records Center at 360-664- 1234, (2) e-mail the Commission at<records(o_)wutc.wa.gov>, or(3)mail a written request to the address below. When contacting the Commission,please refer to Docket No.TR-981102. The Commission's mailing address is: Secretary Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission 1300 South Evergreen Park Drive SW P O Box 47250 Olympia, Washington 98504-7250 Please direct any questions about the rule to Ahmer Nizam of the Commission Staff at 360-664-1345 or anizamnwutc.wa.gov. Sincerely, CAROLE J. WASHBURN Secretary 1 5An I - z - Ab LbUo 6fMtLbVz 10OARVA5 -bJIZ kdJ, ,. I i �I II i i Pagel of 2 Shelly Badger From: Grant Beck Sent: Monday, August 03, 2009 12:17 PM K V\1 X To: Shelly Badger Subject: FW: State Freight Rail Plan - Projects Survey Attachments: 07-31 State Freight Rail Plan Projects Survey Questionnaire.pdf FYI. Let me know if there is anything you want me to do with this. Grant From: Jailyn Brown [mai Ito:brownj@trpc.org] Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 2:23 PM To: Scott Davis; Randy Wesselman; Martin Hoppe; Eaton, Jay; Clayton, Kathy; bucoda@scattercreek.com; Grant Beck Subject: FW: State Freight Rail Plan - Projects Survey WSDOT is developing a state freight rail plan and seeking input on projects—either funding secured or planned. Info is due August 19. This is an important opportunity to get projects on a state list (and that much more eligible for funding). If you have projects in the works or problems you know need to be addressed, I encourage you to submit info to WSDOT. This should include (but isn't limited to) safety projects (for example, problematic grade crossings) and passenger rail projects that would use freight rail lines. Please send me a copy of any projects you submit to WSDOT. If TRPC can help, let me know. Jailyn Brown,Senior Planner Thurston Regional Planning Council 2424 Heritage Court SW,Suite A Olympia,WA 98502 (360)956-7575 (360)956-7815(fax) 'A"trpC.ora brownj@a trac.ora This e-mail and any attachments are for the use of the addressed individual.If you have received this e-mail in error,please notify our systems manager.TRPC has taken responsible precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this e-mail.however we do not accept responsibility for loss or damage arising from the use of this e-mail or attachments. From: Graham, Teresa [mailto:GrahamT@wsdot.wa.gov] Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 8:13 AM Subject: State Freight Rail Plan - Projects Survey The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is directed by the state legislature (RCW 47.76) to update the Washington State Freight Rail Plan. We are required to collect information about port-to-rail access, congestion, public and private benefits from rail development, at-risk or abandoned lines, and future freight rail needs. To assess statewide freight rail needs from 2010 through 2030, we need to identify current and future freight rail projects with your assistance. In this questionnaire, we ask you to report the freight rail projects that meet the following criteria: 8/11/2009 Page 2 of? * Capital projects " Projects from public or private sectors * Projects in your plans that are currently fully funded, partially funded, or unfunded The link to the on-line questionnaire is below: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=szFPh7TBchdtb87P8z-qOlg 3d 3d As an alternative to the on-line questionnaire, attached is a PDF version of the same questionnaire that you can download, complete, and either mail, email, fax, or hand deliver to the WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office. You can enter your responses into the PDF file or you can print the questionnaire to paper and hand-write your responses. Please complete the questionnaire (one per project) by August 19. Afterwards, we will review the survey results and make follow-up contacts with respondents to clarify the questionnaire information before we include projects in the draft plan. Please submit one completed questionnaire per project(i.e. multiple questionnaires for multiple projects). Go back to the link (above) to complete more questionnaires. Thank you for your valuable assistance. For any questions contact Lynn Scroggins at scroggl@wsdot.wa.gov or 360-705-7979. Mailing Address: WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office PO Box 47407 Olympia, WA 98504-7407 Hand-Delivery Address: WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office 310 Maple Park Avenue SE Olympia, WA 98501 E-mail: grahamt __wsdot.wa.gov Fax: 360-705-6821 Ti ria R. Graben Research and Data Specialist WSDOT State Rail&Marine Office PO Box 47407 310 Maple Park Avenue SE Olympia,WA 98504-7407 P-360-705-7901 C-360-791-0282 F-360-705-6821 E-grahamtgwsdot.wa.gov 8/11/2009 Washington State Freight Rail Plan,, Projects Survey Questionnaire 1. Introduction The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is directed by the state legislature (RCW 47.76) to update the Washington State Freight Rail Plan. We are required to collect information about port-to-rail access, congestion, public and private benefits from rail development, at-risk or abandoned lines, and future freight rail needs. To assess statewide freight rail needs from 2010 through 2030, we need to identify current and future freight rail projects with your assistance. In this questionnaire, we ask you to report the freight rail projects that meet the following criteria: * Freight rail capital projects * Projects from public or private sectors * Project in one of your plans, currently fully funded, partially funded, or unfunded Please complete the questionnaire (one per project) by August 19. Afterwards, we will review the questionnaire results and make follow-up contacts with respondents to clarify the questionnaire information before we include projects in the draft plan. Please submit one completed questionnaire per project (i.e. multiple questionnaires for multiple projects). To make changes to a project you've already submitted, resubmit another questionnaire and answer No to Question #2. Thanks for your help! * 1. Your organization. * 2. Is this the first time you are submitting this project? You can revise and resubmit projects as needed. OYes ONo 2. Respondent • • * 1. Your name. 2. Your title (optional). * 3. Your email address. Page 1 Washington State Freight • • n, Projects Survey Questionnaire * 4. Your phone number xxx-xxx-xxxx. 3. Project Information * 1. Name of railroad owner? OBallard Terminal Railroad O Kettle Falls International Railway O Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad OBlue Mountain Railroad O Meeker Southern O Tacoma Rail OBNSF Railway Company O Montana Rail Link O Tri-City & Olympia Railroad OCascade and Columbia River O Mount Vernon Terminal Railway, O Union Pacific Railroad Railroad LLC OWashington and Idaho Railway OCentral Washington Railroad O Palouse River & Coulee City OWestern Rail Switching OColumbia & Cowlitz Railway O Pend Oreille Valley Railroad OWhite Swan Branch Line OColumbia Basin Railroad O Port of Chehalis OGreat Northwest Railroad O Portland-Vancouver Junction Railroad OOther (please specify) * 2. Name of railroad operator? OBallard Terminal Railroad O Kettle Falls International Railway O Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad OBlue Mountain Railroad O Meeker Southern O Tacoma Rail OBNSF Railway Company O Montana Rail Link O Tri-City & Olympia Railroad OCascade and Columbia River O Mount Vernon Terminal Railway, O Union Pacific Railroad Railroad LLC OWashington and Idaho Railway OCentral Washington Railroad O Palouse River & Coulee City OWestern Rail Switching OColumbia & Cowlitz Railway O Pend Oreille Valley Railroad OWhite Swan Branch Line OColumbia Basin Railroad O Port of Chehalis OGreat Northwest Railroad O Portland-Vancouver Junction Railroad OOther (please specify) I Page 'Washington • ht Rail Plan, Projects Survey Questionnaire 3. Name of any others involved in the project (optional). F_ I! 4. Project Details * 1. Project name. * 2. Project location. Please provide as much detail as possible (i.e. address, lat-long or other geo-reference point, beginning/ending mileposts, the nearest station). 3. Project description (optional). Please provide a brief description, if necessary, to further describe the project. 5. Project Benefits * 1. Project type. Please select all that apply. 1-1 High-speed passenger rail Signal system 0 Mainline capacity expansion El Line upgrade or extension ElPort-to-rail access 1-1 Facility upgrade or expansion 0 Maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation F] Safety and security EIOther (please specify) - Page 3 Washington State Freight Rail Plan, Projects Survey Questionnaire 2. Public benefits (optional) Please select all that apply. ElImproved air quality (human health benefits) E-1 Enhanced mobility of goods Environmental protection or enhancement El Enhanced mobility of people Reduced congestion El Enhanced public safety ElReduced public expenditures El Enhanced public security FImproved land use Enhanced trade and economic development ElOther (please specify) 3. Private benefits (optional). Please select all that apply. Improved economic competitiveness El Improved service Improved assets El Reduced costs ElOther (please specify) v • Project • Funding Details * 1. Estimated total project cost. Please estimate the amount in current (2009) dollars. Minimum amount: $10,000. Examples: 10000, 2500000. I Page 4 Washington • Questionnaire * 2. Of the estimated total project cost, please estimate the amounts. Examples: 0, 100000. Preliminary Engineering (PE) including planning, engineering, design, survey, mapping, environmental. Right-of-Way (ROW) including real property acquisition, trackage rights, liability. Construction (CN) including site prep, construction, inspection, rehabilitation. If unknown, enter "unknown." * 3. Of the estimated total project cost, please estimate the amounts of COMMITTED FUNDS from the following sources. Examples: 0, 100000. Federal State Local Tribal Private Other 4. Of the estimated total project cost, please estimate the amounts of additional funds needed from the expected funding sources to complete the project. Examples: 0, 1000000. Federal State Local Tribal Private Other Page 5 Washington Rail •jects Survey Questionnaire * 5. Estimated Preliminary Engineering (PE) start date. PE includes planning, engineering, design, survey, mapping, environmental. NOTE: Month, Day, and Year are required fields. We won't use Day, so enter "1" in that field. MM DD YYYY MM/DD/YYYY * 6. Estimated Right-of-Way (ROW) start date. ROW includes real property acquisition, trackage rights, liability. NOTE: Month, Day, and Year are required fields. We won't use Day, so enter "1" in that field. MM DD YYYY MM/DD/YYYY * 7. Estimated Construction (CN) start date. CN includes construction, inspection, rehabilitation. NOTE: Month, Day, and Year are required fields. We won't use Day, so enter "1" in that field. MM DD YYYY MM/DD/YYYY * 8. Estimated project completion date. NOTE: Month, Day, and Year are required fields. We won't use Day, so enter "i" in that field. MM DD YYYY MM/DD/YYYY 7. Thank you! Thanks for your valuable assistance! For any questions contact Lynn Scroggins at scroggl@wsdot.wa.gov or 360-705-7979. WSDOT State Rail and Marine Office 310 Maple Park Ave SE, PO Box 47407, Olympia, WA 98504-7407 fax 360-705-6821 Page 6 Page 1 of 2 Shelly Badger From: rnmharding@aol.com Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 6:03 PM To: Shelly Badger Subject: Re: Yelm Rail connection Yes, I already spoke with Bill and ask him to coordinate thru you. I can also be available for a 4.00pm meeting My thought was maybe the tour first then I can join for a meet and greet. Ron -----Original Message----- From: Shelly Badger<shellyb@ci.yelm.wa.us> To: rnmharding@aol.com Sent: Mon, Jun 15, 2009 11:31 am Subject: FW: Yelm Rail connection Ron, did you receive this from Bill. Do you want to participate in this meeting and tour? If so, we will need to coordinate it for a Friday, correct? After I hear back from you, I will ask Dana to coordinate schedules. Thanks, Shelly Shelly Badger, Yelm City Administrator City of Yelm www.ci.yelm.wa.us P.O. Box 479 Yelm,WA 98597 360-458-8405 360-458-4348 fax shellyb(c ci.yelm.wa.us From: Bill McGregor [mailto:_BilIM(dportolympia.com] Sent: Friday, )une 12, 2009 1:30 PM To: Ron Harding; Shelly Badger Subject: Fw: Yelm Rail connection Let me try this again. For some reason it came back to me. Bill ----Forwarded by Bill McGregor/Poly on 06/12/2009 01:24 PM---- From: Bill McGregor/Poly To: Ron Harding Cc: Ed Galligan/Poly@Poly Date: 06/12/2009 01:23 PM Subject: Yelm Rail connection 7/28/2009 Pa(,e 2 of 2 Yesterday, I met with Mary McBride, Senator Murrays staff person. We discussed several issues about the Port and then she asked what I thought would be some good projects that are moving along in addition to East Bay Development, Airport improvements, etc. I mentioned to her that Yelm has been trying (and the Port has been supportive of those efforts via letters, etc.) of connecting the zoned industrial yard rail line with the main line that would intersect in the Roy area (I think that is correct) I mentioned that the lines are about 100 yards from each other and at some point will need to be connected. I did not go into any great detail . She immediately wanted to get an overview of the this, so I mentioned that we should have a field trip to Yelm to visit with you and Shelley to get an overview, pamphlets/brochures that have been printed, as well as a tour of the industrial yard (which currently has LASCO manufacturing in that area). So I have volunteered to coordinate this visit. She is somewhat flexible in mid July. I hope this is not overstepping my authority but did want to take advantage of her interest - in case any federal monies may be available as stimulus for that rail track?? Can you provide me with some dates in mid-July that would work for you - say 4 or 5 dates/ maybe 4 hour time frames and I will get back to her to set that up?? I am also (via this email) asking Ed to plan to attend as well. Regards Bill McGregor Make your summer sizzle with fast and easy recipes for the grill. 7/28/2009 0%PVmW' 2601 SR 509 North Frontage Road ENMAPOr 7T! Tacoma, Washington 98421 �� TACOMA RAIL TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES MEMO TO: Whom It May Concern FROM. Dale W. King, Superintendent, Tacoma Rail DATE: January 26, 2010 RE: Request for Reassignment of Grant Funding from New Rail Connection to Locomotive Servicing Facility Upgrades In 2007 Tacoma Rail submitted a request to WSDOT for funding toward upgrades of an existing locomotive storage barn into a functional locomotive servicing facility estimated to cost S1.420,000. The upgrades are needed to support efficient repair and maintenance of Tacoma Rail's fleet of 17 locomotives in addition to expanding the value added services offered to our Class I Railroad partners the Union Pacific and the BNSF Railway. WSDOT awarded Tacoma Rail a $250.000 zero interest loan toward this project in 2008 and to date Tacoma Rail has expended approximately $600,000 toward completion of the Locomotive Servicing Facility Upgrade project. In 2008 Tacoma Rail submitted a request for funding through WSDOT for assistance with construction of a new rail connection. The proposed project (Roy Connection) would connect the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division line with existing tracks running to Yelm. Washington, estimated to cost $1,903,000. Additionally, Tacoma Rail resubmitted the remainder of the locomotive repair facility upgrades for additional consideration. In 2009 Tacoma Rail was notified by WSDOT that $525,000 had been awarded through the Freight Rail Assistance Program toward the Roy Connection project. At that time WSDOT also notified Tacoma Rail that an additional $366,813 had been awarded to the Locomotive Facility Upgrade project. Unfortunately, previously committed funding partners on the Roy Connection project withdrew their funding pledge after the award announcement was made. Tacoma Rail has disclosed to WSDOT that we are unable to proceed with the new rail connection project due to our inability to fund the entire project through completion in the foreseeable future. Tacoma Rail asked WSDOT about the possibility of transferring the $525.000 in grart funding for the Roy Connection project to the Locomotive Facility Upgrade project and was advised the request for funding re-assignment must be authorized by legislative action. Tacoma Rail Request for Reassignment of Grant Funcing from New Rail Cornect,on to Locomot,ve Servicing Facility Upgrades Contmueo Recognizing that the Tacoma Rail Locomotive Facility Upgrade project has previously been scored high enough to receive WSDOT support and funding, and remains an important priority toward Tacoma Rail's facility modernization and business expansion objectives, we respectfully request consideration toward the reassignment of WSDOT funding from one Tacoma Rail project to another as described above Tacoma Rail remains confident that completion of this Locomotive Facility Upgrade project will assist in preservation of eight (8) Tacoma Rail locomotive mechanics jobs over the long term, and preserve or create multiple construction and material supply chain jobs during the course of the facility upgrade. s , Roy Connection .�■�r�■ Freight Rail Assistance Packet—September 2008 � � �■ RAIL Contact Information TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Alan Hardy Interim Superintendent Tacoma Rail 2601 SR 509 North Frontage Road Tacoma,WA 98421 Phone: (253)502-8896 Fax: (253)922-9088 alan.hardy@cityoftacoma.org Project Description Presently,BNSF Railway provides rail service to Roy,WA via a spur from Lakewood,WA.There is one customer at Roy,Wilcox Farms,which receives feed grain.The volume of traffic at Roy is not sufficient for BNSF to continue service to Roy in the long run.Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division passes along the south side of Roy and is parallel to the BNSF line for a short distance on the west side of Roy. This project would construct a connection approximately 4300 feet long(including a crossing of SR 507) between Tacoma Rail and BNSF west of Roy and transfer service at Roy to Tacoma Rail,thereby providing for continued rail service to Wilcox Farms.In addition,Tacoma Rail will work with the City of Yelm to market and institute rail service to the Yelm owned rail line between Roy and Yelm. This line, which was purchased by Yelm from the BNSF in 1999,could serve 1 existing industry in Yelm,and provides access to 2-80 acre potential industrial properties. This connection would also supply a secondary access point to/from the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations: Currently the only way in/out is through Nisqually. Any disruption of service along the 10 mph max track due to track conditions would render rail movement unavailable until disruption is corrected. Currently the service to Lakeview is to run a train between East Olympia to Nisqually on the Mainline with a see-saw movement at the Nisqually plant. The operation on the mainline is approx 11 miles however with the see-saw movement and congestion on the mainline this 11 mile movement can/has taken upwards of 3 hours. Taking this train off the mainline to service the customers on the Lakeview line will remove congestion caused by this"short train"which occupies a space on the mainline that could be occupied by a freight train of up to 1.5 miles long or a passenger/commuter train. TACOMA RAIL Pagel TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Project Schedule Project Milestone Month/Year Complete project definition June 2009 Begin preliminary engineering July 2009 Complete environmental documentation NA Complete right-of-way certification(may include acquisition) NA Start construction December 2009 Construction complete and project functionally operational February 2010 Project Cost Design Right of Construction Construction Construction Total Engineering Way Engineering Other Contract Estimated Project Cost $1,903,000 Committed Local Funds Additional Local Funds Requested Other Committed $1,403,000 Funds WSDOT Funds $500,000 Requested Proposed Funding Funding Source Public or Private Cash or In-Kind Amount Percentage Local—Port/Rail District Local—Other Railroad WSDOT Public Cash $500,000 26% WSDOT-Rail Bank Other BNSF Cash $1,403,000 74% Total $1,903,000 100% Yearly Maintenance Annual maintenance of the connection and crossing of SR 507 will be the responsibility of Tacoma Rail. In addition,the Pro Forma for this project includes maintenance of the 9 miles of Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division between Frederickson,WA(the location of the closest customer)and Roy,as well as the project and the current BNSF track at Roy. Annual maintenance is estimated at$60,000. This includes vegetation clearing/weed control,track inspection and general expenses. TACOMA _= RAIL Paget TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Shipper Benefits and Reduced Costs Wilcox Farms will enjoy the benefits of continued rail service. Should rail service at Roy be discontinued, the alternatives for Wilcox are to bear the cost of transloading and trucking or relocation to another rail serviced site.If transloading were the better option,Wilcox would likely close the Roy mill anyway,and truck direct to the farm. Hytec,the existing industry in Yelm,manufactures fiberglass products.Certain of their commodities may be divertible from truck to rail,but the low volumes do not by themselves justify the connection nor provide a significant contribution to the project justification. Safety Improvements No specific safety improvements are a part of this project. List of Shippers Wilcox Farms 40400 Harts Lake Valley Road Roy,WA 98580 Tax from Industrial Development Being part of the City of Tacoma,Tacoma Rail doesn't pay property taxes. However,Tacoma Rail does pay the City of Tacoma's Gross Earnings Tax at 8 percent and Washington State's Utility and Business Tax at 1.5 percent. Details have been included in the pro-forma(Attachment D). Reducing System Wide Rail Delays Not applicable Environmental Impacts • Are there wetlands or streams on or near your project site?If yes,how close is your project site to those wetlands or streams? o Not applicable. • Has your project site been evaluated for archaeological or historic resources?If yes,please submit the cultural resources report. o No. • What animals,birds,and plants are present on your project site(those species that would be considered endangered,threatened,or monitored by state or federal agencies)? o None known. • Have you completed the State Environmental Policy Act(SEPA)process?If yes,please submit a copy of the documentation. o No. • What federal,state,and local permits will be needed for your project? o To be determined TACOMA ----- RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Geographical Balance and Support for Regional Economies According to the information provided at the website located at: hqp://www.workforceexplorer.com/article.asp?articleld=8098&PAGEID=&SUBID= Neither Pierce County nor Thurston County are listed as economically distressed by the Washington State Department of Community,Trade and Economic Development(CTED). Economic Development Benefits The project will preserve jobs at Roy that might otherwise relocate with the Wilcox Farms Feed Mill. Employment is presently less than 10 people. Shipper Savings: The shipper will save the cost of transload from another rail served location or relocation of the mill to another mill.The estimated cost of transloading and trucking is$400,000 per year.The proposed BNSF contribution to this project is based on the savings to BNSF in transload cost reimbursement to Wilcox. Project Business Plan Management profile: Alan Hardy is the railroad's Interim Superintendant and has worked for Tacoma Rail since August of 2004. Before coming to Tacoma Rail,Mr.Hardy worked 9 years for the nation's largest and the world's 2nd largest railroad track equipment manufacturer and contract services company as supervisor and manager assigned to the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads in large scale construction and maintenance contracts. Before that he worked for a very successful short line railroad owned by and serving a Fortune 500 paper company in Northwest Florida.He held the positions of Signal Maintainer,Assistant Roadmaster and Roadmaster during his 21 year career there.Mr. Hardy graduated from Wallace Community College in Dothan,Alabama with a two year technical degree in electronics.Mr.Hardy has completed a variety of railroad related courses and seminars and has been a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association since 1982. Marketing plan: Based on Wilcox Farms present business levels,Tacoma Rail will serve Roy approximately 2 days per week.Traffic will be interchanged with BNSF at Tacoma,WA and handled by Tacoma Rail through Frederickson,WA to Roy. Tacoma Rail will also work on generating new business with Wilcox,with Hytec at Yelm and with other potential customers looking to develop new plants.We estimate that at least 50 additional carloads can be generated in 2011. Operations plan: TACOMA - RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES A connection at Roy to the Prairie Line would open up the possibilities to service the Wilcox Farms facility in the town of Roy,allow secondary,emergency access to the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations,and allow a service to the Lakeview area without adding to the congestion on the mainlines between East Olympia and Nisqually. Wilcox Farms—estimated at 400 railcars per year(8 per week). Service could be factored in from the Frederickson area or from the south Centralia/Chehalis area. It also could be argued that the operational and marketing possibilities for this connection would allow strong potential to locate a transloader in the Roy/Yelm area that would have access to both the Port of Tacoma and Grays Harbor area. This connection would also supply a secondary access point to/from the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations: Currently the only way in/out is through Nisqually. Any disruption of service along the 10 mph max track due to track conditions would render rail movement unavailable until disruption is corrected. Lakeview Service: Currently the service to Lakeview is to run a train between East Olympia to Nisqually on the Mainline with a see-saw movement at the Nisqually plant. The operation on the mainline is approx 11 miles however with the see-saw movement and congestion on the mainline this 11 mile movement can/has taken upwards of 3 hours. Taking this train off the mainline to service the customers on the Lakeview line will remove congestion caused by this"short train" which occupies a space on the mainline that could be occupied by a freight train of up to 1.5 miles long or a passenger/commuter train. Tacoma Rail's Safety Manual(Attachment F),details the emergency contacts,training and safety plan. Track maintenance is done to FRA standards according to the required track classification. Financial plan: Tacoma Rail is a 100 percent self supported railroad.Rates are negotiated with the Class I Carriers.Tacoma Rail's revenue factors will be set to fully compensate Tacoma Rail for the added cost of train operations and maintenance,as well as a pro-rata contribution toward maintenance of the track beyond Frederickson to Roy. Annual Financial reports for 2005,2006 and 2007 are included as Attachment E. The pro-forma(Attachment D)includes the added service levels obtainable with the addition of the Roy Connection. Additional Comments This project will further strengthen Tacoma Rail's operations on the Mountain Division.The additional traffic for Wilcox Farms will increase the traffic and revenue base of the rail line.The potential to develop new industries in Yelm further strengthens the line contribution to the economic climate in South West Pierce and eastern Thurston counties. TACOMA --- RAIL Pages TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES ATTACHMENT A LETTERS OF SUPPORT TACOMA -= RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Wilcox Farms 40400 Harts Lake Valley Rd Since 1909 Roy WA 98580 Fainily Farnis September 2, 2008 Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office PO Box 47387 Olympia, WA 98504 Wilcox Farms is in the bidding process for improving our feedmill at Roy Washington now served by the BN rail line. We anticipate completion of this remodel prior to November, 2009. However, BN has indicated a desire to discontinue rail service to our site which is at the end of their service area. This possibility has made it nearly impossible to evaluate the return on investment on this capital expenditure and is delaying our start date. Our feedmill provides feed for nearly 1,250,000 chickens near McKenna. Our Roy farm has been in business for 99 years at this location. Our feedmill operation is an integral part of our egg processing business and any disruption of service there would mean discontinuation of our egg processing. This could jeopardize the jobs of approximately 240 people. Tacoma Rail has proposed a plan to cross HY 507 and in doing so gain the ability to provide the services necessary for our business continuation. We support this plan whole heartedly. Thank you for your interest in supporting the success of Wilcox Farms. Cordially, i Linda Thomas CEO Wilcox Farms Inc ow��THFA9� City of Ye l m a a Mayor Ron Harding 105 Yelm Avenue West YEL Yelm, Washington 98597 WIIN INUTON September 2, 2008 Washington State Department of Transportation State Rail & Marine Office PO Box 47407 Olympia, WA 98504-7407 Re: Letter of support—2008 Washington State Freight Rail Assistance Grant application for Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection To Whom It May Concern: The City of Yelm stands in full support of the Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection project, proposed by Tacoma Rail. In 2000, Yelm purchased rail from Burlington Northern Santa Fe in order to preserve the rail corridor between Yelm and Roy and prepare for future needs of Yelm's industrial area. The Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection is relatively small in cost, yet large in prospective returns, and another step toward realizing the full potential of the rail system linking Yelm and its neighbors. This project preserves freight mobility options. Therefore, road/automobile traffic impacts, congestion, and associated costs may be reduced, and environmental benefits enhanced. It also increases the capacity for exponential growth of the industrial base in Yelm, the creation of jobs, and stronger local economies of south Pierce and southeast Thurston counties. While the immediate benefits are a continuation of service to Wilcox Farms and other potential rail customers, the Connection also upholds the possibilities of future commuter rail service from southeast Thurston and southwest Pierce counties to Sound Transit's Lakewood Station. Investment in this project is not only cost-effective and beneficial to Tacoma Rail and Wilcox Family Farms; it is an important next-step in the economic development of industrial and commercial prospects in the greater Nisqually Valley. Sincerer v ' Ron Harding, Mayor of Yel The City of Yelin is an F.qw),'Opnorluny Provider (360)158-8401 (360)458-4348 FAX www.ci.yelm.wu.us ATTACHMENT B PROJECT MAP d h . j y , r TIF At 507 7` /I ` ",{ p " j JA I t .r�3t�-aa _ .Y � —•� _ n• +A' tt: " 11 ATTACHMENT C PROJECT COST ESTIMATE Engineers cost for Roy,WA connection to TRMW ACOMA RAIL TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES ITEM# Description quantity U/M Cost Each Extension 1 Engineering&Design track 1 project $ 120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 2 New track construction 4300 per if $ 160.00 $ 688,000,00 3 No.9 turnouts 2 each $ 50,000.00 $ 100,000.00 4 New at-grade concrete crossing 120 Feet $ 1,000.00 $ 120,000.00 5 Signals with gates and cantleaver posts 1 project 5 225,000.00 $ 225,000.00 6 ROW grading/fill 20000 cy $ 20.00 $ 400,000.00 7 Potential Property Acquisition 1 project 5 250,000.00 $ 250,000.00 Estimated total $ 1,903,000.00 This preliminary estimate is based on information provided to me,by Tacoma Rail,as of the date Indicated and does not reflect actual bids by prospective contractors. Date: �v1AER ��Ol WAs S� r 37830 �r - EXPIRES: 05l06!¢v�U ATTACHMENT D PRO-FORMA Roy Connection Pro Forma Revenue & Expenses associated with this service only assuming project completion December 2009 2008 2009 2010 2011 Railcars 400 450 Revenue $ 190,000.00 $ 213,750.00 Expenses Fuel Expense $ 27,664.00 $ 30,430.40 Crew Labor Expense $ 30,576.00 $ 30,576.00 Other Expense $ 99,660.00 $ 112,993.60 Taxes City of Tacoma Gross Earnings Tax $ - $ 15,200.00 $ 17,100.00 State of Washington Utility& Business Tax $ - $ 2,850.00 $ 3,206.25 Total Expense $ - $ - $ 175,950.00 $ 194,306.25 Net Income $ - $ - $ 14,050.00 $ 19,443.75 ATTACHMENT E ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS A� Roy Connection .�.rAW�rr�l. Freight Rail Assistance Packet—September 2008 RAIL Contact Information TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Alan Hardy Interim Superintendent Tacoma Rail 2601 SR 509 North Frontage Road Tacoma,WA 98421 Phone: (253)502-8896 Fax: (253)922-9088 alan.hardy@cityoftacoma.org Project Description Presently,BNSF Railway provides rail service to Roy,WA via a spur from Lakewood,WA.There is one customer at Roy,Wilcox Farms,which receives feed grain.The volume of traffic at Roy is not sufficient for BNSF to continue service to Roy in the long run.Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division passes along the south side of Roy and is parallel to the BNSF line for a short distance on the west side of Roy. This project would construct a connection approximately 4300 feet long(including a crossing of SR 507) between Tacoma Rail and BNSF west of Roy and transfer service at Roy to Tacoma Rail,thereby providing for continued rail service to Wilcox Farms. In addition,Tacoma Rail will work with the City of Yelm to market and institute rail service to the Yelm owned rail line between Roy and Yelm. This line, which was purchased by Yelm from the BNSF in 1999,could serve 1 existing industry in Yelm,and provides access to 2-80 acre potential industrial properties. This connection would also supply a secondary access point to/from the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations: Currently the only way in/out is through Nisqually. Any disruption of service along the 10 mph max track due to track conditions would render rail movement unavailable until disruption is corrected. Currently the service to Lakeview is to run a train between East Olympia to Nisqually on the Mainline with a see-saw movement at the Nisqually plant. The operation on the mainline is approx 11 miles however with the see-saw movement and congestion on the mainline this 11 mile movement can/has taken upwards of 3 hours. Taking this train off the mainline to service the customers on the Lakeview line will remove congestion caused by this"short train"which occupies a space on the mainline that could be occupied by a freight train of up to 1.5 miles long or a passenger/commuter train. TACOMA RAIL Pages TACOMA PUBLIC U T I L I T'E S Project Schedule Project Milestone Month/Year Complete project definition June 2009 Begin preliminary engineering July 2009 Complete environmental documentation NA Complete right-of-way certification(may include acquisition) NA Start construction December 2009 Construction complete and project functionally operational February 2010 Project Cost Design Right of Construction Construction Construction Total Engineering Way Engineering Other Contract Estimated Project Cost $1,903,000 Committed Local Funds Additional Local Funds Requested Other Committed $1,403,000 Funds WSDOT Funds Requested $500,000 Proposed Funding Funding Source Public or Private Cash or In-Kind Amount Percentage Local—Port/Rail District Local—Other Railroad WSDOT Public Cash $500,000 26% WSDOT-Rail Bank Other BNSF Cash $1,403,000 74% Total $1,903,000 100% Yearly Maintenance Annual maintenance of the connection and crossing of SR 507 will be the responsibility of Tacoma Rail. In addition,the Pro Forma for this project includes maintenance of the 9 miles of Tacoma Rail's Mountain Division between Frederickson,WA(the location of the closest customer)and Roy,as well as the project and the current BNSF track at Roy. Annual maintenance is estimated at$60,000. This includes vegetation clearing/weed control,track inspection and general expenses. TACOMA RAIL Paget TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Shipper Benefits and Reduced Costs Wilcox Farms will enjoy the benefits of continued rail service. Should rail service at Roy be discontinued, the alternatives for Wilcox are to bear the cost of transloading and trucking or relocation to another rail serviced site.If transloading were the better option,Wilcox would likely close the Roy mill anyway,and truck direct to the farm. Hytec,the existing industry in Yelm,manufactures fiberglass products.Certain of their commodities may be divertible from truck to rail,but the low volumes do not by themselves justify the connection nor provide a significant contribution to the project justification. Safety Improvements No specific safety improvements are a part of this project. List of Shippers Wilcox Farms 40400 Harts Lake Valley Road Roy,WA 98580 Tax from Industrial Development Being part of the City of Tacoma,Tacoma Rail doesn't pay property taxes. However,Tacoma Rail does pay the City of Tacoma's Gross Earnings Tax at 8 percent and Washington State's Utility and Business Tax at 1.5 percent. Details have been included in the pro-forma(Attachment D). Reducing System Wide Rail Delays Not applicable Environmental Impacts • Are there wetlands or streams on or near your project site?If yes,how close is your project site to those wetlands or streams? o Not applicable. • Has your project site been evaluated for archaeological or historic resources?If yes,please submit the cultural resources report. o No. • What animals,birds,and plants are present on your project site(those species that would be considered endangered,threatened,or monitored by state or federal agencies)? o None known. • Have you completed the State Environmental Policy Act(SEPA)process?If yes,please submit a copy of the documentation. o No. • What federal,state,and local permits will be needed for your project? o To be determined TACOMA iE RAIL Page 3 TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Geographical Balance and Support for Regional Economies According to the information provided at the website located at: http://www.workforceexplorer.com/article.asp?articleld=8098&PAGEID=&SUBID= Neither Pierce County nor Thurston County are listed as economically distressed by the Washington State Department of Community,Trade and Economic Development(CTED). Economic Development Benefits The project will preserve jobs at Roy that might otherwise relocate with the Wilcox Farms Feed Mill. Employment is presently less than 10 people. Shipper Savings: The shipper will save the cost of transload from another rail served location or relocation of the mill to another mill.The estimated cost of transloading and trucking is$400,000 per year.The proposed BNSF contribution to this project is based on the savings to BNSF in transload cost reimbursement to Wilcox. Project Business Plan Management profile: Alan Hardy is the railroad's Interim Superintendant and has worked for Tacoma Rail since August of 2004. Before coming to Tacoma Rail,Mr.Hardy worked 9 years for the nation's largest and the world's 2nd largest railroad track equipment manufacturer and contract services company as supervisor and manager assigned to the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads in large scale construction and maintenance contracts.Before that he worked for a very successful short line railroad owned by and serving a Fortune 500 paper company in Northwest Florida.He held the positions of Signal Maintainer,Assistant Roadmaster and Roadmaster during his 21 year career there.Mr. Hardy graduated from Wallace Community College in Dothan,Alabama with a two year technical degree in electronics.Mr.Hardy has completed a variety of railroad related courses and seminars and has been a member of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association since 1982. Marketing plan: Based on Wilcox Farms present business levels,Tacoma Rail will serve Roy approximately 2 days per week. Traffic will be interchanged with BNSF at Tacoma,WA and handled by Tacoma Rail through Frederickson,WA to Roy. Tacoma Rail will also work on generating new business with Wilcox,with Hytec at Yelm and with other potential customers looking to develop new plants.We estimate that at least 50 additional carloads can be generated in 2011. Operations plan: TACOMA = RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES A connection at Roy to the Prairie Line would open up the possibilities to service the Wilcox Farms facility in the town of Roy, allow secondary,emergency access to the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations,and allow a service to the Lakeview area without adding to the congestion on the mainlines between East Olympia and Nisqually. Wilcox Farms—estimated at 400 railcars per year(8 per week). Service could be factored in from the Frederickson area or from the south Centralia/Chehalis area. It also could be argued that the operational and marketing possibilities for this connection would allow strong potential to locate a transloader in the Roy/Yelm area that would have access to both the Port of Tacoma and Grays Harbor area. This connection would also supply a secondary access point to/from the McChord AFB-Fort Lewis military installations: Currently the only way in/out is through Nisqually. Any disruption of service along the 10 mph max track due to track conditions would render rail movement unavailable until disruption is corrected. Lakeview Service: Currently the service to Lakeview is to run a train between East Olympia to Nisqually on the Mainline with a see-saw movement at the Nisqually plant. The operation on the mainline is approx. 11 miles however with the see-saw movement and congestion on the mainline this 11 mile movement can/has taken upwards of 3 hours. Taking this train off the mainline to service the customers on the Lakeview line will remove congestion caused by this"short train" which occupies a space on the mainline that could be occupied by a freight train of up to 1.5 miles long or a passenger/commuter train. Tacoma Rail's Safety Manual(Attachment F),details the emergency contacts,training and safety plan. Track maintenance is done to FRA standards according to the required track classification. Financial plan: Tacoma Rail is a 100 percent self supported railroad. Rates are negotiated with the Class I Carriers.Tacoma Rail's revenue factors will be set to fully compensate Tacoma Rail for the added cost of train operations and maintenance,as well as a pro-rata contribution toward maintenance of the track beyond Frederickson to Roy. Annual Financial reports for 2005,2006 and 2007 are included as Attachment E. The pro-forma(Attachment D)includes the added service levels obtainable with the addition of the Roy Connection. Additional Comments This project will further strengthen Tacoma Rail's operations on the Mountain Division.The additional traffic for Wilcox Farms will increase the traffic and revenue base of the rail line.The potential to develop new industries in Yelm further strengthens the line contribution to the economic climate in South West Pierce and eastern Thurston counties. TACOMA - RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES ATTACHMENT A LETTERS OF SUPPORT TACOMA RAIL Page TACOMA PUBLIC UTILITIES Wilcox Farms 40400 Harts Lake Valley Rd > > Since 1909 Roy WA 98580 Faiuily Farms September 2, 2008 Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office PO Box 47387 Olympia, WA 98504 Wilcox Farms is in the bidding process for improving our feedmill at Roy Washington now served by the BN rail line. We anticipate completion of this remodel prior to November, 2009. However, BN has indicated a desire to discontinue rail service to our site which is at the end of their service area. This possibility has made it nearly impossible to evaluate the return on investment on this capital expenditure and is delaying our start date. Our feedmill provides feed for nearly 1,250,000 chickens near McKenna. Our Roy farm has been in business for 99 years at this location. Our feedmill operation is an integral part of our egg processing business and any disruption of service there would mean discontinuation of our egg processing. This could jeopardize the jobs of approximately 240 people. Tacoma Rail has proposed a plan to cross HY 507 and in doing so gain the ability to provide the services necessary for our business continuation_ We support this plan whole heartedly, Thank you for your interest in supporting the success of Wilcox Farms. Cordially, Linda Thomas CEO Wilcox Farms Inc City of Yelm 4 Mayor Ron Harding 105 Yelm Avenue West TEL Yelm, Washington 98597 R�w4to, September 2, 2008 Washington State Department of Transportation State Rail & Marine Office PO Box 47407 Olympia, WA 98504-7407 Re: Letter of support—2008 Washington State Freight Rail Assistance Grant application for Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection To Whom It May Concern: The City of Yelm stands in full support of the Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection project, proposed by Tacoma Rail. In 2000, Yelm purchased rail from Burlington Northern Santa Fe in order to preserve the rail corridor between Yelm and Roy and prepare for future needs of Yelm's industrial area. The Tacoma Rail/Roy Connection is relatively small in cost, yet large in prospective returns, and another step toward realizing the full potential of the rail system linking Yelm and its neighbors. This project preserves freight mobility options. Therefore, road/automobile traffic impacts, congestion, and associated costs may be reduced, and environmental benefits enhanced. It also increases the capacity for exponential growth of the industrial base in Yelm, the creation of jobs, and stronger local economies of south Pierce and southeast Thurston counties. While the immediate benefits are a continuation of service to Wilcox Farms and other potential rail customers, the Connection also upholds the possibilities of future commuter rail service from southeast Thurston and southwest Pierce counties to Sound Transit's Lakewood Station. Investment in this project is not only cost-effective and beneficial to Tacoma Rail and Wilcox Family Farms; it is an important next-step in the economic development of industrial and commercial prospects in the greater Nisqually Valley. Sincerely ,, 1 7 Ron Harding, Mayor of Y 1 Th!;city of yehrl is an F,qu<.'Oppolifuniy Provider (360),158-8,101 (360)158-9318 FAX www.ei.yelm.wa.us ATTACHMENT B PROJECT MAP /717 �t�,. .M• � z !f' 507 ( I ATTACHMENT C PROJECT COST ESTIMATE Engineers cost for Roy,WA connection to TRMW T =97`MM1=VMM A t j;b RAIL --A YUFLIC --T- ITEM# Description Quantity U/M Cost Each Extension 1 Engineering&Design track 1 project $ 120,000.00 $ 120,000.00 2 New track construction 4300 per If $ 160.00 $ 688,000.00 3 No.9 turnouts 2 each $ S0,000.00 $ 100,000.00 4 New at-grade concrete crossing 120 Feet $ 1,000.00 $ 120,000.00 S Signals with gates and cantleaver posts 1 project S 225,000.00 $ 225,000.00 6 ROW grading/11111 20000 Cy $ 20.00 $ aoo,000.00 7 Potential Property Acquisition 1 project $ 250,000.00 $ 250,000.00 Estimated total $ 1,903,000.00 This preliminary estimate is based on information provided to me,by Tacoma Rail,as of the date indicated and does not reflect actual bids by prospective contractors. Date: p1'K E R 1r �g was 0 U 37830 `r :t� GISI'ir�' EXPIRES: 051OG/g v/U ATTACHMENT D PRO-FORMA Roy Connection Pro Forma Revenue& Expenses associated with this service only assuming project completion December 2009 2008 2009 2010 2011 Railcars 400 450 Revenue $ 190,000.00 $ 213,750.00 Expenses Fuel Expense $ 27,664.00 $ 30,430.40 Crew Labor Expense $ 30,576.00 $ 30,576.00 Other Expense $ 99,660.00 $ 112,993.60 Taxes City of Tacoma Gross Earnings Tax $ - $ 15,200.00 $ 17,100.00 State of Washington Utility&Business Tax $ - $ 2,850.00 $ 3,206.25 Total Expense $ - $ $ 175,950.00 $ 194,306.25 Net Income $ - $ - $ 14,050.00 $ 19,443.75 ATTACHMENT E ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS c''Eb livi ® Lm Loop YEELI M MAiUNG CONNECTIONS1 WASHINGTON SR 510 Yelm Loop Since 1990, the City of Yelm and Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together to address a regional transportation issue. SR 510 and SR 507 through Yelm and Roy to Spanaway is the only north/south corridor other than Interstate 5 in the South Sound region . 2005 Transportation Partnership Act - $33,000,000 A completed SR 510 Yelm Loop will: 2004 Legislative Funding - $1,200,000 • Provide an improved emergency north/ SAFETEA-LU - $1,713,274 south alternate route in the event of an Total Investment to Date - $35,913,274 incident on I-5; • Improve commute times between destinations in Thurston County to Roy, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, and south Pierce County, potentially reducing greenhouse gases; • Reduce congestion on Yelm Avenue and First Street, improving air quality; • Improve traffic and pedestrian safety; and • Improve freight mobility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is a 4.2-mile, two lane corridor with left-turn pockets at intersections forming a partial loop connecting SR 507 and SR 510. The corridor provides for a separated pedestrian/bicycle facility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is Ready and Set to GO! With environmental work approved, the design and right-of-way acquisition nearly complete, and a commitment to regional transportation strategies by the City of Yelm, the SR 510 Yelm Loop is ready to build. Construction funding is the final step toward solving a major regional transportation puzzle. The time is now to build the SR 510 Yelm Loop, completing a project that is ahead of schedule, under budget, and making connections. amity oe Funding Needs $11.3 million—Stage 1 construction .yelm! $54.6 million—Stage 2 construction w yelm. $65.9 million—Full Build Ron Har it , Mayor 1 atom f AQP Mason Co i Dupont` olym� Fort Lewis �acey mwater �. ' Roy 5101507 Yelm Alternate Route YELM WASHINGTON renin Pierce Co. v., Bucoda Thurston Co. Centrariia Lewis Co • -7 �•� t•^^$'\`-�- +tom�• � - mar t i. w� 510 YELm Loop YELMAKING CONNECTIONS1M WASHINGTON SR 510 Yelm Loop Since 1990, the City of Yelm and Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together to address a regional transportation issue. SR 510 and SR 507 through Yelm and Roy to Spanaway is the only north/south corridor other than Interstate 5 in the South Sound region . 2005 Transportation Partnership Act - $33,000,000 A completed SR 510 Yelm Loop will: 2004 Legislative Funding - $1,200,000 • Provide an improved emergency north/ SAFETEA-LU - $1,713,274 south alternate route in the event of an Total Investment to Date - $35,913,274 incident on I-5; • Improve commute times between destinations in Thurston County to Roy, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, and south Pierce County, potentially reducing greenhouse gases; • Reduce congestion on Yelm Avenue and First Street, improving air quality; • Improve traffic and pedestrian safety; and • Improve freight mobility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is a 4.2-mile, two lane corridor with left-turn pockets at intersections forming a partial loop connecting SR 507 and SR 510. The corridor provides for a separated pedestrian/bicycle facility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is Ready and Set to GO! With environmental work approved, the design and right-of-way acquisition nearly complete, and a commitment to regional transportation strategies by the City of Yelm, the SR 510 Yelm Loop is ready to build. Construction funding is the final step toward solving a major regional transportation puzzle. The time is now to build the SR 510 Yelm Loop, completing a project that is ahead of schedule, under budget, and making connections. of Funding Needs $11.3 million—Stage 1 construction ye $54.6 million—Stage 2 construction yelm. $65.9 million—Full Build , Mayor ecom 0� THS A 4 9r 01 } Fort Lewis Tumwater 1 Roy 5101507 Yelm Alternate Route YELM WASHINGTON Rainier Temno Pierce Co. i I Thurston Co. I � Centreald Lewis Co — - _ ---� r J+ i ���• I'i�i1 - 1f �i: 1 a • .r 4 YELm lk TEEM MNG CONNECTIONS` WASHINGTON SR 510 Yelm Loop Since 1990, the City of Yelm and Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together to address a regional transportation issue. SR 510 and SR 507 through Yelm and Roy to Spanaway is the only north/south corridor other than Interstate 5 in the South Sound region . 2005 Transportation Partnership Act - $33,000,000 A completed SR 510 Yelm Loop will: 2004 Legislative Funding - $1,200,000 SAFETEA-LU - $1,713,274 • Provide an improved emergency north/ south alternate route in the event of an Total Investment to Date - $35,913,274 incident on I-5; • Improve commute times between destinations in Thurston County to Roy, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, and south Pierce County, potentially reducing greenhouse gases; • Reduce congestion on Yelm Avenue and First Street, improving air quality; • Improve traffic and pedestrian safety; and • Improve freight mobility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is a 4.2-mile, two lane corridor with left-turn pockets at intersections forming a partial loop connecting SR 507 and SR 510. The corridor provides for a separated pedestrian/bicycle facility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is Ready and Set to GO! With environmental work approved, the design and right-of-way acquisition nearly complete, and a commitment to regional transportation strategies by the City of Yelm, the SR 510 Yelm Loop is ready to build. Construction funding is the final step toward solving a major regional transportation puzzle. The time is now to build the SR 510 Yelm Loop, completing a project that is ahead of schedule, under budget, and making connections. ?51 j Funding Needs iN $11.3 million—Stage 1 construction ye. $54.6 million—Stage 2 construction ww elm.wa.us $65.9 million—Full Build Ron Har i , Mayor ---- ------ -Tacom 1 Djpert 0 ymdia Fort Lewis ,T.,n,,ale.r r Poy 570?507 Y@gym Alternate Route YELM WASHINGTON Rainier T'enina Pierce Co BUCDda i Thurston Co. Centraitia Lewis Co. H �i1 1 RAI THE�'ip 4 510 YELm Loop ons ����a� G CONNECTIONS 1 SR 510 Yelm Loop Since 1990, the City of Yelm and Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together to address a regional transportation issue. SR 510 and SR 507 through Yelm and Roy to Spanaway is the only north/south corridor other than Interstate 5 in the South Sound region . 2005 Transportation Partnership Act - $33,000,000 A completed SR 510 Yelm Loop will: 2004 Legislative Funding - $1,200,000 • Provide an improved emergency north/ SAFETEA-LU - $1,713,274 south alternate route in the event of an Total Investment to Date - $35,913,274 incident on 1-5; • Improve commute times between destinations in Thurston County to Roy, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, and south Pierce County, potentially reducing greenhouse gases; • Reduce congestion on Yelm Avenue and First Street, improving air quality; • Improve traffic and pedestrian safety; and • Improve freight mobility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is a 4.2-mile, two lane corridor with left-turn pockets at intersections forming a partial loop connecting SR 507 and SR 510. The corridor provides for a separated pedestrian/bicycle facility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is Ready and Set to GO! With environmental work approved, the design and right-of-way acquisition nearly complete, and a commitment to regional transportation strategies by the City of Yelm, the SR 510 Yelm Loop is ready to build. Construction funding is the final step toward solving a major regional transportation puzzle. The time is now to build the SR 510 Yelm Loop, completing a project that is ahead of schedule, under budget, and making connections. ity of Funding Needs ro $11.3 million—Stage 1 construction yep $54.6 million—Stage 2 construction WW elm.w $65.9 million—Full Build Ron Har i► , Mayor • 5 2f !R 5 ro SR 510 Yelm Loop 1 77. V. bningEv s .ie r t li Haft r• moi•, `*9 ;! � h' � � . dM. ,—Cavo: M..n.• �n SR 510 YELHLOOP TWYESHINGTON MAKING CONNECTIONS1 SR 510 Yelm Loop Since 1990, the City of Yelm and Washington State Department of Transportation have worked together to address a regional transportation issue. SR 510 and SR 507 through Yelm and Roy to Spanaway is the only north/south corridor other than Interstate 5 in the South Sound region . 2005 Transportation Partnership Act - $33,000,000 A completed SR 510 Yelm Loop will: 2004 Legislative Funding - $1,200,000 • Provide an improved emergency north/ SAFETEA-LU - $1,713,274 south alternate route in the event of an Total Investment to Date - $35,913,274 incident on I-5; • Improve commute times between destinations in Thurston County to Roy, Spanaway, Fort Lewis, and south Pierce County, potentially reducing greenhouse gases; • Reduce congestion on Yelm Avenue and First Street, improving air quality; • Improve traffic and pedestrian safety; and • Improve freight mobility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is a 4.2-mile, two lane corridor with left-turn pockets at intersections forming a partial loop connecting SR 507 and SR 510. The corridor provides for a separated pedestrian/bicycle facility. The SR 510 Yelm Loop is Ready and Set to GO! With environmental work approved, the design and right-of-way acquisition nearly complete, and a commitment to regional transportation strategies by the City of Yelm, the SR 510 Yelm Loop is ready to build. Construction funding is the final step toward solving a major regional transportation puzzle. The time is now to build the SR 510 Yelm Loop, completing a project that is ahead of schedule, under budget, and making connections. Funding Needs $11.3 million—Stage 1 construction .yet 1 $54.6 million—Stage 2 construction ww elm.wa.us $65.9 million—Full Build Ron Har i , Mayor atom h ason Co. w4 r Dupu r Fort Lewis jacey Turnrater �r c Poy 510,507 Yelm Alternate Route YELM WASH I N G TO N Rainier Tenino Pierce Co VIW � 4'W T , Bucoda Thurston Co Centrailie Lewis Co. �m •`fid 'F - ' '' =" V ti L , �Ll a. '� r r f ' f� i�" f I r i :l I r • a.-� PPPPPP I y e �. YEUNINO � �.•� iDAiINEAD w.Y '1 4 P., Al r. e Ak, d a _m f �J r �� r � FI rr I tj" I' r 1 • �_I.,',.,r„d F . • ti - r, � � Quo aQ � 0 • .� �� ...�J JJJ JJJ✓ JJ�J � p !h ^ Y E L M P� i low ... • r i r t ... T"Sr`4 :' 'k y $✓ r M46ww off • SKII'll HG SI,� - ,,, ONNOLLy Yelm Prairie Rail Line XRR Making Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from i Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail. The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections City of Yelm by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. Pride of the Prairie P.O. Yelm, WA 98597 (360)458-3244 The Request Mayor Ron Harding $1 ,500,000 (360) 458-8401 rnayor@ci.yelrn.wa.US Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of the Shelly Badger Nisqually River '' 8406 shellyb@cii.yelmma.us a J � � lpF _ CL C! V7 `° � 2 ' N �� """1333'••• a .' LU C ~�.` �"•�? s I ti 1�3/al!bud ds �'a� � AMA b f• 2 d Yelm Prairie Rail Line R R Mahing Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections City of WIM by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. Pride of the Prairie P.O. Box 479 Yelm, WA 98597 (360) 458-3244 The Request Ron Harding $1 ,500,000 ` (360) 458_8401 mayor@ci.yelrn.wa.us Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of theShelly Badger Nisqually River (360) 458-8406 shellyb@ci.yelm.wa.us l r Tacoma S�slton .� b /J -j Olympia Fact Lewis T4mmaer f helm -t •t -Rainier t _ South Sound Rail EatonvilIC Tacan a Rail YelmIRcy Prairie Line f''` Clt�H L`n9 Haul Rail 1UPENSF) Cc,mutr Rail(Sound Transit) Bwoda r ' Jlher Short Line Rail b A Fort Lewis �'-"� t•t til ' Centralia a it L qrr 14 Che"is x RO a V PLANNED � CONNECTIONCO Ott- F � r �Q Yelm Prairie Rail Line R R Making Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail. The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections � • . by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. Pride ot the I rairle,t P.O. Yelm, WA 98597 (360) 458-3244 ,51 Mayor ...r,._ The Request Ron Harding $1 ,500,000 - (360) 458-8401 mayor@ci.yeIm.wa.'UM_s Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of the Shelly Badger Nisqually River (360) 458-8406 shellyb@ci.yelm.wa.us 4) [Tacoma shettilin Olympia IV Laceya Fort Leixis MMwater Yel rn' m Rainier 71?nino South Sound Rail Eatonville Tacoma Rail YelmIRcy Praiie Line H(jUng Haul Rail IUP.,SNSF) r-KR Con-innubt Rail;Sound TrsnsM Other Short Line Rail the Fort Lewis cientmilia M. kk Cheiltatis Roy IF PLANNED CONNECTION T 4� of C2 ------510 �CD 10%_ a ,4V 0 v A- Yelm Prairie Rail Line R R Making Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail. The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections City of Yellm by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. . of the Prairie P.O. Yelm, WA 98597 (360) 458-3244 The Request 1, Mayor HardingRon $1 ,500,000 (360) 458-8401 mayor@ci.yeIm.wa.us Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of the Shelly Badger Nisqually River '' '' ' ' shellyb@ci.yelm.wa.us Tacoma !, Wetton � 1 i _ `1 �l'r� 4 r J Olympia �s� Lacey i Fort Lewis ROY lrf J 7UM=tW N Qj c-i Yelm� Rainier Tenino w� South Sound Rail La tonsille ^f tion. Tacom a R ail -YelmlRcy F•arie Lire &ftKUrt ,J WH(JCKR Long Haul P.ail;UFBNSF} s Commuter Rail:Sound Transit) , BUCOdO Dthc-r Shat Line Rail �+t 2 rf Fort Lewis � y C®tmiia _._. �. C ` ChelAalis 40 Roy o' PLANNED r CONNECTION �'fl` .► "f{� *y t� \ µr~ \ / 7 �jf --SR510 CD J 3711 y�� �.. �•. Yelm Prairie Rail Line R R Making Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail, The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. Pride of the Prairie P.O. Box 479 Yelm, WA 98597 (360) 458-3244 The RequestRon Harding 1° Mayor $1 ,500,000 rnayor@ci.yeIm.wa.us Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of the Shelly Badger Nisqually River ' ' `' ' ' shellyb@ci.yelm.wa.us Tacoma 5�atton �` r /j Olympia Lacey 1— Fact Lewis T4mrontw r Yelm ,1 r Rainier Teni'aO South Sound Rail Ea tonvtlle -Tacoma Rail -YelmlRoy Prarie Line " QJficH L--ng Haul Pail IUPBNSF} UCkR Ccmmuthr Rail ISound Tran;R} Bucoda � , __r r -Other Shat Line Rail Y Fort Lewis " - kl Ca dmlia Chehalis Z Roy t K+ PLANNEO Cts ' CONNECTION y T 4Q *, SRS 10CO o - C► ' O 'a Yelm Prairie Rail Line R R Making Connections The Project In 1999, with local and Federal funds, the City of Yelm made an investment of over $300,000 when it acquired a 4.5 mile section of soon-to-be-abandoned rail line running between Yelm and Roy from Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Yelm, always focused on the future, desired to preserve the track between Yelm and Roy not only for a pedestrian trail, but also to serve Yelm's industrial area and to provide future transportation op- tions. Having a short-line railroad serve Yelm is just a quarter mile from reality, as the end of the Yelm Prairie Line is just a crossing away from the Tacoma Rail Mountain Division Line. Tacoma Rail has been in the short line railroad business for years, and currently provides regional connections between the Ports of Tacoma and Olympia, Fredrickson, Centralia, Eatonville, and Morton. Tacoma Rail has applied for financing to make the connection between the Yelm Prairie Line and the Mountain Division Line which would allow access to Yelm's industrial area as well as critical re- dundancy to the mainline system, providing access to business along the Point Defiance Bypass (Sound Transit) and Fort Lewis in case the usual rail corridor is unavailable. The Need The Yelm Prairie Line from Roy to the Yelm Industrial Area requires refurbishment in order to be util- ized by Tacoma Rail. The Benefits The growing community of Yelm is on the cusp of becoming a sustainable community that provides local housing, shopping, and jobs. The development of Yelm's industrial area is key to achieving this vision as outlined in the Growth Management Act in order to achieve a local economy capable of supporting Yelm's burgeoning residential growth. The Yelm Prairie Line will create a regional connection that will become a strong part of the South Sound economy, extending the short line railroad connections _ z g. by Tacoma Rail to another node in the region. ON Pride of the Prairie P.O. Box 479 Yelm, WA 9 597 .0 . . The Request ' _. Ron $1 ,500,000458-8401 mayor@ci.yelm.wa-us Refurbishment of 4.5 miles of existing rail :"L Administrator line, including a bridge crossing of the Shelly Badger Nisqually River ' ' 8-8406 shellyb@ci.yelm.Wa.us Tacoma t rJ Shelton L J 'rf olvtttn ia Lacel Fait Leans I - Rov . I ; Tum itater i Yelm } _ r '- Rainier Tenino t.t, South Sound Rail Ea tonrille �Tacoma Rail Y �!� -`relmIRoy Praiia Line HUCKIp -Long Haul Rail{UP,ENSF) Canmutor Rail(Sound Transd) _ Sucoda C 'Jtl�er shat Line Rall Z Fort Lewis Centralia Q Chehalis m r" Roy a\ ti } PLANNED CONNECTION L 3 �� F � i SRS10 10 at T.R.P.C. AM, OCT 12 199 Washington State Transportation Bui ding Department of Transportation P.O. Box 47300 Sid Morrison Olympia,WA 985 ' Secretary of Transportation October 5, 1999 Dear Policymaker: The Washington State Department of Transportation Rail Office has continued to work with our partners to successfully deliver rail projects and to improve rail service and safety. In January 1999, we introduced the new Amtrak Cascades trains and service, and last month we introduced the long-awaited second daily Amtrak Cascades Bellingham to Seattle round trip. In addition, freight rail loans have helped branch and light density rail lines survive and helped keep Washington businesses healthy. Many additional projects and programs are underway. These include: • A new East-West Rail Study to analyze freight and passenger rail service connecting the east and west sides of our state. This study will include analysis of the feasibility of daylight Amtrak service connecting Spokane to Seattle and/or Vancouver, WA/Portland. • A project to examine the feasibility of expanding Sounder commuter rail service to Thurston County and related freight rail issues. • Efforts to construct track and safety improvements to allow faster, more frequent U' Amtrak Cascades service. • Station improvement projects, from Seattle's historic King Street Station to Mt. Vernon, Centralia, and beyond. In October and November, the Rail Office and our partners plan a public outreach campaign to talk with community members about these and other rail topics. We will kick-off this effort with live call-in television programs on Wednesday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. People will also be able to learn about rail and to contact us via the Internet, toll-free telephone,U.S. Mail, and at open houses. Look for details, including local �"lGIP listings for the television program and open houses, in the Rail Connection newsletter next week. We welcome your participation in this public outreach. Please come by one of our November open houses, call in to our television program, or visit us on the web at www.wsdot.wa.gov/pubtran or www.amtrakcascades.com. If you have further questions, please contact the Rail Office at(360) 705-7901 or at rail@wsdot.wa.gov. Sincerely, �'/' T1, � Kenneth M. Uznanl, Jr. Manager, Rail Office KMU:tro k �,{ y. •� -,j '` - . �`. •d' ; r r..'.�� �" '��.�.�+` a Ar v�`��` k �7� ��. �� ' ''�� may;-. F - 't 0 � iia 44; " ,R`�. ! 5 t ,,,�. 1 .tom, Q�' 44�'•��yif. � - �.r'.a ' ig ,^i is OAK r ^-.:'{ Aviv! 114t $ x r s iki fill -t�,wefU ,b -P-+"'�.'. td:(t q i? On •� i} r. p7T,ti4..'a ,�^'" �F-•^ y.. � , '�'�` r t4�. #. ` �� -,> ;r e' n •4s a �" v i;g a '�' f } yd. "i7+irFi T:l , In to -� �— } — — � � -- ��� `• }���� � � ',.M; a � � � ode L'+g, ��`.�` 1, a',� ,� It � e a�� �,� ^e� V + � �'i� ar [z� ,gyp - �' a r t- � '✓•a:: # h t �•i hK t ` niT L� ' -._.. tl� ` " °'fri' ;`.1 }3< ahy q ''•} i Vit . joy . +I a. t T {�,.« � IRS 41. +, y,"", , '�'_, • ^t orf$ � w•'�'' - Y v 'r, � Iry10 vvaa s 9. t .. ,f•f�r1.' .... .JbsS'YF.,. .... '�rt�.-'�:,� :�_.. ��<'� .erS�L .r ,� ��- 3�,.--. ,.^�.':>,t,. _.- . ;_.s. 1992-1998 Westside Light Rail Station Area Design, Planning & Development Program Accomplishments and Lessons Learned Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon, USA For American Planning Association National Planning Conference April 24-28, 1999 Seattle, Washington By Henry S. Markus, AICP Abstract This paper summarizes lessons learned and accomplishments of intergovernmental light rail station area design, planning and development activities during 1992-1998. The program focused on removing public and private obstacles to and providing support for transit-oriented development(TOD) prior to opening the new light rail line between Portland and Hillsboro in September 1998. The effort was successful both in producing new development and in altering the land use regulatory structure in the western portion of the metropolitan area. About 7,000 dwellings are being built and more than $505 million has been invested in projects within walking distance of the new light rail stations. i CONTENTS , Top Ten/Prelude 1 Lessons Learned 4 Background 12 Accomplishments 15 Best Documents 17 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS City of Beaverton City of Hillsboro Community Development Planning Department PO Box 4755 123 West Main Street Beaverton, Oregon 97076 Hillsboro, Oregon 97123 503/526-2222 503/681-6100 City of Portland Washington County Planning Bureau Land Use & Transportation 1220 SW Fifth Avenue 155 North First Avenue Portland, Oregon 97204 Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 503/823-7701 503/648-8611 Metro Tri-Met Growth Management Project Development 600 NE Grand Avenue 710 NE Holladay Street Portland, Oregon 97232 Portland, Oregon 97232 503/797-1700 503/239-6711 Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 1 123 NW Flanders Portland, Oregon 97209 503/731-8200 AUTHOR'S NOTE Henry S. Markus, AICP, was the Station Area Development Coordinator for Tri-Met in Portland, Oregon, 1992-1997. He is currently a senior project manager in the Director's Office, Transit Oriented Development Section, King County Department of Transportation, 821 Second Avenue, M. S. 94, Seattle, Washington 98104-1598, phone 206/684-6738, fax 206/684-1968, and email henry.markus@metrokc.gov. TOP TEN TOD LESSONS The key ingredients for success include a public vision for transit oriented development (TOD) including plans and regulations that allow TOD, high land values or public incentives that make structured parking feasible, and market analysis showing that a sufficient number of local consumers want to live, work, play or shop in TOD. The goal is to increase light rail utilization capacity by creating magical, high density, mixed use pedestrian districts within walking distance of transit stations. Some of the most important lessons learned in Portland include: • Integrate TOD into light rail project decisions • Assign full time staff and budget funds • Give the right task to the right people at the right time • Take advantage of windows of opportunity • Create a market strategy • Audit & amend plans and development regulations • Provide effective incentives • Coordinate, cooperate and collaborate • Take civic & organizational personalities into account • Undertake public/private pilot projects and master plans Henry S. Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 1 r PRELUDE A Tale of Two Cities TOD developers submit applications to staff at the permit center in the same city two years apart. Before the first application is made, the mayor, council, planning commission, design review board, council of neighborhood association presidents, and other civic, environmental and business leaders have been telling everyone that TOD is the wave of the future. First Application: City staff mail their preliminary staff report to the developer saying that the proposed TOD project will require: • A plan amendment (allowed once per year, the deadline was last month). • A zoning code amendment to allow mixed use development, higher density, lower parking ratios and shared parking. • A one year process to allow adequate time for hearings and code interpretation. • A new sewer line located more than a mile from the project site. • A conditional use permit and three variances. • Neighborhood endorsement even though the project meets city requirements. • Masonry construction because five-story wood-frame residential mixed use construction is not allowed in the city. • Wider streets for the city's proposed new(much bigger) fire trucks. Second Application (two years later): City staff provide a preliminary approval certificate for the development which states that the proposed mixed use TOD project: • Meets the TOD requirements of the city plan, regulations and design standards. • No off-site infrastructure is required. • No hearings are required. • Environmental mitigation measures are consistent with the sub-district EIS. • The project qualifies for a 50%parking reduction due to the TDM measures. • Five story wood frame is allowed under the new TOD building code revision. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 2 • A contribution to the TOD Overlay District shared parking structure fund will be accepted in lieu of the other 50% of otherwise required on-site parking. • The project qualifies for a ten year property tax abatement on improvements because it is located in a city designated TOD target area and includes 20% affordable housing units as well as pedestrian and transit supportive design features. • Based on recent test results from the fire marshal, smaller width streets are acceptable. A few days after the developer receives the preliminary approval certificate, two letters arrive: • One from the transit agency endorsing the proposed project and offering its adjacent site for an expanded TOD project. • A second one from the president of the chamber of commerce offering to set up a press conference with the developer, project investors, the mayor, the general manager of the transit agency,the president of the neighborhood association, a representative of a local environmental group, and the chair of the chamber's TOD task force. TOD Marketing Strategy Use a variety of methods to get your message out. The city wants TOD, there is a market, and we have done our homework. Building TOD will save you time and money, increase your profits and reduce your risk. The city's TOD strategy provides flexibility and certainty. The city is ready to work with you. To get started, interview members of the local development community about TOD obstacles and opportunities. Provide TOD training for city staff. Distribute your city TOD booklet through the chamber of commerce. Work with realtors that have TOD sites available for purchase. Let people know that the TOD office has case studies, market analyses, development opportunity profiles, GIS maps, information on incentives, videos, and references on local consultants with TOD expertise. Let people know that this information is available on the city's web site. Set up a TOD speakers bureau to arrange presentations for continuing professional education credit, trade association lunches, meetings, seminars, workshops, conferences, and media events like a ground breaking or grand opening. Tell developers (and their consultants)that the TOD Program will provide up to 50% of the cost of market analysis and preliminary site design for potential public/private TOD mixed use joint development projects in your city. Henry S. Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 3 r r LESSONS LEARNED The author led several dozen light rail station area planning and development tours for elected, professional and citizen groups over a period of several years. These groups were local, northwest, national and international. It was surprising that many of the same questions came up repeatedly. Much of the following material is based on answers to their questions. Why Should You Care About TOD? Transit oriented development (TOD) is good politics because the public likes it. For a transit agency, TOD design will save time by reducing controversy and money by reducing the need for transit facility redesign. It will help meet transit ridership targets. TOD makes stations notable public places. They will be a highly visible effort to "manage" growth. Private sector TOD investments validate the public investment in transit. Do You Believe In Magic? Hawthorne Boulevard, the Lloyd District, Multnomah Village,NW 23rd Avenue and Sellwood are popular Portland pedestrian areas. They are mixed use and active eighteen hours a day including weekends. Their popularity with the public was not "planned" by government or "built" by developers although government now protects them and developers enhance them. Creating a "magical" place on vacant land is difficult. Recent pedestrian oriented projects include Orenco Station, La Salle at Beaverton Creek, The Round at Beaverton Central near westside light rail stations; and Belmont Dairy, Sunnyside Village and Fairview Village on the eastside served by bus. Plan or Build? A planning program is completed when plans/codes are adopted. A development program is successful when projects are built. If you want TODs built before light rail begins operation, adopt plans and development regulations at least two years before opening day or be prepared to accept the consequences of dealing with TOD applications under existing plan/code. Timing is crucial to address developers' anxiety about the public approval process. Baking A Cake -- If transit oriented development (TOD) is new to you, the following analogy may be helpful. Many people love cake. If you want to sell a new type of cake, offer people a free sample. Baking a cake requires tools. Don't ask someone who has never baked a cake to write a recipe. Planning is only one ingredient. A master chef bakes a better cake. Making every cake unique is expensive. A cake mix is cheaper and easier but can be bland. Using the right ingredients makes a better cake. Market analysts determine what type of cake people liked last year. Investors may prefer to finance a cake mix factory rather than a bakery. A wedding cake costs more. Market For TOD -- There is a market for TOD. If there are few/no TODs in your area, local real estate market analysts, who are paid to be conservative, will conclude that someone besides their client should build the first one. The real estate industry has a supply problem. Demand for more varied products exists. Hire a forward looking market strategist to evaluate the market for TOD in your area. Keep an up-to-date list of local TOD projects. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 4 Developers, bankers and others are more comfortable building product that they are familiar with. If the issue is comfort rather than risk, go find developers comfortable building a TOD. A TOD success will effectively convince other developers to build TODs. If an experienced TOD developer says that something will not work, listen. Until recently, national retailers loved big box and were skeptical of TOD. "Lifestyle retail" is now the next big thing. "Authentic" mixed use mainstreets and urban villages are not just acceptable but good investments for real estate investment trusts (REITS), insurance companies and pension funds. The LRT Development Advantage -- Like freeway interchanges, light rail station areas offer greater certainty and therefore less risk to the development community. Once built and operational, a station is unlikely to move or operation to cease. Bus routes are perceived to be more flexible and less certain over long periods of time.like 30+years. Trains are more likely to be on schedule and travel faster during AM/PM commute periods than buses (or cars) because light rail operates on a separate right of way and cannot get stuck in traffic. Local governments that revise their comprehensive plans and development codes to allow pedestrian and transit supportive development and restrict other land uses are providing "protection" to the first developer to build a TOD project by increasing the likelihood that future projects will increase rather than decrease the value of their project. This is especially important to developers that "hold" rather than "resell" their projects. Travel To/From Stations -- Going to a light rail station, people can walk, ride a bus or bike, ride in a van pool, or drive a car. After getting off a train, people can walk,ride a bike or bus, or take a shuttle (if available); they do not have the option of driving a car. This has several important ramifications. TOD with office, retail or entertainment uses give more people the option of walking to their final destinations. Higher density residential TOD gives more people the option of walking to or from a station. Mixed use TOD increases the number of people with both of these options. As the number of station areas with higher density mixed use TOD increase, light rail ridership (peak and off-peak passengers) and mode split(percent of non-auto trips) will increase. This in turn results in less traffic congestion, fewer vehicle miles travelled (VMT), and less air pollution. Business Cycle -- Buy low, sell high. Land prices are lowest at the bottom of the real estate business cycle but this is the hardest time to get funding/financing and the longest wait before development is likely to occur. Do not buy land or expect TOD to be built at the end of the cycle unless you are ready to tolerate red ink. The initial upswing after the bottom of the market is the best time to do TOD planning but complete it fast to take advantage of market momentum. By luck,the westside station area planning program (WSAP) hit the cycle perfectly -- $14 billion of regional high tech investment, large/vacant land parcels at relatively low prices near five stations, and low apartment, office and flex space vacancy rates. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 5 r Urban -- Station area communities should be "urban" even in a suburban setting. Pedestrian scale design draws people to return again and again. Urban development supports transit; suburban development does not. This is a powerful idea once established. The concept includes mixed use, higher density, lower parking ratios, parking behind buildings, less private and more public open space, smaller blocks, narrow streets with wider sidewalks, on-street parallel parking, street trees and lights, and buildings at the sidewalk. Public/Public Partnerships -- State of Oregon funding conditions, Metro 2040 regional growth plan requirements, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Hillsboro Extension funding conditions, created a framework for local government transit oriented planning and development. As a result of much discussion and effort that led to an understanding of the need for coordination of station area planning efforts, ODOT, Metro, Tri-Met, Washington County and the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro and Portland cooperated in the planning process, including setting common goals and objectives, establishing a common work plan, agreeing on lead and shared planning responsibilities, and allocating limited funding. The regular meetings of staff representatives throughout the process helped to identify and address shared planning issues, as well as providing moral support for one another. Based on discussions with staff in other metropolitan areas, this degree of cooperation is unusual. Practice What You Preach -- Locate and design stations, park& ride lots and other transit facilities to support TOD. If the transit agency does not advocate for TOD, who else will? Build structured parking, support shared parking, set up transportation demand management programs, sell air rights, locate retail mixed use between parking and station platform, assign fee credits to adjacent property owners for TOD, pursue joint development of remnant property, share cost of public/private master planning, provide technical and financial assistance to local jurisdictions, be an advocate for TOD in local permit public hearings. For example, transit agencies, like retailers, want their parking at the front door; placing mixed use development between a station and a park& ride provides customers for the private project. To make this work best, land should be set aside during the preliminary engineering and draft environmental impact statement processes. The longer you wait, the harder it is to accomplish. Politics -- Identify potential fatal flaws and deal with them. People think that they dislike density. Based on visual preference surveys, what they actually don't like is insensitive design, traffic impacts, lack of public open space, and so on. The solution is public outreach, citizen participation, adoption of good design standards, and site specific project impact mitigation. Station area development regulations should include detailed design standards, and design review should be considered if not already required. If you need to cut down a forest to build TOD, seek support from environmental groups. If a neighborhood fears congestion from new development, add traffic calming projects to your capital improvement program. Always provide opportunities to participate in decision making. Some issues are best dealt with by meeting separately with developers, property owners, citizens, experts, and public officials, then bringing a package back for joint/public review. Participants need to have direct access to decision makers. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 6 i Civic Personalities -- One local government is ready to do the work. Others need time to get started. One style is to get it done fast. Others prefer to take several years. Some are stable. Others change mayors, directors and senior staff several times during the process. One wants to wait until regional, state and federal policies are finalized. Others prefer to lead rather than follow. Some innovate through applications for development. Others want development to stop until they revise their plans and codes. Some want visibility, others prefer the stealth approach. None of this is right or wrong,just different. Take this into account when preparing work programs, schedules and budgets. Provide expert technical assistance and hold work sessions early on to aid program set up. Leadership --Promote enlightened self interest. Question traditional assumptions. Set a new agenda. Build coalitions of strange bedfellows. Identify public, private, and non-profit leaders who support TOD. Make it easy for neighborhood, city, county, regional, state and federal leaders to cooperate, coordinate, and collaborate. Provide powerful facts. Make sure that leaders get credit for success. Set Targets -- Clear intergovernmental objectives are needed to establish and evaluate the success of a station area planning and development program. Take care to determine what is most important and to set real targets. The target areas should include land within one-half mile of light rail stations or one-quarter mile of feeder bus routes. Set targets for TOD based ridership; share of trips (mode split) from pedestrians, bicycles, and internal trips; ridership from feeder bus routes; people per acre for residents, employees, visitors and customers; transit ridership for AM/PM weekday peaks, mid-day, evening and weekend. For TOD ridership assume, for example, 10,000 new dwellings within walking distance of light rail stations,two adults per unit,two commute trips per day, and a 10%transit share, this equals 4,000 trips per day by transit. Assuming mixed use transit-oriented development, the total contribution of transit, walkibike and internalized trips can reduce external automobile trips by up to one-third. Translate targets into land uses and densities; include interim targets to support longer term objectives. For example, define build out for a station area and interim steps (project phasing) to reach the target. Create catalyst projects to reach critical mass. Identify areas where little is likely to happen. Timing/Coordination -- Be aware that there can be irreconcilable timing dilemmas. Light rail PE/DEIS processes end about five years before service begins. Developers usually have about a two year time frame. Long range land use planners can take several years to prepare a twenty year plan. Identify and take advantage of"windows of opportunity". To the extent possible, coordinate work programs and schedules for the light rail project and station area planning. Managers of major projects want to be on time and on budget. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD, Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 7 As construction projects progress, they are less flexible; change orders create headaches and cost , money. This is a key reason to undertake station area design, planning and development as soon as possible. Be prepared to do any or all of the following concurrently --Public/private master planning; finalizing transit facility locations and design; updating local government plans, regulations and capital improvement programs; development review; and TOD marketing/incentives. Use a charrette process (intensive multi-day meeting)to compress the time required to reach agreement on light rail final design, TOD, plan/code, and other issues without missing opportunities or creating fatal flaws by dealing with one issue at a time. Budget/Funding/Resources -- Make walk-on ridership a budget priority. To the extent possible, make TOD an eligible light rail project expense. To capture potential TOD ridership, adequate resources are needed for staff, GIS system/data/operator, consultants, marketing, training, land purchase, and so on. Obtain funds for TOD from as many sources as possible with as few strings as possible to provide technical and financial assistance as well as to buy land and make site improvements. For TOD public/private master planning, negotiate a 50/50 cost split. Under intergovernmental agreements, pay for work that is completed, not for work in-progress. Use multi-year contracts; delegate authority so that every amendment does not have to go back to the governing bodies; provide for public budget end-of-the-year funding roll over. Make sure that each public sector player has at least one senior level person assigned full time to TOD plan/code work and implementation. Once you succeed in obtaining TOD funds, use them or lose them. Types of Development Sites—The type of development sites in light rail station areas is important for setting targets and because developers often specialize in one or two types; development costs may vary by type of site; and neighborhood support and/or opposition may vary by type of project site. National developers with institutional funds want to build large projects, for residential,this often means a minimum of three hundred units. • "Greenfield" sites are vacant parcels that are ten acres or larger; • "Infill" sites are smaller vacant parcels in developed areas; • "Brownfield" sites require environmental clean-up; • "Redevelopment" sites have improvements whose value is lower than the land value; • "Rehab" sites have buildings that can be updated or converted to a new use; and • "Joint development" sites are owned by a public agency and offered for development on a competitive basis. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 8 1 TOD Sites -- Identify, preserve, enhance or create TOD opportunity sites around stations and feeder bus routes. Consider interim development regulations to prohibit inappropriate land uses while permanent plans and regulations are being prepared. Purchase the land or prepare public/private master plans for large vacant sites. Proactively solve problems of difficult sites (hazmat, wetland). Consolidate fragmented parcels or at least require coordination of development. Support infill and redevelopment design sensitive to neighbors. In existing residential areas with alleys or large lots, allow a rental unit to be added on single family lots to increase density over time without major upheaval. Marketing/Education -- This is much more than "citizen participation" in planning. "Stakeholders" include transit project staff, residents, property owners, developers, institutional investors, business, special interest groups, government agencies, and others. Prepare a marketing strategy, document TOD opportunity sites (profiles/maps), market analysis, case studies (nothing sells like success), focus groups, charrettes, seminars, conferences, newsletter, presentations, handbook, tours, TV shows, newspaper articles, lecture series, sketch walks, computer simulations, field trips, surveys, web sites, monitor development projects, and so on. Mixed Use -- Mixed use TODs are the most effective type of development for reducing external automobile trips but are difficult to do. Public incentives may be necessary. Mixed use projects can be vertical (in a building) or horizontal (adjacent to one another). For vertical, it is more difficult to find developers and consultants who understand mixed use relationships and marketing,to obtain financing, and to get permit approvals. Most banks do not make loans for mixed use. A modest mix of uses can be hidden inside a larger project like first floor commercial in one building of a multi-building residential complex. Nationally, there is growing experience with mixed use urban villages (neo-traditional development). Combined with transit, this is a powerful and workable marketing concept. Infrastructure -- Station area planning should include traffic impact analysis for the types and density of development desired. Make public improvements or offer tax/fee credits to developers to support necessary TOD infrastructure. Higher density pedestrian districts require more streets; this costs more than sprawl development and is harder to finance. Even assuming a 20% mode split, higher density TODs will create local congestion because 80% of trips will still be by automobile. The benefits are creation of active pedestrian districts and reductions in regional traffic congestion, air pollution, and vehicle miles travelled. Land locked stations surrounded by vacant land can be wonderful development opportunity sites; however, be sure to acquire public access to the station before finalizing the station location and design. Public Subsidies Are Effective--Urban sprawl is supported by past and present public policy on freeways,the GI Bill, the Lakewood Plan (southern California), and tax subsidies for single- family homes and parking lots. For anyone who says they hate subsidies, ask them if they own a home and deduct mortgage interest and property taxes on their income taxes. To provide a "level playing field" for TOD, either subsidies for auto-oriented development should be reduced and/or subsidies for TOD should be provided. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon,APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 9 TOD Incentives -- Public support can take many forms. Consider all possible ways to encourage and support TOD. Sponsor demonstration, pilot and catalyst projects. Sell land owned by public agencies not needed for a public purpose. Take action to minimize development soft costs, time delays and uncertainties by dealing with issues like wetlands, strange or missing code provisions for TOD. Amend zoning codes to allow high density development. Other opportunities include offering a TOD property tax exemption, systems development charge or transportation impact fee credits, permit expediting, and modifying any/all existing/related programs to support TOD. HUD has a multiple-family housing mortgage guarantee program that allows first floor commercial. Public benefits, both tangible and intangible, should equal public costs. The marketing value of incentives should not be underestimated. Beware, if higher developer transaction costs to take advantage of public incentives approach the value of the incentives,program effectiveness is dead on arrival. Development Regulations -- Make what you want easy and prohibit what you don't want. Many codes do the opposite. Do a regulatory audit. Adopt interim development regulations. If you don't want "suburban" low density auto-oriented development in station areas, don't allow it. If you set your standards too high, no transit-oriented development will occur without subsidy. If too low, what's the point. Finding the balance that is currently viable, which is a moving target, is the hard part. To the extent possible, make standards clear and objective. Use "shall" not "may"; adopt "standards" not "guidelines". Have an intergovernmental team prepare model regulations with intent and commentary to help local government staff expedite code update. Get signoffs from police/fire officials for skinny street design. Prepare proactive solutions to fire code concerns for vertical mixed use projects and wood frame platform parking. Some government agencies want single story buildings and lots of parking for their facilities. Require public agencies to practice what they preach. New people-intensive civic facilities should be located in station areas; locate new land-intensive public or private facilities like maintenance or storage elsewhere. Negotiate an overall strategy with all agencies responsible for issuing light rail project development permits and fees. Obtain intergovernmental agreement on consistent design standards and a consolidated process. If you want high quality TOD design requirements, apply the same criteria to the light rail project. Obtain approval to assign any unused fee credits to TODs on adjacent properties. Flexibility & Certainty -- The boon and bane of developers and city officials. If you want retail but market risk does not justify requiring it, require retail "design" instead and zone for commercial land use which allows but does not require retail. This way a developer has a fall back position if retail does not work for a time. Consider adopting two approaches in the development code for TOD: A traditional one with prescriptive standards and a second with flexible performance standards for master planning with public review. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 10 s Density & Parking-- High parking ratios combined with surface parking make high density development impossible. In suburban areas, set the minimum density near the top end of what the market can provide without public subsidy for structured parking (25-30 du/ac subject to topography); this should increase over time. Set maximum allowed parking near the low end of what the market will accept (1.7 space/unit); this should decrease over time. Promote shared/joint parking and structured parking; provide public incentives to encourage this such as shared use of park& ride lots. Set up transportation demand management programs to reduce parking demand. Pedestrian oriented blocks are 200-300 feet long with a perimeter of 800-1200 feet. Small blocks may prohibit some types of development. Having more streets provides more on-street parking which creates a better pedestrian environment. Buy Land -- Public purchase of land and resale for TOD is a key implementation tool. Obtaining funds to purchase land is difficult. To the extent possible, use light rail project funds. Buy as many of the "best" TOD sites as possible, prepare master plans, make site improvements, package incentives, then resell on a competitive basis for private development with conditions. Reinvest land sale proceeds to reduce development soft costs, provide infrastructure in the project area or on-site public amenities, or put into a revolving fund to use at other TOD sites. Obtain interagency agreement on the permit approval process and requirements before offering joint development sites and incentive packages to developers. The location and size of light rail construction staging areas should take into account the potential for TOD; minimum size should be one acre; bigger is better. National multiple family residential developers like projects of 300 units or larger. This strategy works for infill sites as well as greenfield sites. Administration-- For intergovernmental projects, have management experts (not planners) set up and monitor contracts and legal agreements (IGA, MOU), objectives, milestones, budget, accounting, scheduling, products, and evaluation. Key decisions include who does what and joint products. Prescreen consulting firms in a variety of disciplines using an RFQ process to allow hiring on the fast track from a pre-approved short list on an as needed basis. Joint Products -- For example, model development regulations with intent and commentary should be prepared by a consultant team with an intergovernmental advisory committee. Local government staff can then prepare custom versions for adoption in their jurisdictions based on the model. This will expedite adoption of new local TOD plans and codes. Themes should be consistent but include variations for different situations. Seek review and critique of the model from special interest groups. Using common names and requirements for station areas where two or more local governments have jurisdiction reduces potential confusion of residents, business, property owners and developers. Use MOUs or letters of intent to establish a working basis for an inter-agency project. If conditions change, amend the agreements. Property Owners -- Individuals, families and public or private organizations that own vacant or underutilized land in light rail station areas may have little or no expertise with development. They may know even less about transit-oriented development. Their perception of risk for TOD may be even higher than that of conservative developers. The public sector should provide technical assistance to property owners as well as practice patience. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 11 Station Design/Plan/Develop -- The right interagency/interdisciplinary team with the right assignment at the right time can save significant funds and time while reducing conflict. The team should include land use, transportation, market analysis, environmental, urban design, engineering, legal, marketing, public relations, and other specialties. To identify, preserve, enhance and create TOD sites, include urban designers and market analysts on teams before finalizing transit facility location and design, updating city/county plan/code and preparing public/private master development plans. For interagency teams, seek people with expertise and signature authority; document team conclusions and decisions at the end of each work session; members should obtain signoff from their agencies before the next meeting so work can proceed to the next stage. When explaining the purpose of TOD to engineers or economists, tell them that TOD will "increase the utilization capacity" of light rail. Translated into english,this means that you get more riders at little or no additional cost. That is a very good thing. Public/Private Partnerships -- The best TOD projects were developed using the Oregon version of California's "specific plans". Seek partnerships with local government, major property owners and developers. Offer to split the cost of master planning but require a 50% private match. Be willing to modify transit facility location and design to take maximum advantage of major development projects. Define roles and responsibilities, and set clear joint objectives at the beginning for land uses, density,parking, block size, incentives, street connectivity, public involvement and so on. Either jointly hire a consulting team or create two teams, one for the private participants and another for the public. Use a charrette process with the decision makers and consultants in face to face discussion. Missed Opportunities -- The two most significant missed opportunities were not preparing model plan/code provisions and not purchasing land for TOD. Model interim city/county station area development regulations prepared by an intergovernmental team with consulting assistance saved time, effort and money; the effort should have continued to prepare permanent model plan and code. Public purchase of some of the large tracts of vacant land around stations from willing sellers in the early 1990s for mixed use development would have created better catalyst projects demonstrating the full potential of TOD. Even if funds had been available, it would have been hard to convince a public agency (city, county or transit) to buy land for TOD that had never done this type of economic development project before. In 1997, Metro established a new program to buy land for TOD. TOD PROGRAM BACKGROUND Meta-Goals -- Local, regional, state and federal policy direction is to use pedestrian and transit oriented real estate development as a tool to manage growth, reduce air pollution and vehicle miles travelled, and obtain maximum return on the public investment in light rail. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 12 ;1 Regional Context -- Metro adopted 2040 regional growth management plans in 1994 and adopted an implementing ordinance in 1996 which established recommended densities around transit stations. Cities and counties implemented the state transportation planning rule (TPR). Tri-Met adopted a strategic plan including a land use goal. Regional voters approved funds to acquire greenspaces. In 1994-97, about $14 billion was invested in high technology industries in the bi-state, four county metro area, creating thousands of new jobs. Westside MAX light rail goes through the "Silicon Forest" in Washington County. Light Rail -- Tri-Met initiated eastside light rail service between Portland and Gresham in 1986. Westside service between Hillsboro, Beaverton and Portland began in September 1998. The Westside Project is eighteen miles long, has twenty stations, nine park& ride lots and three transit centers. The final route selected for the westside included five station areas with large tracts of vacant land which was intentional not accidental (over 1,100 vacant acres!). The $964 million budget included a modest level of funding for station area design and development but no funds for land use planning. Evaluation of 1980's Eastside Light Rail Planning-- In 1993, Tri-Met and the City of Portland hired a consulting team to evaluate the eastside transit station area planning program (TSAP) conducted in the early 1980s. The study included both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Conclusions of this study were taken into account when setting up westside station area design, planning and development efforts: • Be clear about goals; • Promote transit-oriented development as part of a broader investment strategy; • Rezone transit station areas for higher densities; • To promote transit-oriented development, offer deal-making assistance; • Target public agency efforts at the transit stations which offer the greatest potential; • Involve elected officials and citizens, across jurisdictional boundaries, to gain their leadership and support; • Consider developers' perspective in program design and implementation; • Think long-term; and • Establish a system to monitor progress. Another important conclusion was that property values around the stations increased more than comparative values in Multnomah County inside the urban growth boundary. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 13 i Westside Station Area Planning Program (WSAP) -- The purpose of WSAP was update of city and county comprehensive plans, development regulations and capital improvement programs for transit-oriented development(TOD) in light rail station areas. Metro, Tri-Met, ODOT, Washington County, and the Cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Portland created an intergovernmental management committee that approved goals, work programs, schedules, and budgets. A unique aspect of the effort was agreement on a common approach and objectives. The committee met at least once a month for the duration of the program to share information, discuss proposed plans and regulations, and critique development proposals. WSAP Funding-- Metro is a regional planning agency (MPO), Tri-Met is a regional transit agency, and ODOT is a state transportation agency. None of them are development agencies or adopt land use plans or development regulations but each has a significant interest and review role in land use decisions. For different but complementary reasons, all benefit from TOD. These three agencies provided over$2 million for WSAP. Additional funding for projects related to WSAP was provided through state transportation and growth management grants, technical assistance grants, local government funds, and other sources including property owners and/or developers. The grand total spent on WSAP and transit-oriented development master planning by the public sector exceeds $4.0 million not including infrastructure expenditures. Most of the WSAP and related funds were provided to and spent by four local governments. Federal Transit Agency (FTA) funds could not be used for station area planning. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) -- There are many definitions of TOD. The following definition is from Tri-Met's 1997 model TOD property tax abatement ordinance: "Multiple-unit housing and mixed use projects that support the public investment in light rail and fixed route transit(bus) service because they preserve, enhance, or contribute to creating active pedestrian districts within walking distance of transit. TODs increase the density of people near transit, including residents, employees, visitors, and customers in a built environment that is pedestrian friendly and connected to transit. Mixed-use buildings, projects, or areas with a mix of uses are active from early in the morning to late in the evening, making the environment safer for pedestrians and providing peak and off-peak customers for transit service. A TOD may be a single building, a group of buildings, or a multiple block district." Transferability -- Lessons learned from the eastside or westside light rail station area design, planning and development programs may not apply to other projects. There was only one large, vacant tract of land on the eastside (the Winmar site in Gresham); there were five such sites on the westside in three jurisdictions. Most of the $1.3 billion of development on the eastside in the last ten years was in the downtown and Lloyd District station areas. The 7,000 dwellings being built around westside stations are located outside of downtown areas. Development of large, vacant parcels is much easier and less costly than infill and redevelopment. Two Views, 1992 & 1998 -- In 1992, Tri-Met thought it could use $1.0 million of Westside Project funds for station area planning. FTA said "construction" funds could not be used for "planning". Funding was sought from and made available by Metro and ODOT with the local match provided by Tri-Met general funds. It took about six months for the three funding agencies and the four local jurisdictions to reach agreement on the work program. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD, Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999, Page 14 One of the first joint efforts was preparation of model interim station area development regulations. Tri-Met was an advocate for public/private master planning of large, vacant sites; Tri-Met's goal was 8,000 new dwelling units within walking distance of Westside Project stations by opening day. Based on the evaluation of eastside planning, the westside participants agreed that involvement of the development community should be sought and that implementation activities could occur concurrently with planning. Looking back from 1998, Westside station area design, planning and development was worth the time, effort and cost. Metro's 2040 regional planning slowed down the WSAP but improved the products. The decision to work with the development community and advocate for TOD worked better than anyone ever imagined. TOD PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS Westside Station Area Development—About 7,000 dwellings and more than $505 million of residential and non-residential development have been built, permitted or proposed since 1990 (LRT PE/DEIS began) within one-half mile of westside light rail stations. About 3,600 of the dwellings were completed in 1998. Over 3,000 of them are located in two station areas. One developer is building about 2,000 of these units in three station areas with backing from a pension fund. Attracting national developers to build TOD projects in the region is a significant achievement-- PacTrust, Trammell Crow Residential, Security Capital Pacific, Columbus Realty Trust(now Post), and Simpson Housing. Westside Station Area Planning (WSAP) -- A four year intergovernmental effort to update comprehensive plans, development regulations and capital improvement programs for areas within one-half mile of westside light rail stations. Hillsboro, Portland and Washington County adopted interim development regulations early in the process to minimize parking, increase density, prohibit inappropriate land uses, and require pedestrian oriented design. By 1998, new plans and development regulations had been adopted for almost all of the light rail station areas. Sunset Transit Center-- Detailed design standards were adopted in October 1997 by Washington County for an area including 190 acres under a single ownership. This was a major milestone in a debate that has lasted more than a decade on the best use of this property. The new plan and code are based on intensive discussions between adjacent neighborhoods, the property owner and county staff as well as urban design, market analysis and transportation consultants. A mixed use center is planned adjacent to the station and more than 2000 housing units in the balance of the area. Beaverton Central Mixed Use Project—One day the "The Round" will be the "jewel" of Westside Light Rail. Ground breaking was in October 1997 for this $100 million mixed use project. The light rail station is in the middle of the site. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 15 The project includes a civic plaza with amphitheater, 154 for-sale dwellings, 152,000 square foot of class A office, 70,000 square foot of retail/office flex space, sister cities garden, 109 unit hotel, 10 screen movie theater, and 810 space parking garage. City staff are managing the project; regional technical and financial assistance is being provided. It took five years from the first study to ground breaking. Murray West Master Plan -- A preliminary public/private master plan for a 120 acre area around the Beaverton Creek light rail station was completed in 1995. Trammell Crow Residential (TCR) completed construction of 830 dwelling units in 1998. Tri-Met's park & ride was relocated, redesigned and coordinated with TCR's project to create a pedestrian friendly environment. Nike plans to expand its world headquarters campus on 75 acres north of the station. City plan and code amendments for the 120 acre area were adopted in December 1997. Tri-Met managed the master plan effort. The City of Beaverton was lead on the plan/code amendments. Hillsboro Light Rail Station Area Urban Design -- In 1993, this project dealt with issues that were not resolved during preliminary engineering and the draft EIS. There was concern that intergovernmental consensus would be difficult to achieve. In a five week intensive effort, agreement was reached to remove two stations and redesign or relocate four others to reduce costs, improve access, and preserve opportunities for station area development. This was a joint effort with Metro, the City of Hillsboro and Washington County. Tri-Met was the lead agency. This is an excellent example of an interagency, interdisciplinary team approach with the right people with the right assignment at the right time. Orenco/PacTrust Master Plan -- In January 1999, the National Home Builders selected "Orenco Station" out of nearly 1,000 entries for their"Masterplanned Community of the Year" gold award. In 1998, it won the Governor's Livability Award. See www.orencostation.com on the internet for more information. More than 2,000 dwellings, a mixed use center, parks, and a sub-regional retail "power" center are planned, permitted or under construction between the light rail station and the new$2 billion Intel facility. The City of Hillsboro was the lead agency. Six- hundred apartments and the small lot single family home models were completed in 1997. Simpson Housing Inc. is building 804 dwelling units with 1,079 parking spaces on 31.8 acres. Downtown Hillsboro LID -- The City Council approved the Hillsboro Downtown Business Association petition for creation of a local improvement district(LID) in August 1996. The project implements the vision of the downtown (TOD)plan and began construction in summer 1997. The design for new sidewalks, curbs, decorative paving, street lamps, and greenery are complementary to light rail street improvments. Westside Corridor Level Public Outreach -- Activities included a newsletter(seven issues), brochures, Rail Trail Guide, conferences, seminars, workshops, displays, slide shows, videos, cable TV shows, and telephone hotline. Washington County was the lead agency. Henry S.Markus,AICP—Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 16 i I Development outreach activities included station area development profiles and maps which were prepared by Tri-Met; the Spring 1997 issues of the "Connections" newsletter focused on transit oriented development; the first day of the May 1994 "Westside Light Rail Station Community Planning Conference" for members of the development community attracted a standing room only crowd to the World Forestry Center; the April 1995 seminar on "The Economics of mid-rise housing and TOD's" was attended by 245 bankers, realtors, developers, architects, consultants and planners. Other outreach activities included WSAP team members being advocates for transit-oriented planning and development. Technical assistance was provided to developers, background information was prepared for reporters, staff led land use and development tours, spoke at real estate seminars, organized conference sessions, and similar activities. Portland TOD Property Tax Exemption Ordinance—It provides for a ten year exemption for high density housing and mixed use projects. The City of Portland adopted an ordinance in October 1996 based on state legislation passed in 1995. Washington County and Tri-Met sought passage of the new state law; Tri-Met prepared a model ordinance. Joint Development Projects -- Tri-Met has four projects in the Goose Hollow station area just west of downtown Portland. Arbor Vista("Tree House" site) and Stadium Station Apartments ("Civic Stadium") are done; the project at Collins Circle is under construction; and the Butler Block project is in process. These projects pioneered the FTA waiver to the common grant rule for joint development; now all USA transit agencies can take advantage of these opportunities to increase ridership through TOD based on new regulations adopted in spring 1997 by FTA. BEST TOD PROGRAM DOCUMENTS City of Beaverton Beaverton Creek Multiple Use District(plan, code, maps); December 1997 & January. 1998. Downtown Connectivity Plan (transportation text and map amendments), adopted in June 1997; prepared by DKS Associates. Carrying Capacity Analysis and Capital Improvement Plan for the Beaverton Regional Center and Tek Station Area, December 1996, prepared by KCM, DKS, Hobson Johnson & Associates, and Janice Kelley. Downtown Redevelopment Alternatives Study, September 1997; Pacific Rim Resources, Leland Consulting Group, Cascade Design Collaborative. City of Hillsboro Choices for the Future, Station Community Planning, Downtown Hillsboro Station Area, 2-95. Henry S.Markus,AICP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 17 Downtown Hillsboro Station Community Plan, June 1995. 1 Hillsboro Light Rail Station Area Master Plan: Transportation Design Element,November 1995, prepared by DKS Associates and Janice Kelley. Station Community Planning Areas (SCPA), Amendments to the City of Hillsboro Comprehensive Plan Text and Map, Zoning Ordinance Text and Map, adopted August 6, 1996; amended April 15, 1997. City of Portland Goose Hollow Station Community Plan, January 1996; and Goose Hollow District Design Guidelines, February 1996. Property Tax Exemption for New Transit Supportive Residential or Mixed Use Development, October 1996; note - applies to eastside Portland MAX stations too. Transit-Oriented Development Credit Provisions, Transportation System Development Charge Ordinance, June 1997; note - applies to eastside Portland MAX stations too. Washington County "Connections" newsletter, focus on station area development, Volume 7, Spring 1997. "It's About Time: The Story of Westside Light Rail Station Community Planning", 20 minute video, shown on cable TV, 1996. Ordinance No. 418, June 1993, light rail station area interim development regulations. Ordinance No's. 483-486, light rail station area land use and transportation plans and development code, October 1997; applies to the Sunset Transit Center and the 158th, 170th and 185th station areas. Tri-Met At work in the Field of Dreams: Light Rail and Smart Growth in Portland, Sept. 1998. Evaluation of Banfield Light Rail Transit Station Area Planning Program, July 1993. Hillsboro LRT Extension Station Location Recommendations, prepared by FFA, 1993. Planning and Design For Transit Handbook, January 1996. Station Area Development Profiles (and maps) for Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro, Portland and Washington County, 1994-1997. Henry S.Markus,A1CP--Westside TOD,Portland,Oregon;APA National Planning Conference,April 1999,Page 18 CIT`t OF YELM RESOLUTION NO. 381 AMENDED SIX-YEAR STREET PLAN 1999-2004 WHEREAS, pursuant to the requirements of RCW 35.77.010, the City of Yelm has adopted a Comprehensive Six-Year Transportation Program for the City; and WHEREAS, by Resolution duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Yelm, the said comprehensive Six-Year Transportation Program has been revised and extended from time to time; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that the Yelm Comprehensive Six-Year Transportation Program as presently revised and extended, should be further amended as provided in the document annexed hereto in order to accommodate recent changes in circumstances which were not anticipated when the Program was last revised and extended. NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Yelm that the Comprehensive Six-Year Transportation Program for the ensuing six years be, and the same is hereby amended as provided in the document annexed hereto which is by this reference thereto incorporated herein as though fully set forth herein; and RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be filed by the City Clerk with the Director of Transportation of the State of Washington. ADOPTED this 9th day of December 1998. Kathryn M.Wolf,Mayor ATTEST: Agnes P.Bennick,City Clerk PASSED and APPROVED: December 9, 1998 ab\mso\reso1\381-6yr.doc MWashington State Department of Transportation Page 1 Six Year Transportation Imr AOF Agency Ye_Im_ From County No. 34 Hearing Date City No. 1495 Adoption Dati MPO TRPC __ Resolution Ni Project Identification Project Costs in Thousands of Dollars A. Federal Aid No. c I I I y Expenditure OE^ Fund Source Information 6 B. Bridge No. E a a I e c --T - (Local Ag u, - m" Federal Funding o o C. Project Title 'o 3 _ U D. Street/County Road Name or Number a� as Phase Federal Federal State D Project State Local Total � i a Z E. Terminal Beginning and End E i- > > Start � Fund Cost by �� Fund 1st 2nd � i F. Describe Work to be Done Phase (mm/ddryyyy) Code Phase i Code Funds Funds Funds 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 7 8 9 - 10 11 1 12 13 14 15 16 17 06 1 1 Phases in Project 03 S .740 C CN 1/19/99 I ! TLA I 4751 75 550 G Yelm Avenue Improvements p T 4th Street to Five Corners ' I W J I Widen to 3/4 lanes, urban arterial standards Totals 475 75 550 06 1 2 I 1 Phases in Project 103 P I .210 I G CN I 1/20/20 TIA I 2431 671 310 i C Stevens Avenue Improvements P T First Street to West Road W Widen roadway and improve to minor urban arterial Totals 243 67 310 07 3 1 Phases in Project 03 P .230 G CN I 6/15/20 j TIA 280 I 70 350 C Mosman Street Improvements P SR 507 to Solberg Street T W Widen roadway to neighborhood collector standards Totals 280 70 350 07 4 1 Phases in Project 03 P .360 G CN I 9/9/20 I I I TIA I 4401 1101 550 C West Road Improvements p T 4th Street to 103rd Avenue W Widen to minor arterial standards Totals 440 110 550