Drafter
Clerk 10/19/2004
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the renaming of the International District Station, located in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, to International District/Chinatown Station; making technical changes; amending Ordinance 11950, Section 13, and K.C.C. 28.92.220 and Ordinance 11950, Section 15 (part), and K.C.C. 28.96.040 and adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 28.94.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings. The King County council makes the following findings with regard to the International District Station:
A. The International District Station is one of five stations located in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
B. Located at South Jackson Street and 5th Avenue South, the International District Station is the southern terminus for the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
C. Currently utilized as passenger facilities for the Metro Bus System and Sound Transit's Regional Express Bus program, the stations in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will also be used for Sound Transit's Central LINK Light Rail when it begins service.
D. The International District Station reflects the history and culture of the nearby International District with brightly painted steel shelters and symbols of the Chinese calendar built into the station plaza floor with cut and colored brick.
E. Many people in the community have expressed interest in renaming the International District Station to include a reference to Chinatown. One of the city's oldest neighborhoods, the area currently known as the International District has historically been also been referred to as Chinatown. By 1876, more than one in six residents of Seattle was of Chinese ancestry. The name International District/Chinatown more fully reflects the contributions and history of the community including both Chinese and persons of other ethnic heritages who have settled and worked there for over one hundred forty years.
F. In recent years there has been a push by Chinese community leaders to acknowledge the diverse roots of the International District. The City of Seattle recognized this when it opened the new International District/Chinatown Community Center in August 2004. The Seattle International District/Chinatown Public Library branch is slated to open in 2005.
G. It is appropriate to name the transit station to reflect the combined Chinese and other international sources of history and culture of the International District/Chinatown.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 11950, Section 13, and K.C.C.28.92.220 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
Tunnel plaza area((())s(())) or plaza areas. Tunnel plaza area((())s(())) or plaza area((())s(())) are those portions of the International District/Chinatown and Convention Place tunnel stations ((which)) that are located at the surface street level and ((which)) that provide access((/)) or egress to the subsurface levels.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.94 a new section to read as follows:
Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel stations. The stations in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel shall be known as Convention Place Station, Westlake Station, University Street Station, Pioneer Square Station and International District/Chinatown Station.
SECTION 4. Ordinance 11950, Section 15 (part), and K.C.C.28.96.040 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
Tunnel mezzanine and plaza areas.
A. Public communication activities ((which)) that are otherwise lawful are permitted in mezzanine and plaza areas subject to the prohibitions, limits, exceptions, terms and conditions of this chapter.
B. Signs, leaflets, posters, flyers, pamphlets, brochures and written, pictorial or graphic material of any kind, structures, banners and any other paraphernalia may not be posted or affixed to tunnel property or erected in or on tunnel property.
C. Signs carried by or on a person are permitted, provided the signs are not constructed of a size or material ((which)) that could inadvertently or intentionally cause injury to a person or property. Signs must not be of a size that obstructs the free flow of pedestrians and must not exceed ((36)) thirty-six inches by ((36)) thirty-six inches in any case. A (("))sandwich board((")) sign must not extend significantly beyond the carrier's shoulders.
D. Public communication activities are not permitted within fifteen (((15))) feet of any stairway, escalator, elevator, entrance, customer service counter, ticket or automatic teller machine or authorized commercial activity. Public communications activities are not permitted within five (((5))) feet of any fire safety system component, telephone, information board or news vending machine. Additionally, public communications activities must not block normal pedestrian paths to and from the areas noted ((above)) in this subsection.
E. For safety and security reasons, to ensure that the free flow of pedestrians((,)) and the intended transportation functions of the tunnel stations are met and to accommodate other activities competing for the limited available space, a collective maximum number of individuals allowed to engage in public communications activities at any one Downtown Seattle Transit ((t))Tunnel location is hereby established. Because of different station configurations, the number of individuals allowed to engage in public communication activities at the same location and time shall be limited as follows:
Station (Location) Maximum ((#)) number of persons
Convention Place (Plaza)((,)) 8
Convention Place (Platforms) 0
Westlake (Mezzanine) 8
Westlake (Platforms) 0
University Street (N. Mezzanine) 4
University Street (S. Mezzanine) 4
University Street (Platforms) 0
Pioneer Square (N. Mezzanine) 4
Pioneer Square (S. Mezzanine) 4
Pioneer Square (Platforms) 0
International District/Chinatown (Plaza) 8
International District/Chinatown (Platform) 0
F. A single group whose number of participants is known in advance, or is found at the time, to consist of four (((4))) or more persons shall be required to obtain a letter of authorization in accordance with ((subsection E of Section)) K.C.C. 28.96.060.E.
G. Individuals or groups engaged in public communication activities who desire to use a table or public address system, loudspeaker or other sound amplifying device must obtain a letter of authorization with the appropriate endorsement(((s))) or endorsements in accordance with ((Sections)) K.C.C. 28.96.060, 28.96.070((,)) and 28.96.080.
H. Persons engaged in public communications activities in compliance with ((Section)) K.C.C. 28.96.020 may nevertheless be required to cease or to move to another specified area within the same or a different tunnel location if the number of persons engaged in public communication activities, their location or their manner of conducting the activities creates safety or security problems, interferes with the free flow of persons
into, within((,)) or from a plaza or mezzanine area or interferes with the operation use and quiet enjoyment of the facility or transit service therein.