Drafter

Clerk 11/18/2021

Title

AN ORDINANCE relating to public transportation; adopting updates to the King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation, the King County Metro Service Guidelines and METRO CONNECTS - King County Metro's Long-Range Plan; and setting requirements for reporting and

updates.

Body

STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1.  In 2011, via Ordinance 17143, the King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021 ("the strategic plan") and the King County Metro Service Guidelines ("the service guidelines") were adopted.  In 2016 - following recommendations made by the regional transit task force in 2011 and the service guidelines task force in 2015, as well as with input from the King County council and executive, local jurisdictions and public transit riders - both the strategic plan and the service guidelines were updated via Ordinance 18301.

2.  In 2017, via Ordinance 18449, METRO CONNECTS - King County Metro's Long-Range Plan ("Metro Connects") was adopted.  As a long-range transit service and capital plan, Metro Connects was developed with input from transportation stakeholders, the King County council and executive, local jurisdictions and public transit riders.

3.  The strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects, as adopted, build on the King County Strategic Plan 2010-2014 and the King County Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan 2016-2022.

4.  The strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects are also informed by significant ongoing and emerging challenges the Metro transit department ("Metro") faces in continuing to work toward a regional, innovative, and integrated mobility network that is safe, equitable, and sustainable.  These challenges include a growing and diversifying population, transportation challenges resulting from the displacement of low-income populations from existing urban locations to more affordable but potentially less transit-integrated and accessible geographic areas within the county, the worsening climate crisis, the need to integrate fixed-route transit with new mobility services and regional transportation partners, the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for new, sustainable funding sources.

5.  The strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects are meant to be living documents setting the policy for and guiding the implementation of the Metro transit service and capital networks while responding to growth throughout the county.

6.  In November 2018, the King County council passed Motion 15253, which required Metro to develop a regional mobility framework to ensure that innovations in mobility put people first, use public space equitably and efficiently, and are coordinated with transit policies and regional funding strategies.  Metro developed the required mobility framework and the executive transmitted it to the council in October 2019.  In March 2020, through Motion 15618, the council adopted the Metro Mobility Framework Recommendations Summary and outlined a process to update the strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects.

7.  In November 2018, the King County council passed Motion 15252, which expressed support for regional planning, coordination and funding efforts to address the implementation of Metro Connects and required Metro to prepare updated information to supplement Metro Connects to adjust for increased population growth, increasing regional congestion, inflation and construction costs, regional mobility needs, and innovations in transportation.  In response, Metro presented updated information to supplement Metro Connects in February 2020.  That updated information was finalized in 2021 and could be used to support future conversations about additional regional funding for transit.

8.  The recommendations adopted as part of Metro's mobility framework have been used to develop updates to the strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects during 2020 and 2021.  Those updates, which have been guided and informed by regional elected leaders, community members, including the mobility equity cabinet, local jurisdictions and agency partners, seek to meet regional mobility needs while advancing equity, addressing the climate crisis and responding to innovations in transportation technology.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  The King County Metro Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2021-2031 is hereby adopted as provided in Attachment A to this ordinance.

                     SECTION 2.  The King County Metro Service Guidelines are hereby adopted as provided in Attachment B to this ordinance.

                     SECTION 3.  The Metro transit department's long-range transit service and capital plan, Metro Connects, is hereby adopted as provided in Attachment C to this ordinance.

                     SECTION 4.  The following are each hereby repealed:

                     A.  Ordinance 17143, Section 5, as amended;

                     B.  Ordinance 17143, Section 6, as amended;

                     C.  Ordinance 17143, Section 9;

                     D.  Ordinance 18301, Section 1;

                     E.  Ordinance 18301, Section 3;

                     F.  Ordinance 18449, Section 1; and

                     G.  Ordinance 18449, Section 4.

                     SECTION 5.  The plans and documents adopted in sections 1, 2 and 3 of this ordinance apply to the passenger ferry service function carried out by the marine division of the Metro transit department as authorized in chapter 36.54 RCW and the King County Code.  These plans and documents replace the King County Ferry District 2014-2018 Strategic Plan adopted by the board of the King County Ferry District through resolution FD 2014-05 which is hereby repealed.

                     SECTION 6.  To provide information on the implementation of the plans attached to this ordinance and the performance of transit services, Metro transit department staff shall appear before the regional transit committee and the mobility and environment committee, or its successor, on request, and shall assist the executive in preparing the following performance reports:

                     A.  A Metro Connects implementation report, which shall be transmitted by May 5, 2022, for acceptance by motion, and which shall include:

                       1.  A description of the funding needed to implement Metro Connects, the gap between the funding that is available and the total amount needed and a description of potential funding sources that could be used to fill the funding gap; and

                       2.  A description of the strategy the King County executive has implemented to consult with community members and regional leaders to develop a plan to implement Metro Connects, which should describe outreach and engagement with representatives from communities historically lacking in access to or underserved by transit, the Sound Cities Association, the city of Seattle, King County's regional transportation boards and any other organization necessary to ensure that a broad representation of regional leaders is consulted;

                     B.  A RapidRide prioritization plan, which shall be transmitted by June 30, 2024, for acceptance by motion, and which shall include:

                       1.  Corridor evaluations of RapidRide candidate corridors based on the five factors used in Metro Connects, which are equity, sustainability, service demand, capital and implementation;

                       2.  Preplanning level studies of candidate corridors that consider route alignment, capital investment needs and cost estimates;

                       3.  A description of stakeholder engagement with community members, affected jurisdictions and partner agencies; and

                       4.  A list of the RapidRide candidate lines organized by tier, with a description of the priority level;

                     C.  A system evaluation report, which shall be transmitted each year by October 31, for acceptance by motion, and which shall include:

                       1.  For routes identified as RapidRide candidates, highlight and summarize the performance of the current equivalent routes based on what is reported in the System Evaluation and provide a status update on planned RapidRide lines;

                       2.  The routes analyzed to determine the target service levels with a summary of resulting scores, including route-level equity metrics, and assigned service levels as determined by the service guidelines;

                       3.  The results of the analysis including a list of transit routes and the estimated number of service hours necessary to meet each route's needs;

                       4.  The performance of transit services by route and any changes in the service guidelines thresholds since the previous reporting period; and

                       5.  A list of transit service changes made to routes since the last reporting period; and

                     D.  A performance measurement dashboard, which shall be made available on the internet and on which the Metro transit department shall provide an oral report to the council at least annually, and which shall include:

                       1.  Data and a description of each performance measure identified in the strategic plan;

                       2.  Data and a description of how the Metro transit department's plans and policies are aligned with VISION 2050, the Puget Sound region's growth management policy;

                       3.  A peer agency summary prepared annually for the thirty largest North American transit bus agencies, including Metro and twenty-nine peer agencies, using data contained in the National Transit Database; and

                       4.  A summary of progress towards key performance measures associated with Metro Connects.

                     SECTION 7.  The executive shall transmit to the council an ordinance to update the strategic plan, the service guidelines and Metro Connects within seven years of transmittal.  In the interim, the executive may authorize amendments to the strategic plan,

the service guidelines and Metro Connects, that do not materially affect the policies and intent of these documents.