Drafter
Clerk 08/31/2016
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to public transportation; requiring a transit restructure impact study for certain transit service changes that require approval by ordinance, and making technical corrections; amending Ordinance 11033, Section 5 and K.C.C. 28.94.020, adding new sections to K.C.C. chapter 28.92, adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 28.94 and repealing Ordinance 11962, Section 3, and K.C.C. 28.92.050.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The transit division public engagement model, adopted by K.C.C. 2.124.010, and reflecting a League of Women Voters recommendation to the municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, provides for public involvement in bus service changes including documentation provided to the council.
B. The Strategic Plan for Public Transportation Goal 7, Public Engagement and Transparency, calls for robust public engagement that informs, involves and empowers people and communities. Detailed policy direction is outlined in Strategy 7.1.1, "engage the public in the planning process and improve customer outreach," and Strategy 7.2.1, "communicate service change concepts, the decision-making process, and public transportation information in language that is accessible and easy to understand."
C. The King County Metro Service Guidelines, in its Planning and Community Engagement section, describes the significant planning process required to ensure that each major service change provides adequate public outreach.
D. The public engagement process for a service change affecting five or more routes that have scheduled service in any single King County council district can be more easily understood by members of the public through the provision of a transit restructure impact study that clearly describes the changes under consideration and clearly explains how a member of the public can comment on the proposed changes.
SECTION 2. Ordinance 11962, Section 3, and K.C.C. 28.92.050 are each hereby repealed.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.92 a new section to read as follows:
King County Metro Service Guidelines means a planning document used to design, assess and implement transit service, approved by Ordinance 18301.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 4. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.92 a new section to read as follows:
Public engagement report means a document that is submitted in conjunction with a transit service change ordinance and that:
A. Describes the public outreach and communications activities carried out for the proposed service change; and
B. Provides information on comments on the proposed service change submitted by individuals and organizations.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 5. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.92 a new section to read as follows:
Strategic Plan for Public Transportation means a document establishing goals, objectives and strategies for the future development of public transportation in King county, as approved by Ordinance 18301.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 6. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.92 a new section to read as follows:
Transit restructure impact study means a comprehensive assessment of the impacts of a proposed change to five or more regular routes that have scheduled service in any single King County council district and that would be subject to approval by ordinance under K.C.C. 28.94.020.B.
SECTION 7. Ordinance 11033, Section 5 as amended, and K.C.C. 28.94.020 are each hereby amended to read as follows:
The director shall implement the system of public transit routes and services described in this section.
A. Regular routes shall include numbered routes and descriptions therefor as established and revised from time to time by the council. The regular routes, including implementation dates, shall be described in a document called (("))Public Transit Regular Routes.((")) The director shall ensure that ((said)) the routes shall be operated and implemented except as otherwise provided in this section.
B.1. Changes to regular routes shall be subject to approval by the council except as specifically provided in this subsection.
1. The director is authorized to approve and implement the following changes of established routes and schedules and to update the (("))Public Transit Regular Routes((")) document accordingly:
a. any single change or cumulative changes in a service schedule that affect the established weekly service hours for a route by twenty-five percent or less;
b. any change in route location that does not move the location of any route stop by more than one half mile; and
c. any changes in route numbers.
2. In addition, if, in the opinion of the director, an emergency exists that requires any change to established routes, schedules or classes of service, the director may implement such a change for such a period as may be necessary in the director's judgment or until such a time as the council shall establish by ordinance otherwise. Such changes that the director intends to be permanent shall be reported in writing to the chair of the council. If an emergency exists as provided for in this subsection B.2., the director may waive or discount fares otherwise established in K.C.C. chapter 4A.700.
3. Any service change proposal that requires approval by ordinance and that would change five or more regular routes that have scheduled service in any single King County council district, must include a final transit restructure impact study prepared in accordance with section 8 of this ordinance. The service change proposal may also be a restructure as described in the King County Metro Service Guidelines.
C. Other routes, such as but not limited to tripper service, limited, special, customized and other types of transit routes, may be established by the director consistent with annual appropriations and the ((comprehensive)) Strategic ((p))Plan for Public Transportation and King County Metro Service Guidelines.
D. The director shall establish transit schedules for all routes and classes of service consistent with annual appropriations and the ((comprehensive)) Strategic ((p))Plan for Public Transportation and King County Metro Service Guidelines.
E. The director shall periodically review and evaluate the effectiveness of all public transit routes and services, requests for changes to the routes and services, and the requirements of the ((comprehensive)) )) Strategic ((p))Plan for Public Transportation and King County Metro Service Guidelines and shall prepare recommendations to the council for changes to routes and services.
F. Within service area boundaries approved by the council and consistent with annual appropriations and the ((comprehensive)) Strategic ((p))Plan for Public Transportation and King County Metro Service Guidelines, the director is authorized to plan, implement and modify dial-a-ride service ("DART"), including, but not limited to, establishing general routes from which vehicles may deviate in response to demand.
G. The director is authorized and directed to establish such guidelines((,)) and procedures as may be necessary to implement the policies set forth in this chapter. In establishing such guidelines and procedures, the director shall provide for consultation with citizens and each component jurisdiction in advance of any major route or service changes affecting such jurisdictions.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 8. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 28.94 a new section to read as follows:
A.1. The executive shall submit a draft transit restructure impact study to the public for comment in a manner consistent with subsection B. of this section.
2. The draft transit restructure impact study shall include, but not be limited to:
a. a proposal to change five or more regular bus routes that are subject to approval by ordinance, with a description of the proposed service change and its estimated impacts on ridership, estimated changes in the number of transfers required to complete trips that can now be completed on a single bus, operating costs, travel time, hours of operation, and frequency of service compared to a no-action alternative that does not change any bus routes;
b. proposed capital expenditures that would be required to deliver the proposal, that exceed the capital expenditures required to implement a no-action alternative;
c. a comparison of the equity and social justice impacts of the proposed changes and the no-action alternative;
d. an explanation of how each proposal implements the provisions of the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation and the King County Metro Service Guidelines; and
e. a summary of any existing, proposed, or contemplated interagency agreements, funding partnerships or other agreements with any private firm or any agency other than King County necessary to implement the proposed changes and a comparison to any such agreements assumed by the no-action alternative.
B. The process for review of a transit restructure impact study shall be consistent with the transit public involvement model established in K.C.C. 2.124.010 and with the community engagement and outreach provisions of the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation and King County Metro Service Guidelines. The review process shall at a minimum include the following:
1. A schedule for public participation including a deadline not fewer than fourteen days from the release of the draft transit restructure impact study for submitting comments in response to the draft transit restructure impact study;
2. A guide to the impact study process that provides information on participation in the process and a description of the procedure and schedule for individuals and organizations to submit comments on the draft impact study; and
3. Provision for dissemination of the draft impact study consistent with the transit public involvement model established in K.C.C. 2.124.010 and with the process described in the Planning and Community Engagement section of the King County Metro Service Guidelines. The draft impact study shall consist of printed and electronic information that clearly defines and visually portrays, when possible, the final proposal under consideration by the county. The information shall also include a description of any policy considerations, the schedule required in subsection B.1. of this section, the guide required in subsection B.2. of this section, the executive's anticipated date of transmittal of service change legislation to the council, ways to obtain additional information and the name, address, telephone number and email address of the responsible official or officials.
C.1. The executive shall transmit a final transit restructure impact study, including a public engagement report, to the council with the associated proposed service change ordinance and shall notify all members of the public who have asked to be notified of the action. The transmittal to the council shall be in the form of a paper original and an electronic copy to the clerk of the council, who shall retain the original and provide an electronic copy to all councilmembers.
2. The final transit restructure impact study shall compare the executive's proposed service changes and a no-action alternative. The final transit restructure impact study shall provide, but not be limited to, the information required for the draft transit restructure impact study by subsection A.2. of this section, and shall include a list of all
categories of public comments submitted by the deadline required to be established by subsection B. of this section and the department's response to each category of comment.