File #: 2019-0410    Version:
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 10/9/2019 In control: Mobility and Environment Committee
On agenda: Final action: 11/13/2019
Enactment date: 11/25/2019 Enactment #: 19012
Title: AN ORDINANCE establishing the alignment and station locations of, and meeting federal assistance conditions for, the RapidRide G Line (Seattle).
Sponsors: Larry Gossett, Joe McDermott
Attachments: 1. Ordinance 19012, 2. 2019-0410 Legislative Review Form, 3. 2019-0410 Transmittal Letter, 4. A. RapidRide G Line Overview, 5. B. RapidRide G Line Alignment Public Engagement Summary, 6. 2019-0410 Fiscal Note, 7. 2019-0410 Letter of Support SDOT 08232019 G LINE ORD, 8. 2019-0410_SR_GLine, 9. 2019-0410_ATT2_AMD1, 10. 2019-0410_ATT3_AMD_T1, 11. 2019-0410_ATT6_ProposedGLineStopModifications, 12. 2019-0410_ATT8_90%_Design_Exhibit, 13. 2019-0410_RevisedSR_GLine
Staff: Zoppi, Leah

Drafter

Clerk 11/06/2019

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AN ORDINANCE establishing the alignment and station locations of, and meeting federal assistance conditions for, the RapidRide G Line (Seattle).

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STATEMENT OF FACTS:

1. Via Ordinance 18449, enacted January 23, 2017, the King County council adopted and executive signed King County Metro's long-range transit service and capital plan, METRO CONNECTS, which identifies an expanded network of future RapidRide lines for implementation, including the G Line, serving the Madison Street corridor, which connects employment and educational institutions with regional transit in Seattle.

2.  Via Ordinance 18301, enacted June 16, 2016, the council approved the 2015 update to Metro's Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021 and associated Service Guidelines.  The plan describes current and future planning work required to implement additional RapidRide bus rapid transit service in King County.

3.  Via Ordinance 18409, enacted November 27, 2016, the council adopted and executive signed the 2017-2018 Biennial Budget Ordinance, included Section 132, Provisos P4 and P5 requiring the Metro transit department to submit reports describing the process for implementing new RapidRide lines.

4.  Via Motion 14956, enacted September 18, 2017, the council approved Proviso P5, titled Implementation of New RapidRide Lines/METRO CONNECTS RapidRide Expansion, which identifies the G Line as one of the first two next generation RapidRide lines to be implemented.

5.  Via Ordinance 18835, enacted November 13, 2018, the council adopted and executive signed the 2019-2020 Biennial Budget, including the capital project 1132324 to implement the RapidRide G Line.

6.  Starting in 2014, Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation ("SDOT") conducted public outreach concerning proposed alignment and station locations for the RapidRide G Line in the Madison Street and Spring Street corridors.  SDOT as the lead agency conducted several rounds of community engagement regarding station locations and proposed right of way improvements, street and facility design and proposed transit priority treatments, consistent with bus rapid transit concepts.  Those engagement efforts included engagement with transit riders, non-transit riders, institutions, hospitals, businesses and community organizations.

7.  The Proviso P5 report states that specific routing shall be determined by the council and be consistent with the corridor descriptions in the Proviso P5 report.

8.  The proposed G Line alignment is consistent with the corridor descriptions in the Proviso P5 report.

9.  The RapidRide G Line will compete to receive $60,000,000 in federal grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration's Small Starts grant program, with the goal of entering into a Small Starts grant agreement in 2020.

10.  The Federal Transit Administration requires that Small Starts grant-funded projects operate transit service at the level specified in the grant agreement for a defined period of performance.  The period of performance for such service level commitments is at the discretion of the Federal Transit Administration and is a prescribed condition of receiving federal financial assistance.

                     BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:

                     SECTION 1.  The RapidRide G Line (Seattle) alignment, including general station locations, substantially as set forth in Attachment A to this ordinance, is hereby approved to allow design and construction of RapidRide infrastructure and facilities design and construction.

                     SECTION 2.  Before the implementation of RapidRide service, the executive shall notify the King County council and the affected city of any substantial changes to station locations.  The notice to the council shall be filed 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.  Following implementation, the Metro transit department shall consult with the affected city before making any changes to the routing or station locations.

                     SECTION 3.  Before the start of RapidRide G Line service, the executive shall

submit a service change ordinance in accordance with K.C.C. 28.94.020 that identifies hours of operation and service levels by period of the day.

                     Section 4.  For the purpose of securing federal financial assistance for the development and implementation of RapidRide G Line capital projects as documented in the six-year capital improvement program, the executive or designee is authorized to enter into a RapidRide G Line project agreement that includes defined service level commitments as a prescribed condition of receiving federal funds provided that the following conditions are met:

                     A.  The contractual service commitment does not exceed the period of performance specified in the federal grant agreement; and

 

                     B.  The contractual service commitment does not exceed five years from the opening of revenue service.