Drafter
Clerk 04/23/2014
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A MOTION acknowledging the support and need for coordinating efforts to successfully implement the Growing Transit Communities Strategy, and expressing support for King County's joining as a signatory to the Growing Transit Communities Compact.
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WHEREAS, the central Puget Sound region has adopted VISION 2040, a long-range strategy to integrate land use, economic and transportation decisions, to meet the needs of current and future generations, achieve economic prosperity with social equity and support a healthy environment, including addressing global climate change, and
WHEREAS, the region has committed significant investment in light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit and local streetcar service that creates a clear opportunity to plan for and support the growth of communities near high-capacity transit, and
WHEREAS, the council approved the King County Strategic Plan in July 2010, which established this goal: "Encourage a growing and diverse King County economy and vibrant, thriving and sustainable communities," and
WHEREAS, the King County Comprehensive Plan is based on the principles of creating sustainable neighborhoods, preserving open space, farmland and rural communities, directing development toward existing communities and providing a variety of transportation options, and
WHEREAS, the 2012 update to the King County Comprehensive Plan included new policies GP-101 to strive to promote sustainable neighborhoods and communities in its policies and regulations and T-203 to encourage transit-supportive land uses and communities that transit can serve efficiently and effectively, and
WHEREAS, the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021 and King County Metro Service Guidelines allocate Metro transit service on identified corridors throughout King County according to land use, social equity, and geographic value, and
WHEREAS, the Growing Transit Communities Strategy is consistent with the goals of the Strategic Plan for Public Transportation 2011-2021, the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan and the King County Equity and Social Justice Initiative, and
WHEREAS, King County was one of the initial partners in seeking funding for this regional Growing Transit Communities Partnership effort from the $5 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regional planning grant in order to leverage regional transit investments to create thriving equitable transit communities around high capacity transit stations, and
WHEREAS, King County representatives were involved in the ongoing work of several Growing Transit Communities task forces and advisory committees over the past two years to shape the final Growing Transit Communities Strategy, and
WHEREAS, the recommendations of the Growing Transit Communities Strategy provide best practices and new tools that advance King County land use and transportation policy as well as the regional policy adopted in VISION 2040, Transportation 2040 and the Regional Economic Strategy, and
WHEREAS, the Growing Transit Communities Compact is a nonbinding, voluntary agreement whose signatories agree that the region's long-range growth management, economic, environmental, and transportation goals depend heavily on continued investment in more and better public transportation services, and
WHEREAS, the Growing Transit Communities Compact is an instrument to affirm support for the partnership and express a commitment to work toward the broad regional goals to:
1. Attract more of the region's residential and employment growth near high capacity transit;
2. Provide housing choices affordable to a full range of incomes near high capacity transit;
3. Increase access to opportunity for existing and future community members in transit communities, and
WHEREAS, the Strategies and Recommended Actions in the Growing Transit Communities Strategy are applicable to high activity transit station areas, including RapidRide stations, and
WHEREAS, the compact does not obligate partners to implement all recommendations, but rather to consider and adopt tools that fit best with community needs and available resources, and
WHEREAS, the Strategies and Recommended Actions are intended to be a toolkit, providing a menu of potential actions that partners throughout the region should consider and implement over time in order to make progress toward the established goals, and
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of elected officials, public agencies, supporters of affordable housing, communities and neighborhoods, leaders in business, labor, education, the environment, philanthropy, finance, real estate and transportation to cooperatively engage in the work related to the Growing Transit Communities Strategy, which is to be managed by the Puget Sound Regional Council;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. The council hereby acknowledges the support and need for coordinating efforts to successfully implement the Growing Transit Communities Strategy, Attachment A to this motion, as an indication of King County's continuing commitment to the goal of achieving the vision for our region and our county.
B. The council supports King County's joining as a signatory to the Growing Transit Communities Compact, Attachment B to this motion.