Drafter
Clerk 05/12/2003
Title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the operation and maintenance of the Central Link light rail system by King County on behalf of Sound Transit, and adopting an agreement between King County and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. In 1994, King County assumed the rights, powers, functions and obligations of the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle ("Metro"); consequently all the powers and functions of Metro have been vested by state law in the legislative authority of King County.
B. King County provides a comprehensive system of public transportation services.
C. King County also owns and operates the downtown Seattle transit tunnel ("DSTT"), which opened for service in 1990. The DSTT provides additional capacity for buses in downtown Seattle, and was planned to accommodate the downtown segment of a future rail system.
D. The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ("Sound Transit") was formed in 1993. In 1996, voters within the district authorized the imposition of sales and motor vehicle excise taxes for the construction and operation a regional transit system comprising express buses services, commuter rail services and light rail services.
E. The initial segment of the Central Link light rail line is a 13.9 mile double track system serving eleven stations, seven days a week, with a barrier free proof-of-payment system.
F. The King County council, in Motion 10448, passed April 27, 1998, authorized the King County executive to enter into a memorandum of understanding establishing a cooperative relationship between the Central Puget Sound Transit Authority (Sound Transit) and King County. The memorandum of understanding notes that Sound Transit will use the tunnel as an integral part of its light rail program and that King County and Sound Transit will reach agreement on the amount of compensation for any combination of use, operation and ownership, and on the appropriate terms of use for the tunnel.
G. The King County council, in Ordinance 13857, passed by the council and approved by the executive and enacted May 24, 2000, approved the downtown Seattle transit tunnel transfer agreement, which provided for the sale of the tunnel to Sound Transit for exclusive use by light rail. Sund Transit in Resolution R2000-09 and the city of Seattle in Ordinance 119949 also agreed to this transfer agreement.
H. The King County council, in Ordinance 14396, passed by the council and approved by the Executive and enacted July 9, 2002, terminated the agreement approved in Ordinance 13857 and approved a new agreement for joint light rail and bus operations in the DSTT. The agreement also provided a process for the development of the terms under which King County would agree to operate and maintain the Central Link light rail system on behalf of Sound Transit.
I. King County supports the development of the regional transit system with the expectation that all transit users, including light rail, bus, commuter rail, vanpool, rideshare and paratransit riders, will benefit from its services. An agreement with Sound Transit for operation of light rail services furthers the goal of completing the regional transit system.
J. King County also brings its considerable expertise in the administration, operation and maintenance of the public transportation services to the operation of light rail. The agreement defines the terms and conditions under which King County will provide for the operation and maintenance of the Central Link light rail system.
SECTION 2. The county executive is hereby authorized to execute, substantially in the form attached to this ordinance as Attachment A, an interlocal agreement between
King County and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority for light rail operation and maintenance.
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