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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the King County executive to enter into an agreement with the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority to transfer the county-owned Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel located under downtown Seattle streets, in council district eight.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. In 1990, the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, now merged with King County, completed construction of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel ("the tunnel"), an approximately 1.3-mile-long pair of transit tunnels that provide an additional right of way for transit vehicles in downtown Seattle.
2. From 2009, when the Central Puget Sound Transit Authority ("Sound Transit") commenced light rail service in the tunnel, to 2019, the tunnel was jointly used by King County buses, Sound Transit buses and Sound Transit light rail.
3. In March 2019, all bus operations in the tunnel ceased after King County sold its Convention Place Station property, the northern terminus for buses entering and exiting the tunnel, to the Washington State Convention Center for use as the site of a new convention center addition project. Sound Transit continues to operate light rail in and through the tunnel.
4. Consistent with K.C.C. 4.56.070.C. and K.C.C. 4.56.140, the Metro transit department and Sound Transit have successfully negotiated an agreement to transfer ownership in the tunnel and the following related agreements and instruments implementing the transfer, attached thereto as exhibits: Tunnel Assets Transfer and Conveyance Agreement between King County, Sound Transit and the city of Seattle; Quitclaim Deed; Metro Facilities Agreement addressing retained and potential future Metro transit department assets located in the tunnel; and Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel Advertising Revenue Share Agreement to contribute funding to reduced or no-cost fare pricing for low-income public transit customers.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. The executive is authorize...
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