psrc funding application

PSRC Funding ApplicationCompetition Regional FTA

Application Main Competition

Status submitted

Submitted: March 16th, 2017 4:16 PM

Prepopulated with screening form? Yes

Project Information1. Project Title

Swift BRT Orange Line Project Development2. Transportation 2040 ID

53353. Sponsoring Agency

Community Transit4. Cosponsors

N/A5. Does the sponsoring agency have "Certification Acceptance" status from

WSDOT?N/A

6. If not, which agency will serve as your CA sponsor?N/A

7. Is your agency a designated recipient for FTA funds?Yes

8. Designated recipient concurrenceN/A

Contact Information1. Contact name

Melissa Cauley2. Contact phone

425 438-61903. Contact email

[email protected]

Project Description1. Project Scope

Community Transit is requesting funding to complete Project Development for our 3rd line ofSwift BRT the "Orange Line". Completion of Project Development is a threshold from FTA to beeligible to apply for and receive FTA Small Starts funding. Project Development includescompletion of the environmental review process including developing and reviewingalternatives, selecting a locally preferred alternative & alignment and completion of the designand engineering portion of the project. Community Transit must demonstrate securedfunding to be eligible to request entry into FTA Small Starts Project Development.

2. Project Justification, Need, or PurposeCommunity Transit is building a network of Swift BRT service in Snohomish County. We arerequesting funding for Project Development of the Swift BRT Orange Line. The Swift BRTOrange Line will connect to east/west corridors 164th Street and 196th Street within the

Orange Line will connect to east/west corridors 164th Street and 196th Street within theLynnwood Regional Growth Center, 164th Urban Center and the Mill Creek Town Center.* See Maps 1 & 2 for Project locationImplementing the Swift Orange Line addresses the following needs in Snohomish County:•Need for high capacity transit service in areas with high employment and residential densityi.e. the Lynnwood Regional Growth Center & Ash Way Park & Ride.•Lack of East-West mobility options to feed Link Light Rail coming in 2023.•Transit service delay on the 164th corridor currently designated by Snohomish County at“ultimate capacity”.•Local and regional land use and development goals that identify the need for high capacitytransit service in the project area.•Increased access to transit service that removes the need to drive in a SOV.

We are currently conducting a feasibility study that will identify the best north/south connectorbetween these corridors to provide fast, frequent, high capacity BRT service. The feasibilitystudy will also identify the most appropriate east-west transit priority infrastructure along164th Street and 196th Street to ensure BRT speed and reliability. As Sound Transitcompletes Link Light Rail to Lynnwood Transit Center in 2023, the Swift BRT Orange Line willhelp provide access to the regional network and connect communities. The advent of Link Light Rail to the Lynnwood Regional Growth Center will dramatically changetravel patterns. Swift BRT service will serve as a major component in feeding people to andfrom the rail head. This funding request is to complete the federally required FTA “Project Development Phase”in order to be eligible for FTA Capital Investment Program, Small Starts funding. Project Development encompasses the environmental approval process, development,review and selection of a locally preferred alternative, completion of 100% engineering anddesign and gaining commitment of all non FTA 5309 funding. In order to apply to the FTA Capital Investment Program for Small Starts funding CommunityTransit must request approval into Project Development and having funding secured forcompletion of Project Development activities. Securing funding and completion of ProjectDevelopment puts Community Transit into the pipeline to receive FTA Small Starts funding forthe capital phase of the Swift BRT Orange Line.

Project Location1. Project Location

164th ST and 196th ST2. Please identify the county(ies) in which the project is located.

Snohomish3. Crossroad/landmark nearest the beginning of the project

N/A4. Crossroad/landmark nearest the end of the project

N/A5. Map and project graphics

SwiftBRTOrangeLineProjectDevelopment-FTA5307Funding_Map1.pdf,SwiftBRTOrangeLineProjectDevelopment-FTA5307Funding_Map2.pdf,Swift_BRT_Orange_Line_Travel_Area_without_Swift.pdf,Swift_BRT_Orange_Line_Travel_area_with_Swift_BRT.pdf

Plan Consistency1. Is the project specifically identified in a local comprehensive plan?

Yes2. If yes, please indicate the (1) plan name, (2) relevant section(s), and (3) page

number where it can be found.Community Transit Long Range Transit Plan adopted in 2011Chapter 2: Transit Emphasis CorridorsPages 9-13 and Page 15Community Transit 2016-2021 Transit Development Plan Pages 65 & 66 (See attached TDPdocumentation)

City of Mill Creek Comprehensive Plan 2015Goal Statements TRANSITIV-4Encourage local and regional public transportation systems that contribute to therelief of traffic congestion, promote energy conservation, and enhance mobility for thecommunity.Establish land uses and urban patterns that support public transportation and promote

Establish land uses and urban patterns that support public transportation and promoteridership.Improve public transportation service accessibility for elderly, disabled, low and moderateincome, youth, and other mobility-disadvantaged people.Incorporate public transportation in the design of all major public and private projects.Improve circulation in and around the community by promoting alternatives to single-occupant auto use.Residential DevelopmentCreate well designed, compact medium and high density residential neighborhoods inappropriate locations, within close proximity to commercial areas that offer facilities, transit,and other urban services.Service GuidelinesX-14The City should coordinate with transit agencies on both land developmentand capital improvement projects to provide increased service and facilitieswhere appropriate.X-6Mill Creek coordinates with transit agencies, Snohomish Countyand WSDOT to improve local bus service and plan capital improvement projects onregionally significant corridors such as the RSSH and 164th Street SE.Page X-24Transit PoliciesPolicy 5.03Emphasize transportation investments that provide and encourage alternatives tosingle-occupancy vehicle travel and increase travel options, especially to and withincenters and along corridors connecting centers.Policy 5.04Develop land use patterns that facilitate multi-purpose trips, and minimize the numberand length of vehicle trips and encourage higher density/intensity land uses nearrequired transit facilities and along public transportation corridors.Policy 5.05Coordinate with transit agencies for all City capital improvement projects and landdevelopment review processes to ensure that adequate transit facilities are providedand appropriate design standards are met.Policy 5.06Prioritize investments in transportation facilities and services in the urban growth areathat support pedestrian and transit oriented densities and development.Policy 5.07Prioritize investments in transportation facilities and services in the urban center areasthat support compact, pedestrian- and transit-oriented densities and development

City of Lynnwood – Comprehensive Plan – November 2016Page 2.5Finding LU-13. Sound Transit’s development of the Lynnwood Link Extension and CommunityTransit’s continued deployment of the Swift Bus service will expand mobility options withinand to/from Lynnwood. Voter approval of Sound Transit 3 (ST3) is expected to include anextension of light rail northward through Lynnwood to Everett.Page 2.15 Policy LU-23. Subarea plans should be prepared for light rail and BRT transit stations toadvance transit-oriented development (TOD) principles..25Policy CC-18.7 Support Community Transit’s implementation of its Long Range Transit Planwhichencourages bus ridership, expansion of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Swift Line and the CommuteTrip Reduction (CTR) program to continue the reduction of single occupant vehicle trips.Page 5.32Policy T-3 Work with the transit providers to make transit an attractive travel option for localresidents, employees and users of regional facilities.Strategy T-9.3 Strive to achieve by 2035 a non-single-occupancy vehicle (transit, bicycling,walking, car/vanpooling, telecommuting, or other “virtual” commute) mode split of percent forpeak period trips in the City Center Subarea. Do this by providing a pedestrian- and transit-supportive environment, developing supportive land uses, working with regional transitagencies to provide expanded transit options, including light rail and bus rapid transit,enhancing transportation demand management strategies, and implementing a parkingdevelopment and management plan.Page 9.14Strategy ER-8.1.2 Cooperate with regional transit authorities (Sound Transit, CommunityTransit, etc…) to encourage the use of various transit options, including carpools, busses,and light rail.City Center Sub-Area PlanCity Center Goals Page 2Restructure the City Center’s growth toward a more concentrated, mixed-use, pedestrianfriendly and transit-supportive center.

Snohomish County Comprehensive PlanTransportation Element – July 2015

Table 11 4Core Corridors196th St SW/Alderwood Mall Blvd/164th St SW/SE

Section A-9Primary corridor: Denotes principal arterial roadways that serve designated centers and wouldhave additional design features to accommodate several modes of travel (i.e., transit, auto,bicycle and pedestrian). These design features could include HOV lanes, bus pull-outs,walkways and bikeways, and signal priority for HOV carpools, vanpools, and buses (i.e., 128thStreet SW; 164th Street SW).Page 47Coordination The county will continue working with the transit agencies and cities within the county tocoordinate the preparation of land use, circulation, and transit plans, which include: futuretransit routes and proposed route changes including fixed-route bus service, commuter andlight-rail corridor alignments, and bus rapid transit (BRT) services; Page 55In Snohomish County many measures are planned for the next 20 years that will providepositive results in the reduction in per capita VMT. Specific actions include: the expansion ofSound Transit’s light rail system to Lynnwood and eventually to Everett, the designation ofTransit Emphasis Corridors and the build out of Community Transit’s Swift bus rapid transitsystem, further development of the bicycle network, and programs to provide pedestrianconnectivity. Analysis done for this TE has shown that per capita VMT in Snohomish Countywill be reduced by 6 percent by 2035.Page 74E. Supportive Public Transportation Improvements Public transportation services and facilities provide support to the county’s plans for land useby offering the public additional choices for travel. Use of public transportation tends toreduce the demand for travel by automobile, thereby mitigating traffic congestion in some ofthe county’s major corridors. Transit facilities and services are expected to changesignificantly with the arrival of Sound Transit’s (ST) Link light rail and the expansion ofCommunity Transit’s (CT) Swift BRT.Page 76These light rail extensions together with CT’s BRT corridors provide a HCT framework that willallow future employment and population growth in southwest Snohomish County.

Table 16 – Page 78Transit Capital Improvements for Snohomish County in the Constrained Portion of PSRC’sTransportation 2040 Plan• Swift BRT on 164th ST SW/SE CT BRT and transit priority infrastructure on 164th ST SW

3. If no, please describe how the project is consistent with the applicable localcomprehensive plan, including specific local policies and provisions the projectsupports.N/A

Federal Functional Classification1. Functional class name

00 Not applicable (transit, enhancements, Etc.)

Support for Centers1. Designated center(s) supported

Lynnwood Regional Growth Center164th Street Urban CenterMill Creek Town Center

Criteria: Benefit to Center1. Describe how the project will benefit or support the existing and planned

housing and employment development of a center or centers. Does it supportmultiple centers?This project supports the Lynnwood Regional Growth Center as well as the locally designated164th Street Urban Center and the Mill Creek Town Center. 164th Street SW (unincorporated Snohomish County:The majority of development along 164th Street is residential, both single-family and multi-family. 513 units are proposed or under construction between 35th/36th Ave W and I-5. 301

family. 513 units are proposed or under construction between 35th/36th Ave W and I-5. 301units proposed or under construction between I-5 and Mill Creek Blvd. There are two recentlycompleted market rate housing projects by Avalon Communities located adjacent to the AshWay Transit Center and 164th Street SW.Commercial developments proposed or under construction includes:•The Everett Clinic North Pointe – 2 story 77,000 square foot building (north/west corner of164th and Manor Way•Extended Stay – 4 story 45,000 square foot development between I-5 and 20th Ave W: didnot mention the number of rooms•There are also lots still available for development within the North Pointe Business Park.

Lynnwood Regional Growth Center:The median house price in Lynnwood is $413,000 in comparison neighboring cities such asEdmonds, $504,100 and Shoreline $479,900 shows the affordability of purchasing a house inthe City of Lynnwood. Lynnwood’s rental market is also 20 to 30% less than rents found inEastside Cities and North Seattle making the 196th and 164th areas affordable for renters.Housing market growth from 2011—2016 runs close to 5%. In the Lynnwood City Center there are 655 units under construction with a majority (34) beingaffordable. City Center Senior Living Apartments (308) is mixed income. Under construction orin the pipeline is 1,512 residential housing units which includes mixed use, low income andSenior living apartment complexes. An eight story multi-family senior housing is currently in construction which includes 308senior housing apartments, two underground parking levels, rooftop residential amenitiesand a public plaza.347 transit oriented affordable units are currently under construction in a seven story buildingin the City Center Gateway began construction in 2015. Across from the Lynnwood Convention Center along 196th (proposed Swift Orange Lineroute) the Alderwood mall Blvd has begun construction including 150 room hotel withmeeting rooms and a public plaza.In the past five years 1.7 million square feet were added to the Lynnwood Regional GrowthCenter’s retail market. An additional 120,000 square feet are in the development pipeline. There is a mixed use project being considered as Phase II of Lynnwood Place alreadyanchored by redevelopment of the old Lynnwood High School site into a new Coscto andcould include up to 330 residential units, entertainment, retail and restaurants. The Lynnwood City Center Subarea is an area designated to accommodate much ofLynnwood’s projected growth and is expected to accommodate between 3.3 and 9.1 millionsquare feet of development. (*Lynnwood, Washington Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Report – SmartGrowth America, September 2016)

The Swift BRT Orange Line will provide the first east-west high capacity transit service in theproposed corridor with it's reliability, access and frequencies (10 minutes weekdays 5 am - 7pm) will provide opportunities to access regional transit service at Ash Way and the LynnwoodTransit Center. Local jurisdiction comprehensive plans for these corridors call for an increase to transitservice to mitigate congestion and roadways at capacity.

2. Describe how the project will support the development or redevelopment plansand activities (objectives and aims) of a center or centers.Community Transit coordinates with local land use authorities regarding land use applicationsand long range planning efforts. In many of the 2015 comprehensive plan updates, Snohomish County and the City ofLynnwood included Community Transit's Transit Emphasis Corridors as elements of theirTransportation Plan. As a result of this planning, higher density developments are being constructed near majortransit facilities and along transit corridors. Examples include the multi-family residential unitsalong 164th Street SW and Ash Way within walking distance of the transit center and busesrunning on the 164th Street corridor where over 1500 apartment units were built in 2014 andare part of Community Transit's residential TDM program. Coordination with cities andSnohomish County to concentrate high-density and mixed-use developments aroundarterials with frequent bus service is a central goal of Community Transit’s Long Range TransitPlan. The strategy is working. All of the new development cited above is within walkingdistance of frequent bus service. More than half of all Community Transit bus ridership ishappening along these corridors.

Significant work has taken place in both the City of Lynnwood and Snohomish County 2015Comprehensive Plan updates to identify and plan for the development and redevelopment ofthe Swift BRT Orange Line Corridor study area. The City of Lynnwood has incentives fordevelopment such as density bonuses, property tax exemptions for 8-12 years for housingprojects over 50 units that meet LEED Silver Ratings and impact fee exemptions for multi-family or commercial projects that are a minimum of four stories and accommodate 60% ofproject parking in above or below grade parking structures. The City of Lynnwood, FHWA, WSDOT and Snohomish County completed a Lynnwood CityCenter Access Study that concluded: improvements to the 196th Street SW corridor whichincluded Bus Access Transit Lanes for a future Swift BRT line was one of the most effectivesolutions to improving access and circulation to/within the City Center. In 2016 the City of Lynwood completed a FTA grant funded TOD Technical Assistance Report

In 2016 the City of Lynwood completed a FTA grant funded TOD Technical Assistance Reportfocusing on transforming the area around the Lynnwood Transit Center from an auto-oriented,strip mall shopping center into a pedestrian friendly, high-density, compact mixed-used TODhub. A key recommendation of this report states that in the area redevelopment will be led byinvestments in infrastructure including bus rapid transit and Link light rail. Another keyconcern of this report identified how passengers would arrive to the light rail station in termsof transportation modes with the city roadway network and available parking constraints. TheLynnwood City Center Area is the area designated to accommodate much of Lynnwood'sprojected growth (between 3.3 and 9.1 million square feet of redevelopment. The City isprioritizing infrastructure projects, zoning regulations, PSRC growth center designations anddevelopment incentives. A key success factor for the overall City Center and Light Rail accessrelies heavily on reliable high capacity feeder transit service such as Community Transit's SwiftBRT Orange Line.

3. Describe how the project improves safe and convenient access to majordestinations within the center, including enhanced opportunities for activetransportation that can provide public health benefits through the followingrelevant areas: walkability, public transit access, public transit speed andreliability, safety & security, bicycle mobility and facilities, streetscapeimprovements, etc.Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is Community Transit’s High Capacity Transit (HCT) service andrepresents the pinnacle of public transit in Snohomish County. Swift incorporates keyelements of bus rapid transit design such as landmark stations, uniquely branded vehicles,off-board fare collection, real-time customer information, priority bus lanes and fast, frequentand reliable service all to make access and convenience available for our customers.Corridors are chosen for BRT service based on high densities, diversity of land use,pedestrian network improvements, BAT lanes and managed parking. Operational designincludes curb boarding, passive restraint wheel-chair systems with front door boarding, onboard bike racks and off board fare collection to support diverse types of users on the fixedroute system.

4. Describe how the project provides a range of travel modes to users traveling tocenters, or if it provides a missing mode.The density of population (2015 - 11,107) and employment (2015 - 29,970) in the corridorand the number of activity centers represents a robust transit market. A high proportion of transit trips begin/end with a walk or bike trip, Community Transit on-board survey shows that 54% of current Swift Blue line riders access the service via walkingand 7% via biking. The proposed Swift BRT Orange line corridor is well configured for transitservice with a dense mixture of residential and commercial development adjacent to theroadway as well as a complete pedestrian network and bicycle lanes on significant portion ofthe route. What is missing is the east-west high capacity transit service connecting toRegional high capacity transit service which is what the Swift BRT Orange line will provide.

5. Describe the user groups that will benefit from the project, includingcommuters, residents, commercial users, those groups identified in thePresident’s Order for Environmental Justice, seniors, people with disabilities,those located in highly impacted communities, and/or areas experiencing highlevels of unemployment or chronic underemployment.User groups being served include:Senior 11.7%Youth 22.8%Limited English 9.4%44.1% Minority13.8% PovertyThe Lynnwood Transit Zone (one-mile buffer) from Lynnwood Transit Center has a slightlygreater share of households with children. 34% have children under 18 in comparison to 25%for the City of Lynnwood and 32% for Snohomish County. It also has a high proportion ofrenter occupied household about 56% in comparison to 47% citywide and 39% SnohomishCounty. The median household income is $40,100 which is 25% lower than the City overalland 73% lower than Snohomish County. Commuters to and from the Regional Growth Center, will now have improved East-Westaccess to a higher level of high capacity transit connecting to the Lynnwood LINK Light Rail aswell as additional regional and local service operating out of the Lynnwood Transit Center.Residents along the corridor with a current population of 11,107 and a forecasted 2025population of 13,000 will not need to access a car to go work, medical appointments, school(Edmonds Community College) and retail and leisure purposes.

*Use of the REMIX tool provides substantive data for the diversity of the Swift BRT Orange Linecorridor

6. Describe how the project will support the establishment of new jobs/businessesor the retention of exisitng jobs/businesses including those in the industryclusters identified in the adopted Regional Economic Strategy.Lynnwood's location, highway accessibility and affordable rents makes it attractive tobusinesses and jobs. Current business activity areas include the Mill Creek Town Center with over 80 retail stores,

Current business activity areas include the Mill Creek Town Center with over 80 retail stores,boutiques, restaurants and services, City Center Retail, Lynnwood Convention Center andAlderwood Mall. A focus of the City of Lynnwood is connecting to existing assets which SwiftBRT Orange Line will provide.With the advent of Link Light Rail to Lynnwood a whole new reverse commute job marketopens up. The City of Lynnwood has begun a marketing and public outreach effort usingbusiness attraction strategies focusing on the cost differential between doing business inSeattle and in Lynwood. A targeted approach by the City of Lynnwood for industry employmentsuch as life sciences, aerospace and information technologies opens up employmentopportunities in the Regional Growth Center has begun in order to be ready for the advent ofLight Rail. Lynnwood's City Center Access Study identifies 15,000 new jobs and 4,000 newdwelling units in the sub-area alone placing significant burden on the street network withadditional transit service. PSRC 2015 Lynnwood City Employment Data breaks down to these categories:Construction 1,119Fire 1,459Manufacturing 528Retail 7,140Services 12,799WTU 864Government 965Education 2,366TOTAL JOBS: 27,240This project supports the industry clusters of:Tourism and VisitorsLife Sciences and Global HealthInformation TechnologyClean TechManufacturing

7. Does the project promote Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) opportunities?The Swift Orange Line will provide fast, frequent and reliable high capacity transit service ontwo of the most congested arterials in Snohomish County (164th & 196th), providing analternative to driving alone. These corridors are also two primary east/west corridors in southSnohomish County, connecting the cities of Edmonds, Lynnwood and Mill Creek.

The Swift Orange line will connect residential areas to higher education institutions (EdCC &WSU @ EdCC), a regional shopping mall (Alderwood), jobs and transfer points to other highcapacity transit systems that provide connections to job centers in King County and theEverett MIC, reducing the need for single occupant vehicles.

Choice Connections - Community Transit partners with nine jurisdictions in SnohomishCounty and north King County affected by the Washington State Commute Trip ReductionEfficiency Act to administer strategies that increase the use of non-drive alone commutetrips. In 2013, Community Transit was selected by the Washington State Commute TripReduction Board to participate in a pilot alternate Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program totest new program elements, increase program efficiencies through quarterly worksite reportsand improve data collection methodologies through non-drive alone trip logging through anonline trip calendar system (RideshareOnline.com). During this period, worksites under thealternate program realized a 16.9% increase in non-drive alone trips. Incorporating thesuccessful data collection and reporting elements of the alternate CTR program, CommunityTransit is in the process of working with partner jurisdictions to update their 2017-2019 CTRPlan and Ordinance.

There are 8 CTR affected worksites within the Swift BRT Orange Line route options: EdCC,City of Lynnwood (1 block north of 196th on 44th), Cypress Semiconductors (North Pointe),Comcast (North Pointe), Genzne (North Pointe), Honeywell Alerton (North Pointe), CraneAerospace (2 blocks south of 164th behind Walmart), and Pemco Insurance on 33rd(possible n/s connection near mall).

Curb the Congestion - Through an ongoing partnership with Snohomish County and othertransportation agencies, Community Transit implements an innovative, residential corridor-based TDM program proven to increase non-drive alone trips on 7 of the most congestedroadways in Snohomish County, including 196th Street and 164th Street. The programcovers 73 miles of roadways and a traffic shed of over 175,000 households and 4,500businesses. The primary goal of the program is to increase non-drive alone trips during peakhours by educating and motivating people to try ridesharing and active transportation optionsfor commute and discretionary trips.

Criteria: System Continuity/Long Term Benefit-Sustainability1. Describe how this project provides a "logical segment" that serves a center, or

allows users to access the system.The logical segment for the Swift BRT Orange Line connects two main east/west corridors -164th Street and 196th Street as show in Map 1 & 2. Currently in the feasible study of the

164th Street and 196th Street as show in Map 1 & 2. Currently in the feasible study of theSwift BRT Orange Line the best north/south connector between 164th and 196th which willbe identified to ensure speed and reliability. Development of the locally preferred alignment will analyze and balance factors such as:Transit Market ServedRidership PotentialConnections to other local and regional transit serviceConnections to residential, employment, medical, government and educational centers.Economic development opportunitiesConnection/pathway to Link Light Rail

2. Describe how the project fills in a missing link or removes barriers to a center(e.g. congestion, inadequate transit service/facilities.).Current barriers to the Lynnwood Regional Growth Center and 164th Urban Center are SOVcongestion and lack of east-west access to high capacity transit service.Currently both the Lynnwood Transit Center and the Ash Way Transit Center operate at 100%capacity, the 164th Corridor has been designated at ultimate capacity and 196th is thesecond most congested corridor within the Lynnwood Regional Growth Center.If people aren't able to get to the transit centers by 7 am on weekdays there is no availableparking driving people into SOV's to commute. 52% of people parking at the Lynnwood TransitCenter live within 2 1/2 miles of it. To far to walk and no way to access the local and regionaltransit service at Lynnwood Transit Center so they drive to the transit center and if they can'tfind parking they use their car to get where they are going. The only way to move more people and provide greater access to transit it to increasefrequency of feeder service to regional transit service.The Swift BRT Orange Line will provide that missing link to make transit work the need for SOVtravel to access transit service. Residents along the corridor will be now have a service everyten minutes to access local and regional transit.

3. Describe how this project will relieve pressure or remove a bottleneck on theMetropolitan Transportation System and how this will positively impact overallsystem performance.A detailed traffic analysis will be completed on the Swift BRT Orange Line corridor during thefeasibility phase of the project. Included in the feasibility study will be documentation ofexisting and future travel times of the corridor for both SOV and transit. Current conditionassessment can be provided from Lynnwood's 19th Street SW Improvement Project,Snohomish County's East-West Corridor Study and Sound Transit's Lynnwood Link ExtensionEIS. 196th Street SW in Lynnwood (Swift BRT Orange Line project area) experiences the highestvolumes of traffic of any local street in the City (35,000 ADT) it also experiences the highestlevel of collisions (other than SR 99). Southwest Snohomish County is a fast growing area with residential, commercial andindustrial developments. The 164th Street SW corridor was designated by the County Councilat ultimate capacity in 2007. To maintain mobility and preserve capacity in this corridor,Snohomish County Public Works must implement a congestion management strategyincluding TSM, TDM, and transit access management. The 164th Street SW/SE corridor (35thAve SW to SR 527) is also at or near capacity and along with the intersections with Interstate 5is among the most severe congestion in Snohomish County. The 2035 forecast for thisarterial is for a PM peak hr traffic of between 3700 and 4400 vehicles which gives this road avolume to capacity ratio of 1.3 (LOS F is 1.00, this is 30% beyond “F”). The current LOS for thearterial is 1.11. Improvements recommended by the Snohomish County's East/West Corridorstudy would add capacity to the arterial by adding a BRT lane in each direction, providing analternate crossing of I-5 to get transit out of the interchange area, and a realignment of AshWay to move the intersection with 164th farther away from I-5. Traffic operation analysis forthis corridor shows that this set of improvements will improve the 2035 transit travel time byabout 7 minutes on this corridor which by the County's calculations equate to a 30%improvement over the 2035 travel time.

4. Describe how the project improves intermodal connections (e.g. between autos,ferries, commuter rail, high capacity transit, bus, carpool, bicycle, etc.), orfacilities connections between separate operators of a single mode (e.g., twotransit operators).The Swift BRT Orange Line improves connections to the Swift Blue and Green Lines, it willallow for access for car drivers both SOV and carpool/vanpool at the Ash Way Park-N-Ride andthe Lynnwood Transit Center. Users of the Swift BRT Orange Line have access to bus serviceprovided by KC Metro and Sound Transit and will feed to the Lynnwood LINK Light Rail Systemslated to begin in 2023. Swift BRT with it's features such as off board fare collection, shelterand seating and on-board bicycle racks provides improved use by pedestrians and bicyclists.

5. If applicable, describe how the project provides an improvement in travel timeand/or reliability for transit users traveling to and/or within centers.The feasibility study current underway on the Swift BRT Orange Line will provide data showingimprovements of travel time for users along the corridor. To provide some context, travel times along our Swift BRT Green Line corridor (Canyon Park toPaine Field/Boeing) are forecasted to have improvements ranging from 30 to 64% for overallcorridor travel time (based on time of day).Our Swift BRT Blue Line in operation since 2009 from Everett Station to Aurora Transit Center

Our Swift BRT Blue Line in operation since 2009 from Everett Station to Aurora Transit Centershows the average travel time saving close to 20% from 74 minutes pre Swift BRT to 54minutes post.Improvements to reliability and access:By 2025, implementation of the Swift BRT Orange Line along with other system improvementswill increase the area people can access on a weekday within 30 minutes of transit travel timeby more than 60% in the midday and 50% at 5pm compared to today. Weekend access in themidday will more than double. While this increase in access is a combination of integratedimprovements, the Swift BRT Orange Line plays a key role in access for centers in SnohomishCounty. As an example the weekday area accessible to Mill Creek within 30 minutes via transitis 25% greater in 2025 with implementation of the Swift BRT Orange Line than without. *See REMIX Map that show how far you can travel at pre and post Swift BRT Orange Line.

6. If applicable, describe how the project increases transit use to or within centers.The Swift BRT Orange increases transit use to or within centers by:Providing the first east-west high capacity transit service to Ash Way and Lynnwood TransitCenterIncreasing frequencies with no need for a schedule by customersIncreasing access to Ash Way Park-N-Ride and Lynnwood Transit Center by removing theneed for customers to drive to these at capacity facilities.Linking high capacity transit service to home and workEncouraging the use of active transportation Supporting land use, development and economic development goals of our partnerjurisdictionsSupporting ST Link light rail with high capacity feeder service

7. Describe how this project supports a long-term strategy to maximize theefficiency of the corridor? Describe the problem and how this project willremedy it.Problem:Lack of East-West transit options in South Snohomish County.Lack of high capacity transit options drive people into cars even if they are accessing transitservice at Transit Center.Transit Centers along the corridor at over 100% capacityCurrent levels of congestion cannot be mitigated by build out of the roadway networkLack of feeder service to compliment Link Light Rail at Lynnwood Transit Center

Strategy:

"Snohomish County Urban Center Code: Centers are compact, well-designed areas thatconcentrate a variety of land uses all in one place. Centers are also people-oriented living andworking places that allow residents to walk to shops and perhaps a bus stop or other masstransit stations. Centers have been identified by the county where significant population andemployment growth can be located, a community wide focal point can be provided, and theincreased use of transit, bicycling, and walking can be supported."City of Lynnwood's City Center Sub-Area Plan: "Restructure the City Center’s growth towarda more concentrated, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly and transit-supportive center.""Finally, transit will play a more important role in the City Center than it does today. In additionto the regional transit services, there will be extensive and enhanced local transit to serveresidents, employees and visitors within and around the City Center."As demonstrated in both planning and infrastructure improvements both the City ofLynnwood and Snohomish County have a strategy and understanding that we cannot buildourselves out of congestion. With 164th being designated at ultimate capacity and expansionof the roadway very expensive, high capacity transit is the perfect remedy to mitigate SOVtravel and get people where they need to go. The 196th Street SW Improvement Projectcurrently in construction with the goal to improve access and circulation to/within the CityCenter with infrastructure improvements such as BAT lanes, center median turn lanes andsidewalk improvements than relies on high capacity transit service to move the people. Secondly with Link Light Rail coming to Lynnwood in 2023 the roadway network cannotsupport people accessing the rail system by car even if enough parking was built toaccommodate the SOV's. Simply put for the 164th Street and 196th Street Corridors tooperate efficiently and move people the Swift BRT Orange Line must be in service.

Air Quality and Climate Change: Element Selection1. Please select one or more elements in the list below that are included in the

project’s scope of work, and provide the requested information in the pages tofollow.Transit and Ferry Service

Air Quality and Climate Change: Transit and Ferry Service1. What is the current transit ridership for the affected transit stops or routes?

The Swift BRT Orange Line will be new transit service. Routes 115,116, and 196 serve thesame area. Existing boardings for these routes at the stops predicted for Swift BRT OrangeLine service total 2,250 per weekday and 800 per weekend day. Additionally, the SwampCreek Park and Ride, the Ash Way Park and Ride and the Lynnwood Transit Center are allwithin the area bringing the total boardings to 4,550 per weekday and 1,650 per weekendday.

2. What is the average transit trip length for the affected routes?The average transit trip length is 3.6 miles for the existing routes that serve the same area asthe future Swift BRT Orange Line. Based on the existing Swift BRT Blue Line we know that theaverage passenger trip lengths are longer on our BRT services than the local services thatpreceded them. Average trip length for our current Swift BRT is 8.66 miles.

3. What is the average transit trip length of the entire system?The average transit trip length for the entire system is 9.3 miles. This is heavily weighted byour longer distance routes providing commuter services to Seattle.Average trip length for our entire BRT system is 8.66 miles.

4. If the project includes a park and ride, how many new stalls are being provided?N/A

5. Are there other amenities included to encourage new transit ridership? If so,please describe.Amenities such as unique branding, Swift stations designed to support rapid service and asense of place such as permanent structures with raised platforms, ticket vending machines,shelter, seating and real-time information signs. Off board fare collection, spacious seatingand on-board bicycle racks provide a safe and efficient experience for the customer.

6. What is the expected increase in transit ridership from the project?Within three years of opening, our existing Swift BRT Blue Line experienced ridership growthof more than 20% on weekdays and 15% on weekends. We anticipate a similar growth is likelyfor the Swift BRT Orange Line especially with the connection to the Lynnwood Link station.Based on this growth we estimate our weekday boardings at 5,500 per weekday and 1,900per weekend day.

7. If a new or expanded ferry service, what is the length of the driving route beingreplaced?N/A

8. Please describe the source of the project data provided above (e.g.,Environmental Impact Statement, EPA/DOE data, traffic study, survey, previousprojects, etc.).Due to the fact that Community Transit is currently in the feasibility phase of study for the SwiftBRT Orange Line and a preferred alignment has not been chosen we can't provide specificssuch as the length of the driving route being replaced.However, since this will be our third line of Swift BRT we have a lot of good information to relyon. Completion of the FTA prescribed Project Development Phase for our Swift Green Linetells us that a project of this sort will likely be a Documented Categorical Exclusion on theenvironmental side. Additionally we can estimate the growth in ridership that a BRTimplementation has compared to existing services.

PSRC Funding Request1. What is the PSRC funding source being requested?

N/A2. Has this project received PSRC funds previously?

No3. If yes, please provide the project's PSRC TIP ID

N/A

Phase Year AmountPE 2019 $5,000,000.00

Total Request: $5,000,000.00

Total Estimated Project Cost and SchedulePlanning

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured AmountLocal Secured $150,000.00

$150,000.00Expected year of completion for this phase: 2018

PE

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount5307 Unsecured $5,000,000.00Local Secured $1,250,000.00

$6,250,000.00Expected year of completion for this phase: 2020

ROW

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount5309(NS) Unsecured $5,000,000.00Local Unsecured $1,000,000.00


Construction

Funding Source Secured/Unsecured Amount5309(NS) Unsecured $50,000,000.00Local Unsecured $15,000,000.00


Summary1. Estimated project completion date

20202. Total project cost

$77,400,000.00

Funding Documentation1. Documents

Swift_BRT_Orange_Line_Project_Development_Match_Documentation.pdf,Swift_BRT_Orange_Line_Project_Development_Feasibility_Study_Budget.pdf

2. 2. Please describe the secure or reasonably expected funds identified in thesupporting documentation. For funds that are reasonably expected, an explanationof procedural steps with milestone dates for completion which will be taken tosecure the funds for the project or program should also be included.Community Transit passed Proposition 1 in November 2015 allocation of this funding includedexpansion of our Swift BRT corridors. Sales Tax funding is placed into reserves for Swift BRTwhich will pay the required 20% match of this project (see attached Transit Development PlanFacility Reserve Fund - Board Approved Resolution 03-16). Currently we are in the feasibilityphase of this project $150,000 of local funding is in our FY2017 budget for completion of thefeasibility study.We are requesting FY2019 FTA Funding.

Project Readiness: PE1. Are you requesting funds for ONLY a planning study or preliminary engineering?

No

2. Is preliminary engineering complete?No

3. What was the date of completion (month and year)?N/A

4. Have preliminary plans been submitted to WSDOT for approval?N/A

5. Are there any other PE/Design milestones associated with the project? Pleaseidentify and provide dates of completion. You may also use this space to explainany dates above.N/A

6. When are preliminary plans expected to be complete and approved by WSDOT(month and year)?N/A

Project Readiness: NEPA1. What is the current or anticipated level of environmental documentation under

the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for this project?Documented Categorical Exclusion (DCE)

2. Has the NEPA documentation been approved?No

3. Please provide the date of NEPA approval, or the anticipated date of completion(month and year).12/31/2019

Project Readiness: Right of Way1. Will Right of Way be required for this project?

No2. How many parcels do you need?

N/A3. What is the zoning in the project area?

N/A4. Discuss the extent to which your schedule reflects the possibility of

condemnation and the actions needed to pursue this.N/A

5. Does your agency have experience in conducting right of way acquisitions ofsimilar size and complexity?N/A

6. If not, when do you expect a consultant to be selected, under contract, andready to start (month and year)?N/A

7. In the box below, please identify all relevant right of way milestones, includingthe current status and estimated completion date of each.N/A

Project Readiness: Construction1. Are funds being requested for construction?

No2. Do you have an engineer's estimate?

N/A3. Engineers estimate document

N/A4. Identify the environmental permits needed for the project and when they are

scheduled to be acquired.N/A

5. Are Plans, Specifications & Estimates (PS&E) approved?

N/A6. Please provide the date of approval, or the date when PS&E is scheduled to be

submitted for approval (month and year).N/A

7. When is the project scheduled to go to ad (month and year)?N/A

Other Considerations1. Describe any additional aspects of your project not requested in the evaluation

criteria that could be relevant to the final project recommendation and decision-making process.Community Transit received funding from the FY 2015 FTA 5307 competitive funds for ProjectDevelopment of the Swift II BRT Green Line. Project Development was completed in 2016, weare 80% complete with ROW and moving into the Capital Phase of the project. The FTA 5307Funding for Project Development was leveraged into a $48 million Small Starts grant for thecapital portion the Swift Green Line.

*Although we have not completed our feasibility study of the Swift BRT Orange Line we useddata sources to provide important information in this application which includes:*REMIX*PSRC Data Group *Community Transit Strategic Planning DATA program*Snohomish County WEB Application for development permitting*Snohomish County EAST-WEST Corridor Study

2. Describe any innovative components included in your project: these couldinclude design elements, cost saving measures, or other innovations.N/A

3. Describe the process that your agency uses to determine the benefits ofprojects; this could include formal cost-benefit analysis, practical design, orsome other process by which the benefits of projects are determined.The FTA Project Development phase includes a formal rating submittal on the followingcriteria to receive Small Starts funding:

MobilityEnvironmental benefitsCongestion reliefEconomic developmentLand useCost effectiveness (cost per trip)

In addition to the FTA Project Development and Small Starts rating process, CommunityTransit has one line of BRT in operation with the Swift Blue Line, in 2016 the Swift Blue linecarried 1.7 million passengers, 40.7 boardings per revenue hour. Community Transit CoreService Productivity Standard is 20 boarding per revenue hour and Swift Blue Line boardingsfar exceed that. It is our expectation that the Swift Orange Line will follow similar statistics andin fact exceed them with the connection to Link light rail.

4. Final documentsN/A

FrontierVillage

Snohomish

Everett

Mukilteo Boeing

SilverFirs

HarbourPointe

Edmonds

Woodway

MillCreek

Bothell

CanyonPark

MaysPond

Maltby

BrierMountlake

Terrace

LynnwoodClearview

WhidbeyIsland

Shoreline

LkForest

Pk Kenmore Bothell Woodinville

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Transit Emphasis Corridors andMinimum Operating Segmentfor Swift Orange Line Study

Swift Blue Line

Swift Green Line

Swift Orange Linestudy segment

MAP 1

Transit EmphasisCorridors with future Swift Potential

164th St SW

196th St SW

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HarbourPointe

Edmonds

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CanyonPark

MaysPond

Maltby

BrierMountlake

Terrace

Lynnwood

Shoreline

LkForest

Pk Kenmore Bothell Woodinville

Brier P&R

Edmonds Stn

Bothell P&R

Ash Way P&R

Lynnwood TC

Edmonds P&R

Mariner P&R

Eastmont P&R

Canyon Park P&R

South Everett P&R

Aurora Village TC

Edmonds Ferry

Swamp Creek P&R

McCollum Park P&R

Mountlake Terrace TC

EdmondsCommunityCollege TC

I 5

SR 52

5

I 405

SR 96

212th St SW

SR 99

North

Rd

Seatt

le Hill R

d

148th St SW

Mead

ow R

d

7th Av

e SE

Ramp

Ash W

y

Locust Wy

Larch Wy

SR 52684

th Av

e W

228th St SE

4th Av

e W

SR 524

Filbert Rd

176th St SW9th

Ave S

E

220th St SW

Mano

r Wy

35th

Ave S

E

Brier

Rd

Casc

adian

Wy

100th

Ave W

200th St SW

SR 10476th

Ave W

Larimer Rd

Maple Rd180th St SW

208th St SW

244th St SW

51st

Ave S

E

Everg

reen W

y

Mukilteo Speedway

Suns

et Rd

168th St SE

Fisher RdHO

V Ram

p

Bothe

ll Eve

rett H

wy

75th St SW

Airport Rd

196th St SE

Paine

Field

Blvd

SR 527

Beverly Park R

d

36th

Ave W

39th Ave SE

112th St SE

168th St SW

Beverly Blvd

188th St SW

Damson Rd

19th

Ave S

E

Locus

t Wy

I 405

I 405

76th

Ave W

SR 52

7

SR 104

51st

Ave S

E

I 5

SR 52

5

I 5

Ramp

I 5

SR 525

I 5

I 5

Ash W

y

SR 99

SR 524

SR 525

SR 99

76th

Ave W

SR 99

SR 52

7

I 5

SR 99

I 5

Ramp

220th St SW

Puget Sound

Lake Washington Sammamish RiverL:\Projects\MapRequests\GrantApplications\graphics\SwiftBRTOrangeLineProjectDevelopment-FTA5307Funding_Map2_8x11port_03032017.mxd jsa 3/3/2017

Swift Orange Line Study Segment Map 2

LegendSwift Orange Line - Study SegmentSwift Blue LineSwift Green LineOther Bus Routes

úûü Park & Ride / Transit Center

Population & Jobs per acre

45 - 7025 - 4510 - 25

5 - 102.5 - 50 - 2.5

Alderwood Mall

Mill Creek Town Center

PaineField

Airport

1 Mile Study Segment Buffer

Map StatisticsCorridor Length - 7 MilesPop & Emp within Buffer - 109,000

Map Information

Data Sources:Community Transit (Feb 2017),United States Census 2010Snohomish County Auditor

Planning & DevelopmentStrategic Planning & Grants Division

March 2017