3/9/2016: Lander Street Overpass Meeting Recap
Lander Street Overpass Project Update: 3/8/2016
Presenters:
Chris Eaves, SDOT Freight Team
Jude Willcher, SDOT Capital Planning Team
Review of SDOT’s 5 Core Values and Vision: A Vibrant City and thriving economy connecting people and products within Seattle and to regional and international markets.
- Safe: Improve safety and the predictable movement of goods and people
- Interconnected: Reliably connect manufacturing/industrial centers and business districts with the local, state and international freight networks
- Affordable: Maintain and improve the freight transportation network to ensure safe and efficient operations. Benefit residents and businesses of Seattle through equity in freight investments and improve the health of communities impacted by freight movement.
- Vibrant: Provide a freight network that supports a growing economy for Seattle and the region
- Innovative: Improve freight operations in Seattle and the region by making goods movement more efficient and reducing its environmental footprint.
In developing this project the team reviewed existing freight projects from other City plans- Move Seattle and the Freight Access Plan. Performed truck collision and bottleneck analysis to highlight safety and mobility needs. The results of these highlight SODO’s importance to the city and the region.
Lander Street Grade Separation Project: This project has become active again because of new federal grant opportunities that Seattle is uniquely positioned to be competitive. Seattle is one of the few cities that has a Freight Advisory Board, and a Freight Master Plan.
Freight Modal Program: Funds from the Move Seattle levy are being used to expand the SDOT Spot Improvement Program by implementing Freight Modal priorities, adding rail crossing monitoring and maintenance to support UTC freight needs and coordinating infrastructure investments to support freight needs.
Lander Street Grade Separation Project: SDOT is actively pursuing freight partnerships to implement high priority projects for the City, State and region. The passage of the FAST Act in 2015 which sets new national freight policy and funding makes this project a real possibility.
Current Funding:
Levy to Move Seattle: $20 million committed
State Legislature: $7 million committed
Potential Funding:
- FAST Act
- BNSF Railraod
- Puget Sound Regional Council
- Port of Seattle
Project Background: In 2007 the proposed grade separation was 85 feet across and included dedicated lanes for bikes and for pedestrians on each side of the structure. The re-envisioning process that is taking place right now is using current usage data to design a structure with a reduced footprint that still meets the needs of the different modes of transportation. The 2016 project scope includes review of the following items:
- Project Management
- Data Collection
- Survey/base map
- Signals 7 lighting
- Geotechnical
- Structural
- Utility
- Traffic Analysis
- Environmental
- Right of Way
- Landscaping/urban design
- Pavement
- Striping/signing
- Constructability
- Outreach
Project Schedule:
2016- March: Grant Submittal (FMSIB, PSRC)
April: Grant Submittal (FASTLANE)
April: Design Begins
2017- Design Complete
2018- Construction begins
2020- Construction Complete
Ongoing- Public Engagement
Challenges:
- Minimize the structure’s footprint
- Stay in the existing Right of Way
- Early utility strategy- address the 2 96inch pipes below the planned structure
- Update Traffic data
- Meet multiple grant deadlines.
Traffic Data Results:
In January 2016 SDOT filmed 72 hours of time lapse footage of the Lander Street crossing for traffic analysis. Early data results show:
- 109 Daily closures to traffic (24 hour period) closing the crossing for a total of 4 hours, 50 minutes.
- Average delay per closure: 2 minutes, 40 seconds
- Daily traffic volume: 13,000+
- Pedestrians per day: 1403
- Bicycles per day: 103
- Percentage of Trucks: 10-12%
Current Needs:
SDOT is asking for interested parties to reach out with questions, concerns and suggestions- see contacts below. Also would request letters of support from area businesses.
SDOT Contacts:
Jessica.Murphy@seattle.gov 206-684-4444
Jude.Willcher@seattle.gov 206-684-4059
Christopher.Eaves@seattle.gov 206-684-4524