Contents PROJECT DESCRIPTION... 1 SUMMARY OF BENEFITS... 1 VICINITY MAPS... 2 PROJECT PARTNERS... 4 TIGER-TIFIA FUNDS AND SOURCES...

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1 Partners: Cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Seattle, Mercer Island, King County Metro, Puget Sound Regional Council, Washington State Department of Transportation, Wright Runstad & Company TIGER ID Number: LisaWolterink34704 Sound Transit Federal ID Number: , DUNS: Contact: Lisa Wolterink, Grants Manager, Sound Transit 401 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA phone: fax:

2 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Table of Contents Contents PROJECT DESCRIPTION... 1 SUMMARY OF BENEFITS... 1 VICINITY MAPS... 2 PROJECT PARTNERS... 4 TIGER-TIFIA FUNDS AND SOURCES... 6 ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS... 7 LIVABILITY SUSTAINABILITY SAFETY STATE OF GOOD REPAIR JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS INNOVATION PROJECT READINESS AND NEPA JURISDICTIONAL & STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND DISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION Appendix A: Benefit-Cost Analysis Appendix B: Additional information on Budget, Financial, Technical Capacity and Funding Commitments Appendix C: Letters of Support Appendix D: Project Graphics Appendix E: Examples of Existing ST Transit Oriented Development Appendix F: Federal Wage Rate Certification Appendix G: NEPA Approval Letter Go to for letters of support, maps, and relevant technical supporting materials.

3 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project will build approximately 14.5 miles of light rail, ten multimodal stations, eight miles of HOV lanes, pedestrian and bicycle improvements connecting downtown Seattle, Mercer Island, downtown Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond. This TIGER-TIFIA request has two complementary components: 1. I-90 Two Way Transit and HOV Operations: Construct eight miles of HOV lanes and ramps (four miles eastbound and four miles westbound) and fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the I-90 floating bridge and tunnels that connect Seattle and Bellevue. This project provides safe and reliable two-way transit and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) operations on I-90. This work is required before the light rail expansion can be built across the I-90 floating bridge. 2. East Link Light Rail Expansion: Construct 14.5 miles of light rail connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond; including ten intermodal stations, pedestrian and bicycle improvements. SUMMARY OF BENEFITS With TIGER-TIFIA financing, East Link will benefit Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest residents by: Providing 14.5 miles of the 55 mile light rail system serving the Puget Sound region; Providing ridership that is expected to be 50,000 per day. The project adds over 10,000 new transit riders per day. With East Link, the transit mode share across I-90 is expected to double. Expanding capacity in the I-90 corridor from 9,000 to 12,000 people per hour in each direction -- more than double the person-carrying capacity of I-90 - without widening the I-90 floating bridge. The ability to carry this many people is equivalent to about seven to ten freeway lanes. Reducing 10,000 vehicle hours traveled (VHT) and 230,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per day. Reducing VMT saves an estimated 9,200 gallons of gasoline per day. This translates into a savings of over $12 million in annual fuel costs. Reducing travel time by 25 minutes per trip as compared to driving. Operating light rail 20 hours per day with headways of 7 to 15 minutes, in comparison to average bus headways of 15 to 30 minutes or longer. Improving safety by building state-of-the-art fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the nationally significant I-90 floating bridge. Supporting the cities of Bellevue and Redmond redevelopment plans in Bel-Red and Overlake neighborhoods. East Link supports over six million square feet of transit-oriented, mixed use development on private property near the stations. Private investment is already committed. 1

4 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Connecting to 202,000 jobs in downtown Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond. East Link is estimated to create over 49,000 jobs in total and over 32,000 construction jobs; Savings up to $995/month and up to $11,939 annually for those who switch from car to transit; This project can be obligated and a TIFIA contract signed immediately long before the June 30, 2013 deadline. NEPA and preliminary engineering are complete. Construction can begin in Including intermodal connections to BRT, express/local bus service, biking and walking facilities. VICINITY MAPS East Link Light Rail Extension: Constructing 14.5 miles of light rail connecting Seattle-Bellevue and Redmond; including ten intermodal stations, pedestrian and bicycle improvements. Two Way HOV Operations on the I-90 Floating Bridge Stage 3 construction (shown in yellow), adds eastbound and westbound HOV lanes (eight miles in total) on the I-90 floating bridge 2

5 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) East Link Connects Major Population and Employment Centers The number of existing jobs shown is only for designated centers as defined by the regional growth management Plan (VISION 2040) and transportation plan (Transportation 2040). 3

6 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) PROJECT PARTNERS Partner Role Lead agency and primary grant recipient, providing light rail, regional express bus and commuter rail service in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties (the most congested area in Washington State), a population of approximately three million. Will construct, own, operate and maintain the light rail system. Significant experience in constructing light rail, stations and HOV. Has technical, financial and legal capacity to complete the project on time and on budget. East Link project scope approved by Sound Transit Board in Resolution No: R $2,209,991,000 in local match secured in Motion No WSDOT was the co-lead for NEPA documentation on I-90. WSDOT will provide design review, permits and construct, own, operate and maintain the HOV lanes on I-90 floating bridge. An agreement has been signed by WSDOT and Sound Transit that allows light rail to be built and operate on the I-90 floating bridge. City in which project is located and cooperating agency on NEPA. Providing design review, permits and related capital improvements around the Station area to increase access. Providing station area planning and transit oriented development (TOD) incentives for economic development around the stations. City in which project is located and cooperating agency on NEPA Providing design review, project permits and related capital improvements around the Station area to increase access. Providing station area planning and TOD incentives for development around the stations. An MOU has been signed by Bellevue and Sound Transit regarding scope and financial commitment to the project. Bellevue will provide $160 million (2010$). City in which project is located and cooperating agency on NEPA. Providing design review, project permits and related capital improvements around the Station area to increase access. Providing station area planning and TOD incentives. City in which project is located and cooperating agency on NEPA. Providing design review, project permits and related capital improvements around the Station area to increase access. Providing station area planning and TOD incentives. WRIGHT RUNSTAD & COMPANY MPO for the Puget Sound region representing 72 cities, four counties, seven transit agencies, four port districts, and two Native American tribes. Designated a Preferred Sustainable Community by the U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development and awarded a $5 million Sustainable Communities grant. Developing Equity Networks, a regional TOD vision, Transit Corridor Action Strategies and affordable housing planning that will benefit station areas. PSRC has provided $36 million to the East Link project. Cooperating agency on NEPA. Sound Transit contracts with KCM to operate the light rail service. KCM is also providing local bus and BRT service connecting to the East Link light rail project. Approximately 15 King County Metro bus routes, providing 201 weekday trips over the I-90 floating bridge, will benefit from improvements in travel time. Reductions in delay reduce operating costs for King County Metro. As part of the Spring District TOD, Wright Runstad will invest approximately $50 million toward related public infrastructure immediately adjacent to the Sound Transit East Link s 120th Station. Other Private Sector Support: Su Development, Microsoft, Boeing, T-Mobile, Bellevue College and Group Health all support the East Link project. 4

7 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Demographics Connecting Population and Job Centers Population Seattle is the largest city in Washington, with a population of 612,000. Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington, with a population of more than 122,000. Redmond s population is 54,144 and Mercer Island s is 22,699. Together, those cities have a combined population of nearly 811,000. Jobs Bellevue serves as the metropolitan center for King County's Eastside with more than 140,000 jobs. The City of Redmond has 76,876 jobs dominated by the 40,000 jobs at Microsoft headquarters. Expedia.com, Amazon.com, T-Mobile, Microsoft, PACCAR, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Nintendo of America, Starbucks Coffee Company, Costco, Weyerhaeuser, Nordstrom, REI, Alaska Airlines, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are just some of the organizations headquartered in the Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond area. Washington state is the largest exporter in the nation on a per capita basis and one in three jobs is tied to international trade. Many of these jobs are located in the Seattle-Bellevue-Redmond area, home to major exporters such as Microsoft, Boeing and Nintendo. 104,000 direct export-production jobs and 188,400 export supported jobs are located in the region. Commuting Sixty-five percent of employees working in downtown Seattle commute by alternatives other than driving alone. Over forty percent commute by public transit. 34 percent of Bellevue residents commute to work by means other than driving alone. East Link is located in King County, an Economically Distressed County. King County meets the federal criteria for economically distressed. Washington State s Economic Security Department reported a drop of over 40,000 in employment in King County substantially higher than the necessary 1 percent of the labor force. For example, 3,400 jobs were lost from the Washington Mutual Headquarters alone. Diversity: Bellevue has the largest percentage of foreign-born residents of any city in Washington. About 31 percent of the population of Bellevue is foreign-born and one in every three residents speaks a language other than English at home. More than 40 percent of Bellevue s population is a minority race or ethnicity in 2010 and more than 81 different languages are now spoken by children in Bellevue public schools. Over half of the population in the International District Station area in Seattle is minority. Environmental Justice - Census data show that East Link would enhance access for more than 7,000 lowincome and approximately 17,000 minority residents who live within one-half mile of proposed stations. The minority population ranges from 14.4 percent to 50.7 percent and the low-income population ranges up to 13.7 percent within one-half mile of proposed stations. 5

8 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) TIGER-TIFIA FUNDS AND SOURCES Sound Transit is requesting a $20 million TIGER-TIFIA credit subsidy for the construction of the East Link project. The $20 million TIGER-TIFIA credit subsidy is estimated to generate a $600 million TIFIA loan. The TIFIA loan, with its lower interest rate, is estimated to provide over $100 million in savings for the project compared to current Sound Transit financing. TIGER-TIFIA funding would finance the construction phase. The total construction budget is $2,469,991,000. The $100 million in estimated savings due to the TIFIA loan is approximately 4% percent of the construction budget. The total project budget, including all phases, is $3,789,729,980. See Appendix B for details. Description of Construction Scope Est Cost YOE$ Construct approximately eight miles of HOV lanes, seismic retrofits and fire/life safety improvements on I-90 floating bridge $176,570,000 Construct approx miles of light rail guideway structure, trackwork, switches, and turn outs (includes aerial, at-grade, tunnel and retained cut/fill guideway) $1,125,400,000 Construct ten multimodal stations (light rail stations, bus stops, shelters, terminals, platforms, station elevators and escalators), including pedestrian and bicycle access, bicycle parking and landscaping $356,579,000 Construct one light rail vehicles storage yard $20,100,000 Sitework: Demolition, Clearing, Earthwork, Utility Relocation, Environmental Mitigation, Retaining walls and sound walls, landscaping, parking lots, roadway modifications, and temporary facilities $454,370,000 Systems work: Construct train control and signals, traction power supply, traction power distribution, communications, fare collection equipment, central control $336,972,000 Total Construction Cost $2,469,991,000 TIGER-TIFIA credit subsidy request $20,000,000 Capital Funding Sources for Construction Amount % $20 million TIFIA-TIGER credit subsidy request (pending) generates an estimated $100 million in savings $100,000,000 4% Sound Transit (secured) $2,209,991,000 89% City of Bellevue (secured) 2010$ $160,000,000 6% Total $2,469,991, % Funding Sources Documentation of Funding Commitments Sound Transit Local Match (secured) See Sound Transit Board Motion City of Bellevue (secured) WRIGHT RUNSTAD & COMPANY Section 5307 & 5309 Fixed Guideway secured for PE and ROW phases See executed MOU between the City of Bellevue and Sound Transit (November 15, 2011) Wright Runstad will invest approximately $50 million toward related public infrastructure adjacent to the East Link s 120th Station. See PSRC letter confirming $36,175,659 is included in the adopted TIP. See STIP/TIP ID #s RTA-76 and RTA-18 6

9 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Why TIGER-TIFIA? A $20 million allocation from TIGER/TIFIA would generate an estimated $100 million in savings for the project through application of TIFIA s flexible, innovative loan financings structure. The loan would help offset the agency s loss of 25% of its revenue source due to the impacts of the Great Recession. The TIGER/TIFIA allocation is a critical component of the finance plan for the project that would add 14.5 miles of light rail with 50,000 daily riders and double the multi-modal carrying capacity for the federally financed I-90 bridge to help improve the regional transportation system in the Puget Sound. The TIFIA program is a strong match with East Link s financing requirements in that the agency will need access to financing over the duration of the project construction The TIFIA loan program s flexible draw, repayment and principal structuring features would be a highly valuable complement to the agency s traditional capital market financing and would substantially lower the agency s financing costs freeing up sufficient local resources to fully fund the project. The TIFIA Program Guide establishes that the fundamental goal is to leverage Federal funds by attracting substantial private and other non-federal co-investment in critical improvements to the nation s surface transportation system. A TIGER-TIFIA loan for the East Link project strongly aligns with that goal - the loan would leverage a $100 million federal investment towards realizing a $2.5 billion project a leverage factor of 25:1. ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS The Puget Sound region is home to some of the world s best known companies: Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, Gates Foundation and Starbucks, to name a few. These major employers anchor an economy that includes software development, global health and international trade. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue ranked seventh among the top 100 metro areas in the U.S. by shipping $29 billion in goods and services in 2010, according to the Brookings Institution report. Exports represent 13.7% of the metro GDP and account for 104,400 direct production jobs and 188,400 export support jobs (Seattle Times, 3/11/2012). Traffic congestion and unreliable transit, however, stunt economic competitiveness and growth. Increased Congestion on I-90 All travel between Seattle and Bellevue - two of the largest economic generators in the Pacific Northwest - must go either around or over Lake Washington. High demand for travel on the Lake Washington floating bridges can create significant bottlenecks. Approximately 140, ,000 vehicles travel on the I-90 floating bridge every day. The afternoon commute across Lake Washington on I-90 ranges from slow, to stop-and-go, to severe traffic conditions. It can take 45 minutes to drive 11 miles between Seattle and Bellevue (via I-90) and over an hour to drive between Seattle and Redmond. In the future, these driving times are expected to become even worse. The I-90 floating bridge is forecasted to be at capacity around 2015, increasing travel time between these two key employment and population centers. Without the East Link project, the volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio on I-90 is expected at or near 1.0. This would further constrain travel for all modes using I-90. 7

10 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Currently, 17 bus routes provide approximately 455 bus trips per weekday on the I-90 corridor between I- 5 and I-405. Existing transit ridership on the I-90 floating bridge is over 13,000 per day. Due to significant congestion, nearly 60 percent of these bus trips are delayed. There are routine delays of 2-14 minutes, with some trips delayed as much as 20 minutes. Bus speeds between Seattle and Bellevue are predicted to decrease by 30 percent by year East Link would more than double the I-90 person capacity across Lake Washington, without any roadway widening. Light rail ridership is forecasted to be 50,000 per day, including 10,000 new transit riders per day. East Link Regional Travel Impact Comparison Year 2030 Daily Ridership 50,000 Daily New Transit Riders 10,000 Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reduced 230,000 Daily Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) Reduced 10,000 Source: East Link EIS By using existing right of way, HOV lanes and light rail can be added to the I-90 floating bridge without widening the bridge. The graphic below shows the I-90 Floating Bridge lane configuration. Mode Shift from Driving Alone to Transit / HOV Currently, less than 10 percent of the people traveling across the I-90 floating bridge ride transit. With East Link, the travel mode is predicted to shift, from driving alone to HOV and transit (modes that carry more people within the limited transportation space.) With East Link, transit mode share increases up to 26 percent. Source: East Link EIS REGIONAL JOB CONNECTIONS The East Link project links some of the largest population and job centers in the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound region s Growth Management Plan (VISION 2040) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Transportation 2040) focus growth (people and jobs) in designated Centers to improve transportation efficiency increasing the use of transit, biking, and walking, and improving the balance between jobs and housing. Centers are relatively small areas (much smaller than city boundaries) where housing, employment, shopping, and other activities are in close proximity. PSRC s VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040 planning documents identify Seattle, Bellevue, Overlake, and Redmond as urban centers. As a result, each city has adopted plans to create concentrated centers of high-density, mixed-use, pedestrian oriented development under the assumption that they will receive high capacity transit to support their changing transportation needs. 8

11 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) The East Link project connects downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond. The downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue and Redmond/Overlake Centers have an estimated 201,671 jobs. Sound Transit s overall light rail system serves ten designated centers in the Puget Sound region with an estimated 401,662 jobs. East Link project is supported by the Puget Sound Regional Economic Strategy. The Prosperity Partnership is a coalition of over 300 government, business, labor and community organizations from King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties dedicated to developing and implementing a common economic strategy. One of the goals of their Regional Economic Development Strategy is to Support Sound Transit in funding the completion of the Link Light Rail project. The East Link Project Will Create Investments and Jobs The City of Bellevue s Comprehensive Plan and Transit Supportive Land Use Master Plan envisions light rail station areas as densely developed, mixed-use areas served by light rail. Downtown Bellevue has nearly eight million square feet of office space, is home to headquarters and offices for major companies 9

12 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) as well as many small companies, is a regional draw for shopping and, increasingly, is a destination for dining and entertainment. Currently, there are approximately 40,000 jobs and more than 10,000 residents in downtown Bellevue alone. Regional policies and plans encourage accommodation of new jobs and housing in designated urban centers. For example, over the next 20 years, Bellevue needs to accommodate 17,000 new housing units and 53,000 new jobs. Much of that growth will be downtown, which is forecast to add over 12,000 new residents and 28,000 new employees. On Nov. 15, 2011, the City of Bellevue and Sound Transit approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for intergovernmental cooperation for the East Link Project. The MOU contains the commitment for the City of Bellevue s $160 million contribution for the East Link project. The MOU also establishes a Collaborative Design Process, including a coordinated station-area planning effort. The Station Area Planning technical working group meets on a weekly basis. The City of Redmond s Comprehensive Plan, Master Plan, Overlake Village Street Guidelines and other subarea plans all support East Link light rail connecting jobs and population centers. The PSRC has designated the Redmond/Overlake area an official Regional Growth Center and Manufacturing/Industrial Center. (Other Manufacturing/Industrial Centers include Boeing/Paine Field, Duwamish/Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma areas.) High technology computer software is the primary focus of the Overlake Center, with the vast majority of land in the center devoted to the Microsoft Corporate Campus. Maintaining Overlake s attractiveness, especially high technology firms, is one of Redmond s major roles in supporting regional economic diversification. Currently Microsoft has over 40,000 full-time workers and more than 8 million square feet of office space in Redmond, with additional offices in Bellevue. Microsoft is expanding its Redmond Campus to include an additional 3.1 million square feet of new office to accommodate an additional roughly 12,000 employees. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) All cities along the East Link corridor are implementing high capacity transit zoning, station area planning and offering incentives for TOD around station areas. Sound Transit has a TOD Program and TOD Strategic Plan to help local jurisdictions, property owners and developers. Sound Transit provides: technical assistance (including joint development, TOD feasibility studies and station/facility profiles that describe existing conditions within a quarter-mile radius); facility enhancements; strategic acquisitions; and Broker/Catalyst/Partnerships. East Link is already spurring TOD in the Hospital District, Bel-Red Corridor, and Overlake Village areas, creating a TOD corridor linking Bellevue and Redmond. Bellevue s Bel-Red Corridor - Redevelopment of 900-Acre Urban Infill Site One of Bellevue s major employment areas, the Bel-Red Corridor features: more than 50 percent of all land in the city zoned for light industrial use, approximately 20 percent of the city's total employment and more than 2,000 businesses. However, large employers are moving out or greatly reducing operations. For example, Safeway, Bel-Red's largest landowner by far, has shifted most of its distribution operations out of the area and sold about half of the 75 acres it owns to a developer planning TOD. Between 1995 and 2003, employment in Bellevue as a whole increased 18 percent, but dropped 6 percent in the Bel-Red Corridor. The East Link light rail line is already changing land-use planning in the area because it provides additional transportation capacity. There are three stations that serve the Bel- Red corridor: Hospital Station, 120th Street Station and 130th Street Station. The new Bel-Red Corridor Plan provides for the transformation of a 900-acre urban infill site into mixed use, transit-oriented development, while restoring ecological functions, and creating thousands of new jobs and housing units. Higher density, compact development will be the focus of new neighborhoods, organized around transit stations and connected by the East Link light rail that spans the corridor. 10

13 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Located between downtown Bellevue and Microsoft Overlake, Bel-Red is poised to become a model for planning that incorporates more efficient use of urban land, large scale transit-oriented development, climate action, and economic vitality. The Bel-Red corridor connects the major employment centers of downtown Bellevue and Redmond s Overlake area (home of Microsoft headquarters). By 2030, the Bel-Red plan is expected to usher in 4.5 million square feet of office and retail use, which would more than double the amount of office space there now and produce 10,000 jobs. And the plan would pave the way for 5,000 housing units and 9,500 new residents. The Bel-Red Subarea Plan includes high capacity transit zoning around light rail stations. By 2030 the Bel-Red area is expected to generate: 10,000 new jobs and 5,000 new housing units in a transit-oriented development form Renewal of an urban infill location that is currently in decline Two new transit-oriented centers and one of the largest mixed use development opportunities in the state Restored streams and ecological functions New parks, trails, bike paths, and amenities that help transform the area from its past to create dynamic and livable neighborhoods and better connect the area to the rest of the city Significant new economic development and revenues for the region and state. The Bel-Red Subarea Plan states that a zoning incentive system will be used to help fund open space and stream restoration, and to contribute to affordable housing, so that development itself will help fund the needs generated by the new zoning. Bel-Red Corridor Vision including the Spring District TOD development 11

14 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Bel-Red Subarea plan and HCT zoning Private Development in the East Link Station Areas The Spring District in the City of Bellevue Together with the Shorenstein Properties, Wright Runstad & Company is prepared to make an estimated $1.5 billion investment in the Bel-Red area of Bellevue, Washington to develop a new transit-oriented neighborhood called The Spring District. Once all phases are complete, The Spring District will have transformed a 36-acre warehouse facility (an old Safeway Distribution Center) into a vibrant neighborhood with capacity for approximately 12,000 new residents and employees who will occupy an estimated 5,400,000 square feet of office, housing, and retail uses surrounding Sound Transit s 120th East Link Station. These developments will be complemented with a variety of pedestrian scale amenities such as open spaces, mini-parks and pedestrian plazas. Wright Runstad support for East Link project includes significant private investment in future public infrastructure. The Spring District will participate in the neighborhood transformation by investing approximately $50 million toward related public infrastructure, including connecting streets, sidewalks, sustainable open spaces, stream restoration and other facilities immediately adjacent to the Sound Transit East Link s 120th Station. The Spring District project is slated to be built over a 15-year period, in seven distinct phases. According to Wright Runstad's development application, developers are scheduled to begin construction on phase one in The Spring District will be designed to meet the LEED-Neighborhood Development standards. See Developers ready to move forward with Spring District Dec

15 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Spring District TOD square footage of development TOD in the City of Redmond The City of Redmond estimated the value of future private investment in the light rail station areas is $2.7 billion - with an additional 19,000 jobs by In December 2011, the Redmond City Council approved a development agreement that allows a hotel and conference center, 1,400 apartments or condos and 1.2 million square feet of offices and stores on the site of Group Health s former Eastside hospital. The 28-acre mixed-use development in the Overlake Village area is located adjacent to Microsoft s main campus. The Group Health redevelopment project is expected to be an iconic development for Overlake that will set the pace and style for other TOD projects in the area. The City of Redmond has up-zoned the Overlake Village Station area height limits and incentivized, sustainable, higher density, TOD development. Zoning regulations for Overlake Village reward urban density, innovation, and sustainability. Including: Overlake Village Station Area: Station Area & TOD Planning for the Group Health Redevelopment Site LEED Silver or Built Green 3 Star Certification Develop TOD with minimum 1000 residential units, 20% affordable housing Full-service hotel and conference center The City of Redmond has adopted Overlake Village Street Design Guidelines that identify standards for development of a successful new TOD. A 2010 University of Washington study of Microsoft s economic impact in Washington state estimated that for every Microsoft job created an additional

16 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) jobs are created statewide. This is important because Microsoft s main campus, where Microsoft employs over 30,000 people, is adjacent to both East Link stations in Overlake. LIVABILITY The Link light rail system serves the most densely developed corridors in Washington state. The Puget Sound region s transportation and growth management plans project even greater densities. According to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), by the year 2040, the region is expected to grow by roughly 1.7 million people and support more than 1.2 million new jobs. East Link Beats Traffic and Saves Time Light Rail is 25 Minutes Faster Per Trip Than Driving Commutes on the I-90 floating bridge connecting Seattle and Bellevue are among the worst commutes in the state of Washington. In the afternoon peak period, it can take approximately 45 minutes to travel between Seattle and Bellevue via I-90 and over an hour to drive to Redmond. Light rail travel between Seattle and Downtown Bellevue would take less than 20 minutes and travel time between Seattle and Overlake/Redmond is 29 minutes --- regardless of time or level of traffic congestion. The East Link project provides a savings of up to 25 minutes compared with an automobile. In the future, these automobile times are expected to continue to rise, and therefore light rail would provide an even greater travel time savings. With East Link, riders from the eastside communities can reduce their commutes by 50 minutes or more per day. East Link Reduces Transit Travel Time Sample Trip Downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue (over 10 miles) Downtown Seattle to Overlake/Redmond (14.5 miles) Driving Travel Time 45 minutes by auto 55 minutes by auto Travel Time with East Link Travel Time Reduced per Trip 20 minutes 25 minutes compared to driving 29 minutes 25 minutes compared to driving Reliability Benefits of Light Rail as Compared to Bus Service Because it operates in exclusive right of way, light rail is more reliable than BRT or Express Bus. Some peak hour bus service can run as much as 20 minutes behind schedule. Transit agencies have been forced to add substantial layover time to schedules, thus increasing operating costs. Existing bus service has 50 percent reliability. East Link light rail will have 95 percent or greater reliability Station International District/Chinatown Percent On-time Performance Existing Bus Service Level of Service * Future Light Rail Level of Service 48.8 F/E A Mercer Island 52.2 F/F A Bellevue Transit Center 53.3 F/E A Overlake Transit Center 52.4 F/C A 14

17 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Service Frequency: Existing bus service every 30 minutes. Light rail every 10 minutes or less. Mode LOS Service Frequency (minutes between arrivals) Service Hours in a Day Reliability (percent on-time) East Link Build A Less than to 24 95% to 100% Existing Bus No Build E/F 31 to more than 60 0 to 11 Less than 75% to 79.9% Source: East Link Project Final EIS, July 2011 East Link Doubles the Person-Carrying Capacity of I-90 East Link light rail has the capacity to comfortably carry 600 persons per 4-car train and 800 persons with crowded conditions. With East Link, the I-90 center roadway would have a peak-hour capacity of up to 18,000 to 24,000 people per hour (equivalent to between seven to ten freeway lanes of traffic), which would more than double the person-carrying capacity of I-90 today. Take the Train to the Game A 60-foot articulated BRT bus has a 56-person seating capacity (84-person capacity for standing room only). It would take over ten BRT buses, filled to standing room only, to reach the capacity of one East Link train. This increased throughput is most evident during the peak commute and when there are major events in Seattle. Seahawks football, Sounders FC soccer and Mariners baseball games typically attract between 45,000 and 70,000 people. The additional capacity of the light rail system can handle game-day crowds that strain the region s transportation system. The East Link EIS states that ridership would increase more than 8 percent on days with special events. East Link Saves Money With East Link, people can seek employment in downtown Seattle, Bellevue or Redmond and save on the costs of operating a car and parking. Seattle has some of the highest parking rates and fuel costs in the country. The cost of on-street parking in downtown Seattle is $4 per hour and the median monthly reserved parking rate is $398. For parking costs alone, Seattle is ranked 7th highest among U.S. cities for monthly parking rates. By taking light rail instead of driving, families can realize substantial savings nearly $12,000 per year. APTA Ranks Cities in Order of Transit Savings The table at left shows cities ranked in order of their transit savings based on the purchase of a monthly public transit pass and factoring in local gas prices for August 10, 2011 and the local monthly unreserved parking rate. 15

18 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Other Benefits Light rail is specifically identified as one of the congestion mitigation measures in the PSRC s Puget Sound Congestion Management Process. Light rail ridership is growing. Even though light rail is still a new mode to the Puget Sound region, with light rail service from downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac Airport starting in late 2009, ridership is increasing at a steady rate. In 2011, light rail ridership increased 12 percent from Average weekday boardings are currently 24,000. The cost per boarding for light rail is less than express bus service. According to the Sound Transit Fourth Quarter 2011 Performance Report, the cost per boarding for the Central Link light rail service is lower than express bus service. Connections to Existing Transportation Modes and Infrastructure East Link will connect light rail, BRT, local and express bus service, bicycle and pedestrian modes, air travel and ferries. The East Link Stations will be true intermodal facilities. Light Rail. East Link light rail users will benefit from service to downtown Seattle, the Duwamish Manufacturing Center, Sea-Tac Airport, First Hill/Capitol Hill, University of Washington, Northgate and Lynnwood, for up to 20 hours per day. Rapid Ride BRT and Light Rail Connections at Overlake Village Station Local Bus Service. There are 17 bus routes, providing 455 weekday trips, serving the I-90 floating bridge. Bus ridership is over 13,000 per day. Many of these buses are standing-room only. Bus Rapid Transit. Metro's new RapidRide B Line connects with the Bellevue Transit Center and Overlake Village Station. New pedestrian connections will be constructed to make walking from the East Link light rail stations to the BRT service quick and safe. The BRT and light rail systems complement each other and do not overlap or compete with one another. Air Travel. East Link provides a fast transit connection from the Eastside to Sea-Tac Airport. Sea-Tac Airport has approximately 22,000 jobs. Pedestrian Connections. Bicycling and walking are significant modes of travel in the Puget Sound region. PSRC s regional household activity survey in 2006 showed walking and bicycling accounted for 10 percent of all trips made in the region and more than three times as many people accessed transit by walking instead of by personal vehicle. PSRC has found that, within regional centers, 21 percent of people walked to work. The East Link project connects multiple centers and makes these places more supportive of bicycling and walking. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements will be constructed around East Link Stations. 16

19 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) The East Link project connects with major regional trails, including: the I-90 Regional Trail (ie Mountains to Sound Greenway), Mercer Slough Trails, SR 520 Regional Trail, Bridle Crest Trail. These trails are connected to one another by local designated bicycle routes. Bicycle connections at 120 th Station Sound Transit and the cities of Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond have completed non-motorized plans around East Link stations: Sound Transit s Citizens Accessibility Advisory Committee reviews plans for accessibility and facility design to assist elderly passengers and improve overall accessibility. Sound Transit is currently in discussions with large private sector employers in the vicinity of East Link stations to build additional accessibility improvements, such as pedestrian bridges across SR 520 near the Overlake Transit Center Station. Sound Transit is supporting the City of Redmond s efforts to build a pedestrian bridge across SR 520 at the Overlake Village Station. Bicycle Connections. The Cascade Bicycle Club (non-profit organization with 14,000 members) has Pedestrian connections at Overlake developed and conducted surveys to Village Station provide feedback to Sound Transit on developing bicycle facilities and connections to light rail stations. Sound Transit s Bicycle Advisory Group reviews facilities for bicycle safety and access. Approximately 700 bicycle parking spaces will be provided at East Link stations. Bicycles are welcome on light rail vehicles. During the last one-day bicycle census, 77 bicycles were observed on the Central Link light rail line. A screen will be built for I-90 Regional Trail to protect bicyclists and pedestrians from headlight glare and road debris. Bicycle and pedestrian trail on the I-90 floating bridge 17

20 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Vanpool / Carpools. As part of the East Link Stations, Kiss & Ride passenger drop-off facilities will be built for carpools and ridesharing. In the parking facilities (Sound Transit funded), there will be designated parking stalls for Low Emission Fuel Efficient vehicles (LEFE), receptacles to recharge LEFE vehicles and designated parking stalls for carpools and carsharing services. Auto Parking Facilities. Parking facilities at the stations, with up to 2,400 stalls, will be constructed using local Sound Transit funds. Integration with Key Transportation Connections: This project is closely integrated with other modes. Mode Connects with Light Rail at.... Sounder Commuter Rail Amtrak Cascades High Speed Rail (Vancouver-Seattle-Portland) Washington State Ferries Sound Transit, King County Metro, Pierce Transit and Community Transit buses serving King, Pierce and Snohomish counties Sea-Tac International Airport Seattle South Lake Union Streetcar First Hill Streetcar (scheduled to open in 2014) Seattle Monorail Regional Trail System, including the I-90 Trail Chinatown/ International District Station Chinatown/ International District Station Pioneer Square Station There are bus connections at all light rail stations SeaTac/Airport Station Westlake Station Chinatown/ International District Station and Capitol Hill Station Westlake Station Multiple connections Access to Health Care Facilities Several regional hospitals are located along the light rail line, including Overlake Hospital, Group Heath Medical Center in Bellevue, Seattle Childrens Hospital in Bellevue, the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview and Swedish, and clinics on Seattle s First Hill. It is important that people to have access to hospitals and medical facilities, not only for medical care, but because they are major employment centers. Overlake Hospital, located near East Link s Hospital Station is a 349-bed, nonprofit regional medical center offering a full range of advanced medical services to the Puget Sound Region. Overlake Hospital employs over 2,500 people and has more than 1,000 active and courtesy physicians on staff. Group Health Cooperative at the Bellevue Medical Center is a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system located near Hospital Station. The University of Washington Medical Center has over 3,982 employees and over 1,800 physicians. UW Medical Center partners with Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children s Hospital through the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to provide the most advanced cancer diagnosis and treatment available in the country. Access to Education One of the benefits of the East Link project is that it provides access to several colleges and universities, including Bellevue College, University of Washington, Seattle Central Community College, Seattle University totaling over 142,000 students and over 21,000 employees. 18

21 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Bel-Red Area Zoning and Land Use Access to Affordable Housing A 2010 Neighborhood Technology Center analysis showed that, on average, the typical central Puget Sound area household paid 51 percent of its income to combined transportation and housing costs, stretching household budgets and leaving less for other critical needs, such as health care and education. PSRC s housing data shows that approximately 34 percent of the region s new housing units permitted in the period were located within one half mile of the transit corridors in which light rail either currently operates or is planned for service. The Bel-Red Subarea Plan includes aggressive goals to promote affordable housing throughout Bel- Red s new residential neighborhoods, with specific targets for low-income and moderate-income households. These targets will be achieved through a range of strategies, including an ambitious incentive zoning system, targeted application of the multifamily property tax exemption program, direct city investment, and public/private partnerships such as employer assisted housing. The Bel-Red Corridor EIS states that with the No- Action Alternative, 86 percent person trips are drive alone and trips by transit make up 9 percent. With the Bel-Red Corridor plan and East Link, the mode share changes: the percentage of people who drive alone drops to 76 percent and the percentage of people who take transit increases to 19 percent. Overlake Village Station Land Use The Overlake Master Plan includes development densities and dominant uses for each development site (housing, employment and open space); a mix of uses is anticipated at the ground floor. 19

22 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Major Origins and Destinations Within a 15 Minute Walk of the East Link Stations East Link includes ten new stations with pedestrian improvements and 700 bike parking spaces. Station Est Ridership International District Rainier Station Mercer Island Station South Bellevue Station East Main Street Station Bellevue Transit Center Station Hospital Station existing station Located within ½ mile of Station Chinatown, Century Link Field (SeaHawks and Sounders) and Event Center, Safeco Field (Mariners), Uwajimaya, Public Squares: Union Station Square & Occidental Park, King Street Station (Amtrak station), Pioneer Square 3,000 Sam Smith Park, Judkins Park, I-90 Trail, Northwest African American Museum 2,000 I-90 Trail, Mercer Island Shopping Center, Mercer Island Park and Ride 4,500 Mercer Slough Nature Park, Mercer Slough Blueberry Farm, Winter s House, Enatai Neighborhood, South Bellevue Park & Ride 2,500 Surrey Downs Neighborhood, Bellevue High School, Business parks, Red Lion & Hilton Bellevue Hotels, Surrey Downs Park, King County District Court, businesses along Main Street, Bellevue Botanical Garden 6,000 Bellevue CBD, Meydenbauer Convention Center and Theatre, Bellevue City Hall & Park, Keller Graduate School of Management, Major shopping destination: Bellevue Square, Lincoln Plaza, Bravern, Major Business hub: Microsoft, Expedia, CH2M Hill, Drugstore.com, YMCA, Bellevue Transit Center, Bellevue Regional Library 1,000 Overlake Hospital, Group Health Hospital, Children s Hospital, Whole Foods Market, Lake Bellevue, Coast Bellevue Hotel, Future Wilberton redevelopment area, former BNSF corridor & future opportunity for bike/ped trail. 120th Station 1,000 Spring District TOD, Industrial Warehouses: Safeway, Coca-Cola, Metro Bus Base 130th Station 1,500 Pacific Northwest Ballet, Highland Park & Community Center, YMCA, Industrial area Overlake Village Station Overlake Transit Center Station 1,000 Overlake Trail, Overlake Shopping Center, Interlake Medical Center, Bio Research Laboratories, Group Health Site (redevelopment), Microsoft, Overlake Park and Ride 4,000 Microsoft Headquarters, Nintendo Headquarters, SR 520 Bike Trail, Overlake Transit Center Mode share for walk/bike Number of bicycle parking spaces 50% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 30% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 5% 60 spaces, plus 60 expansion 80% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 65% 80 spaces, plus 40 expansion 65% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 90% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 60% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 35% 40 spaces, plus 20 expansion 35% 60 spaces, plus 60 expansion 20

23 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) State, Regional and Local Planning In the Central Puget Sound region, land use, economic and transportation planning decisions for the region are integrated. In accordance with PSRC s adopted Transportation 2040 plan (PSRC, 2010) and the Washington State Growth Management Act objectives, Bellevue, Seattle, and Redmond have made land use and planning decisions for increased employment and residential density based in part on the long-term vision of the East Link project. East Link is the result of coordinated transportation and land-use planning and community participation. The East Link planning process has been underway since 1976 and the project has been incorporated into regional plans as well as the affected cities zoning and comprehensive plans. This project is part of a High Capacity Transit system of state-wide significance and deemed an Essential Public Facility under the Washington State Growth Management Act. The comprehensive plans from the cities of Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond encourage high-density, transit-oriented development in light rail station areas. Light rail is a significant component of their goals, policies, and strategies. The East Link project is supported by the following plans and agreements: In 1976, a memorandum agreement was signed that confirmed that configuration of the 1-90 roadway should be designed and constructed for future conversion to high-capacity transit. Signatories were the Cities of Seattle, Mercer Island, and Bellevue; King County; Metro Transit and State Highway Commission. In 2004, an amendment to the 1976 I-90 Memorandum of Agreement was signed, including Sound Transit, supporting the ultimate configuration of the I-90 Corridor (HOV lanes on the outer roadway and High Capacity Transit in the center roadway). The project is included in voter-approved regional transit plans: Sound Move and Sound Transit 2. The project is also identified in Sound Transit s Long Range Plan. The PSRC s VISION 2040 Growth Management Plan, features policies that support light rail. The project is specifically identified in Transportation 2040, the region s metropolitan transportation plan. See Transportation 2040 ID numbers: 2521, 2523 and The project is already included in the Regional and State Transportation Improvement Program. See PSRC TIP ID numbers: RTA-76 and RTA-18. Seattle s Comprehensive Plan: Towards a Sustainable Seattle and Neighborhood Planning Element King County Metro s Strategic Plan for Public Transportation The Comprehensive Plan of the City of Mercer Island and Mercer Island Town Center District Plan City of Bellevue Comprehensive Plan, Bellevue Light Rail Best Practices, Bellevue Shoreline Master Program and City of Bellevue Subarea Plans. Subarea and Station Area Plans, include design standards, economic incentives for TOD and high capacity transit zoning; Overlake Hospital Master Development Plan, Overlake Neighborhood Plan Update and Implementation (The updated Overlake Neighborhood Plan includes land use changes and public investments for the Overlake Neighborhood through 2030.) The Redmond Comprehensive Plan and Neighborhood Planning Element. The City of Redmond Overlake Village Station Area Planning shows that in 2030, 14,999 jobs will be located within a 5 minute walk (1/4 mile) of the station and 45,559 jobs will be located within a 10-minute walk. 21

24 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) SUSTAINABILITY East Link is an important and sustainable segment of the region s HOV and light rail system. This project is sustainable and provides a long term benefit for the Puget Sound Region and Pacific Northwest because as the need for light rail grows, more train cars and service can be added. The analysis of East Link alternatives shows that there would be a range of 21,535 to 28,835 metric tons annual reduction of greenhouse gases (CO2e) emissions in the region in 2030 due to the reduction of VMT and the use of cleaner energy sources for operating the light rail system. According to the EPA, this reduction or savings is equivalent to supplying electricity for approximately 3,175 homes for 1 year. Summary of environmental benefits: 50,000 riders per day, with 10,000 new transit riders (people switching from driving to transit) 230,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduced per day 10,000 vehicle hours traveled (VHT) reduced per day Nearly three million gallons of fuel saved per year saving approximately $12 million in fuel costs 21,535 to 28,835 metric tons annual reduction of greenhouse gases (CO2e) Environmental Benefits Vehicle emissions dominate the Puget Sound regional emission inventory, so large-scale public transportation efforts like East Link are critical efforts to significantly reduce major airborne pollutants. The major pollutants of interest in the Puget Sound region are: carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone, and the ozone precursors, hydrocarbons (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). The East Link EIS states that the proposed project would reduce VMT regionally and result in lower mobile source pollutant emissions as compared to the No-Build alternative. Future conditions in the region with East Link: reduce carbon monoxide (CO) by 66 tons per year reduce particulate matter (PM2.5) by 0.4 tons per year reduce particulate matter (PM10) by 0.4 tons per year reduce hydrocarbons (VOC) by 15 tons per year reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by 30 tons per year The East Link project has a Sustainability Checklist, that is based upon the Sound Transit Board s approved Sustainability Plan. The project design team tracks sustainability measures through design and 22

25 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) reports on the progress of each item as the project design advances. The following sustainability features are being considered for East Link: Designed using LEED Silver criteria; Designated parking stalls for Low Emission Fuel Efficient (LEFE) vehicles, including electric vehicle charging stations; and designated parking stalls for carpools and carsharing services; Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) roofing to reduce heat island effect ; Reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during construction when possible; Reduced stormwater runoff (exceeding code standards by 10 percent); Landscape or rain-gardens in lieu of pavement when possible; 100 percent of station area irrigation provided by a rainwater harvesting system; Light rail elevated guideway run off used to water planters under the guideway; Pedestrian and bicycle access improvements, including over 700 bicycle parking spaces; Energy Efficient Construction Incentives include: lighting, HVAC improvements, occupancy sensors and variable speed drives; Salvage and Recycling goals include: contract goals for the onsite material (bricks, wood, etc.) to be salvaged, reused or recycled by the demolition contractor, rather than sent to a landfill; Contract requirements/incentives will encourage water discharge quality control; dust control; street cleaning, lighting and noise impacts; reduced greenhouse gas emissions; use of recycled content; reduce energy consumption. Regenerative Braking and Energy Storage on light rail vehicles: Sound Transit is developing an onboard energy storage system for its light rail vehicles that will capture energy generated from braking that would otherwise dissipate into wasted heat or be lost if not used immediately. Water quality improvements to protect Chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, cutthroat and rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass living in Lake Washington. Sound Transit s sustainability efforts emphasize habitat protection, including low impact development and treatment of 100 percent of stormwater to protect Lake Washington. East Link would result in a net decrease of pollution generating impervious surfaces in the corridor (nearly 50-acres total), primarily where roadways are converted to light rail use (e.g., I-90 center roadway). In addition, water quality detention and treatment will be improved using current WSDOT, Ecology, and local standards, which will result in retrofitting certain roadways and parking lots and a net increase in area receiving water quality treatment. Ecosystems and habitat improvements along certain stream corridors such as Sturtevant Creek near the Hospital Station. Stream crossings in the Bel-Red corridor will be designed and mitigated in coordination with local plans for daylighting streams and providing improved riparian conditions. Wetland and wetland buffer mitigation will be informed by local plans and objectives for wetland restoration in places like Mercer Slough. Sound Transit also manages the Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS), a tool for guiding agency efforts toward sustainability. Sound Transit has earned ISO certification, an international recognition that validates the agency s ESMS. Sound Transit sets annual sustainability targets to measure sustainability and environmental performance. The agency s ESMS compliance is regularly reviewed by independent auditors. Sound Transit also has an adopted Environmental Policy, 23

26 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Resolution on Sustainability, Executive Order on Sustainability, annual Sustainability Progress Report and annual Sustainability Targets. Very recently Sound Transit, in partnership with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, was granted $105,000 in Federal Transit Administration funds to study how potential impacts from climate change could challenge Sound Transit s infrastructure and operations. The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group will lead the work, building on a pilot study completed by the Washington State Department of Transportation. As one of seven national pilots, the project is designed to serve as a template for other agencies with similar vulnerabilities. The Climate Risk Reduction Project will also provide a state-to-local testing ground for WSDOT s pilot of the FHWA climate change vulnerability assessment methodology. In fall 2011, WSDOT completed pilot testing a new approach for climate change vulnerability assessment developed by FHWA for transportation infrastructure. Sound Transit will build off WSDOT s assessment results and lessons learned to refine the approach. While studying climate change impacts, Sound Transit continues to lead within the transit community in working to systematically identify opportunities to reduce the environmental footprint of its projects and services. Results from the project are anticipated to be incorporated into Sound Transit s certified Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS). I-90 Tunnels SAFETY The I-90 Floating Bridge is the fifth-longest floating bridge in the world (at 5,811 feet) and the widest. Tunnels carry I-90 from the floating bridges under the Mount Baker and First Hill neighborhoods in Seattle and Mercer Island. The Mount Baker Tunnel is actually a group of four tunnels that carry eight lanes of freeway traffic, plus a separate tunnel for bicycles and pedestrians. The two originals are twin tunnel bores completed in 1940 and rehabilitated in Two double-decked tunnels and the bicycle/pedestrian tunnel were built north of the original tunnels in With tunnels and a large floating bridge, safety and security is a top concern of the East Link project. Fire detection systems play a crucial role in ensuring safe evacuation and firefighting operations in road tunnels. The East Link project will build innovative Life/Life/Safety systems to improve safety in the event of a fire or other emergency. Included in the system are emergency ventilation, egress, tunnel emergency lighting, fire detection, Fixed Fire Fighting System, and intelligent transportation systems that facilitate safety by providing information in related to an emergency event and during egress. Currently, the primary means of detecting fires in the I-90 tunnels is a system of spot heat detectors. WSDOT s Value Engineering study and Tunnel Supplemental Fire Detection White Paper noted the potential for the rapid growth of fires involving flammable liquid cargo. A Video Image Detection (VID) system is planned as part of the HOV improvements for the I-90 floating bridge and tunnels. The VID system detects the presence of flame and smoke, and sends a fire alarm signal. The VID system has the capability to detect small sized fires from a distance -- fires that may not be detectable by the existing spot heat detectors. This system is a substantial improvement is safety for the I-90 tunnels and floating bridge. Started in 1998, Sound Transit s Fire/Life/Safety committee is involved in every part of planning and designing East Link. Safety features of the project include: Seismic upgrades and guideway designed to withstand a 2,500-year seismic event 24

27 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Additional lighting, CCTV systems, emergency phone systems/alarms, and tunnel radio systems Regular safety drills conducted with personnel from the Sound Transit Police and local police and fire departments will test the coordination of emergency responders. Sound Transit s Safety and Security Management Plan, involves the continual development and reevaluation of safety and security procedures. Sound Transit s Citizens Accessibility Advisory Committee and Bicycle Advisory Group reviewed plans for the I-90 Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail, improving nonmotorized safety. Sound Transit will provide safety outreach through construction and operation, to English and non- English communities and to persons with disabilities. Sound Transit provides safety information in 12 languages. Sound Transit also has phone translation services that provide interpretation in 150 languages, 24 hours, seven days a week. Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection Sound Transit applies principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), uses specific hardware and equipment, and employs personnel at stations as well as on the trains to reduce the potential for criminal activities. The stations will be designed using CPTED principles and will include numerous features to address security issues. The stations are designed to be spacious, well lit, and uncluttered and will provide open access. Public waiting areas, including station platforms, will be easily visible to other patrons and to police and Sound Transit security personnel. Uniformed police officers and Sound Transit security personnel will police East Link during operation (i.e., 20 hours a day). Light rail train operators are trained in how to respond in emergencies. Sound Transit s Safety and Security Management Plan involves the continual development and reevaluation of safety and security procedures throughout project design, construction, and operation. The Fire/Life Safety Committee s work includes an evaluation of security needs and for specialized equipment and training to respond to emergencies and security concerns within the system, including potential terrorist attacks. In addition to the Fire/Life Safety Committee, Sound Transit consults with the local jurisdictions throughout design to minimize impacts from the project on response time and accidents requiring fire and emergency medical vehicles. Sound Transit has implemented systems for monitoring and improving communication and coordination between local law enforcement agencies. Other new programs include enhanced security as part of daily light rail operations, including surveillance and intrusion detection and a 30-member transit police force. STATE OF GOOD REPAIR East Link includes many elements that focus strongly on State of Good Repair. The HOV improvements on the I-90 floating bridge will preserve the pavement in both directions on I-90 from Seattle to Mercer Island through dowel bar retrofits, culvert replacements, seismic retrofits, pothole repair, repaving and striping. East Link will also replace the fire/life/safety systems located in the Mt Baker tunnels connecting to the I- 90 Floating Bridge. The current fire/life/safety systems were installed in the 1990s and because of the potential for rapid growth of fires involving flammable liquid cargo, and the potential size these fires could reach if the system is not activated in a timely manner, upgrades to the fire detection system are needed to provide a shorter detection time. Other East Link State of Good Repair scope includes: Adding a screen on the I-90 bridge to protect nonmotorized users from glare and road debris New and rebuilt lighting along the I-90 corridor 25

28 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Dowel Bar Retrofit of I-90 floating bridge Re-striping of I-90 floating bridge between Seattle and Bellevue JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS Investing in East Link is an investment in long-term mobility and economic stability. The project is estimated to create over 49,000 jobs (Methodology from TIGER NOFA). The total number of jobs created by the East Link project is 49,267 (31,531 direct and indirect jobs and 17,736 induced jobs). The total number of construction jobs is estimated to be 32,110 jobs. Note: the 32,110 jobs figure does not count construction management. Assuming TIGER-TIFIA credit assistance, Sound Transit is scheduled to award construction contracts in Construction for the HOV lanes on the I-90 floating bridge would begin in Construction of the light rail facilities would begin in Estimated Construction Jobs By Year Total 1, ,168 1,612 3,012 4,589 6,147 6,313 4,720 1,391 1,464 32,110 Job Creation and Training: East Link Spurs Training and Job Opportunities Opportunities for Small Businesses and disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE). The DBE Goal for Sound Transit construction programs in FFY 2012 is percent. Bidders on major Sound Transit contracts are required to submit and implement diversity plans. Sound Transit also monitors the agency s overall performance in meeting its diversity commitments. The Fair Access to Sound Transit Jobs Coalition (FAST) ensures that some of the training and union jobs go to low income individuals, including youth of color, recent immigrants and women. Sound Transit encourages and supports the training of young men and women in the building and construction trades. East Link provides opportunities to put those skills to work. Under the Regional Apprenticeship Preparation Integrated Delivery System (RAPID), Sound Transit contractors and subcontractors contribute to a Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program Fund. Through a Project Labor Agreement, Sound Transit and its labor partners support pre-apprenticeship organizations to provide support services and referrals to apprenticeship programs or hiring halls for people ready to enter the trades. Under the Project Labor Agreement, Sound Transit participates in Washington s Helmets-to-Hardhats program, a national program that connects transitioning veterans with employment opportunities within the construction industry. Sound Transit has a Diversity Oversight Committee, which includes representatives from small business, trade and craft organizations, communities and community organizations in impacted neighborhoods. The committee reflects the cultural and ethnic diversity of the communities in the Sound Transit district. Sound Transit was honored with the National Women s Transportation Seminar s Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award in The award recognizes organizations and individuals for outstanding efforts in promoting opportunities for women and minorities in the transportation industry. 26

29 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Sound Transit was recognized for creating opportunities for DBEs. Of the contracts invoiced for the University Link project, 41 percent were done by small and DBE firms to date. The award also recognizes Sound Transit for its diverse workforce. People of color comprise 22 percent of the agency s employees and women, 46 percent. 22 percent of the agency s managers are minorities and 44 percent are female. INNOVATION East Link would be the first time light rail has been built on a floating bridge. Operating light rail on a floating bridge and its fixed approaches is a unique challenge. Expansion joints are located at the ends of the transition spans allow for the bridge s movement through special modular joint systems. The existing modular joint systems were designed to allow a smooth ride for rubber-tired vehicles, but were not designed to accommodate a light rail transit track system. While there are similar examples of light rail tracks across suspension and cable-stayed bridges, there is no precedent for implementing light rail across a floating bridge. Therefore, Sound Transit and WSDOT are developing a Prototype Track Bridge System before construction of East Link (the prototype is Sound Transit funded). In 2009, Sound Transit held a track bridge workshop to verify and improve upon the concept design of the track bridge. In February 2011, Sound Transit executed a contract with Parsons Brinkerhoff/Balfour Beatty to design a prototype of the I-90 Track Bridge System for the East Link project. The Track Bridge System will allow light rail vehicles to travel across the existing I-90 expansion joints. The expansion joints move by expansion, contraction and rotation to accommodate movement of the floating sections of the bridge. Light rail tracks will need to move with the expansion joints to allow continuous contact between the tracks and the light rail vehicles. Innovative Track Bridge System on the I-90 Floating Bridge -- designed to move 27

30 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) Innovative Construction Methods to Attach Light Rail Track to the Floating Bridge The I-90 floating bridge was designed and constructed with the intention of supporting future rail. Studies by WSDOT confirmed that the I-90 floating bridge can support the weight of light rail after conducting a light rail simulation test using heavily loaded trucks to test how the floating bridge responded to the weight and movement. An Independent Review Team (appointed by the Washington State Legislature) looked at technical issues related to running light rail on the I-90 bridge. Their conclusion was that through careful design and testing the bridge can accommodate light rail. One of the innovative design features being analyzed is the use of an adhesive/bonding agent to attach the light rail track to the I-90 floating bridge in order to minimize penetrations in the bridge deck. Innovative Fire Detection Systems are First in the United States As mentioned earlier, East Link also includes state-of-the-art fire/life/safety systems, including innovative video image fire detection system in the Mt Baker roadway tunnels connecting to the I-90 Floating Bridge. The technology is not being used in any other tunnel in the United States. Video Image Detection (VID) systems utilize video equipment that detects the presence of flame and smoke, and sends a fire alarm signal. The advantages of using a VID system include its quick detection time and its capability of detecting small sized fires from a distance. The VID system is expected to detect a fire that may not be detectable by the existing spot heat detectors. Other Innovative Features Intelligent Communication Systems: Systems on the light rail vehicles include Inside/Outside PA System, Intercom (4 per car), Prerecorded Announcements & Message signs, Ethernet trainline, CCTV rear view mirrors with CCTV interior/exterior storage, passenger counters, Event Recorder, Monitoring Diagnostic System, and WLAN maintenance connection to the shop. The integrated communications system includes a central control system, field control system, fiber optic communications backbone, emergency phone systems, access and intrusion detection systems and tunnel radio systems. ITS and Operations: Sound Transit s low-floor light rail vehicles deploy in-vehicle devices that allow for real-time tracking of transit vehicle location. The vehicles also include Automatic Train Protection MicroCab[R] systems that provide vehicle operators with current speed, permitted speed, and overspeed displays, and automatically enforce vehicle braking when required. Smart Card: Sound Transit is a key participant in the region s new Regional Fare Collection System, ORCA (One Regional Card for All). ORCA is of regional significance with seven agencies participating in this recently rolled-out electronic fare collection system. Automated Regional Trip Planner: The Regional Trip Planner provides online schedule and route information for public transit in the region. Procurement: In granting the Outstanding Agency Accreditation Achievement Award, the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing commended Sound Transit for utilizing advanced technology in procurement and contracting initiatives. Work Zone ITS and Crash Reduction Measures: ITS technologies such as portable camera systems, highway advisory radios, variable speed limits and speed management, ramp metering, traveler information, merge guidance, and queue detection information is aimed at increasing safety around work zones. 28

31 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) PROJECT READINESS AND NEPA NEPA is complete. After five years of environmental review, East Link received Record of Decisions from the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration in November Sound Transit also has separate RODs for the I-90 Two-Way Transit Operations on the I-90 floating bridge. The Federal Highway Administration issued a ROD for the project in The Federal Transit Administration issued a ROD in April See Appendix G for all NEPA approvals. Sound Transit is able to sign a TIGER-TIFIA contract immediately after grant award (and long before the June 2013 deadline.) Upon receipt of TIGER-TIFA financing, Sound Transit expects to begin construction in 2013, with HOV lanes open for service in 2015 and light rail open for service by late 2022 /early Project Schedule Construction of the HOV and safety improvements on the I-90 floating bridge is scheduled to begin in October 2013 and be completed in Light rail construction is scheduled to begin in June of 2014 and be open for revenue service in March of Activity Start Finish Construction of HOV and safety improvements on I-90 bridge 10/1/13 9/1/15 Construction: demolition and site prep work / utility relocation 6/3/14 6/8/16 Civil construction: 1/19/15 10/23/20 South Bellevue Station to Overlake Transit Center Civil construction: Seattle to South Bellevue 6/9/16 1/16/20 Systems Construction 1/29/18 2/11/22 Testing and Start-up 12/16/21 3/21/23 Light rail revenue service 3/2023 Local Sound Transit Matching Funds Local Sound Transit matching funds are immediately available. The project was included in two voterapproved plans, along with dedicated revenues to finance the plans. Sound Transit projects are funded primarily by a sales tax of 0.9 percent and a motor vehicle excise tax of 0.3 percent. Sound Transit has a long-term financial plan (through 2040) that covers operating costs, debt service and capital replacement costs for Sound Transit projects, including the East Link project. The Sound Transit financial plan is updated and extended every year so the maintenance and operation costs of each project are fully financially feasible and budgeted. Sound Transit s Asset Management Plan covers the management and maintenance of all Sound Transit assets, including asset replacement costs. Sound Transit assets are appropriately capitalized up front and are maintained to maximize safety and useful life. Sound Transit uses Total Cost of Ownership analysis to examine costs over the life cycle of a project, including any quantifiable environmental and social costs are incorporated. Total Cost of Ownership is emphasized in Sound Transit s Sustainability Plan. 29

32 SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK: LIGHT RAIL AND HOV EXPANSION (SEATTLE-BELLEVUE-REDMOND) JURISDICTIONAL & STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION AND DISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION Community Partnerships Through extensive community outreach by Sound Transit and its partners, the East Link project has engaged residents and businesses throughout the cities of Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond and the surrounding communities. Hundreds of residents have attended open houses and community meetings, visited project booths at fairs and festivals and received project information through the mail and online. Sound Transit provides East Link project information in Russian, Chinese Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Farsi, Korean, Hindi, Japanese and Braille. Throughout the five-year long EIS process, Sound Transit Gathered input about 24 alternatives; Held 28 open houses, hearings and workshops; Sent project mailings to over 65,000 residents and businesses; Shared project updates with 4,553 individuals via Reviewed and considered 1,887 comments during the formal environmental review process Heard from stakeholders and property owners at 249 meetings Conducted outreach to 80 social service and community providers Attended 34 fairs and festivals Sound Transit is working closely with FTA, FHWA, HUD & PSRC s Sustainable Communities program. The East Link project incorporates transit, highway, and livability aspects. Regional Support Sound Transit and the Cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Mercer Island and Seattle have worked for years on the agreements defining the alignment for East Link. The East Link project has widespread support from both the business and environmental communities on the Eastside. Major employers such has Microsoft, Puget Sound Energy and Group Health Cooperative are advocates for the project, as well as major business organizations like the Bellevue Downtown Association who awarded the City of Bellevue and Sound Transit with the prestigious Deal of the Year for their joint work to come to agreement on project details and agree on cost sharing through the City of Bellevue. The Chambers of Commerce in Bellevue, Mercer Island and Redmond have also shown support for the East Link project. Groups that support livable communities and environmental protection such as Transportation Choices Coalition, Washington Conservation Voters and Move Bellevue Forward have devoted time and energy to ensure that the East Link project is successful. This showing of support from the region and the local communities is a demonstration of the importance of this project. With the award of TIGER-TIFIA financing, we can deliver a project that benefits the community, enhances economic development and encourages an environmentally preferred transportation mode. 30

33 Appendix A: East Link Benefit-Cost Analysis Summary of Benefits BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS RESULTS The East Link EIS and regional models predict a total of 50,000 daily riders by 2030 including 10,000 new transit riders per day. The 50,000 riders would reduce an estimated 230,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and 10,000 Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) on the central Puget Sound region road network each day (73.6 million VMT per year). This reduction in VMT is expected to lower traffic congestion and improve mobility over what would have otherwise been the case. East Link investments yield a net present value of $3,193,143,964. The associated benefit-cost ratio is The Internal rate of return (IRR) is the discount rate at which benefits and costs break even. East Link has an IRR of 8.0%, which is greater than the Discount Rate of 3.0. Therefore, benefits are greater than costs, and the project has a positive economic value. The Payback Period is the number of years it takes for the net benefits (benefits minus costs) to equal, or payback, the initial construction costs. For this proposed project, the Payback Period (7 years after completion of the project) is much shorter than the life-cycle of the project (over 40 years), so initial construction costs are recovered. Benefits and costs were estimated in Year of Expenditure (YOE) dollars over an evaluation period extending 20 years beyond system completion, with future amounts discounted to their present values using a real discount rate of 3.0%. Cumulative Benefits and Costs The graph below compares the cumulative present value of benefits with the cumulative present value of costs over time. The figure shows that the cumulative discounted benefits exceed the cumulative discounted costs by 2030 or approximately 7 years after the completion of the investment. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 1

34 Long Term Outcome Livability & Economic Competitiveness Livability & Economic Competitiveness Livability & Economic Competitiveness Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits Through 2042 Travel Time Savings from New Transit Users (drivers switching to light rail Travel Time Savings from Existing Bus Riders switching to light rail Travel time savings for rideshare commuters from new HOV Travel time savings from people switching from driving to light rail. Per East Link EIS, there will be 10,000 new transit riders as compared to No Build, saving 25 minutes per trip. Per NOFA guidance, the Value of Time (VOT) for this project is $18 per hour for all purpose intercity travel. Travel time savings from people who are already riding the bus, but will switch to light rail. Per East Link EIS, there will be 40,000 bus riders switching to light rail, saving 9 minutes per trip. Per NOFA guidance, the Value of Time (VOT) for this project is $18 per hour for all purpose intercity travel. Per East Link EIS, in 2030 AM Peak Westbound down 11.5 minutes; Eastbound down.4 minutes. PM Peak Westbound down 8.0 minutes and Eastbound down.4 minutes daily. 10,000 new transit riders x 25 minutes of travel time savings per trip x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. 40,000 existing transit riders x 9 minutes of travel time savings per trip x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. HOV time savings x number of HOVs using I-90 floating bridge $437,367,897 $639,703,770 $228,659,328 Livability & Economic Competitiveness Reliability Existing bus service has approximately 50% reliability (LOS E/F). Light rail will have 95%+ reliability (LOS A). Existing Transit User Time Savings x 20% $127,940,754 Economic Competitiveness Reduced Congestion Reliability improvements can increase transit user benefits by 20-30%. This B-C analysis assumes 20% transit user benefit increase due to reliability. Per East Link EIS, the East Link project reduces 9,100-10,000 hours of congestion on the I-90 corridor per day as compared to No Build. 9,100 daily VHT reduced x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. $955,211,488 Safety Accident reductions from reduced VMT Accident Cost Savings were calculated per TIGER NOFA guidance. Accident cost savings are based on VMT reduction of the project. Reduced VMT x Fatalities / Injuries / Accidents per 100 million VMT x USDOT recommended monetized values. $200,855,876 East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 2

35 Long Term Outcome Livability & Economic Competitiveness Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits Vehicle Operating Cost Savings According to APTA, individuals in the Seattle area who switch from driving to riding public transportation can save, up to $995 per month, and up to $11,939 annually. 10,000 new transit riders per day x $11,939 in annual savings. $2,118,468,130 Sustainability Economic Development & Livability Environ. Cost Savings TOD Due to the estimated 73.6m VMT reduced per year (230,000 VMT x 320 annualization factor) the project is estimated to: -reduce CO2e by 28,835 tons -reduce CO by 66 tons -reduce PM2.5 by 0.4 tons -reduce PM10 by 0.4 tons -reduce VOCs by 15 tons -reduce NOx by nearly 30 tons Spring District TOD estimated value is $1.5B. Redmond TOD projected at $2.7 billion. TOD is within 1/2 mile of transit stations, evaluated with State of Washington Inputs / Outputs model PM2.5 = 0.4 tons x $290,000 PM10 = 0.4 tons x $290,000 VOCs = 15 tons x $1,300 NOx = 30 tons x $5,300 CO2e = 28,835 tons x $27.60 (2022 value) Inputs / Output model valuation of economic impact to Wages / Salaries and Proprietors Income as a result of TOD investment $197,713,105 $563,872,823 for Bellevue TOD $1,014,971,082 for Redmond TOD Total Benefits $6,484,764,253 East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 3

36 East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 4

37 PROJECT SUMMARY Current Infrastructure Baseline There is currently no light rail transit east of Seattle and I-90 floating bridge does not have two-way HOV lanes or updated fire/life/safety features. Below is a description of the existing infrastructure: Roadway Infrastructure I-90 is a major east-west interstate highway that extends from Boston to Chicago to Seattle, where it intersects the western portion of the East Link project corridor. All travel between Seattle and Bellevue - two of the largest economic generators in the Pacific Northwest - must go either around or over Lake Washington. High demand for travel on the Lake Washington floating bridges can create significant bottlenecks. The section of I-90 that crosses Lake Washington, including the floating bridge, has three generalpurpose lanes in each direction and a reversible center roadway that operates as a peak directional expressway. The reversible center roadway is used by HOV s, buses and Mercer Island traffic. Currently, the I-90 floating bridge only has HOV lanes in one direction at any given time. Reverse commute HOVs and buses must use the general purpose lanes. Since buses and HOVs are stuck in the same traffic jams as SOVs, 60% of bus trips are delayed, sometimes delayed by over 20 minutes. Approximately 140, ,000 vehicles travel on the I-90 floating bridge every day. The afternoon commute across Lake Washington on I-90 ranges from slow, to stop-and-go, to severe traffic conditions. In the afternoon peak period, it can take 45 minutes to drive 11 miles between Seattle and Bellevue (via I- 90) and over an hour to drive between Seattle and Redmond. In the future, these driving times are expected to get worse. The I-90 floating bridge is forecasted to be at capacity around 2015, increasing travel time between these two key employment and population centers. Without the East Link project, the volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio on I-90 expected at or near 1.0. This would further constrain travel for all modes, including freight, HOVs, and buses. Current Transit Infrastructure Currently, there are 17 bus routes provide approximately 455 trips per weekday on the I-90 corridor between I-5 and I-405. Existing transit ridership on the I-90 floating bridge is over 13,000 per day. Due to significant congestion, nearly 60% of these bus trips are delayed. There are routine delays of 2-14 minutes, with some trips delayed as much as 20 minutes. Bus speeds between Seattle and Bellevue are predicted to decrease by 30 percent by year Proposed Project vs Current Infrastructure Baseline PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project will build approximately 14.5 miles of light rail, ten multimodal stations, eight miles of HOV lanes, pedestrian and bicycle improvements connecting downtown Seattle, Mercer Island, downtown Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond. This TIGER-TIFIA request has two complementary components: 1. I-90 Two Way Transit and HOV Operations: Construct eight miles of HOV lanes and ramps (four miles eastbound and four miles westbound) and fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the I-90 floating bridge and tunnels that connect Seattle and Bellevue. This project provides safe and reliable two-way transit and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) operations on I-90. This work is required before the light rail expansion can be built across the I-90 floating bridge. 2. East Link Light Rail Expansion: Construct 14.5 miles of light rail connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond; including ten intermodal stations, pedestrian and bicycle improvements. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 5

38 SUMMARY OF BENEFITS With TIGER-TIFIA financing, East Link will benefit Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest residents by: Providing 14.5 miles of the 55 mile light rail system serving the Puget Sound region; Providing ridership that is expected to be 50,000 per day. The project adds over 10,000 new transit riders per day. With East Link, the transit mode share across I-90 is expected to double. Expanding capacity in the I-90 corridor from 9,000 to 12,000 people per hour in each direction -- more than double the person-carrying capacity of I-90 - without widening the I-90 floating bridge. The ability to carry this many people is equivalent to about seven to ten freeway lanes. Reducing 10,000 vehicle hours traveled (VHT) and 230,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per day. Reducing VMT saves an estimated 9,200 gallons of gasoline per day. This translates into a savings of over $12 million in annual fuel costs. Reducing travel time by 25 minutes per trip as compared to driving. Operating light rail 20 hours per day with headways of 7 to 15 minutes, in comparison to average bus headways of 15 to 30 minutes or longer. Improving safety by building state-of-the-art fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the nationally significant I-90 floating bridge. Supporting the cities of Bellevue and Redmond redevelopment plans in Bel-Red and Overlake neighborhoods. East Link supports over six million square feet of transit-oriented, mixed use development on private property near the stations. Connecting to 202,000 jobs in downtown Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond. East Link is estimated to create over 49,000 jobs in total and over 32,000 construction jobs; Savings up to $995/month and up to $11,939 annually for those who switch from car to transit; This project can be obligated and a TIFIA contract signed immediately long before the June 30, 2013 deadline. NEPA and preliminary engineering are complete. Construction can begin in Including intermodal connections to BRT, express/local bus service, biking and walking facilities. East Link would more than double the I-90 person capacity across Lake Washington, without any roadway widening. Light rail ridership is forecasted to be 50,000 per day, including 10,000 new transit riders per day. According to the East Link EIS Build vs No Build comparison - According to the East Link EIS, the project would result in a decrease of both regional vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and regional vehicle hours traveled (VHT) over No- Build conditions. Most of the VMT and VHT reductions would occur on the congested I-90 corridor, significantly improving the efficiency on the Metropolitan Transportation System. East Link Will Reduce 230,000 VMT and 10,000 VHT Per Day East Link Regional Travel Impact Comparison Year 2030 Daily Ridership 50,000 Daily New Transit Riders 10,000 Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reduced 230,000 Daily Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) Reduced 10,000 Source: East Link EIS East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 6

39 Map of East Link Light Rail Extension: Constructing 14.5 miles of light rail connecting Seattle-Bellevue and Redmond; including ten intermodal stations, pedestrian and bicycle improvements. Two Way Transit Operations on the I-90 Floating Bridge Stage 3 construction (shown in yellow), adds eastbound and westbound HOV lanes (eight miles in total) on the I-90 floating bridge East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 7

40 Project Users - Connecting Population and Job Centers in Seattle-Bellevue-Redmond Population Jobs Seattle is the largest city in Washington, with a population of 612,000. Bellevue is the fifth largest city in Washington, with a population of more than 122,000. Redmond s population is 54,144 and Mercer Island s is 22,699 a combined total of nearly 811,000 in population. Bellevue serves as the metropolitan center for King County's Eastside with more than 140,000 jobs. The City of Redmond has 76,876 jobs dominated by the 40,000 jobs at Microsoft headquarters. Microsoft Corporation, Expedia.com, Amazon.com, T-Mobile, PACCAR, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Nintendo of America, Starbucks Coffee Company, Costco, Weyerhaeuser, Nordstrom, REI, Alaska Airlines, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are just some of the organizations headquartered in the Seattle/Bellevue area. Washington state is the largest exporter in the nation on a per capita basis and one in three jobs is tied to international trade. Many of these jobs are located in the Seattle-Bellevue-Redmond area, home to major exporters such as Microsoft, Boeing and Nintendo. Commuting For employees working in downtown Seattle, 65 percent commute by alternatives to driving alone. Over 40% of people use public transit for their commute. An increasing proportion of Bellevue residents commute to work by means other than driving alone percent in 2009, up from 26 percent in King County is an Economically Distressed County. King County meets the federal criteria for economically distressed. Washington State s Economic Security Department analyzed the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages employment series. This analysis found a drop of over 40,000 in employment in King County substantially higher than the necessary 1% of the labor force. For example, job losses were 3,400 from the Washington Mutual Headquarters alone. Diversity: Bellevue is an increasingly diverse city, with more than 40 percent of its population a minority race or ethnicity in 2010 and more than 50 different languages are now spoken by children in Bellevue public schools. 30 percent of the population in the city of Bellevue is foreign-born. Over 50% of the population in the Chinatown / International District Station area in Seattle is minority. Environmental Justice - Census data show that the East Link project would enhance access for more than 7,000 low-income and approximately 17,000 minority residents who live within one-half mile of proposed stations. The minority population ranges from 14.4% to 50.7% and the low-income population ranges up to 13.7% within one-half mile of proposed stations. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 8

41 People Who Would Benefit from the Project Commuters connecting to major population and employment centers will benefit from the 14.5 miles of new light rail service, ten intermodal stations and bicycle and pedestrian improvements Residents - light rail service will be provided up to 20 hours per day, including weekends (18 hours on Sundays) and have 7 minute headways in the peak period and 10 minute headways in the off-peak. BRT, Local and Express bus riders will benefit from the bus connections at multiple stations. Pedestrians will benefit from the pedestrian improvements around the station. Bicyclists will benefit from over 700 bicycle parking spaces (racks and lockers) provided at the East Link Stations Carpool/vanpool riders will benefit from the "kiss & ride" facilities at the stations Commuters will also have up to 2400 stalls of parking at the stations (not funded with TIGER-TIFA funding). People traveling to sporting and other large events: The project will provide high capacity transit connections to Qwest Field and Safeco Field - home of the Seahawks, Sounders FC and Mariners. Soccer, baseball and football games attract anywhere from 30,000-70,000 fans each game. When comparing carpools, vanpools, bus service and light rail service, light rail service greatly increases person throughput -- very important when transporting crowds to/from soccer, baseball and football games and other events. A King County Metro BRT coach has a seated capacity of 56, with a total capacity of 84 people. A 4-Car Train has a seated capacity for 800 people (ie 200 people per car). By constructing East Link, the person throughput in the I-90 is doubled. Economic Effects from the Project Regional Job Connections The East Link project links some of the largest population and job centers in the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound region s Growth Management Plan (VISION 2040) and Metropolitan Transportation Plan (Transportation 2040) focus growth (people and jobs) in designated Centers to improve transportation efficiency increasing the use of transit, biking, and walking, and improving the balance between jobs and housing. Centers are relatively small areas (much smaller than city boundaries) where housing, employment, shopping, and other activities are in close proximity. PSRC s VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040 planning documents identify Seattle, Bellevue, Overlake, and Redmond as urban centers. As a result, each city has adopted plans to create concentrated centers of high-density, mixed-use, pedestrian oriented development under the assumption that they will receive high capacity transit to support their changing transportation needs. The East Link project connects downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond. The downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue and Redmond/Overlake Centers have an estimated 201,671 jobs. Sound Transit s overall light rail system serves ten designated centers in the Puget Sound region with an estimated 401,662 jobs. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 9

42 Project Impact: Vision 2040 and Transportation 2040 Defined Centers East Link light rail is 25 minutes faster per trip than driving It can take 45 minutes to travel between Seattle and Bellevue via I-90 and over an hour to drive to Redmond. Light rail travel between Seattle and Downtown Bellevue would take less than 20 minutes and travel time between Seattle and Overlake/Redmond is 29 minutes --- regardless of time or level of traffic. The East Link project provides a savings of up to 25 minutes compared with an automobile. In the future, these automobile times are expected to continue to rise, and therefore light rail would provide an even greater travel time savings. Sample Trip Driving Travel Time Travel Time with East Link Travel Time Reduced per Trip Downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue (over 10 miles) Downtown Seattle to Overlake/Redmond (14.5 miles) 45 minutes by auto 55 minutes by auto 20 minutes 25 minutes compared to driving 29 minutes 25 minutes compared to driving East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 10

43 East Link as Compared to Express Bus Service Travel time savings from people who are already riding the bus, but will switch to light rail. Per East Link EIS, there will be 40,000 bus riders switching to light rail, saving 9 minutes per trip. Because it operates in exclusive right of way, light rail is more reliable than BRT or Express Bus. Some peak hour bus service can run as much as 20 minutes behind schedule. Transit agencies have been forced to add substantial layover time to schedules, thus increasing operating costs. Existing bus service has 50 percent reliability. Light rail will have 95 percent or greater reliability Station Percent On-time Performance Existing Bus Service Level of Service * Future Light Rail Level of Service International District/Chinatown 48.8 F/E A Mercer Island 52.2 F/F A Bellevue Transit Center 53.3 F/E A Overlake Transit Center 52.4 F/C A Service Frequency: Existing bus service every 30 minutes. Light rail every 10 minutes or less. Mode LOS Service Frequency (minutes between arrivals) Service Hours in a Day Reliability (percent on-time) East Link Build A Less than to 24 95% to 100% Existing Bus No Build E/F 31 to more than 60 0 to 11 Less than 75% to 79.9% Source: East Link Project Final EIS, July 2011 KEY ANALYTICAL ASSUMPTIONS Discount Rate: Consistent with USDOT TIGER guidelines, the benefits and costs in this analysis were discounted at a rate of 3% because the alternative use of funds for this project would be another public expenditure. Evaluation Period: All benefits and costs were based on a forecast horizon of 20 years past the completion of the project, from approximately 2012 through Project construction was assumed to be ten years in duration, beginning in 2013 and completing in As a simplifying assumption, all benefits and costs are assumed to occur at the end of each year. Data Sources: Sound Transit and Puget Sound Regional Council travel demand models are used in tandem to forecast future travel patterns by mode, and to estimate transit and highway user benefits, respectively. PSRC and Sound Transit models were used to estimate transit ridership. The capital cost inputs for this project are taken from 30% design cost estimates and Sound Transit 2012 Financial Plan. The operating cost inputs for this project are from the Sound Transit 2012 Finance Plan. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 11

44 The benefits inputs are taken from the East Link Environmental Impact Statement (ROD 2011) and updated modeling input from Sound Transit s Planning, Engineering / Project Development Department. The Benefit-Cost analysis calculations were done using the TIGER NOFA, a modified Benefit-Cost Analysis model (Excel Spreadsheet), and Sound Transit Benefit-Cost analysis models. Annualizing Factor Assumptions: The Sound Transit model evaluates travel conditions for a three hour peak period (representative of both a.m. and p.m. peak conditions, for a total of six hours out of the day), and an 18-hour off-peak period. Accordingly, annualizing factors are necessary to convert the travel demand outputs associated with each evaluation period to yearly values. For the purposes of this TIGER- TIFA application, 320 days was used as the annualization factor. SUMMARY OF BENEFITS USED / EXCLUDED ECONOMIC BENEFITS INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION Transit User Time Savings HOV user Time Savings Reliability Improvements Congestion Relief (reduction in VHT) Safety / Accident Cost Savings Energy Conservation and Reduced Air Pollution and Greenhouse gases/social Cost of Carbon Reductions in Vehicle Operating Costs, Parking Costs and Auto Ownership Costs TOD - Benefits of Station Area Economic Development ECONOMIC BENEFITS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION Direct, Indirect and Induced Impacts on Employment, Earnings and Output of Transit Operating and Maintenance Expenditures Direct, Indirect and Induced Impacts on Employment, Earnings and Output of Transit Construction Expenditures Barrier Effect Transit Fares Induced Transit Travel Unpriced Parking STATE OF GOOD REPAIR The state of good repair benefits were NOT included in the monetized B-C analysis due to 1) difficulties in assigning a monetary value with the benefits and 2) wanting to avoid any double-counting of benefits. East Link includes many elements that focus strongly on State of Good Repair. The HOV improvements on the I-90 floating bridge will preserve the pavement in both directions on I-90 from Seattle to Mercer Island through dowel bar retrofits, culvert replacements, seismic retrofits, pothole repair, repaving and striping. East Link will also replace the fire/life/safety systems located in the Mt Baker tunnels connecting to the I- 90 Floating Bridge. The current fire/life/safety systems were installed in the 1990s and because of the potential for rapid growth of fires involving flammable liquid cargo, and the potential size these fires could reach if the system is not activated in a timely manner, upgrades to the fire detection system are needed to provide a shorter detection time. Other East Link State of Good Repair scope includes: Adding a screen on the I-90 bridge to protect nonmotorized users from glare and road debris New and rebuilt lighting along the I-90 corridor Dowel Bar Retrofit of I-90 floating bridge Re-striping of I-90 floating bridge between Seattle and Bellevue East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 12

45 SUMMARY OF COSTS USED / EXCLUDED ECONOMIC COSTS INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION Initial Project Investment Costs Annual Operating and Maintenance Costs Periodic Capital Equipment Replacement Costs and Major Rehabilitation Net present value ECONOMIC COSTS NOT INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION Federal Funds (Cost Offset or Negative Cost) - Per Federal Register, the TIGER-TIFIA funding and other federal funds brought to the region as a result of the project are not included in the analysis. Similarly, this investment would increase the region's allocation of FTA Section 5309 Fixed-Guideway Modernization formula funding, however, this B-C analysis conservatively ignores any potential new federal funding brought to the region by the proposed project. BENEFITS ~ LONG TERM OUTCOMES The light rail extension would be on entirely new and exclusive high capacity transit right of way. All of the newly created exclusive transit right of way for light rail will be owned by Sound Transit for the purposes of light rail public transportation. This project also provides a very long term benefit for the region because, as the need grows, more train cars can be added and run more frequently. All facilities have been planned to accommodate the growth projected in the region. East Link Regional Travel Impact Comparison Year 2030 Daily Ridership 50,000 Daily New Transit Riders 10,000 Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Reduced 230,000 Daily Vehicle Hours Traveled (VHT) Reduced 10,000 Source: East Link EIS Travel Time Savings 10,000 New Transit Riders per day Currently, there is no light rail service east of Seattle. It takes 45 minutes to drive from Seattle to Bellevue and over an hour to Overlake in the peak period. Light rail travel between Seattle and Downtown Bellevue would take less than 20 minutes and travel time between Seattle and Overlake/Redmond is 29 minutes -- - regardless of time or level of traffic congestion. The East Link project provides a savings of up to 25 minutes compared with an automobile currently traveling between these locations. Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Travel Time Savings from New Transit Users (drivers switching to light rail Travel time savings from people switching from driving to light rail. Per East Link EIS, there will be 10,000 new transit riders as compared to No Build, saving 25 minutes per trip. Per NOFA guidance, the Value of Time (VOT) for this project is $18 per hour for all purpose intercity travel. 10,000 new transit riders x 25 minutes of travel time savings per trip x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. $437,367,897 East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 13

46 Travel Time Savings 40,000 Existing Bus Riders per day Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Travel Time Savings from Existing Bus Riders switching to light rail Travel time savings from people who are already riding the bus, but will switch to light rail. Per East Link EIS, there will be 40,000 bus riders switching to light rail, saving 9 minutes per trip. Per NOFA guidance, the Value of Time (VOT) for this project is $18 per hour for all purpose intercity travel. 40,000 existing transit riders x 9 minutes of travel time savings per trip x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. $639,703,770 Travel Time Savings 2,180 HOVs per day will use the expanded I-90 HOV lanes. Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Travel time savings for rideshare commuters from new HOV Per East Link EIS, in 2030 AM Peak Westbound down 11.5 minutes; Eastbound down.4 minutes. PM Peak Westbound down 8.0 minutes and Eastbound down.4 minutes daily. HOV time savings x number of HOVs using I-90 floating bridge $228,659,328 HOV Travel Time Savings Daily Demand Mins Saved Daily Hours Saved Annually Annual Value of Time $18.00/Hr AM Peak West bound , ,520 AM Peak East bound ,064 PM Peak West bound , ,640 PM Peak East bound ,824 Total , ,470, * Value of time = $18.00 Recommended Hourly Values of Travel Time Savings (2009 U.S. $ per person-hours) East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 14

47 RELIABILITY Because it operates in exclusive right of way, light rail is more reliable than BRT or Express Bus. Some peak hour bus service can run as much as 20 minutes behind schedule. Transit agencies have been forced to add substantial layover time to schedules, thus increasing operating costs. Light rail will operate with 95 percent or greater reliability. Existing bus service has 50 percent reliability. Light rail will have 95 percent or greater reliability Long Term Outcome Livability & Economic Competitiveness Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits though 2042 Reliability Existing bus service has approximately 50% reliability (LOS E/F). Light rail will have 95%+ reliability (LOS A). Reliability improvements can increase transit user benefits by 20-30%. This B-C analysis assumes 20% transit user benefit increase due to reliability. Existing Transit User Time Savings x 20% $127,940,754 REDUCED CONGESTION Approximately 140, ,000 vehicles travel on the I-90 floating bridge every day. The afternoon commute across Lake Washington on I-90 ranges from slow, to stop-and-go, to severe traffic conditions. The I-90 floating bridge is forecasted to be at capacity around 2015, increasing travel time between these two key employment and population centers. Without the East Link project, the volume-to-capacity (v/c) ratio on I-90 is expected at or near 1.0. This would further constrain travel for all modes using I-90. East Link will reduce vehicle hours traveled (VHT) by 9,100 hours per day in Long Term Outcome Economic Competitiveness Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Reduced Congestion Per East Link EIS, the East Link project reduces 9,100 hours of congestion on the I-90 corridor per day as compared to No Build. 9,100-10,000 daily VHT reduced x 320 (annualization factor) x $18.00 per hour. $955,211,488 Reductions in Auto Operating/Ownership Costs With East Link, people can save on the costs of operating a car and parking. Seattle has some of the highest parking rates in the country. Fuel costs in Washington State are also ranked as some of the highest in the county. The cost of on-street parking in downtown Seattle is $4 per hour and the median monthly reserved parking rate is $398. For parking costs alone, Seattle is ranked 7th in highest US cities monthly parking rates. By taking light rail instead of driving, a person has substantial savings. According to the August Transit Savings Report, released by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), individuals in the Seattle area who switch from driving to riding public transportation can save, up to $995 per month, and up to $11,939 annually. APTA Ranks Cities in Order of Transit Savings Cities ranked in order of their transit savings based on the purchase of a monthly public transit pass and factoring in local gas prices for August 10, 2011 and the local monthly unreserved parking rate.* East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 15

48 Rank City Monthly Savings Annual Savings 1 New York $1,220 $14,643 2 Boston $1,131 $13,575 3 San Francisco $1,088 $13,060 4 Seattle $995 $11,939 5 Philadelphia $977 $ 11,729 *Based on gasoline prices as reported by AAA on 8/10/11. Average New Transit Rider East Link - Build versus No Build increases daily ridership by 10,000 in 25 minutes saved per day. New Riders Savings / Vehicle Annual Savings 10,000 $ 11,940 $119,400,000 Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Vehicle Operating Cost Savings According to APTA, individuals in the Seattle area who switch from driving to riding public transportation can save, up to $995 per month, and up to $11,939 annually. 10,000 new transit riders per day x $11,939 in annual savings. $2,118,468,130 SUSTAINABILITY Reduced Air Pollution East Link reduces VMT and VHT regionally as compared to the No Build alternative. East Link would benefit the region by decreasing daily vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by approximately 230,000 miles and daily vehicle hours traveled (VHT) by approximately 10,000 hours, which would result in lower energy use and reduced greenhouse gas emissions (expressed as CO 2 equivalent (CO 2e )). The analysis of East Link alternatives shows that there would be a range of 21,535 to 28,835 metric tons annual reduction of CO 2e emissions in the region in 2030 due to the reduction of VMT and the use of cleaner energy sources for operating the light rail system. This reduction or savings is equivalent to supplying electricity for approximately 3,175 homes for 1 year according to the EPA. From East Link EIS Daily VMT Reduced Annual VMT Reduced 230,000 VMT reduced 73,600,000 VMT reduced Pollutant Annual Tons Reduced Tons / Million VMT CO2 28, Volatile Organic Compounds CO NOx Particulate Matter Total Annual Tons Reduced 28, East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 16

49 Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits Environ. Cost Savings Due to the estimated 73.6m VMT reduced per year (230,000 VMT x 320 annualization factor) the project is estimated to: -reduce CO2e by 28,835 tons -reduce CO by 66 tons -reduce PM2.5 by 0.4 tons -reduce PM10 by 0.4 tons -reduce VOCs by 15 tons -reduce NOx by nearly 30 tons PM2.5 = 0.4 tons x $290,000 PM10 = 0.4 tons x $290,000 VOCs = 15 tons x $1,300 NOx = 30 tons x $5,300 CO2e = 28,835 tons x $27.60 (2022 value) $197,713,105 SAFETY Accident Cost Savings Due to Reduced VMT Reductions in VMT lower the incidence of traffic accidents. The cost savings from reducing the number of accidents include direct savings (e.g., reduced personal medical expenses, lost wages, and lower individual insurance premiums) as well as significant avoided costs to society (e.g., second party medical and litigation fees, emergency response costs, incident congestion costs, and litigation costs). The value of all such benefits - both direct and societal - could also be approximated by the cost of service disruptions to other travelers, emergency response costs to the region, medical costs, litigation costs, vehicle damages, and economic productivity loss due to workers inactivity. This B/C analyses estimates accident cost savings for each of three accident types (fatal accidents, injury accidents, or property damage only accidents) using the change in highway VMT. Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Accident reductions from reduced VMT Accident Cost Savings were calculated per TIGER NOFA guidance. Accident cost savings are based on VMT reduction of the project. Reduced VMT x Fatalities / Injuries / Accidents per 100 million VMT x USDOT recommended monetized values. $200,855,876 Economic Development Around East Link Stations The Spring District TOD The Spring District, a 36-acre environmentally sustainable, mixed-use urban neighborhood is planned for the old Safeway Distribution Center in the Bel-Red Corridor, near the 120th Street Station. The emerging urban neighborhood will have over 4 million square feet of office space with supporting retail amenities, up to 1,000 multifamily residences, and a 16-acre open space plan. The Spring District will be designed to meet the LEED-Neighborhood Development standards. The Spring District is a $1.5 billion project and would be a centerpiece of the city s revamping of the Bel- Red corridor from an aging warehouse center to a tall, dense, mixed-use neighborhood. The City of Bellevue and Wright Runstad have developed a draft agreement with for the purposes of setting the applicable TOD development standards related to the development. The Spring District project is slated to be built over a 15-year period, in seven distinct phases. According to Wright Runstad's development application, developers are scheduled to begin construction on phase one in See Developers ready to move forward with Spring District Dec East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 17

50 Spring District TOD Number of Parcels 1 Approx. Sq Footage (Land/parcels) 1,568,595 Approx Value of Land/parcels $46,120,800 Approx Value of Development $1,500,000,000 Overlake TOD In December 2011, the Redmond City Council approved a development agreement that allows a hotel and conference center, 1,400 apartments or condos and 1.2 million square feet of offices and stores on the site of Group Health s former Eastside hospital. The 28-acre mixed-use development in the Overlake Village area is located adjacent to Microsoft s main campus. The following estimates are for the areas within about ½ mile of the Overlake stations. The estimated value of future private investment in these station areas is $2.7 billion. The City of Redmond estimate s an additional 19,000 jobs in these areas by A 2010 UW study of Microsoft s economic impact in Washington state estimated that for every Microsoft job created an additional 5.81 jobs are created statewide. This is important because Microsoft s main campus, where Microsoft employs over 30,000 people, is adjacent to both East Link stations in Overlake. On average, service sector employees in Redmond earn more than $120,000 annually. New development from , approx. 1/2 mile of stations square feet jobs dwelling units office 5,119,209 18,429 n/a retail 283, n/a multifamily n/a n/a 4,808 Benefit Methodology Calculations Discounted Monetized Annual Benefits through 2042 Economic Development & Livability from TOD Spring District TOD estimated value is $1.5B. Redmond TOD projected at $2.7 billion. TOD is within 1/2 mile of transit stations, evaluated with State of Washington Inputs / Outputs model Inputs / Output model valuation of economic impact to Wages / Salaries and Proprietors Income as a result of TOD investment $563,872,823 for Bellevue TOD $1,014,971,082 for Redmond TOD East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 18

51 ECONOMIC COSTS $3,789,730,000 of Total Capital Costs All Phases Sound Transit is requesting a $20 million TIGER-TIFIA credit subsidy for the construction of the East Link project. However, the costs of the entire project, including all phases and scope has been included in the Costs section of this Benefit-Cost analysis. Total Project Budget East Link Total Project Budget (YOE $) Total (in millions) Agency Administration $191,060,000 Prel. Engineering & Environmental Review $58,900,000 Final Design & Specifications $211,800,000 Property Acquisition & Permits $373,380 Construction $2,469,991,000 Construction Management $201,910,000 Third Parties $35,700,000 Contingency $246,990,000 Total $3,789,730,000 Operations and Maintenance Costs Estimated Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs for the project include station, right-of-way, traction power/systems, paratransit and insurance related costs. Estimated O&M costs are from the Sound Transit Financial Plan and are updated annually given actual O&M costs of the existing light rail system. SOUND TRANSIT HAS A SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR LONG-TERM O & M Sound Transit maintains a long term financial plan and model through 2042 that projects the total revenues and costs of Sound Move and Sound Transit 2 on a consolidated basis. The East Link project costs are included in the financial plan/model. See Appendix B for additional information. Sound Transit s long-term financial plan is produced in accordance with FTA s Guidance for Transit Financial Plans. The plan is maintained on a cash basis and presents the agency s operating statements, sources and uses statements, debt amortization and asset replacement schedules. The plan incorporates the agency s most current proposed or Board-adopted operating budget and long-term capital plan and the agency s long-term operating plans for ST Express bus, Sounder commuter rail and Link light rail. The financial model forecasts operating costs, capital outlays, revenues, bonding, debt service, and reserves from 1997 through The agency updates the model each year with the latest revenue and inflation forecasts, and capital and operating budget data. Link to the Sound Transit Financial Documents: Transit/Accountability/Financial-documents.xml The project minimizes life-cycle costs - Sound Transit expenditures on capital outlays are capitalized as capital assets when the costs have been incurred. The costs of these assets are then depreciated over the estimated useful life of the asset beginning when the asset has been put into use. Sound Transit complies with FTA guidelines for the useful life of federally funded assets. The Sound Transit financial plan assumes that the East Link assets will be replaced at the end of its useful life. The financial plan already incorporates asset replacement costs Sound Transit assets are always maintained to maximize safety and useful life. The project is appropriately capitalized up front and uses asset management approaches that optimize its long-term cost structure. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 19

52 Sound Transit s current asset management approaches, policies and practices meet the requirements of RCW (as required for regional transit authorities) and are consistent with the FTA grants management requirements and guidelines. Sound Transit s Asset Management Plan covers the management and maintenance of all Sound Transit vehicles and facilities used to provide public transportation. Asset management approach emphasizes long term cost structure - Sound Transit s financial plan provides for capital replacement through the use of a sinking fund. Contributions to this fund have already begun. An annual contribution to the fund is calculated for each class of asset and its replacement cycle. There may be several replacement cycles per class. The annual contribution is a fixed annual payment for each unique combination of asset class and replacement cycle. These payments, plus accumulated interest earnings, are calculated to exactly equal the (inflation adjusted) replacement cost of the asset at a specified future date. The replacement date for assets follows generally-accepted principles for the useful life of transit assets. East Link TIGER-TIFIA Benefit-Cost Analysis (Sound Transit) Appendix A, page 20

53 Appendix B: Additional Information on Budget, Financial and Technical Capacity A $20 million allocation from TIGER/TIFIA would generate an estimated $100 million in savings for the project through application of TIFIA s flexible, innovative loan financings structure. The loan would help offset the agency s loss of 25% of its revenue source due to the impacts of the Great Recession. The TIGER/TIFIA allocation is a critical component of the finance plan for the project that would add 14.5 miles of light rail with 50,000 daily riders and double the multi-modal carrying capacity for the federally financed I-90 bridge to help improve the regional transportation system in the Puget Sound. The TIFIA program is a strong match with the project financing requirements in that the agency will need access to financing over the duration of the project construction The TIFIA loan program s flexible draw, repayment and principal structuring features would be a highly valuable complement to the agency s traditional capital market financing and would substantially lower the agency s financing costs freeing up sufficient local resources to fully fund the project. The TIFIA Program Guide establishes that the fundamental goal is to leverage Federal funds by attracting substantial private and other non-federal co-investment in critical improvements to the nation s surface transportation system. A TIGER-TIFIA loan for the East Link project strongly aligns with that goal - the loan would leverage a $100 million federal investment towards realizing a $2.5 billion project a leverage factor of 25:1. TIGER-TIFIA funding would finance the construction phase. The total construction budget is $2,469,991,000. The $100 million in estimated savings due to the TIFIA loan is approximately 4% percent of the construction budget. The total project budget, including all phases, is $3,789,730,000. Total Project Budget East Link Total Project Budget (YOE $) Total (in millions) Agency Administration $191,060,000 Prel. Engineering & Environmental Review $58,900,000 Final Design & Specifications $211,800,000 Property Acquisition & Permits $373,380 Construction $2,469,991,000 Construction Management $201,910,000 Third Parties $35,700,000 Contingency $246,990,000 Total $3,789,730,000 Appendix B, page 1

54 East Link Total Cost Estimate YOE Appendix B, page 2

55 Construction Budget Construct approximately eight miles of HOV lanes, seismic retrofits and fire/life safety improvements on I-90 floating bridge Construct approx miles of light rail guideway structure, trackwork, switches, and turn outs (includes aerial, at-grade, tunnel and retained cut/fill guideway) Construct ten multimodal stations (light rail stations, bus stops, shelters, terminals, platforms, station elevators and escalators), including pedestrian and bicycle access, bicycle parking and landscaping Est Cost YOE$ $176,570,000 $1,125,400,000 $356,579,000 Construct one light rail vehicles storage yard $20,100,000 Sitework: Demolition, Clearing, Earthwork, Utility Relocation, Environmental Mitigation, Retaining walls and sound walls, landscaping, parking lots, roadway modifications, and temporary facilities Systems work: Construct train control and signals, traction power supply, traction power distribution, communications, fare collection equipment, central control $454,370,000 $336,972,000 Total Construction Cost $2,469,991,000 Documentation of Federal Funding for all Phases of East Link: $36.2 million for PE and ROW $36,175,659 in FTA funding has been secured for Design and Right of Way phases. The $36,175,659 in FTA funding has been confirmed by the Puget Sound Regional Council. See PSRC letter confirming $36,175,659 in Appendix C. Also, see adopted STIP and TIP ID #s RTA-76 and RTA-18 STIP Year Amount Funding Source Phase ID# 2010 $6,846,865 FTA Section 5309 FG PE/Design RTA $5,650,000 FTA Section 5309 FG PE/Design RTA $6,972,000 FTA Section 5309 FG PE/Design RTA $224,633 FTA Section 5307 ROW RTA $5,313,134 FTA Section 5307 ROW RTA $6,462,233 FTA Section 5307 ROW RTA $4,706,794 FTA Section 5309 FG PE/Design RTA-18 Total $36,175,659 Appendix B, page 3

56 Financial Capacity Local Sound Transit matching funds are immediately available The East Link project is funded primarily by voter approved local tax revenue (0.9 percent sales tax and 0.3 percent motor vehicle excise tax), grants, bonding and debt financing. See Sound Transit Board Motion for the Financial Plan for East Link. Financial Information, including 2012 Budget and 2012 Transit Improvement Plan and agencywide financial plans and audits are listed here. Sound Transit Credit Ratings: Moody's Investor Service affirmed its Aa1 and Aa2 ratings for all outstanding Sound Transit senior and parity bonds. See Moody s affirms Sound Transit bond ratings in tough economic climate and information on Sound Transit credit ratings. Operations and Maintenance Funds are Committed in the Financial Plan Sound Transit has a long-term financial plan (through 2042) that covers operating costs, debt service and capital replacement costs for Sound Transit projects. Sound Transit s Asset Management Plan covers the management and maintenance of all Sound Transit assets. The financial plan already incorporates asset replacement costs. A review of agency programs against the financial plan ensures a balance of revenues and expenditures as well as affordability of the overall program. Sensitivity analysis, using the financial plan, gauges the impact of potential changes in the economy as well as changes in project schedule and scope on overall program affordability. The financial plan includes funding for future operational expenses through 2042 that take into account not only current service being provided, but also expected future projects and service delivery. Technical Capacity Sound Transit has implemented multiple complex bus, light rail and commuter rail projects and has been successful administering large, complex, federally funded projects for more than 14 years. In Sound Transit s 2010 Triennial Review conducted by the FTA, Sound Transit was found to be compliant with FTA legal, financial and technical requirements to implement projects. FTA completed a technical and financial capacity review of Sound Transit before awarding the Full Funding Grant Agreement for the University Link light rail project in January FTA found that Sound Transit has the capacity to build and operate the light rail, commuter rail and express bus projects of the Sound Transit system. Also, in 2009, Sound Transit completed the $2.4 billion dollar Central Link light rail line from Sea-Tac Airport to downtown Seattle. Sound Transit's Design, Engineering and Construction Management (DECM) department is responsible for delivery of all capital programs and projects. Sound Transit has an FTA-approved Program Management Plan (PMP). The PMP describes requirements necessary to ensure that work is properly planned, budgeted and monitored; it also defines the management system and process guiding delivery of capital projects. The East Link project is managed in accordance with the Chief Engineers Policies and Procedures (CEPP) and CPPMP. These procedures are managed through oversight by the director, a change control board and Sound Transit's Phase Gate Committee. The CEPP require independent technical review of projects through their design lifecycle. Design documents are reviewed by engineers, architects, construction management staff, and O&M and QA/QC departments. Projects are also reviewed by independent design teams for technical competency, consistency with current industry practice and code compliance. The Adopted Budget also contains risk assessments for active capital projects. These assessments identify project risk factors that have potential scope, budget, and schedule implications. Appendix B, page 4

57 Appendix C: Letters of Support Citizens, businesses, communities and the public have formally expressed support for the East Link project. Letters from U.S. Senator Murray, Congressmen Inslee, Larsen, McDermott and Smith are attached. Other letters of support, including those from businesses, surrounding cities, public institutions, community organizations, labor unions other elected officials and individual residents are listed below and on the project s website, Businesses Group Health Cooperative HNTB Corporation Microsoft Corporation Meydenbauer Center Puget Sound Energy SU Development Seattle Children s Hospital Wright-Runstad & Company Cities and Public Institutions City of Bellevue City of Issaquah City of Kirkland City of Mercer Island City of Redmond City of Sumner Puget Sound Regional Council Members of the Sound Transit Board of Directors Community Organizations Bellevue Downtown Association Cascade Bicycle Club HopeLink Move Bellevue Forward Transportation Choices Coalition Elected Officials Federal Officials Senator Patty Murray Congressman Jay Inslee Congressman Rick Larsen Appendix C, page 1

58 Congressman Jim McDermott Congressman Adam Smith County Officials King County Councilmember Jane Hague Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy Local and State Officials Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon Bellevue City Councilmember Claudia Balducci Mayor Dave Enslow, City of Sumner Issaquah Deputy Council President, Fred Butler Mayor Joe Marine, City of Mukilteo King County Councilmember Joe McDermott King County Councilmember Julia Patterson King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer Mayor John Marchione, City of Redmond Mayor Marilyn Strickland, City of Tacoma Everett City Councilmember Paul Roberts Washington State Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond Labor Unions Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Appendix C, page 2

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64 PRINCIPALS: H. JON RUNSTAD WALTER R. INGRAM GREGORY K. JOHNSON March 14, 2012 Secretary Raymond LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington D.C SOUND TRANSIT EAST LINK TIGER IV GRANT APPLICATION Dear Secretary LaHood: The Spring District is pleased to support Sound Transit s East Link application for a National Infrastructure Investment IV (TIGER IV) grant, specifically under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA). Together with the Shorenstein Properties, Wright Runstad & Company is prepared to make an estimated $1.5 billion investment in the Bel-Red area of Bellevue, Washington to develop a new transit-oriented neighborhood called The Spring District. Once all phases are complete, The Spring District will have transformed a 36-acre warehouse facility into a vibrant neighborhood with capacity for approximately 12,000 new residents and employees who will occupy an estimated 5,400,000 square feet of office, housing, and retail uses surrounding Sound Transit s 120 th East Link Station. These developments will be complemented with a variety of pedestrian scale amenities such as open spaces, mini-parks and pedestrian plazas. Our support goes beyond endorsement of the proposed TIGER IV grant application and includes significant private investment in future public infrastructure. The Spring District will participate in the neighborhood transformation by investing approximately $50 million toward related public infrastructure, including connecting streets, sidewalks, sustainable open spaces, stream restoration and other facilities immediately adjacent to the Sound Transit East Link s 120 th Station. We believe the vision for the greater Bel-Red Area with transit-oriented nodes, such as The Spring District, is a national model where key infrastructure improvements will spur significant economic development near light rail stations, accommodate regional growth close to existing and planned centers, and enhance the environment and quality of life for Bellevue s citizens. In short, we fully support Sound Transit s grant application for East Link and its potential impact on job creation and growth in the region. Sincerely, Gregory K. Johnson President Cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit GKJ/jkh INVESTMENT BUILDERS AND REAL ESTATE ASSET MANAGERS SUITE 2700, 1201 THIRD AVENUE, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON TELEPHONE (206) FAX (206)

65 March 14, 2012 Secretary Raymond LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington D.C Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing to express Microsoft s strong support for Sound Transit s application for funding under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) element of the TIGER IV grant competition. TIFIA credit assistance will play a crucial role in the continued development of a safe and efficient transportation link between the Puget Sound region s two employment and cultural centers: Seattle and the Eastside communities of Bellevue and Redmond. Two critical elements of that development -- construction of new HOV lanes on the I-90 floating bridge between Seattle with the Eastside of Lake Washington, and the development of light rail connections between Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond are highly dependent on this grant application. Improving transportation efficiency between these hubs is an essential strategy for protecting our region s economic future, its natural environment and the quality of life for Puget Sound residents. The planned East Link light rail system is a critical element of that strategy. Additionally, an effective light rail system will increase the capacity of our ground transportation network, facilitating the movement of goods and people throughout the area. As a major regional employer with some 40,000 employees located primarily in Bellevue and Redmond, Microsoft has a major stake in the successful completion of the transportation enhancements that improve the connection of those areas with Seattle. For our company to continue thriving and growing in the region, our employees, customers and industry partners all must be able to move efficiently between our facilities in Redmond, Bellevue and Seattle. The same thing can be said for a number of other major employers with operations spread around the region. Transportation is the backbone of our regional and state economy. Timely investment in our regional transportation infrastructure will not only provide much-needed construction jobs in the short term, but also will help reduce the more than $600 million that congestion costs Washington drivers annually and support the 739,000 Washington jobs in freight-related industries. We urge your positive consideration of the Sound Transit application as an important investment in the future health of this dynamic region. We would be pleased to share additional information if that would be helpful. Thank you. Sincerely, DeLee Shoemaker Senior Director State Government Affairs Microsoft Corporation Irene Plenefisch Government Affairs Manager Microsoft Corporation Cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit

66 City of Bellevue Office of the City Council Phone (425) Fax (425) Post Office Box Bellevue, Washington March 13, 2012 The Honorable Raymond LaHood Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC Re: Sound Transit s East Link/I-90 TIGER IV Request Dear Secretary LaHood: The City of Bellevue urges your support of Sound Transit s application for TIFIA financing through the TIGER IV competitive process. The East Link/I-90 project will construct new HOV lanes on the Interstate I-90 floating bridge. The bridge will also be used to connect the existing regional light rail system serving Seattle and communities west of Lake Washington to the planned East Link light rail line running through and connecting Bellevue to other major employment centers east of Lake Washington. As such, the project is a critical investment for the Eastside and the Puget Sound region, advancing significant land use goals and providing economic and community development benefits for generations to come. As you will recall from your visit to Bellevue, our community has also worked to transform the Bel-Red area by converting light industrial facilities into vibrant mixed-use transit-oriented developments centered around two of the East Link light rail stations. Confidence that the East Link project has the financing to advance on schedule will prompt developers to begin their significant private investments in the area, generating short term jobs for long term prosperity. The first of those investments, estimated at $1.5 billion, is known as the Spring District and will provide 1,000 new residential units and office/commercial space to generate 10,000 new jobs. But, before the East Link project can reach Downtown Bellevue, the Bel-Red Corridor, and the many other neighborhoods and communities it will serve, it must first cross the I-90 bridge. We strongly urge your endorsement of the East Link/I-90 project proposed in Sound Transit s TIGER IV application so that light rail can bridge the opportunity gap between the economic generators on both sides of Lake Washington. The successful implementation of this project also involves a partnership of funding solutions. The citizens have supported the project with their vote and tax dollars; state and federal agencies have provided grants; and recently, the City of Bellevue signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sound Transit. City of Bellevue offices are located at th Avenue N.E.

67 Together, we are asking the Department of Transportation help Sound Transit leverage this widespread support by assigning TIFIA financing to complete the funding picture for the East Link/ I-90 project. Sincerely, Conrad Lee Mayor Jennifer Robertson Deputy Mayor Claudia Balducci Councilmember John Chelminiak Councilmember John Stokes Councilmember cc: Senator Patty Murray Senator Maria Cantwell Congressman Dave Reichert Congressman Adam Smith Governor Christine Gregoire Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit Steve Sarkozy, City Manager, City of Bellevue

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70 March 14, 2012 Secretary Raymond LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue S.E. Washington, D.C RE: Support for Sound Transit s TIGER IV grant application Dear Secretary LaHood: On behalf of the Bellevue Downtown Association, we are writing to share our strong support for Sound Transit s TIGER IV application, specifically for assistance under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investmentt Act (TIFIA) element of the competition. This award would help advance the new HOV lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge and support voter approved light rail to connect three of our region s major job centers in Seattle, Bellevue, and Overlake/Redmond. The federal commitment through TIFIA will lower the financing costs for growing the transit system and leverage a significant regional and local investment in the system. Taken together, the I 90 HOV lanes and East Link Light Rail projects will greatly expand our region s multimodal capacity and support anticipated growth in Bellevue and the region. Downtown Bellevue, today home to 42,000 jobs and 10, 000 residents, is forecast to nearly double its population by 2030 all consistent with existing land use and urban growth plans. The East Link Light Rail Project is further tied to innovative zoning and transit oriented development in Bellevue s emergingg Bel Red corridor. Thesee projects are on a critical path, and TIGER IV TIFIA assistance will help to keep job projects generating regional improvements on schedule and budget. Importantly, the support long term outcomes of a stronger economy y and a more livable region with fast, reliable connections between our growing cities. We highly recommend this application, as a federal investment will help us succeed on a major regional initiative tied to our mobility, jobs and economicc growth. Sincerely, (Please see next page for signatures.) Making A Great Place Together th Avenue NE, Suite 110 Bellevue, WA Fax

71 Brian Brand, BDA Chair Baylis Architects Leslie Lloyd, BDA President Bellevue Downtown Association Bellevue Downtown Association Executive Committee Memberss Shiv Batra Tetra Tech Janice Morris Bank of America Merrill Lynch Nina Collier Washington2Advocates Ron Rauch Clark Nuber P.S. Mark D Amato DCI Engineers David Schooler Sterlingg Realty Organization Stacy Graven Meydenbauer Center Jim Stanton Microsoft Ross Jacobson Williams Kastner Susan Stead Parker, r, Smith & Feek Greg Johnson Wright Runstad & Company cc: Joni Earl, Sound Transit

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74 - CITY OF MERCER ISLAND, WASHINGTON 9611 SE 36th Street Mercer Island, WA C ~ (206) (206) wwwmercer ovorg March 9, 2012 Secretary Raymond LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C Dear Secretary LaHood, The City of Mercer Island strongly urges your support for Sound Transit s application for TIGER IV funding to build new high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge between Seattle and the east side of Lake Washington. These new lanes are a critical component of East Link, which is the $3.2 billion light rail expansion connecting Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Overlake in Redmond. Expanding Sound Transit s high capacity transit system is of great importance to our region and the City of Mercer. It will create jobs, stimulate our economy, enhance our communities, and benefit transit-oriented communities in a variety of important ways. The investment of Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFA) funding in East Link will lower the project s financing costs and leverage a significant regional and local investment. Thanks for your consideration of Sound Transit s application for TIGER IV grant funds, and we look forward to your support. Sincerely, ayor Bruce Bassett City of Mercer Island Cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit Mercer Island City Council Members

75 is~h CI ;; OF Ava Frisinger, Mayor PO Box 1307, Issaquah, W A (425) FAX (425) mayorimci.issaquah. wa.us March 5, 2012 The Honorable Secretary Raymond H. LaHood Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington D.C RE: Sound Transit - East Link 1190 TIGER IV federal grant Dear Secretary LeHood: The City of Issaquah strongly urges your support for the Sound Transit's application for funding under the TIGER iv grant competition, specifically under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) element of the competition. The funding will help build new HOV lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge that connects Seattle with the east side of Lake Washington, as well as expand light rail to connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Overlake/Redmond. This federal financing commitment through TIFIA will lower the financing costs for expanding the regional transit system on the east side of Lake Washington, and leverage a significant regional and local investment in the system. I am confident that this project will create jobs, enhance our communities and stimulate our economy, both locally and regionally. Issaquah is currently working on a long-range plan that encourages significant redevelopment of our downtown, increasing both jobs and housing. This plan also protects our environment and salmon-bearing streams, as well as brings more transportation options to our community. As part of our long-range planning, we look forward to the day light rail connects to Issaquah. In turn, we support regional transit. I hope i can count on your support for this important transportation project. Sincerely, 4nJ~~ Ava Frisinger, Mayor City of Issaquah Cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit

76 LA9 King County Jane Hague Councilmember, District 6 Metropolitan King County Council March 13, 2012 The Honorable Raymond LaHood Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC Re: Sound Transit s East Link/I-90 TIGER IV Request Dear Secretary LaHood: Thank you for the opportunity to support Sound Transit s application for its East Link Light Rail / Interstate 90 project under the TIGER IV TIFIA competitive grant process. East Link Light rail will run through the district I represent and it s important to emphasize how strong and effective the employment centers are along the East Link line. Our region has the reputation of being home to many well-known and reputable companies, including our incredible technology sector. As you know, citizens are constantly crying out for reduced traffic congestion. In King County, the land between the water and the mountains has become increasingly dense and our commute options are limited. HOV lanes on Interstate 90 and high capacity movement of people on light rail will create a tremendous connection between Seattle and the "Eastside" of Lake Washington and also within key employment centers on the Eastside. Housing prices and cost of living in our region are high, especially on the Eastside. In order for our local economy to thrive, all employees need access to affordable housing while also being able to access living wage jobs. Moving more people across Lake Washington and within the Eastside is critical to our future economic success. East Link was supported by the voters of this region and it also supports our regional value of tying land use planning to transportation. I proudly join the Eastside cities and Sound Transit in asking the Department of Transportation to award TIGER IV TIFIA funds to Sound Transit for its East Link / 1-90 project. Our region is moving forward on this critical transportation project in a pivotal economic time and this grant would help us meet our regional goals. King County Courthouse, 516 Third Avenue Room 1200, Seattle, WA Fax jane.hague@kingcounty.gov

77 Best regards, Ja3ie/Iague Vj Ø Chair, Metropolitan King County Council Councilmember representing District 6 cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit Conrad Lee, Mayor, City of Bellevue Jennifer Robertson, Deputy Mayor, City of Bellevue Claudia Balducci, Councilmember, City of Bellevue John Chelminiak, Councilmember, City of Bellevue Don Davidson, Councilmember, City of Bellevue John Stokes, Councilmember, City of Bellevue Kevin Wallace, Councilmember, City of Bellevue John Marchione, Mayor, City of Redmond Pat Vache, Council President, City of Redmond Hank Margeson, Council Vice President, City of Redmond Kimberly Allen, Councilmember, City of Redmond David Carson, Councilmember, City of Redmond Tom Flynn, Councilmember, City of Redmond Hank Myers, Councilmember, City of Redmond John Stilin, Councilmember, City of Redmond

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79 March 12, 2012 Secretary Raymond LaHood U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington D.C Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing you to express my full support for Sound Transit s application for funding under the TIGER IV grant competition, specifically under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) element of the competition. TIFIA financing assistance will help expand light rail to connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Overlake/Redmond, and will allow for new HOV lanes to be built on the Interstate 90 floating bridge that connects Seattle with the east side of Lake Washington. Providing optional modes of transportation to connect people not only between their work and homes, but with greater regional amenities and services, is a crucial part of Su Development s efforts to provide an enjoyable, healthy lifestyle as the region continues its rapid growth over the coming decades. We are encouraged to see positive action being taken by Sound Transit to improve our transportation infrastructure so that our customers and employees have more choices when it comes to moving throughout the region. East Link will be a crucial factor in the livability and economic competitiveness of the Eastside as its hub of technology businesses continues to grow, and its downtown urban area becomes increasingly dense with residents and the businesses to support them. We at Su Development greatly appreciate your work and encourage you to seriously consider East Link for the TIGER IV Grant. Sincerely, John Su, President, Su Development Linda Abe, Assistant Director of Development, Su Development Isaac Alshihabi, Development Associate, Su Development Cc: Joni Earl, CEO, Sound Transit SU DEVELOPMENT th Avenue N.E., Suite 101, Bellevue, Washington Tel Fax

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81 ~ Pierce County Office of the County Executive PAT McCARTHY Executive 930 Tacoma Avenue South, Room 737 (253) Tacoma, Washington FAX (253) KEVIN R. PHELPS Deputy Executive (253) March 12,2012 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood, Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC Re: Sound Transit - East Link Dear Secretary LaHood: Pierce County is requesting your support of Sound Transit's application for $20 million oftiger IV funding, specifically under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) element ofthe competition. This funding will help build new HOV lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge that connects Seattle with the east side of Lake Washington, and expand light rail to connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and OveriakelRedmond. The Eastside (of Lake Washington) is home to rapidly growing job and residential centers and global headquarters to major employers such as Microsoft, Expedia, Costco, Symetra Financial, Puget Sound Energy and PAC CAR. One example is the transformation ofthe City of Bellevue from a primarily residential community with about 20,000 jobs to a major regional economic and employment center with more than 140,000 jobs and 143 headquarters. The expansion of light rai I to Puget Sound's greater Eastside is a vital transportation infrastructure project for our growing region. Upon completion in 2023 East Link will connect the region's major job centers with fast, reliable light rail service. As local elected officials who serve on the regional Sound Transit Board, we believe this project delivers tremendous economic and transportation benefit to our region and state_ When light rail opens to the Eastside in 2023 riders will have the option to travel from Microsoft's main campus in Redmond to downtown Bellevue injust 10 minutes and from downtown Bellevue to downtown Seattle in 20 minutes. By 2030, 50,000 riders will be using the reliable, frequent rail service every day. This project will stimulate economic activity and have significant impact on desirable long-term outcomes for the region_ It will put approximately 49,000 people to work and create long-term economic development and housing opportunities and connect the Puget Sound Region's largest job centers. J,

82 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood, Secretary u.s. Department oftransportation Page 2 Sound Transit has secured funding commitments from local jurisdictions and will continue to work with the private sector on potential funding partnerships. The federal financing commitment through TIFIA will lower Sound Transit's financing costs for expanding the regional transit system on the Eastside and leverage a significant regional and local investment in the system. We urge you to approve the TIGER IV / TIFIA funding for the East Link project. Sincerely, c;t;tn ~ ~ Pierce County Executive

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84 CITY OF SUMNER ADMINISTRATION March 12, 2012 The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary United States Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing to you to express the City of Sumner s support for Sound Transit s request for credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Financing Investment Act (TIFIA) portion of the TIGER IV competition. This request will leverage significant public transit investments being made here in the Puget Sound to improve our infrastructure and add people-moving capacity to our transportation system. A federal commitment for this regionally significant project is critical. The Puget Sound region is making a significant investment in improving the regional transit system and increasing mobility for our citizens and economic activity. Population and transit demand will grow in the coming years, and the region is preparing for that growth. In a strong partnership between the State of Washington and Sound Transit, improvements are underway now on Interstate 90 between Bellevue and Seattle by adding both eastbound and westbound full-time HOV lanes, and Sound Transit is getting the light rail extension to the Eastside ready for construction. While these improvements don t directly serve the City of Sumner, they greatly affect our viability as a community. Not only do many of our citizens need to routinely get to Seattle and Bellevue by car and transit for business, but we also have an industrial area that employs approximately 9,000 people in good, family-wage jobs. This area includes the distribution centers for REI, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, JCPenney, Costco, and Amazon. Their goods need to be able to move efficiently through our region in order to help our economy recover and grow, and Sound Transit s improvements to I-90 will go a long way to keeping our people and products moving. A federal partnership will put people to work now and create efficient transportation routes that lead to further employment for generations to come. Please approve Sound Transit s TIGER IV application for TIFIA support for this vital transit expansion in the Puget Sound region. Thank you for your consideration. Mayor Dave Enslow 1104 Maple Street, Suite 200, Sumner WA Fax:

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88 SEATTLE/KING COUNNT BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL STEVE MENNE, President Chartered by Building and Construction frades Dept.. AFL-CIO Telephone (206) Cr FAX (206) East Marginal Way South, Bfdg. E, Suite 36o Seattle, Wr\ sbctc@seattlelbuildingtrades.org wwwseattlebuildin gtraqes.org o@a* March 14,2012 LEE NEWGENT, Exefcutive Secretary The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary United States Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing to express my strong support for Sound Tr.ansitls request for credit assistance under th! Transportation Infrastructure Financing Investment Act (TlFlA) portion of the TIGER lv cqmpetition. This request will leverage significant public transit investments being made here in the Puget Sound to improve our infrastructure and add people-moving capacity to our transportation system. The Puget Sound region is making a significant investment irp improving the regional transit system pnd increasing mobility for our citizens. Population and transit demand will grow in the coming years and the region is preparing for that growth. In a strong partnership between the State of Washington afd Sound Transit, improvements are underway now on Interstate 90 between Bellevue and Seattle by adding both eastbound and westbound full-time HOV lanes. Sound Tr:ansit is getting the light rail extension to the Eastside ready for construction. This rail extension will connect the cities of Merce;' lsland, downtown Bellevue and Overlake to Seattle, Snohonlish County and south King Cpunty. In 1023, citizens will be able to get between Seattle and Bellevue in jpst 20 minutes, and they will have a oneseat ride between Microsoft and the University of Wa:;hingtpn. Sound Transit's proposal will have a significant impact on the Puget.Sound region, and federal suppprt is critical. By helping to finance the expansion of light rail and the construction of new HOV lanes on Interstate 90 to better connect Seattle with the growing ecqnomicenters on the Eastsi{e of Lake Washington, the federal TIGER lv TIFIA award will leverage lhe significant local investment. A federal partnership will put people to work now and creatg enduring transit options fo1generatiqns to come. I urge you to approve Sound Transit's TIGER lv application foritlfla support for tlle very important transit expansion in the Puget Sound region. Thank you for your consideration. opeius afl-cio Executive

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92 March 15 th, 2012 The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC Re: Sound Transit TIGER IV Application, TIFIA Element Dear Secretary LaHood: Transportation Choices Coalition is a pro-transit non-profit education, policy and advocacy organization based in Washington State. The Sound Transit high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane project and East Link light rail project is a phenomenal project that will increase access to sustainable transportation choices for thousands of individuals in our region. Building the HOV lanes on I-90 Bridge is a critical component of Sound Transit s overall East Link project that will connect Seattle, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Overlake to with light rail. This corridor is already one of Sound Transit s most popular bus routes; it is no surprise that voters on the Eastside of King County overwhelming approved this light rail expansion plan in a public vote in The I-90 HOV & light rail project is a win-win for bus riders, future light rail riders, carpoolers and single occupancy vehicle drivers alike. The current roadway, designed decades ago, only provides HOV capacity into downtown Seattle in the morning and out of it in the afternoon. This peak travel HOV system in this area is outdated. With Microsoft in Redmond and the growing job center of Downtown Bellevue, there are as nearly many people who commute from Seattle to Bellevue every day then there are who come from the Eastside into downtown Seattle. There no longer is a true reverse commute in this corridor. As a result buses, vanpools, and carpools traveling from the West to the Eastside every morning do not have access to HOV lanes and are stuck in the same traffic as single occupancy drivers. This project will without a doubt improve the reliability for buses and carpoolers on I-90 and likely improve traffic flow for single occupancy vehicles as well. Lastly, the East Link project as a whole will greatly increase transit capacity in the corridor with the addition of light rail.

93 The I-90 East Link project is not just about traffic patterns and improved mobility, this project will also create 49,000 local jobs and put people back to work when our region needs it most. Completing the project will improve access to transportation modes for hundreds of thousands of people in King County and beyond. It will help drivers, freight, and transit riders alike and make the region more economically and environmentally sustainable. Transportation Choices unequivocally supports Sound Transit s TIGER IV TIFIA application the East Link project. Thank you for your consideration Sincerely, Rob Johnson Executive Director Transportation Choices

94 March 13, 2012 The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC Dear Secretary LaHood: I am writing today to in support of Sound Transit s application for $20 million of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recover (TIGER) 2012 funding, specifically under the Transportation Innovation Financing and Investment Act (TIFIA) element of the grant competition. This funding will help build new HOV lanes on the Interstate 90 floating bridge that connects Seattle with the east side of Lake Washington, and expand light rail to connect Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Overlake/Redmond. The communities east of the City of Seattle are growing rapidly and many major employers, such as Microsoft, are located there. Connecting these two major job and residential centers (the Eastside and the City of Seattle) with fast, frequent, and reliable light rail service is critical. Passenger rail and bicycling go hand-in-hand; biking to and from stations for the first and last legs of a commute is a popular travel mode in the Puget Sound region. It is important for our Cascade Bicycle Club members to have seamless connections to transit to help them get where they re going. We ask you to approve the TIGER IV / TIFIA funding for the East Link project. Sincerely, Chuck Ayers Executive Director cc: Senator Patty Murray Senator Maria Cantwell Governor Christine Gregoire Congressman Dave Reichert

95 Appendix D: Project Maps, Drawings and Graphics Sound Transit Regional Transit System Plan Sound Move and Sound Transit 2 Projects and Services Appendix D, page 1

96 Sound Transit Constructed/Planned Light Rail System Appendix D, page 2

97 East Link Route Alignment Segment A: Seattle to Mercer Island Appendix D, page 3

98 Segment B: South Bellevue Appendix D, page 4

99 Segment C: Downtown Bellevue Appendix D, page 5

100 Segment D: Bel-Red Overlake Appendix D, page 6

101 East Link Station Renderings Rainier Station (City of Seattle) Mercer Island Station (City of Mercer Island) Appendix D, page 7

102 South Bellevue Station (City of Bellevue) East Main Street Station (Bellevue) Appendix D, page 8

103 Downtown Bellevue Transit Center Station (tunnel) Hospital Station (Bellevue) Appendix D, page 9

104 120 th Station (Bellevue) 130 th Station (Bellevue) Appendix D, page 10

105 Overlake Village Station (City of Redmond) Station is located next to SR 520 Overlake Transit Center (City of Redmond) Station is located next to SR 520 Appendix D, page 11

106 I-90 Track Bridge Prototype I-90 Floating Bridge and Light Rail Appendix D, page 12

107 Appendix E: Examples of TOD around Existing Stations Seattle Housing Authority s Tamarack Place Tamarack Place reflects a transit-oriented, pedestrianfriendly design. The building steps away from the Columbia City Link light rail station and it s close to schools, shopping and community centers. Construction on Tamarack Place began in Sept 2009 after an infusion of $3.2 m in stimulus funding. Construction was completed in November 2010 and all apartments are now occupied by low-income families (71 apartments are provided for incomes below 30 percent of the Area Median. An additional 12 apartments are available to families earning less than 60 percent of Area Median Income.) The new mixed-use, fourstory building offers 7,600 square feet of ground floor retail space and 83 low-income apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. No resident parking is provided. In one month, all 83 apartments were leased. Othello Partner s Station at Othello Park - The 351-unit is right across the street from Sound Transit's Othello light-rail station. It's in an area that for-profit developers have long ignored. Developed by Othello Partners and USAA Real Estate Company and designed by Hinthorne Mott, The Station at Othello Park is a 420,000 square-foot, mixed-use development featuring 351 luxury apartments and 20,000 square feet of streetlevel retail space. It s one of 22 LEED Silvercertified projects in Seattle, and the first mixed-use development along Seattle s Central Link light-rail system to earn LEED Silver designation. Korean Women's Association's Senior Housing Facility at Federal Way Transit Center In 2010, Sound Transit opened a public-private TOD partnership at the Korean Women's Association's Senior City housing facility located at the Federal Way Transit Center (just south of this proposed TIGER project). Senior City Apartments is a nationally recognized, low-income senior housing development. Of the 62 one-bedroom apartments, seven are set aside for disabled elderly residents. The apartments range in size from sq. ft. The project was designed to encourage public transportation and maximize green space (by providing a green roof terrace, green lawn entry terrace with seat walls that double as planter walls, and a vegetated swale). The complex includes 3,125 sq ft of commercial space for the KWA Community Center which provides social services to residents and others living in Federal Way and South King County. Services include: translation and interpretation, computer training, recreation, transportation assistance, senior meals, English as a Second Language classes, home care and CHORE services, and well as community health care and referral services. Senior City is within ½ mile of the center of Federal Way and is within easy walking distance to stores, restaurants, banks, a pharmacy and medical buildings. Multiple bus lines are easily accessible to residents.