I want CMs to keep that in mind when there's the next bike lane flashpoint - you're going to have rapid community uproar against it, but will you have the strength to listen to the partners in support who have accompanied you throughout the process? I bet some will, some won't.
Conversation
Kay, moving onto Council's questions now. Mayor Robinson saying that "we'll always have cars", is worried about how not building access to I-405 would cause cars to cut through neighborhoods, which isn't safe. She's disappointed that the rec doesn't have ped/bike facilities
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She's asking if there's a way to attach ped/bike facilities on SE 8th St as part of the LHC recommendation. Director Singelakis noting that there's a CIP project for 2023 to build facilities in that area, but she wants it moved up further if it can be.
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CM Lee saying that no build "is not an option" and that the city is "way behind on 405 traffic." Says this is a specific project meant to serve a specific purpose of relieving congestion, would prefer the SE 6th alternative but acknowledges costs and thinks staff's rec is good.
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Following these meetings consistently and having seen this at several of them, it is amazing how reliably CM Lee will go over his allotted time and in some cases continue to interrupt the Mayor while she's trying to get him to wrap up (not in this case, but in others).
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City Manager Miyake chimes in re: Mayor's questions about moving CIP funding up for the SE 8th St bike/ped improvements, they'll investigate it further with the financing department.
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CM Barksdale seconds Mayor's point of the lack of bike/ped facilities. Notably doesn't express support for any alternative, but says that he'd like to find more opportunities to prioritize ped/bike/transit planning going forward.
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CM Robertson says that Vic Bishop brought up a good point (ughhhh) in how this is supposed to help South Downtown but this doesn't add connections to Downtown on the west side of 405. Implores staff to look at what "just helps transportation" (i.e. vehicular circulation).
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Singelakis chimes in, mentions that yeah, from a transportation perspective the SE 6th St alternative does a lot but it's expensive af (my words), so the ROI on the LHC option is better.
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CM Robertson's insistence to focus on "transportation only" (which she's using to mean "Which option helps vehicular movement the most") is really weird and kinda blatantly misses how these facilities have impacts to livability, walkability, sense of place, safety, emissions...
CM Zahn noting how we can't look at "just transportation" because each alternative will have certain tradeoffs. Also agrees w/ Mayor that if LHC alternative is chosen, she'd want ped/bike facilities to be improved. Says she's gone running and had the sidewalk "just end" on her.
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DM Nieuwenhuis asking if any groups who had a bike/ped focus were spoken to. Staff notes the online outreach had significant support for multimodal infra, but was not statistically significant. Nieuwenhuis thinks more partnerships w/ these orgs would be important going forward.
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CM Stokes doesn't see the SE 6th St alternatives as feasible "$325 million is probably half of what it would cost". I'm fearful that'll apply to the LHC option too.
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Discussions like these really highlight why it's important to have elected leaders who not only bike or use transit, but rather are car-free/transit-/bike-dependent.
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CM Stokes the first to mention CSB's core point of how the savings are only a few seconds per car. He echoes .'s frequent point of how this will just jam more cars into a bottleneck. Is not convinced this will make a difference.
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He also notes that WSDOT may not get to the project for a while - if the city chooses a SE 6th alternative and has to put off East Main TOD plans, they don't know how long the city will have to wait on those.
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Alright, official counter to the argument that this will only save a few seconds per driver. Staff, after expressing appreciation for community input, notes that "this is not meant to solve all congestion in the city". It is one tool in the toolbox.
A pretty expensive one imo.
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"By sending more traffic to I-405, the model didn't show that it would jam it up, it would actually provide travel benefits." Re: adding to congestion on 405, they say that projects to add a lane south of I-90 & beef up the 405/90 ramps will help.
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Supposedly (according to the model), this will help alleviate congestion on the Coal Creek Parkway as well. I'm really still not convinced, especially since this is all still based on faulty logic of building our way out of congestion.
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2nd round - Mayor still supports LHC w/ ped/bike improvement, Lee now citing Vic Bishop and staff's explanation on how this is just one piece of the larger puzzle. He's frustrated Council is spending a lot of time talking about this.
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CM Lee is not going to understand that you cannot look at road improvement projects and bike/ped projects in isolation - they all relate to each other and contribute or detract from each other across the whole system.
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CM Robertson appreciates her colleagues that are looking for "the best solution" (read: for cars) and hates to take the easy solution when it's not the best solution, notes "we did that with light rail, how we really fought long and hard to get the best solution."
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Electeds and people who lived here in 2008-2012 - my DMs are open for you to share how CM Robertson "helped" the selecting of the best solution for East Link. I love me them juicy deets please and thank you.
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CM Robertson supports SE 6th inline option but notes that it seems Council is settling on the LHC option, agrees that "something is better than nothing" and will support LHC if "that's the way my colleagues want to go" but she wants to support "the best transportation solution."
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CM Zahn again notes the tradeoffs and how the SE 6th options really conflict with East Main TOD. Supports LHC option w/ condition that the ped/bike connection on SE 8th needs to be there.
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In a refreshing respite from this nightmare, CM Zahn notes that maybe the city should focus more resources in trying to get more state funding for ped/bike improvements and things that give us "more benefit from a public safety standpoint."
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CM Stokes makes me laugh out loud with "I think we can vote to do this because I don't think it's ever really going to happen." Here's hoping, John.
"There's really no good solution here, but I'll go along with this."
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DM Nieuwenhuis motions the LHC option to move forward, CM Lee seconds, Mayor asks staff to promise to come back w/ more details on the SE 8th St ped/bike project, and the motion passes unanimously.
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I'm running about 10 minutes behind, but I'll be taking a break for a few to start some food.
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Moving on to the parking LUCA, tldr is that 2019, Washington State passed parking minimum reform for MF developments near frequent transit, city had an interim LUCA to comply, now they're looking at the crafting and adoption of the permanent one.
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Staff coming in with the important reminder to all the concerned residents who spoke against this earlier that these will only address parking *minimums* - developers can still build more parking if they need to.
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Starting by describing what the state statute put in place as the minimum that cities need to conform to, compared with the interim controls that the city enacted to temporarily comply.
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As part of the permanent LUCA, Council asked staff to look at the four areas listed. For ease of understanding, staff has divided up the scope of tonight's LUCA into the six buckets pictured.
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City is proposing a tiered approach for frequent transit access like the state, but staff are looking to expand offerings for *permanent* affordable housing to <80% AMI, not just <50%.
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Next, staff talking about further lowering the parking minimums for affordable housing in the higher frequency transit tier. I'm mainly typing this all out to help me understand it, cause damn, this is wonky as hell.
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Finally, discussions around removing the ADU parking requirement for units within 1/4 mile of frequent transit.
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CM Barksdale, Council liaison to the planning commission, supports the commission's recommendation. Notes the importance of prioritizing sidewalk improvements in these frequent transit areas to address accessibility concerns.
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CM Robertson (rightly) noting that this LUCA will help Bellevue build the housing that it needs, says this LUCA isn't for "today's residents, but the future residents", and they will be more likely to not have cars. Agrees w/ Barksdale about sidewalk needs near transit.
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CM Zahn likes the rightsizing of parking that comes w/ this LUCA, hopes that would lead to fewer deviations. Also supports more sidewalk investments, and adds again that the city should look more to the state and federal government for funding for truly multi-modal improvements.
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Not that this is surprising to anybody, but I like Councilmember Zahn very much. She is a beacon of hope for what our city can be.
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