Prepared for:

Prepared by:

Port of Tacoma Washington State Department of Transportation Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board City of Fife City of Tacoma Marine View Ventures (an entity of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians) Pierce County SSA Marine 1001 - 4th Avenue Suite 4120 Seattle, WA 98154 206-576-4220

June 2011

Teamed With:

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
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TABLEOFCONTENTS ExecutiveSummary..............................................................................................................................................................................1 ExistingandFutureConditionsAnalysis...................................................................................................................................................1 ImprovementConcepts............................................................................................................................................................................2 RecommendedProjects............................................................................................................................................................................2 1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................................................5 Overview...................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Purpose&Need........................................................................................................................................................................................5 Goals&Objectives....................................................................................................................................................................................5 StakeholderOutreach...............................................................................................................................................................................5 OperationalContext.................................................................................................................................................................................6 StudyArea.................................................................................................................................................................................................6 2. ExistingConditions........................................................................................................................................................................8 Opportunities&Constraints.....................................................................................................................................................................8 RoadwayOperations ................................................................................................................................................................................8 . FreightConditions...................................................................................................................................................................................12 SafetyConditions....................................................................................................................................................................................12 NonMotorizedConditions.....................................................................................................................................................................13 3. FutureConditions........................................................................................................................................................................16 TravelForecasts......................................................................................................................................................................................16 SR167ExtensionandOtherBaselineProjects.......................................................................................................................................17 TrafficOperations...................................................................................................................................................................................24 4. AlternativesDevelopment&Analysis.........................................................................................................................................25 EvaluationCriteria..................................................................................................................................................................................25 5. Findings&Recommendations.....................................................................................................................................................27 Recommendations..................................................................................................................................................................................27 PerformanceSummary...........................................................................................................................................................................27 TransportationAnalysis..........................................................................................................................................................................34 CostEstimates ........................................................................................................................................................................................35 . FundingSources......................................................................................................................................................................................35 6. ProjectSequencing......................................................................................................................................................................37 SequencingRationale.............................................................................................................................................................................39
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APPENDICES AppendixA:StakeholderOutreach AppendixB:BackgroundInformation AppendixC:ExistingConditionsTechnicalMemorandum AppendixD:ExistingTraffic,Transportation&CollisionData AppendixE:Methods&AssumptionsforTransportationAnalysisTechnicalMemorandum AppendixF:TravelForecasts&Analysis AppendixG:EvaluationResults AppendixH:ConceptualEngineering&CostEstimates AppendixI:SequencingofProjectsand2020Evaluation AppendixJ:Miscellaneous Note:Duetothelargesize,appendicesareavailableonaCD.

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LISTOFFIGURES Figure1.StudyAreaandAnalysisLocations.....................................................................................................................................................7 Figure2.AverageDailyTrafficVolumes.........................................................................................................................................................10 Figure3.ExistingRoadwayOperations..........................................................................................................................................................11 Figure4.ExistingTruckRoutes.......................................................................................................................................................................14 Figure5.ExistingRailFacilities&GradeCrossings.........................................................................................................................................15 Figure6.BaselineNetworkAssumptions.......................................................................................................................................................19 Figure7.HouseholdGrowth(20062030)......................................................................................................................................................20 Figure8.EmploymentGrowth(20062030)...................................................................................................................................................21 Figure9.PMPeakHourTrafficGrowth(20062030).....................................................................................................................................22 Figure10.PMPeakHourTruckGrowth(20062030).....................................................................................................................................23 Figure11.LevelofServiceComparison:Existingand2030BaselineRoadwayOperations...........................................................................24 Figure12.RecommendedProjectsTideflatsAreaAccess..............................................................................................................................30 Figure13.RecommendedProjectsPortAccess.............................................................................................................................................31 Figure14.RecommendedProjectsIndustrialAccess.....................................................................................................................................32 Figure15.RecommendedProjectsLocalAccess............................................................................................................................................33 Figure16.LevelofServiceComparison:Existing,2030BaselineandRecommendedPlanRoadwayOperations........................................34 Figure17.ProjectDefinitionAreas.................................................................................................................................................................38 LISTOFTABLES Table1.LevelsofServiceCriteriaforSignalizedandUnsignalizedIntersections............................................................................................8 Table2.BaselineNetworkAssumptions ........................................................................................................................................................18 . Table3.FirstLevelScreeningCriteria.............................................................................................................................................................25 Table4.SecondLevelEvaluationCriteria.......................................................................................................................................................26 Table5.UserGroups ......................................................................................................................................................................................26 . Table6.RecommendedProjects....................................................................................................................................................................28

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EXECUTIVESUMMARY
TheTacomaTideflats,theheartoftheareasindustrial activity, also serves a diverse set of stakeholders and transportation modes. This convergence provides a uniqueopportunityforstakeholderstocometogether to produce a coordinated plan to help enhance the economic competitiveness of the area and increase mobility and accessibility by reducing traffic congestion. The Tideflats Area Transportation Study (TATS) is the result, providing a recommended package of transportation improvements to better servetruckfreighttrafficinthearea. The study covers the Port of Tacoma, Downtown Tacoma, the City of Fife, as well as portions of unincorporated Pierce County and Puyallup Indian Reservation. The study area contains the regions largestnorthsouthhighway,Interstate5,whichoften iscongested,aswellastheportareashighpercentage of truck and train traffic. The TATS process included significant agency and stakeholder coordination with those listed, as well as terminal operators, trucking companiesandothers. The study identifies multiple improvement projects thatwillbenecessarytosustaingrowthoverthenext 20years.Pasttrafficmodelingindicatesaneedforat least Phase 1 of SR 167 from its current end in PuyalluptoSR509atthePortofTacoma,ortheentire area will be highly congested by 2030 regardless of what other projects are completed. This study builds uponthatworktoidentifyadditionalimprovementsto

alleviate current conditions temporarily, then augment the completed SR 167 for further traffic improvement.

Acknowledgements

EXISTINGANDFUTURECONDITIONS ANALYSIS
Thestudybeganbyevaluatingtheexistingconditions of the transportation network during the afternoon peak period. This evaluation included all modes of transportation, including passenger vehicles, freight trucks,rail,transit,bicycleandpedestrians.Itassessed freeway operations during the peak afternoon period and identified key truck routes between the Port and industrialcenters. Microsimulationwasperformedformuchofthestudy area. This detailed analysis provides the basis for the projected operations described in this report as well asthelistofRecommendedProjects.Additionaldetails maybefoundintheappendicesofthisreport. Traffic hot spots occur at numerous entry points to the Port, including Portland Avenue, Port of Tacoma Roadand54thAvenueE.Duringcertainpointsofthe day, queues form as trucks wait to enter the Port. In the southern part of the study area, the Meridian Avenue/SR161corridoriscongested.SouthboundI5 experiences congestion because of a bottleneck between I705 and SR 16, with queues back to PortlandAvenueandontotheI705ramps,aswellas between54thAvenueEandPortofTacomaRoad.

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Followingtheexistingconditionsanalysis,theproject team forecasted traffic growth in 2030 for both passenger cars and freight trucks. The Baseline scenario included only those transportation improvements likely to be implemented by 2030 and/ornecessarytopreventseveretrafficcongestion. TheseimprovementsincludethePortofTacomaRoad interchangeandcompletingatleastPhase1ofSR167. The Baseline assessment showed that future transportation operations will be poor, even with the PortofTacomaRoadInterchangeandatleastPhase1 ofSR167completed,withoutadditionalinfrastructure investments.Thenumberofintersectionsinthestudy operating at unacceptable levels of service increased fromsixundercurrentconditionsto33intheBaseline scenario. Although the reconfigured Port of Tacoma Roadinterchangewouldoperatefairlywell,theother mainroutestothePort(PortlandAvenue,Milwaukee Wayand54thAvenueE)wouldbeseverelycongested. OperationsalongPacificAvenueindowntownTacoma wouldalsodeterioratesubstantially. The project team then conducted a twostep evaluationprocesstodeterminewhichprojectswould provide the most benefit to the TATS area. The first level screened out projects that did not respond directly to the purpose and need of the study or had someotherfatalflaw.Roughlyonethirdofthenon Baseline concepts were dismissed at this stage of the evaluation. The remaining projects warranted more rigorous analysisusingthemicrosimulationmodel.Theproject teamtestedvariouscombinationsoftheimprovement concepts and presented a preliminary plan to the TATS Advisory Committee. Using the Committees input, the plan was revised slightly to form the final RecommendedProject,consistingof38projects.

RECOMMENDEDPROJECTS
It bears repeating that the Baseline projects are consideredessentialtoavoidtrafficsystemfailureby 2030. The Recommended Projects, in addition to the Baseline projects, would result in much better traffic operations. The number of intersections operating unacceptably would drop by 38 percent. The biggest improvements would occur near the Port with decreased delays along the key Port access corridors of Portland Avenue, Milwaukee Way, Port of Tacoma Road and 54th Avenue East. More moderate improvement would be seen in Downtown Tacoma, FifeandtheMeridianAvenue/SR161corridor.

IMPROVEMENTCONCEPTS
To lessen expected congestion throughout the study area by 2030, the project team developed improvement concepts, solicited ideas from stakeholders, and consulted various jurisdictions capital and transportation improvement programs. The result was a list of 85 candidate projects in addition to the Baseline projects already assumed to beinplaceby2030.

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During the afternoon peak period, the overall vehicle hours of delay would decrease 38 percent over conditions with only the Baseline, and the number of highlycongestedintersectionswouldbereducedfrom 33 to 10. Overall greenhouse gas emissions would decrease2percent. Throughout the screening process, the projects were categorized according to the user group they most benefit:Tideflatsarea,port,industrial,orlocalaccess. Several significant projects under each category are highlighted here; the full list and maps showing each projectslocationarepresentedinthereport. TideflatsAreaAccess Extend Canyon Road from Pioneer Way across thePuyallupRiverto70thAvenueE. RebuildI5interchangeat54thAvenueE. CompletethePortofTacomaRoadinterchange upgradeatI5. PortAccess On Port of Tacoma Road, add a truck lane southboundto I5 andatruck queuing lane for accesstothePort. ConstructsliprampsonSR509atDStreet. At the Milwaukee Way and Marshall Street intersection,addasignal,railroadflashers,and gateswithatrafficsignalintertie. Extend the A/D rail line east to Taylor Way to removetrainblockagesofMilwaukeeWayandE 11thStreet. IndustrialAccess BuildovercrossingsofI5atFrankAlbertRoad and 62nd Avenue E between 20th Street E and PacificHighwayE. Upgrade intersections along Portland Avenue betweenSR509andI5. ImplementanarterialIntelligentTransportation Systemtoguidetravelerstoandfromindustrial sitesandcoordinatesignals. Widenintersectionsof54thAvenueEatPacific HighwayEand20thStreetE. Upgrade12thStreetEbetween62ndAvenueE and34thAvenueE. Upgrade20thStreetEbetweenPortofTacoma Roadand63rdAvenueE. LocalAccess Constructagradeseparationatthe54thAvenue EUnionPacificrailroadcrossingtoreopenthe street. Make intersection improvements along Pacific AvenueindowntownTacoma. Widen 20th Street E to three lanes between 70thAvenueEandFreemanRoad.

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CostEstimate
The cost of the improvements included in the list of RecommendedProjectsis$290335million,asshown inthebreakdownbyusergroupatright.Thisdoesnot include any baseline projects, which are essential to achieve the LOS benefits of the Recommended Projects. Baseline projects, (not including additional HOV capacity on I5 or the SR 167 extension) total $485 540 million. Funding for some baseline projects has already been secured. In total, $196 million has been committed to baseline projects, leaving a need of $579679million.

CostEstimates byUserGroup
TideflatsAreaAccess:$140 150M PortAccess:$510M IndustrialAccess:$110130M LocalAccess:$3545M

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
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1. INTRODUCTION
The Tideflats Area Transportation Study (TATS) examines the multimodal transportation network within an area including the Port of Tacoma, Downtown Tacoma, the City of Fife, Puyallup Tribal Lands and Pierce County. Complex transportation needsarepresentwithintheareaduetothediversity ofuses.

Tideflats area, improve the traffic circulation, and reduce congestion. This plan should coordinate between all involved jurisdictions and entities to supportexistingimprovementprograms.

GOALS&OBJECTIVES
Thegoalsandobjectivesforthisprojectare: Identifyfuturetransportationneedsforthegrowth of freight related truck traffic to and from the Tideflatsarea Increase mobility and accessibility by reducing trafficcongestion Promoteregionaleconomiccompetitiveness Develop and execute a coordinated transportation plan

OVERVIEW
Thestudybeganbygatheringinputfromstakeholders. Trafficandotherdatawerecollectedandanalyzedto assess the existing conditions. Future travel demand wasprojectedfornotonlypersonalvehicles,butalso the trucks which comprise a substantial amount of Tideflatsareatraffic.Microsimulationoftheroadway network was used to analyze existing and future conditions. This detailed analysis provides the basis for the expected future operations described in this report. Finally, improvement options were evaluated to determine which projects are most likely to alleviatethetransportationproblemswithinthestudy area. Again, microsimulation was used to assess the benefitofproposedimprovements.Theculminationof this process is a set of improvement concepts called theRecommendedProjects.

STAKEHOLDEROUTREACH
A key component of TATS was stakeholder outreach. The project team met individually with stakeholders to ascertain each groups unique needs and opinions. Meetings were conducted with representatives from the Port of Tacoma, City of Tacoma, City of Fife, Washington Department of Transportation, Marine View Ventures (an entity of the Puyallup Tribe), SSA Marine,truckingcompanies,terminaloperators,Union Pacific Railroad, and Tacoma Rail. Detailed interview summariesareincludedinAppendixA.

Stakeholderinterview summaries,Executive Committeemeeting minutesandagendas maybefoundin AppendixA.

PURPOSE&NEED
Thepurposeofthestudyistocreateacomprehensive plan that will enhance the economic benefits of the

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In addition to the individual meetings, an Executive Committee was formed. The Committee met periodically throughout the TATS process to review findings of the project team and provide guidance on future steps. The Executive Committee had representativesfromthefollowingentities: WashingtonDepartmentofTransportation FreightMobilityStrategicInvestmentBoard CityofFife CityofTacoma Marine View Ventures (an entity of the Puyallup Tribe) PierceCounty PortofTacoma SSAMarine Appendix A includes Executive Committee meeting minutes and agendas. A larger Advisory Committee includedadditionalstakeholderssuchasUnionPacific Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and Premier Transport. DowntownTacomatothewest,theCityofFifetothe south. The high volume and variety of land uses within the area leads to a complex transportation system with competing needs. This study was undertaken to identify existing problems, forecast futuretravelneeds,andsetoutaclearplanforfuture improvements.

STUDYAREA
Thestudyarea,showninFigure1,includesthePortof Tacoma, Downtown Tacoma, as well as parts of the CityofFife,PuyallupTribalLands,andunincorporated Pierce County. Figure 1 also displays the study intersectionsusedforanalysis.
Backgroundinformation includingprevious transportationstudiesand plannedtransportation improvementsmaybe foundinAppendixB.

OPERATIONALCONTEXT
ThePortofTacomacovers2,400acresandisusedfor shipping terminal activity as well as warehousing, distributing,andmanufacturing.ThePort,theseventh largest in North America, handles more than $36 billion in annual trade and is surrounded by

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2. EXISTINGCONDITIONS
The existing conditions within the study area were assessed to provide a complete picture of current transportation operations, opportunities, and constraints. Truck volumes tend to peak in the early morningwhenthePortopens;howeveroveralltraffic volumes are highest during the PM peak period. Therefore, analysis was completed for the PM peak period when the transportation network is most congested. The Existing Conditions Technical Memorandum, which presents the transportation analysisindetail,maybefoundinAppendixC.

intersectionisassignedalevelofservice,rangingfrom A to F, based on the average delay experienced per vehicle. Table 1 displays the criteria for each level of serviceaswellasabriefqualitativedescription. Table1.LevelsofServiceCriteriaforSignalizedandUnsignalizedIntersections
Levelof Service
A B C D E F

DelayperVehicle(seconds) SignalizedIntersection
010 >1020 >2035 >3555 >5580 >80

UnsignalizedIntersection
010 >1015 >1525 >2535 >3550 >50

Description
Littleornodelay Shortdelays Averagedelays Longdelays Verylongdelays Failureextremecongestion

OPPORTUNITIES&CONSTRAINTS
The complex nature of the Tideflats area results in a variety of transportation opportunities and constraintsthatinfluencetheneedforimprovements. These issues include bottlenecks with heavy congestion,interactionbetweenrailandroads,bridge conditions, baseline projects that are currently underwayorareanticipatedtobeimplementedinthe immediate term, and plans for roadway extensions, interchangeimprovements,andtransitroutes.

Source:HighwayCapacityManual2000.

IntersectionOperations
Figure 3 shows existing traffic hot spots within the studyarea.ThePortofTacomaRoadand54thAvenue Ecorridorsexperiencecongestion,dueinlargepartto the high truck volumes and close spacing of the intersections. These corridors provide critical access to I5 as well as destinations to the south. Other problematic operations occur along the Portland Avenue corridor between the SR 509 and I5 interchanges. TheMeridianAvenue/SR161corridorbetweenValley Avenue and River Road experiences congestion. Each

ROADWAYOPERATIONS
Figure 2 displays average daily traffic volumes on roadways within the study area which shows the current distribution of traffic. Intersection operations throughout the study area were analyzed to identify locations that require improvements. Each

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ofthefiveintersectionsalongthatstretchofMeridian Avenueshowsubstantialpeakhourcongestion. Excessive queues tend to form within the Port at the followinglocations: WestboundE15thStreetandpartofEastDStreet Northbound Port of Tacoma Road between MarshallAvenueandE11thStreet Eastbound Lincoln Avenue at APM terminal entrance Northbound Taylor Way at MacMillanPiper entranceintheearlymorning.
Additionalinformationon theexistingconditions analysismaybefoundin AppendicesCandD.

FreewayOperations
The study area includes several major freeways that serve both local and regional access. A bottleneck on southbound I5 between I705 and SR 16 causes congestion along I5 as well as queues stretching to Portland Avenue and on the ramps to I705. Another problematicstretchofsouthboundI5occursbetween 54th Avenue E and Port of Tacoma Road where high volumes converge from both the onramp and the mainline. SR 509 currently operates well, and I705 operates efficiently with the exception of moderate congestion nearthe9thStreetonramp.

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FREIGHTCONDITIONS
The presence of the Port creates substantial freight activity(bothtrucksandrail)withuniqueoperations and a key relationship to the economic vitality of the region.

carrying the larger share. Tacoma Rail serves locally by switching containers from cargo ships to local businesses and assembling the longhaul trains that arepulledbyBNSFandUPRR.Figure5alsoshowsthe locationofthemajorterminalswithinthePort. Fourteen of the grade crossings were assessed in termsoflevelofactivity,efficiencyofoperations,and safety. Crossings that are candidates for grade separation due to the constraints they impose on the transportationnetworkinclude: 70thAvenueE 54thAvenueE PortofTacomaRoadatLincolnAvenue PortofTacomaRoadsoutheastofLincolnAvenue PortofTacomaRoadcrossingtoKPAC MilwaukeeWaynorthofLincolnAvenue E11thStreeteastofMilwaukeeWay TaylorWayatformerKaisersite

Trucks
Trucks rely heavily on Portland Avenue, Port of Tacoma Road, and 54th Avenue E to access the shippingterminalswithinthePort.Muchofthetruck trafficistravelingbetweenthePortandwarehousing and distribution centers located in Kent Valley, Fife/Puyallup/Sumner,Tacoma,Frederickson,Dupont, Lacey/Olympia,andCentralia/Chehalis. Figure 4 summarizes truck routes within the TATS studyarea.Mostoftheprincipalandminorarterialsin the study area are approved truck routes, and are heavily used by Portrelated traffic. Truck traffic into andoutofthePortofTacomaissustainedthroughout thedaywithtrucksarrivingbeforetheterminalsopen at 8 AM, causing queues within the Tideflats area, mainlywithinthePort.

SAFETYCONDITIONS
Collisiondatafrom2006to2008wereanalyzedalong freewaysaswellaslocalcorridorstoidentifylocations ofconcern.SourcedataareincludedinAppendixD.

Rail
Figure5displaystherailfacilitiesandgradecrossings located within the study area. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) are the only longhaul carriers for shipments originating from the Port of Tacoma, with BNSF

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FreewayCollisions
The predominant type of collision on I5, I705 and SR509 were rear end collisions. The majority of collisions on each freeway caused property damage only. Over the threeyear study period, multiple fatalities have occurred on I5, one fatality has occurredonSR509,andnofatalitieshaveoccurredon I705.

LocalCorridorsandIntersections
The highest corridor collision rates within the study area occurred on Pacific Highway E between Milwaukee Way and 54th Avenue E and on 54th Avenue E between 4th Street E and Valley Avenue E. High congestion levels contribute to the safety concerns. The highest intersection collision rates occurredalongPortlandAvenueandBayStreetinthe vicinityoftheI5interchange.

NONMOTORIZEDCONDITIONS
An inventory of pedestrian and bicycle facilities was completedtoidentifygapsinthenetwork.Duetothe industrial nature of much of the study area, non motorizedfacilitiesarelimited,creatingachallenging environmentforpedestriansandbicyclists.

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EXISTING RAIL FACILITIES AND GRADE CROSSINGS Tideflats Area Transportation Study
FIGURE 5

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Grade Crossing Tacoma Rail Union Pacific R.R. Burlington Northern Santa Fe R.R. Tacoma Rail Mountain Division APM Terminals Marshall Avenue Auto Facility Blair Terminal EB1 Husky Terminal & Stevedoring Olympic Container Terminal Pierce County Terminal Totem Ocean Trailer Express Terminal 167 Washington United Terminals

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

3. FUTURECONDITIONS
Future transportation network conditions were evaluatedfora2030horizonyear.Inaddition,a2020 analysis was done to help formulate the sequencing plan for the projects, which is presented later in this report.

implemented. These Baseline projects are shown in Figure 6 and Table 2. The Baseline scenario assumes thatPhase1oftheSR167extension,includingtolls,is completedby2030.Thisisanessentialimprovement fortheregiontoensurethelongtermfunctionalityof thetransportationsystem. Regional and local transportation improvement programs(TIPs),comprehensiveplansforavarietyof jurisdictions, and other relevant documents were consulted to develop the list of assumed projects. In addition, projects funded by the Sound Transit and WSDOTGasTaxrevenuepackageswereincluded. A more detailed discussion of the methods and assumptions used to develop travel forecasts may be foundinAppendixE.Theresultingtrafficvolumesare includedinAppendixF. Figures 7 and 8 provide an indication of the growth expected in households and employment within the study area between the base year of 2006 and the horizonyearof2030. Thenumberofhouseholdswillgrowby85percent. Thenumberofjobswillgrowby45percent This land use growth combined with regional growth will result in major increases in traffic volumes by 2030. Figures 9 and 10 show the volumes crossing screenlinessetupthroughthestudyarea.Screenlines wereplacedthroughoutthestudyareatoindicatethe number of vehicles that cross the line during the PM peakhour.

TRAVELFORECASTS
Traffic volumes were forecast using the Puget Sound Regional Councils (PSRC) regional travel demand modelthatwasmodifiedtoincludedetailedcodingof freewayinterchangeswithinthestudyarea. Truck volumes were forecast using an independent methodthataccountsfortheuniquecharacteristicsof the Port of Tacoma. Future growth in Portrelated truck traffic was forecast using terminal acreage projections provided by the Port of Tacoma. These were then converted to annual container throughput using factors for the type of terminal and expected operations.Finally,dailyandPMpeakhourtrucktrips were estimated from the throughput and assigned to various routes based on expected future terminal locationandthe2006cordoncountforthePort.Truck traffic not related to the Port was forecast using a growth rate based on historic traffic count data and futureemploymentprojectionsfortheregion. The future year travel demand model incorporates capacity expansion projects that are either currently funded or are considered reasonably likely to be

Additionalinformation onthetravelforecasts andanalysisoffuture trafficconditionsmaybe foundinAppendicesE andF.

Ascreenlineisan imaginarylineusedto measurethetrafficflow betweentwoareas.The numberofvehiclesthat crossthescreenlineon anyoftheintersecting roadwaysiscountedto providetheoveralltraffic volumebetweenthe areasofinterest.

16

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

PM peak hour truck traffic will increase by 120 percent PMpeakhourtrafficwillincreaseby35percent Overall, the highest growth occurs within Fife, the Port,andapproachingdowntownTacomatoandfrom the east. Between 2006 and 2030, nearly 5,000 more vehicles will travel on I5. As expected, the highest truckvolumegrowthoccursnearthePort,withmore moderateincreasesinoutlyingareas. The growth expected by 2030 will put a substantial strain on the already congested roadway network. Truck traffic, much of which is related to the Port, is expected to more than double between 2006 and 2030. These projections highlight the need for infrastructureinvestmentwithinthestudyarea. However, the holistic impact of the other baseline projects should not be underestimated. None of the Studysprojectfunctionalitywillberealizedunlessthe Baselineiscompleted.

SR167EXTENSIONANDOTHER BASELINEPROJECTS
The baseline projects assumed to be completed by 2030arepresentedinTable2andshowninFigure6. Total cost, as well as any committed funding, is also shown. Although SR 167 is grouped with other baseline projects,itsimportanceoutweighsthatofthesmaller improvements.TheSR167extensionisafundamental system improvement upon which the TATS operationalanalysisisbased.Itisnotarequirementof thisstudy,butratheraregionalrequirementtoavoid failureofthetransportationsystem.

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

Table2.BaselineNetworkAssumptions
Figure 6ID
TideflatsAreaAccessProjects 15 16 17 18 PortofTacomaRoadInterchangeReconstructinterchangebetweenSR509andI5.Reconstruct34thAvenueEand12thStreetEtoa3lane roadway.IncludesouthboundtrucklaneonPortofTacomaRoad.(H14) CanyonRoadEfrom72ndStreetEtoPioneerWayEWidenroadwaytoprovideadditionallane(s).(H15) I5HOVlanesExtendfromSR18toSR16.(H16) SR167extensionConstruct2lanefreewaybetweenSR509andSR161(tollsassumed).(H17) PartiallyFunded PartiallyFunded PartiallyFundedand UnderConstruction PartiallyFunded

ProjectDescription

Fundingand ConstructionStatus

PortAccessProjects 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 1 LincolnAvenuegradeseparationConstructoverpassonLincolnAvenuebetweenMarcAvenueandThorneRoad.(H2) LincolnAvenue&PortofTacomaRoadAddtrafficsignal.(H3) MurrayMorganBridgeE11thStreetbetweenAStreetandDStreet.Rehabilitatebridge.(H4) 11thStreetBridgeRenovatetoaccommodatetrucks.(H5) LincolnAvenueBridgePortlandAvenuetoMarcAvenue.Replacepartofthebridgedeck,bridgebearings,repairrailsandsidewalks,repaint.(H6) HylebosBridgeRehabilitatethebridgeincludinganewdeck,sidewalk,andguardrails.(H7) ExtendA/DraillineeastacrossAlexanderAvenuetoTaylorWay.ThePortisplanningtoincreasearrival/departuretrainlengthsfrom8,000feetto 10,000feet.(H18) SR509sliprampsatDStreetConstructahalfdiamondinterchangeatDStreetandSR509.(W7) CompletedJune2011 Unfunded PartiallyFundedand UnderConstruction Unfunded FullyFundedand UnderConstruction UnderConstruction Unfunded PartiallyFunded

IndustrialAccessProjects 8 11 12 13 14 PuyallupAvenueBridgeReplace2of5bridgestructures,increasingtotallanesto4.Widento6lanesatapproachtoPortlandAvenue.(H8) 70thAvenueEcorridor20thStreetEasttoUPRR.Widenexistingtwolanearterialto5lanes.(H10) 70thAvenueE20thStreetEtoPacificHighwayE.Realignandreconstructto4laneroadwaysection.(H11) 20thStreetEPortofTacomaRoadto63rdAvenueE.Reconstructtoa3laneroadway.(H12) ValleyAvenueWidenexistingtwolanearterialto4lanesbetween70thAvenueEandFreemanRoadE.AddfifthlaneeastofFreemanRoadEand restripetheeastboundrightturnlanetothrough/rightturn.(H13) PartiallyFunded Unfunded Unfunded Unfunded Unfunded

LocalAccessProjects 10 FreemanRoad20thAvenueEtoNLeveeRoad.Reconstructto3laneroadway.(H9) Unfunded

Source:Fehr&Peers,2011

18

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15 I-5/Port of Tacoma Road

BASELINE NETWORK ASSUMPTIONS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 6

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HOUSEHOLD GROWTH (2006-2030) Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 7

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EMPLOYMENT GROWTH (2006-2030) Tideflats Area Transportation Study

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* A screenline is an imaginary line used to measure the traffic flow between two areas.
The number of vehicles that cross the screenline on any of the intersecting roadways is counted to provide the overall traffic volume between the areas of interest.

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FIGURE 10

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

TRAFFICOPERATIONS
The 2030 Baseline scenario represents traffic operationswithinthestudyareaifonlythereasonably foreseeabletransportationprojectsareimplemented. As Figure 11 shows, fewer than half of the study intersections currently operating at LOS A through C would continue to do so in 2030. The number of intersections operating at LOS F would increase from sixtothirtythree.

DowntownTacoma
Downtown Tacoma, which currently has good traffic operations, would see half of its study intersections droptoLOSF.ThoseincludePacificAvenueatS13th, S15th,S21st,andS24thStreetsaswellastheI705 northboundofframpatS26thStreet.

PortofTacoma
Traffic conditions immediately surrounding the Port woulddeterioratesubstantiallyby2030.Everynorth south arterial accessing the Port will have poor operationsatsomepointalongthecorridor.Portland Avenue and 54th Avenue E would be extremely congested. AlongPortlandAvenue,everyintersectionbetweenthe SR 509 and I5 interchanges would operate at LOS F. ThetwounsignalizedintersectionsatMilwaukeeWay and Pacific Highway E would also drop to LOS F by 2030.

Intersections along 54th Avenue E from SR 509 to ValleyAvenuewould operateatLOSFdue to heavy growth in industrial traffic and I5 congestion. The PortofTacomaRoad corridor would fare better than the other regional access roads duetotheplannedI5 interchange reconstruction. The plan for the new interchange would construct a couplet between 12th Street E and 20th Street E with Port of Tacoma Road carrying southbound traffic and an extension of 34th Avenue E carrying northboundtraffic.

Figure 11. Level of ServiceComparison: Existing and 2030 Baseline Roadway Operations

SouthernStudyArea
TheintersectionofPioneerWayEandCanyonRoadE would drop from LOS C to LOS F by 2030. The Meridian Avenue/SR 161 corridor will be somewhat improvedbytheconstructionofPhase1oftheSR167 extension.SeveralintersectionsalongNLeveeRoadE andValleyAvenueEwouldalsodeterioratetoLOSF.

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

4. ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT& ANALYSIS

The project team developed improvement concepts, solicited ideas from stakeholders, and consulted various jurisdictions capital and transportation improvementprograms.Thiseffortresultedinalistof 85 improvement projects in addition to the 2030 Baselineprojects.

andconsistencywithexistingplans.Eachprojectwas scoredonasimplethreetierbasis.

Table3.FirstLevelScreeningCriteria
Category
TransportationSystem Performance Safety PhysicalFeasibility Cost Partnerships ConsistencywithPlans Source:Fehr&Peers,2011

Criteria
Potentialtoimprovetraffichotspots Potentialtoimprovetruckoperations Potentialtoimprovehighcollisionlocations Abilitytobeconstructed;environmentalfeasibility Rangeofcost Supportbypublicandprivatesectors Addressedinlocal,regional,stateplans

EVALUATIONCRITERIA
Theevaluationofcandidateprojectswascompletedin twosteps.Thefirstlevelwasapreliminaryscreening to identify projects that could be dismissed without intensive analysis. The second step was a more rigorous assessment including microsimulation. See Appendix G for the technical memorandum including thefullresultsofthisprocess.

FirstLevelScreeningCriteria
The first level screening criteria is shown in Table 3. The purpose of this step was to ensure that the team selected only projects that directly related to the purposeandneedofthestudy. Categories considered include transportation system performance, potential to improve safety, physical feasibility, cost, level of public and private support,

There was no formal threshold needed to pass the screening process. Rather, the ratings were used as a tool for the project team to weigh the costs and benefits,andmakeadeterminationastowhetherthe projectwarrantedfurtheranalysis. Over a third of the nonBaseline projects were dismissedduringthisscreeningprocess.Followingthe initialscreeninground,ahandfulofnewprojectswere addedtothecandidatelist.

Additionalinformation ontheevaluationresults maybefoundin AppendixG.

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FinalReport June2011

SecondLevelScreeningCriteria
The second level of evaluation (see Table 4) involved more detailed analysis in terms of traffic operations, cost, and environmental impacts. The candidate projects were incorporated into the microsimulation model to assess the expected benefits, not only of individual projects, but of the overall package of improvements. The project team presented an initial package of improvements to the TATS Advisory Committee. The Committeeprovidedinputandsuggestedrevisionsto thesetofprojects.Thefinalimprovements,consisting of38projects,arecalledtheRecommendedProjects. Table4.SecondLevelEvaluationCriteria
Category
TransportationSystem Performance Safety Environment CostEffectiveness Partnerships Implementation Source:Fehr&Peers,2011

Criteria
Vehicledelay(trucks,generaltraffic) Traveltime Collisionpronelocationsimproved Greenhousegasemissions Cost(capital,operating) Costeffectiveness(annualizedcost/delaysaved) Supportbypublicandprivatesectors Abilitytobephased

UserGroups
Throughout the screening and evaluation process, improvement concepts were classified by the user groupwhichwouldexperiencethemostbenefit.Those user groupsandthe type oftravelthey representare summarizedinTable5. The improvement concepts are grouped according to thesecategoriesinthenextsectioncontainingthefinal recommendations. Table5.UserGroups
Category
TideflatsAreaAccess PortAccess

Criteria
To/fromPort To/fromDistributionCenters To/fromIndustries BetweenPortandLocalWarehouses BetweenPortandConsolidators BetweenPortandRail(Dray) ConnecttoTacomaIndustry ConnecttoFifeIndustry Localtrafficcirculation Accesstoresidentialproperties

IndustrialAccess LocalAccess Source:Fehr&Peers,2011

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FinalReport June2011

5. FINDINGS& RECOMMENDATIONS
The result of this study is a set of Recommended Projects of transportation improvements in the Tideflats area. This section summarizes the recommended improvement package, the expected performance of the transportation system if the recommended package is implemented, and cost estimates of the improvement projects. Conceptual drawingsandcostestimatesareincludedinAppendix H.

510,000 vehicle miles traveled (VMT), an increase of 15 percent compared to the Baseline network. The increase in VMT is due to the higher volumes abletotravelthroughtheroadwaynetwork. 8,500 vehicle hours of delay, a decrease of 38 percentcomparedtotheBaselinenetwork. 257 average seconds of delay per vehicle, a decrease of 46 percent compared to the Baseline network. 742,100poundsofGHGemissions,adecreaseof2 percentcomparedtotheBaselinenetwork. 10ofthe63studyintersectionsoperatingatLOSF, adecreaseof70percentcomparedtotheBaseline network.

Additionalinformationon conceptualengineeringand costestimatesmaybefound inAppendixH.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The project descriptions and costs of the recommended package of improvements are presented in Table 6. Figures 12 through 15 map the project locations according to the user groups presentedintheprevioussection.

PERFORMANCESUMMARY
The recommended projects were added to the 2030 baseline transportation network to evaluate its impacts.Thefollowinglisthighlightsthemainfindings of that analysis. All statistics reflect performance duringasinglePMpeakperiod: 92 percent of the PM peak period traffic demand would be served, an increase of 23 percent over thatservedbytheBaselinenetwork.

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Table6.RecommendedProjects
ID
TideflatsAreaAccessProjects O3 R1 W29 W41 W48 I5Addvariablemessagesignsforaccesstoport. 70thAvenueE/UPRRRailroadBuildrailroadgradeseparation. CanyonRoadExtensionExtendPioneerWayacrossPuyallupRiverto70thAvenueE. I5from54thAvenueEtoPortofTacomaRoadAddcollectordistributor/auxiliarylanes. 54thAveInterchangewithI5Rebuildinterchange. 2,100 25,000 58,200 7,300 53,400

ProjectDescription

Cost(inthousands of2010dollars1)

PortAccessProjects I1 I16 O7 W37 SR509,TaylorWay&54thAvenueEAddarightturnlaneonnorthbound54thAvenueE;doubleleftturnlanesonbothdirectionsofSR509. MilwaukeeWay/MarshallStreet(East4thStreet)intersectionAddsignal,RRflashersandgateswithatrafficsignalintertie. PortofTacomaRoadAddresstruckqueuingbymakingtheoutsidenorthboundlaneatruckqueuelaneandconvertingtheinsidesouthboundlaneto reversibleoperations. AlexanderAvenue/SR509intersectionAddafreeflowrightturnlaneonthenorthboundapproach. 4,800 1,000 240 2,300

IndustrialAccessProjects I2 I5 I7 I10 I15 I18 I19 I20 I21 I22 I27 I28 M5 54thAvenueE/PacificHighwayEintersectionReconstructintersectionandaddturnlanes.Addsouthboundthroughlanefrom12thStreetEtoPacific HighwayE. St.PaulAvenue/E11thStreetintersectionConstructsignalorroundabout. St.PaulAvenue/PortlandAvenueintersectionConstructsignal. 20thStreetE/IndustryDriveintersectionAddsignal. PortlandAvenue/PuyallupAvenueintersectionWidenintersectionwithadditionalleftturn/throughlanes. Reconstructcurbreturnsfortrucksatvariouslocationswithinstudyarea. S26thStreet/I705northboundofframpintersectionAddsignal. PortlandAvenueonandofframpsatSR509Addtrafficsignalsandmodifychannelization. 54thAvenueE/4thStreetAddsignal. 54thAvenueE/12thStreetEintersectionCreateaneightphasesignaloperationwithprotectedleftturns. 54thAvenueE/20thStreetEintersectionWidenapproachlegsandrechannelize. PortlandAvenue/25thand26thStreetsAddtrafficsignals.CoordinatealongPortlandAvenuecorridor. PavementoverlayprogramImprovepavementconditionsthroughoutstudyarea. SeeW48 2,800 500 500 5,900 500 500 1000 500 60 SeeW48 820 3,000

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Table6.RecommendedProjects
ID
O1 W1 W13 W30 W54 W55 W56 W57 W58 W59 SR99Interconnectsignals. FrankAlbertRoadOvercrossingBuildnewbridgeoverI5from20thStreetEtoPacificHighwayE;newsignalsatPacificHighwayEand20thStreetE. LeveeRoadReconstructFrankAlbertRoadtoFreemanRoad.Addsignalsattwointersections. 62ndAvenueEoverpassExtend62ndAvenueEoverI5fromPacificHighwayEto20thStreetE;newtrafficsignalsatPacificHighwayEand20thStreet E. 54thAvenueEAccessManagementPacificHighwayEtoSR509. ArterialITSProgramSignalCoordination;travelerInformationto/fromindustrialsites. 12thStreetEExtendnewstreetfromAlexanderAvenueEto34thAvenueE. 12thStreetEWidento3lanesfrom62ndAveEtoAlexanderAvenueE;extendnewstreetfromAlexanderAvenueEto34thAvenueE. 62ndAvenueEPacificHighwayEto12thStreetEWidento3lanes. FrankAlbertRoadPacificHighwayEto12thStreetEWidento3lanes.

ProjectDescription

Cost(inthousands of2010dollars1)
100 24,300 31,200 26,300 SeeW48 2,000 18,400 SeeW56 SeeW30 SeeW1

LocalAccessProjects I4 I23 I24 P1 R2 W31

1

EastDStreet/PuyallupAvenueintersectionChangesignalphasing.Addleftturnpockettosouthboundapproach. PacificAvenue/13thStreetintersectionRestripetheeastboundrightturnlaneasasharedthrough/rightturnlane. PacificAvenue/TacomaWay/26thStreetintersectionRestripetheeastboundrightturnlaneasasharedthrough/rightturnlane. PuyallupAvenueAddbikelanefromPortlandAvenueacrossPuyallupRiver. 54thAvenueEatUPRRrailcrossingConstructagradeseparationstructuretoreopenthestreet. 20thStreetEReconstructfrom70thAvenueEtoFreemanRoadtoa3lanesection. Total

50 60 60 SeeH8 35,800 3,900 312,690

Somecostestimateswereprovidedbyolderstudies,andarethereforenotshownin2010dollars. Source:Fehr&Peers,2011

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Project ID Intersection Project Roadway Project

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Al ex

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U.P. dust R.R ry D . r

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62nd Ave E

54th Ave E

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E D St

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167

167

E Portland Ave

B.N.S .F.

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RECOMMENDED PROJECTS TIDEFLATS AREA ACCESS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 12

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St

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Meridian Ave E

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705

W7 m Puyallup

509

Ave

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16

B.N.S .F.

62nd Ave E

54th Ave E

aS t u d y R d

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E
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RECOMMENDED PROJECTS PORT ACCESS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 13

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Project ID Intersection Project Roadway Project

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705

!
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I19 m

I20 m ! I15 m Ave ! Puyallup I28 ! m !

509

Pacific Hwy E

B.N.S .F.

62nd Ave E

54th Ave E

m
I7

Marshall Ave

aS t u d y R d

I21 m W54 m ks rac A/D T I22 m W56 W57 m m ! W59 I2 m m W58 O1 ! mm I10 W1 m m m I27 m W30 20th St E ! H12 Ind m ! u U.P. R.R stry

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RECOMMENDED PROJECTS INDUSTRIAL ACCESS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 14

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Project ID Intersection Project Roadway Project

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Pacific Hwy E

16

B.N.S .F.

I24 m

62nd Ave E

54th Ave E

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RECOMMENDED PROJECTS LOCAL ACCESS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 15

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

TRANSPORTATIONANALYSIS
The Recommended Projects would improve the transportation network performance compared with the Baseline scenario. As Figure 16 shows, the Recommended Projects would result in double the number of LOS A through D intersections when comparedtothe2030Baselinescenario.Thenumber of LOS F intersections would drop from 33 LOS F intersectionsexpectedintheBaselineconditionto10 undertheRecommendedProjects. It is important to note that these projected improvements are contingent uponthe completion of the Baseline projects. The Recommended Projects alonewouldnotachievetheseresults.

theprojecteddelayisstilllessthanwasforecastinthe Baselinescenario. The two unsignalized intersections at Milwaukee Way and Pacific Highway E wouldoperateatLOS F as was the case under Baseline conditions, but the expecteddelaywould decrease. Theconditionsonthe 54th Avenue E corridorfromSR509 to Valley Avenue E would improve substantially if the Recommended Projects were implemented.Withtheexceptionof54thAvenueEat 12th Street E, all intersections along the corridor would improve from LOS F conditions. The intersection of Marine View Drive and E 11th Street wouldoperateatLOSBratherthanLOSFasunderthe Baseline. All intersections alongPortof Tacoma Road wouldoperateatLOSDorbetteriftheRecommended Projectsareimplemented.

Figure16.LevelofService Comparison: Existing, 2030 Baseline and Recommended Plan RoadwayOperations

DowntownTacoma
In Downtown Tacoma, operations would improve moderately compared to the 2030 Baseline scenario. However, four intersections would remain at LOS F: PacificAvenueatS15th,S21st,andS24thStreetsand theI705northboundofframpatS26thStreet.

PortofTacoma
The Recommended Projects would lead to better conditions near the Port than would be expected under the 2030 Baseline. The Portland Avenue corridor would have only one LOS F intersection between the SR 509 and I5 interchanges. Although thatintersection,atPuyallupAvenue,wouldbeLOSF,

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

Overall, the area around the Port would operate far better under the Recommended Projects than under theBaselineconditions. committed to baseline projects, leaving a need of $579684million.

SouthernStudyArea
TheintersectionofPioneerWayEandCanyonRoadE would improve from LOS F to LOS E under the RecommendedProjects.TheMeridianAvenue/SR161 corridor would operate slightly better, with shorter delays,althoughLOSwouldremainaboutthesameas the2030Baseline.

FUNDINGSOURCES
Theamountofannualfundsneededtoimplementthe TATSplanisconsistentwiththelevelsofexpenditures that have been made within the TATS area over the past ten years. The high level of agency coordination and joint funding commitments has led to the successful implementation of several highprofile projectsintheTATSarea. Fundingfortheseprojectshascomefromavarietyof sources,includingthefollowing: CityandCountytransportationfunds PortofTacomafunds Privatecompanyfunds Stategrants,primarilythroughtheFreightMobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB) and the TransportationImprovementBoard(TIB) WSDOTfundingauthorizations Federal grants, as part of ongoing Transportation Reauthorization programs and recently as part of theARRA(stimulusplan)program While many of thesefunding sources will continue to provide support for the TATS projects, additional fundingsourceswillneedtobeexplored.Forexample, the SR 167 extension is a state and regional priority. Partial funding for that project is expected to include

COSTESTIMATES
The overall cost of the recommended improvements includedinthepreferredpackageis$290335million. Thistotaldoesnotincludebaselineprojects,whichare essentialtoavoidfailureofthetransportationsystem by 2030. Costs are broken down to indicate the proportion of money being proposed for Tideflats area,industrial,port,andlocalaccess: Tideflatsareaaccess:$140150million Portaccess:$510million Industrialaccess:$110130million Localaccess:$3545million Baseline projects, (not including additional HOV capacity on I5 or the SR 167 extension) total $485 540 million. Funding for some baseline projects has already been secured. In total, $196 million has been

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

tolls, which could be extended to other regional facilitieswithintheTATSarea. OperationsandmaintenanceoftheTATSprojectswill alsobeapriority.Inparticular,pavementandbridge maintenance is key to preserving the integrity of the TATS transportation network. Heavy truck loads place additional maintenance burden on the roadway facilities. Funding opportunities for maintenance could include a Transportation Benefit District and otherlocalfundingoptionsunderconsiderationwithin theStatelegislature.

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TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

6. PROJECTSEQUENCING
The recommended projects benefit the entire TATS system holistically. Recommendations from TATS are basedonobjectivesystemanalysisandprovideapool of candidate projects from which individual agencies, or agency partnerships can advocate for in local, regional, state and federal prioritization and/or fundingprocesses. To assist in this process, the Executive Committee requestedsuggestionsforimplementationsequencing of the recommended projects over the next 20 years. Thesequencingdoesnotimplyprioritiesperse,since somehighpriorityprojectsmaytakeseveralyearsto implement. The suggested sequencing was developed bycreatinglogicalgroupingsofprojectsthatcouldbe implementedaspackages.Mostofthesegroupingsare geographically based, but some are based on functionality(e.g.developmentdrivenprojects).Refer tothetechnicalmemoranduminAppendixIformore detailsregardingprojectsequencing. ThefollowinglistandFigure17presentthesuggested sequencing.NotethatSR167isanessentialregional roadway connection and is assumed to be implemented during the next 20 years. Likewise, the other baseline projects must be completed to realize thebenefitsoftheRecommendedProjects. Improvements to Portland and Puyallup Avenues will improve the bottleneck that currently hinders access to I5. This package of improvement

requiresthecompletionofthePortaccessbridges reconstruction. The Pacific Avenue corridor focuses on travel within Downtown Tacoma and could take place sooner. TheCanyonRoad/70thAvenueErailroadcrossing andbridgeoverthePuyallupRiverwouldcomplete access to the southern study area and tie into the completed70thAvenueEcorridor. LocalindustrialstreetimprovementssuchasFrank Albert Road, 62nd Avenue E, 12th Street E, 20th Street E, and N Levee Road E would reduce the congestion on 54th Avenue E and Pacific Highway Ebyprovidingalternateroutes. Corridor improvements along 54th Avenue E (multiple projects) are independent of any interchange redesign so they could take place sooner. TheI5/54thAvenueEinterchangereconstruction canbeaccomplishedindependently.
AppendixIprovidesmore detailsontheprojects includedwithineach sequencinggroupand performanceresults.

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Portland/Puyallup Avenues
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Pacific Avenue Corridor Canyon Road Local Industrial Streets

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54th Avenue 54th Avenue Interchange Development Driven Projects Local Circulation Projects

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PROJECT DEFINITION AREAS Tideflats Area Transportation Study

FIGURE 17

TideflatsAreaTransportationStudy
FinalReport June2011

SEQUENCINGRATIONALE
The sequencing suggestions listed above reflect the followingrationaleandrealities: Baseline projects are being implemented as funding permits during the next few years, as describedinsection3.PortlandAvenue(tiedtothe Puyallup Avenue Bridge) is a key industrial corridor whose upgrading could be tied to the completionoftheI5HOVlaneproject. The Canyon Road extension would complete the regional corridor connections to the south and provide a substantial freight mobility benefit for truck access between the TATS area, south Pierce County,andtheFredericksonindustrialarea. Local agencies can improve the local industrial streets between Port of Tacoma Road and 62nd Avenue E. These projects will provide alternative routes for local traffic and freight truck movements, reducing the impacts on the very congested Pacific Highway E and 54th Avenue E corridors. The Levee Road upgrade will allow trucks to resume using that route to access Frank AlbertRoad,whichhasanexistingovercrossingof theUPRR. Thereareupgradesthatcantakeplacealong54th Avenue prior to rebuilding the I5 interchange. Theseincludeaccessmanagementandwideningat theintersectionsof54thAvenueE/PacificHighway Eand54thAvenueE/20thStreetE.

Independent of the SR 167 extension, the remaining major TATS State Route/Interstate improvementwouldberebuildingthe54thAvenue E/I5interchange. Several other TATS projects can be implemented independently or contingent upon development plans.Theseinclude: Pacific Avenue intersections in Downtown Tacoma Intersection upgrades on the Thea Foss Waterway TATS partners will assure that sequencing of key projects includes clear public information identifyingalternateroutesandconsiderstheleast possible negative impact on commercial movements.

39