COUNCIL

DATE 3/11/08
AGENDA ITEM 4K

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Olympia, Washington
March 11, 2008

Ordinance to Reinstate Truck Route Designation on 4th Avenue and Olympic Way,
Remove Weight Limits on the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship (4th ) and 5th Avenue
Bridges and Updating and Clarifying Street Names For Existing Truck Routes

__________________________________________________________________
CITY MANAGER’S
RECOMMENDATION: Option 1: Move to approve the ordinance on first reading to
Reinstate truck route designation on 4th Avenue between Olympic
Way and Water Street and on Olympic Way between 4th Avenue and
Harrison Avenue;
Remove weight limits on the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship (4th) and
5th Avenue Bridges; and
Update and clarify street names for existing truck routes, and move
to second reading

STAFF CONTACT: Lead: David C. Riker, Director of Transportation, 753-8441

driker@ci.olympia.wa.us

Assigned Staff: Randy Wesselman. Transportation Engineering and

Planning Manager, 753-8477
rwesselm@ci.olympia.wa.us

ORIGINATED BY: Public Works Department

PRESENTERS AND
OTHERS NOTIFIED: Others Notified:
• Sergeant Don Heinze, Olympia Police Department

ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance
2. Map of Proposed Truck Route on 4th Avenue and Olympic Way

BUDGET IMPACT/
SOURCE OF FUNDS: Staff time to complete this ordinance revision is planned as part of
Transportation’s 2008 work program.

PRIOR COUNCIL/
COMMITTEE REVIEW: May 1997 - Council action to enact weight restrictions on the 4th Avenue
Bridge and remove 4th Avenue between Olympic Way and Water Street
and Olympic Way from 4th Avenue to Harrison Avenue as truck routes.

June 1997 - Council action to implement truck route designation on 5th

Avenue and Columbia Street
 March 2001 - Council action to remove truck route designation on 5th
Avenue and Columbia Street and impose weight restrictions on the 5th
Avenue Bridge.

BACKGROUND: The City imposed weight restrictions on the 4th Avenue Bridge due to
deterioration in its load bearing capacity in May 1997. The City also
removed 4th Avenue between Olympic Way and Water Street and
Olympic Way from 4th Avenue to Harrison Avenue as streets for use by
heavy trucks (truck routes).

The City took subsequent action in June 1997 to designate 5th Avenue,
in the eastbound direction, from Olympic Way to Columbia Street and
Columbia Street, in the northbound direction, from 5th Avenue to 4th as a
truck route to facilitate movement of log truck traffic between properties
on West Bay Drive and the Port of Olympia.

As a result of the Nisqually earthquake on February 28, 2001, the City

took action in March 2001 to remove 5th Avenue and Columbia Street as
truck routes due to impacts of trucks on traffic flow through the 5th
Avenue Corridor.

ANALYSIS AND OPTIONS: The Gateway Corridor Project was completed in May 2004. Staff is
recommending revising the ordinance related to weight limits on the
Olympia-Yashiro Friendship (4th) and 5th Avenue Bridges and designated
truck routes to:

• Reinstate the truck route designation on Olympic Way from 4th

Avenue to Harrison Avenue, and on 4th Avenue from Olympic
Way to Water Street; and
• Remove weight limits on the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship (4th)
and 5th Avenue Bridges

The need for weight restrictions on the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship

Bridge (4th Avenue Bridge) is no longer necessary with completion of the
new bridge and other corridor improvements. The Gateway Corridor
improvements along 4th Avenue and Olympic Way are designed to
accommodate truck traffic. Weight restrictions on the 5th Avenue Bridge
are no longer necessary to mitigate impacts of trucks on traffic flow
through the 5th Avenue corridor.

The designation of 4th Avenue and Olympic Way as a truck route allows
trucks to use this corridor as a cross-town truck route and for local
deliveries. Fifth Avenue will not be a designated truck route; however,
trucks are allowed to use 5th Avenue for local deliveries.

Trucks are currently using 4th Avenue and Olympic Way as a truck route
even though it is not currently designated as a truck route.

Staff also updated and clarified street names for existing truck routes.

The attached ordinance reflects the proposed changes regarding weight

limits and truck routes, and street names for existing truck routes.

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Option 1:
• Reinstate truck route designation on 4th Avenue between Olympic
Way and Water Street and on Olympic Way between 4th Avenue and
Harrison Avenue;
• Remove weight limits on the Olympia-Yashiro Friendship (4th) and 5th
Avenue Bridges; and
• Update and clarify street names for existing truck routes.

Implications
1. Will allow 4th Avenue and Olympic Way between Harrison Avenue
and Water Street to be used as a cross-town truck route and for local
deliveries
2. Will allow trucks to use the 5th Avenue Bridge as a route for local
truck deliveries

Option 2:
• Do not reinstate the truck route designation on 4th Avenue between
Olympic Way and Water Street and on Olympic Way between 4th
Avenue and Harrison Avenue;
• Do not remove weight limits on the 4th and 5th Avenue Bridges; and
• Update and clarify street names for existing truck routes.

Implications:
1. Will not allow 4th Avenue and Olympic Way between Harrison
Avenue and Water Street to be used as a cross-town truck route and
for local deliveries
2. Will not allow trucks to use the 5th Avenue Bridge as a route for local
truck deliveries

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