PORT OF SEATTLE

MEMORANDUM

COMMISSION AGENDA – STAFF BRIEFING

Item No.

Date of Meeting

May 10, 2011

DATE: April 29, 2011

TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

FROM: Elizabeth Leavitt, Director, Aviation Planning and Environmental

Tom Hooper, Planner, Aviation Planning

SUBJECT: Port of Seattle/Sound Transit Planning and Preliminary Design Coordination Update

SYNOPSIS:

For over a decade the future development plan for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Airport)

has envisioned an access route to the Airport for users driving from the south that would provide a

direct connection to the Airport terminal drives from the planned extension of SR-509 to I-5. An

estimated 30 percent of Airport traffic originates from the south; today those vehicles drive farther

to enter the Airport from the north via I-5 and SR-518 to reach the Airport Expressway. As regional

growth occurs, it is important to maintain a good level of service on roadways entering the Airport

to avoid congestion and reduce travel time and vehicle emissions. It is also important to preserve

the opportunity for a future south access route to the Airport that would leverage new capacity in

the freeway system if the SR-509 extension is funded and constructed.

A portion of this future south access route occupies a very narrow corridor across Airport property

and City of SeaTac right-of-way between the current Airport terminal drives and the intersection of

S. 188

Street and 28

Avenue S. (this section of the planned south access route is known as the

future South Airport Expressway). The City of SeaTac, Sound Transit, and the Port identified this

same corridor for extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) System, which will likely be built first

over the next few years (pending Sound Transit Board approval).

On April 27, 2010, the Port Commission authorized the Chief Executive Officer to execute a

professional services Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for roadways planning

and preliminary design services totaling $600,000. Consultant services were needed to assist the

Port in advancing design of the future South Airport Expressway to facilitate Sound Transit’s Light

Rail design and to ensure that long-term Airport facilities are compatible with the near-term Light

Rail construction. This planning and preliminary design coordination continues the decade-long

beneficial cooperation between Sound Transit and the Airport where the agencies have worked

collaboratively to optimize critical infrastructure projects and funds for the public good.

COMMISSION AGENDA

T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

April 29, 2011

Page 2 of 3

BRIEFING OUTLINE:

Planning and Preliminary Design Coordination

Sound Transit staff has completed 30 percent design and will go to their Board in July of this year

to request approval to prepare a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and subsequent Request for

Proposals (RFP) for the Light Rail extension project. Port staff has coordinated roadways planning

and design with the 30 percent design of the Light Rail project and is now in the process of

completing a 15 percent design document to serve as an attachment to the Sound Transit RFP. The

coordination effort also involved traffic modeling and survey work to determine future roadway

capacity needs and the precise location of utilities and structures to inform the roadways and Light

Rail design. Final design of future Port roadways will not occur for several years.

Intergovernmental Agreements

 Professional Services Cost-Share Agreement (Port / Sound Transit)

The Port and Sound Transit Chief Executive Officers signed an agreement on December 14, 2010,

that defines cost-sharing responsibility for roadway planning and design work performed by the

Port’s consultant. Under the terms of the agreement, Sound Transit is obligated to reimburse the

Port for 50 percent of the costs incurred for completion of work that is required to advance the Light

Rail design.

 Term Sheet (Port / Sound Transit)

Port and Sound Transit staffs are negotiating a term sheet that will document the general terms and

conditions that we believe will make it possible for Sound Transit to extend the LRT System from

the Airport station to a new station at S. 200

Street. The term sheet will provide the framework for

negotiations of the final terms and conditions contained in a memorandum of agreement (MOA)

that will be subject to approval by the Sound Transit Board and Port Commission. We anticipate

that the term sheet will be signed by the Chief Executive Officers of each agency prior to Sound

Transit staff’s request for Board approval in July to issue an RFP for the Light Rail extension

project.

 Aerial Crossing of S. 188

Street Agreement (Port / City of SeaTac)

In April of this year, the City of SeaTac City Manager and the Port Chief Executive Officer signed

an agreement that acknowledges the benefits to the Port and the City of a future South Airport

Expressway plan that includes an aerial crossing of S. 188

Street (previous concepts envisioned a

tunnel crossing of S. 188

Street). Under the terms of the agreement, the Port and City agree that

the “Aerial Option” should serve as the basis of further preliminary design to establish the LRT

alignment and column locations and footprint for future construction of the Port’s South Access

roadway. The agreement also defines protocol for further study of a “Tunnel Option” (if requested

by either party) and a process for dispute resolution.

COMMISSION AGENDA

T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer

April 29, 2011

Page 3 of 3

Next Steps

 Request Sound Transit Board Approval to prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) (Sound

Transit)

Sound Transit staff will take the LRT 30 percent design package, including cost estimates and

funding plan, to their Board in July of this year. Staff will request approval to issue an RFP for

design/construction firms to compete for the project.

 Wrap-up Roadways 15 Percent Design Documentation (Port)

Port and Sound Transit staff have effectively completed coordination of the roadway planning and

design and 30% design of the Light Rail project. Port staff will continue to work with their

consultant team to develop design documentation to serve as an attachment to the Sound Transit

RFP.

 Negotiate Memorandum of Agreement (Port / Sound Transit)

Port and Sound Transit staff will expand on the terms and conditions contained in the term sheet to

draft a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that will establish terms and procedures to facilitate

further design and construction of the Light Rail extension project. Port and Sound Transit staffs

anticipate bringing this MOA to the Sound Transit Board and Port Commission this fall to request

authorization for their respective Chief Executive Officers to sign.

OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS BRIEFING:

PowerPoint presentation.

PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS:

April 27, 2010 – Commission authorization for Chief Executive Officer to execute a professional

services Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for roadways planning and

preliminary design services totaling $600,000 for one (1) year with the option to extend for up to

two (2) additional years.