Report to Yakima City Council

To: From: Honorable Mayor, City Council Members and City Manager Al King, PE Lochner & Associates Jeff Louman, PE HLA Joan Davenport, Acting CED Director July 17, 2012 Council Meeting East West Corridor Route Selection Interstate 82 to North 1st Street

Date: Subject:

The following is a brief summary of the history of the East-West Corridor (EWC) from the vicinity of Interstate 82 (I-82) on the east end of the corridor inside the City limits of Yakima, to Fruitvale Boulevard on the west. As the City has an agreement providing Yakima County design and environmental authority as a part of the larger EWC project, at the end of this memo is an outline of the recommended actions to complete the planning process, move the project forward, and begin the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.

Objective of Report
This report is intended to provide the Yakima City Council with an update regarding the alignment of the East-West Corridor (EWC) within the Yakima city limits, especially related to the comparison of utilizing East G Street or East H Street. Subsequent environmental review and related analysis will utilize the recommended corridor route discussed in this report.

Background
The purpose of the EWC as stated in the August 2011 BergerABAM report Final Alignment Alternatives Study is to connect the Terrace Heights area directly into the City of Yakima: As the population of Terrace Heights keeps pace with projected growth rates, the existing Yakima Avenue/Terrace Heights Drive route will continue to suffer increasing congestion and delays. The east-west corridor, by offering drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians an alternative river crossing for east-west travel, will alleviate this problem. Traffic studies performed by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) South Central Region modeled the effects of the proposed east-west corridor, as well as a number of other travel alternatives for the Greater Yakima area. The results of the analysis indicate the proposed corridor will reduce trips on Yakima Avenue/ Terrace Heights Drive and hold levels of service at a number of other locations within acceptable limits. The east-west corridor is a necessary component of any proposed improvement to the existing roadway network.

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As noted in the BergerABAM report, connectivity is important to provide the overall function of the route. The report identified the proposed extension of the corridor through the old Cascade Mill site and northeast Yakima to North 1st Street, and in the future, to Fruitvale Boulevard at North 5th Avenue. The completed EWC would result in a new arterial route from Terrace Heights that crosses the Yakima River and travels through the northeast Yakima area to Fruitvale Boulevard thereby improving east-west connectivity through the City and to surrounding County areas. The EWC would also relieve traffic congestion on Yakima Avenue particularly at the I-82 Interchange. The Cascade Mill has been inoperative for a number of years. The City has a strong interest in economic development of the site and has been pursuing options to redevelop the property for commercial/retail uses. The EWC would provide a major route into this commercial center, encouraging economic growth as well as increased jobs opportunities for the Yakima area.

Previous Reports/Studies
A 2001 report by Harding ESE1 first identified the west segment of the route from Fruitvale Boulevard to I-82. Various existing streets between and including East "G" Street on the south and East "I" Street on the north were identified as possible corridor alignments. Planning Commission documents related to Comprehensive Plan Amendments and correspondence between the County and the City have continued to look at alternatives for the EWC. Based on preliminary assessments of the purpose and possible impacts for an EWC route, the most viable alignments appeared to be East "G" Street and East "H" Street. A Planning Commission study session related to Comprehensive Plan Amendments held on February 10, 2010 considered elimination of certain railroad spur lines. These amendments were made to the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan. They are listed on page 13 of the document titled Yakima Resources Saw Mill Redevelopment Comprehensive Plan Text Amendments as: Elimination of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad H Street spur line from Front Street to 7th Street Study and evaluate ongoing interface issues regarding safety and operation of the G Street BNSF spur line. Specific items of study will assess bike, pedestrian and vehicular traffic; as well as freight transshipment and economic impacts continuing operation of the rail may have on adjacent neighborhoods of the city of Yakima

A BNSF representative spoke against the elimination of the railroad line on G Street, which leads to Moxee. She stated that BNSF is in support of removing the H Street spur line since pieces of that line have already been removed. In March of 2010, the Planning Commission formally recommended to the City Council East "G" Street as the probable route (Yakima Resources Saw Mill Comprehensive Plan Text Amendments)
1

Harding ESE, Inc. 2001: Terrace Heights Corridor Study

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through its public process. Likewise, East "G" Street was identified by the City when developing its Local Infrastructure Financing Tool Program (LIFT) program, a funding mechanism under Washington State law (39.102 RCW) which was granted to the City of Yakima in 2008. LIFT provides funding for local infrastructure using sales tax, property tax, and selected other excise tax increases generated by an economic development project as part of a revenue development area designated by the sponsoring local government. Following the Planning Commission recommendation and City Council action, the City confirmed with the rail line owner that the spur along East "G" Street would remain active. At the same time, the City was advised that the rail line along East "H" Street was to be abandoned. In 2011, Yakima County, in concert with the City, requested reclassification of the EastWest Corridor route to an arterial status, recognizing the development level necessary to accommodate the expected use and traffic. On August 22, 2011, Pat Whittaker, WSDOT Functional Class Manager sent a letter to the Federal Highway Administration supporting the Countys request to reclassify the East-West Corridor from North 1st Street in Yakima to Maple Avenue in the east Terrace Heights area to Urban Minor Arterial status. Jack Lord, FHWA Statewide Planning Manager approved that reclassification on August 29, 2011. Completing the action, the City of Yakima signed an agreement dated December 2, 2011 with Yakima County to give the County SEPA lead agency status for the East-West Corridor. A demographics study was conducted for Yakima County in May 2012 of Census Tract 2 in the City of Yakima. That area encompasses the corridor study area between the Cascade Mill site and North 1st Street. That study used 2010 Census data to identify minority populations within this portion of the project area. It also reviewed demographics from the National Institute for Education Statistics for the 2009-2010 school year for the nearest school, Barge - Lincoln Elementary, located on I Street. In summary, that study reflects a 67% minority and 99% low income population across the entire area.

Route Selection & Function

As noted in the BergerABAM report, connectivity is important to the function of the arterial. The EWC route is intended to connect residential neighborhoods, both internal and external to the City, to major commercial and industrial centers from east to west across the north side of Yakima. As such, the route will be a minor arterial, with design speeds varying between 30 and 35 miles per hour. Traffic volumes at build-out of the area are expected to be significant, in the approximate range of 1,000 to 2,500 vehicles per hour. Traffic studies currently under way will better define the expected vehicle volumes and determine the roadway cross section(s) required along the route. As discussed in the prior section of this report, previous preliminary alignment studies identified East "G," "H," and "I" Streets as possible EWC routes. Subsequent analyses eliminated East "I" Street from further consideration due to the following factors:

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there is an elementary school located on the north side of East "I" Street between North 3rd Street and Buwalda Lane; East "I" Street does not exist between North 4th Street and North 5th Street , which would require acquisition of right-of-way from improved properties; difficulty in widening the intersection at North 1st Street due to fully developed commercial properties on all four corners; less than optimal connection to the Cascade Mill site; alignment issues with the undercrossing of I-82 on the east end; maintaining sufficient distance from the I-82 and US 12 interchange at the North end of 1st Street to the EWC intersection to allow proper function/operation of the arterials; and maintaining a viable future connection route to Fruitvale Boulevard.

The two remaining corridor alternatives, East "H" Street and East "G" Street, are shown on the attached Exhibit A - Route Selection Map as Alternate A (purple color) and Alternate B (blue color), respectively. The green dashed line represents the possible alignment of the proposed Cascade Mill Parkway arterial currently under development as a separate City project. An analysis of the two EWC corridor alternates is provided in the following sections. 1. Vehicular, Bicycle & Pedestrian Operations As an arterial, the EWC route will provide both area and local access. Terrace Heights and side streets through the area will be the predominate source of local residential access. Commercial trucks will require access into the Cascade Mill site from both the east and west. With the traffic volumes expected, providing good turning radii, clearances and visibility at intersections, and no on-street parking are important safety factors, both for vehicles and non-motorized users. Preliminary bicycle and pedestrian plans for the EWC provide a multi-use path offset from the south curb line and a sidewalk on the north side of the arterial. Vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian operations on East "H" Street (Alt. A) would be generally unencumbered. The railroad spur tracks that were located along the south side of the roadway have been removed entirely as of the date of this report. However, on East "G" Street (Alt. B), the active rail line will remain which creates the potential for significant turning movements conflicts, resulting in vehicle backups when trains travel through the area. This not only affects traffic flow/congestion along the arterial but also increases the potential for accidents. The presence of the rail line also adversely affects bicycle and pedestrian safety as there is an increased potential for conflicts/accidents to occur. BNSF is requiring a minimum 300-foot distance between their active rail line on East "G" Street and new street intersections which affects the location of the proposed EWC and Cascade Mill Parkway roundabout, as shown on Exhibit A. A further complication is the close proximity of the rail line crossing at the East "G" Street and North 1st Street intersection which adversely affects the safety and capacity of the intersection. Photograph #1 on the attached Exhibit B - East "G" Street Alignment Photographs, shows the existing rail crossing at the North 1st Street intersection.

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2. Route Connectivity As shown on Exhibit A, the proposed future extension of the EWC to the Fruitvale Boulevard and North 5th Avenue intersection on the west is less difficult and impactful to be accomplished via the East "H" Street (Alt. A) corridor. The more direct east to west alignment reduces right-of-way acquisition requirements, particularly of improved properties. This is also the case on the east end were the corridor intersects the proposed Cascade Mill Parkway. In order to adhere to the BNSF requirement that the new intersection be a minimum of 300 feet from the existing rail line, the East "G" Street (Alt. B) corridor alignment would require right-of-way acquisition and subsequent removal of two or three existing homes. Photographs #2, #3, and #4 on Exhibit B show the probable required alignments at the west and east ends of the EWC if East "G" Street (Alt. B) were selected as the corridor route. 3. Public & Private Utilities There are no significant differences between the two alternate routes with respect to existing utilities with the possible exception of existing electrical power facilities. Although there are overhead utility lines on the south side of both corridors, the Pacific Power lines along East "H" Street are high voltage. Relocating these overhead high-voltage power lines, if required, would be more costly. A recent City project piped the previously open Fruitvale Canal along the south side of East "H" Street from North 1st Street and the Cascade Mill site. The project also installed industrial sewer forcemain pipelines adjacent to the irrigation pipe. These newly installed pipelines are not anticipated to affect route selection. 4. Geotechnical The entire area is generally underlain with glacial tills that provide good foundation materials. As the two routes are located within 400 feet of each other, no difference is expected between the two alternates. 5. Right-of-Way Current platted City right-of-way on both East "G" Street and East "H" Street is 80 feet in width. The railroad right-of-way on East "G" Street (Alt. B) occupies an additional 50 feet to the south of the roadway right-of-way. Ultimately, the width of right-of-way required for the construction of the EWC arterial will be based on the roadway cross section(s) as determined by traffic studies currently nearing completion. The existing 80 feet of right-of-way on both corridors is adequate for a 3-lane roadway section with offset multi-use pathway on the south, adjacent sidewalk on the north, and landscaping. However, should a 5-lane section be required, additional right-of-way will need to be acquired in order to accommodate the additional two 12-foot travel lanes. As the existing right-of-way width of 80 feet is the same for both East "G" Street and East "H" Street, there are no apparent differences in project impacts between the two corridor alternates from the east side of North 1st Street to the west side of North 6th Street. However, as discussed in Section 2. Route Connectivity,

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continuation of the EWC into the Cascade Mill site and in the future to Fruitvale Boulevard will require acquisition of improved properties as shown on Exhibits A and B. 6. Community As the properties adjacent to both East "G" Street and East "H" Street are residential and the existing right-of-way widths are the same 80 feet, the project is anticipated to have similar impacts for either of the corridor alternates. The new roadway improvements, including proposed aesthetic improvements such as sidewalks and landscaping, would be the same regardless of the route selected. Photographs of East "G" Street and East "H" Street are provided in the attached Exhibits C Existing Right-Of-Way Photographs. Various existing features have been identified as well as the approximate location of existing right-of-way lines. Both corridor alternates are intersected by City streets and alleys. In addition, there are a number of driveways along the north side of each corridor alternate that have direct access to the streets. As shown in Exhibit C - Photograph #5, the adjacent properties on the south side of East "G" Street lie to the south of the existing rail line's 50-foot right-of-way, which places them some distance from the existing roadway. On the north side of East "G" Street, the existing sidewalk is located 6 to 6.5 feet from the curb line as is shown in Exhibit C - Photograph #6. Several of these north properties have nicely maintained landscaping within this buffer area and behind the existing sidewalk. Properties on the north side of East "H" Street are much closer to the existing roadway curb line and, consequently, have more limited landscaped areas. There is no continuous sidewalk along the north side of the street as there is on East "G" Street. Properties on the south side of East "H" Street have been separated from the existing roadway in the past by the Fruitvale Canal and railroad spur line. However, the irrigation canal was recently piped and the rail spur tracks removed. Exhibit C - Photographs #7 and #8 provide existing views of the west and east ends of the East "H" Street corridor. 7. Environmental Environmental impacts typically are minimal in an already built-out area such as found along the East "H" Street (Alt. A) and East "G" Street (Alt. B) corridors. However, environmental review of the proposed EWC arterial will be undertaken including noise, air, and water quality impacts. Endangered and threatened species will be reviewed but are not expected to be a significant issue within the project area. As the existing right-of-way widths on both streets is 80 feet and the new roadway improvements would be the same for either corridor alternate, similar environmental impacts are anticipated for both alignments. NEPA requires an additional Environmental Justice impact assessment in areas comprised of large minority populations and/or low-income populations, both of which exist within this corridor. Either East "H" Street (Alt. A) or East "G" Street (Alt. B) will have nearly identical impacts.

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Complete avoidance of the area is not possible to achieve the overall corridor and community goals.

Summary
Both East "H" Street (Alt. A), and East "G" Street (Alt. B) corridors meet the goal of providing improved access from Terrace Heights through the Cascade Mill site and northeast Yakima to North 1st Street, and ultimately further west via a future extension to Fruitvale Boulevard at North 5th Avenue. However, as discussed in this report, the most suitable corridor alternate for the EWC from an operational and safety standpoint is East "H" Street. A summary of the City's analysis is provided in the following table.

CORRIDOR COMPARISON Factor G Street H Street

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Operation Connectivity Utilities Geotechnical Right-of-Way Community Environment TOTAL 4 4 2 1 4 2 1 18 2 2 3 1 1 3 1 13 1 - Minimal or No Impact 2 - Some Impact 3 - Increased Impact 4 - Negative Impact

Based on an analysis of available information and as summarized above, East "H" Street, has been identified as the "recommended" corridor alternate for the East-West Corridor (EWC) between the Cascade Mill site and North 1st Street.

Process and Public Notice

City and County staff are currently in the final stage of the planning process for the corridor alignment. The result of the work accomplished to date is the recommendation that East "H" Street (Alternate A) be selected by the City as the East-West Corridor alignment. Subsequent environmental review will rely on the findings of this report regarding the alignment corridor within the City of Yakima. On July 9, 2012, written notice of this report and City Council meeting was sent to all property owners between I Street and F Street in the vicinity of the corridor. The notice was sent in both English and Spanish inviting citizen to attend the meeting or submit written comments. This report was developed as a collaborative effort by City staff, as well as the project contract staff of Huibregtse, Louman & Associates, as well as Lochner & Associates.

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Recommendation
The Council should review this alignment report, comment as appropriate and consider public input. Following the review, the Council may adopt the Resolution to approve this report, subject to any changes the Council may direct.