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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/09/2025 Public CommentREQUEST FOR APPEARANCE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL SOLICITUD PARA COMPARECER ANTE EL CONCEJO MUNICIPAL REQUIRED (OBLIGATORIO) NAME (Nombre): 4 � JQ/ J J AGENDA ITEM NUMBER(S) OR CITY TOPIC YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO (Numero(s) del tema de la agenda o asunto de la chided que desea hablar sobre): C 12' 'TR 3 L t.- F ' LiN c CITY OF YAKIMA RESIDENT (Residente de la Ciudad de Yakima): YAKIMA COUNTY RESIDENT (Residente del condado de Yakima): Li OTHER RESIDENT (Otro Residente): ABOVE INFORMATION MUST BE FILLED OUT IN ORDER TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT LA /NFORMACION ANTERIOR DEBE COMPLETARSE PARA HABLAR DURANTE EL C©MENTARIO PUBLIC° OPTIONAL (OPCIONAL) HOW WOULD YOU PREFER THE CITY CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED (6Como prefiere que la ciudad se ponga en contacto con usted si es necesario?): - PHONE (Numero de telofono) { ) - ADDRESS (Domicilio) - E-MAIL ADDRESS (Drireccion de correo electronico) Please complete this form prior to the start of Public Comment and submit it to the City Clerk (who sits on the left end of the Council table). Por favor complete este formulario antes del inicio de los Comentarios Publicos y entreguelo a la Secretaria Municipal (que se sienta en el extremo izquierdo de la mesa del Concejo) When addressing the City Council, state your name and whether you live inside or outside City of Yakima limits, Al dirigirse al Concejal, diga su nombre e indique si vive dentro o fuera de los limites de la Ciudad de Yakima. Additional guidelines for addressing the City Council are on the reverse side of this form. ©irectrices adicionales para dirigirse al Concejal se encuentran al revers() de este formulario. Please note that the Council meeting is being televised on Y-PAC, cable channel 194. Tenga en cuenta que la reunion del Concejo Municipal esta siendo televisada por Y-PAC, canal de cable 194, Performance Plane LLC Lean Ideas for Governmen July 28, 2025 The Honorable Patricia Byers, Mayor Ms. Vicki Baker, City Manager City of Yakima 129 North Second Street Yakima, WA 98901 Via email RE: 6th Avenue Project Dear Mayor Byers and Ms. Baker: Distributed at Meeting: Item# STEVAN GORCESTER Transportation Advisor, Lean Practitioner sgorces@mac,com 360-791-9580 I am writing at the request of Yakima Valley Trolleys concerning the City's pending decision about supporting the 6th Avenue improvement project including the trolley. Yakima Valley Trolleys contacted me several months ago to inquire about funding opportunities. My transportation practice includes a primary focus on infrastructure funding strategies and direct fundraising. I have 45 years' experience in funding transportation projects, including the past 8 years in private practice where I have raised nearly $200 million for my clients. Formally, I was the Executive Director of the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board, a principal funding source for municipal streets. The current condition of 6th Avenue certainly calls for continued effort. The Pavement Condition Index (PCI) of 45 should be a high priority considering the location of the street on the boundary of the business district and direct access to retail, light industrial, and the high school. Yakima may have streets with lower pavement ratings, but they probably serve fewer commercial and educational activities. Furthermore, a PCI of 45 is within the range of accelerated damage to the subbase of the street, which can further increase restoration costs. The City has several options for grant funding to explore before changing financial plans. Please consider retaining the planned TBD investment while directing city staff to pursue funding opportunities. The planned TBD funding helps secure grant funding because all major funding sources expect a demonstration capacity to achieve full funding. Many agencies seek funding first and then consider how to achieve the balance of funding from city sources. Agencies that start with an achievable financial plan have an advantage over those that do not. In other words, your planned TBD investment is a fundraising power up. The 6th Avenue project features several factors that attract grant investments. The project is multimodal in nature, a key factor in several funding sources. It accesses multiple commercial. land uses including schools and parks. Its condition demands action to restore infrastructure integrity. There are barriers to continuous access for disabled users. And finally, the City 1600 B SW Dash Point Road, #37 Federal Way, 1 r'A 8023 makes a major commitment to the corridor in its Comprehensive Plan and Transportation Improvement Program. The lack of arterial functional classification is one factor impairing fundraising from certain sources. The City classifies the street as a collector arterial but only the segment from River Road to I Street is federally classified. Given that the City plans to redevelop the street as a multimodal corridor in keeping with its Comprehensive Plan, I recommend applying to the Washington State Department of Transportation for arterial functional classification. Initial efforts to obtain classification may be unsuccessful but keep trying. Many medium -size cities have more downtown streets with arterial classifications, including parallel streets that work together for circulation and access. City staff accurately point out the uncertainties of federal grant funding at this time of shifting priorities. However, several state funding sources should be considered for between one third and one half of the necessary funding. Grant funding provides no assurances, but the funding potential of the project is strong enough that the City should stay the course for now. The Council retains the prerogative to modify the funding commitment in the future if grant sources do not pan out Here are my specific recommendations for possible grant sources: 1. Washington State Climate Commitment Act funding a direct funding request to the Transportation Committee of the Washington State Legislature. 2. Washington State Department of Commerce Local Projects funding, a direct funding request to the Capital Budget Committee of the Washington State Legislature. 3. Washington State Transportation Improvement Board for a combination of street improvement and Complete Streets funding. The street improvement funding from this source requires arterial classification as discussed above, the Complete Streets funding does not. Applications are accepted between June and August annually. 4. Explore WSDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Program and Safe Routes to School Program. I have worked on hundreds of street projects, including dozens in Yakima. You have a good project in 6th Avenue. I hope you will continue to implement the Yakima Comprehensive Plan as you intended. Thank you. Stevan Gorcester Transportation Planning Consultant cc: City Council Ms. Vicki Baker, City Manager Mr. Bill Preston, Community Development Director 2025 SELAH LINE INSPECTION Yakima Valley Transit Selah Line Prepared for the: Yakima Valley Trolleys September 1th, 2025 By Kenneth R. Kirschling, P.E. ailstarengineering.com 2025 SELAH LINE INSPECTION YAKNMA VALLEY TRANSIT SELAH LINE A cursory inspection of the Selah Line was conducted by Ken Kirschling, PE on August 2111, 2025 and evaluated for return toservice. Considering the line has not been inoperation since 2O%2,it is in remarkably good condition. There isnoserious erosion mrloss ofballast section mowould beexpected untrack out ofservice for this length oftime. The track isgenerally inconformance with FRAtrack safety standards for Class 1 operation (15 mph) except for one broken rail, the encroachment of light vegetation and ofew minor rocko|i6es. The line could be restored to service for trolley operation by clearing the vegetation and slides,repairing the broken rail, and conducting acareful walking inspection. /\ few additional minor conditions are likely to be identified, but nothing is expected that could not be corrected with hand tools. Atone time, the Selah Line was owned bythe Union Pacific Railroad and handled significant agricultural freight traffic. The track was maintained for freight equipment which was heavier than streetcars. Ownership has since been conveyedtothe City ofYakima. The line was isolated from the national rail network and used solely for streetcar (trolley) operation. Track subject tufreight and heavy passenger traffic is governed bvthe Federal Railway Administration (FRA) which enforces 49CFRPart I13—Track Safety Standards. But streetcars and trolleys are lighter and more flexible than heavy rail equipment, and they fall under jurisdiction of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which does not have a universal track safety standard. Instead, each ofthe regional transit agencies have developed their own. FRAtrack standards are highly conservative for light rail, but transit agencies sometimes reference FRA standards in part where appropriate. For the purpose of restoring the SelahUne to trolley service, 49 CFR213 is more than adequate. Part 213 provides standards for different classes of track based upon speed of operation, The maximum operating speed for passenger operation onClass 1track is15MPH. There isoclass called "excepted track" which has looser standards, but it is not applicable for track with passenger trains. Conformance with Class 1requirements could be achieved at minimal coot. There are no turnouts or sharp curves. The rail islight weight(60Ab, some heavier) and most is supported on tie plates, although there are a few stretches where the rail restsdirectly onthe tie. Despite the light weight, the rail is in acceptable condition, adequate for streetcar use. No seriously Railstar Engineering Page I of 4 Yakima Valley Transit Tie condition is poor. Although operationcould commence as-is,amodest tie replacement program would ensure reliable operation into the future. Even 50-100 ties per year would be effective. The roadbed isingood condition. Vegetation |sminor, consisting ofpatches oftumbleweed and minor brush growth. Only one location required a chainsaw to clear the track, and that was from brush alongside rather than trees growing upthrough the ties. Nos' ndOcantdrainageorermsionpnob|ennsanemvident. There isadequate shoulder toretain ballast, including along the river where the track is cut into the hillside, close to the BNSF railway main line. There are ahandful oflocations where minor rochskJeuare active. Although the line has been out of service for years, the track was made passable by removing small rock, all under 10 pounds, by hand in a short amount of time. Only one boulder was large enough to require a bar for removal. INSPECTION DETAILS The line was inspected by hyraiLwhile selected stretches were inspected on foot. The inspection extended along North 6thAvenue from West Madison Avenue inYakima tothe NachesRiver Bridge, and from the Naches River Bridge to the end of track at 608 South 1st Street in Selah. The Naches River Bridge was not apart ofthis inspection. This inspection was not for the purpose ofidentifwingevery repair or maintenance item that may be encountered in the effort of restoring service. This inspection does not cover the Naches River Bridge, which has been investigated elsewhere. Finally, this inspection does not address the issue of reestablishing the diamond near West Madison Avenue in 6th Street. CONCLUDING REMARKS This cursory inspection ofthe 6e|ahLine did not reveal any serious issues. Nocostly fatal flaw preventing return toservice was encountered. The line can bebrought into FR&compliance for Class 1 track, which is a specification intended for freight trains at 10 mph and passenger trains at 15 mph, with minimal effort. Compared to freight service, the track structure necessary to support trolley operation is modest. RailstarEngineering Page 2 of 4 Yakima Valley Transit PHOTOGRAPHS Railstar Engineering Page 3 of 4 Yakima Valley Transit Railstar Engineering Page 4 of 4 Yakima Valley Transit Yakima Valley Trolleys 2025 Ridership Statistics Here are some up-to-date figures for where riders come from, all for the 2025 summer operating season thus far: - 62% are "not residents of Yakima" - 55% are "not residents of Yakima or Selah" - 15% are from out of state entirely - This summer we've had riders from 21 states - This summer we've had riders from Canada, the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Italy, and India Above numbers are as of September 1, 2025.