07/17/2012 09 East-West Corridor Route Selection from I-82 to N 1st Street Report /---. , V\i,
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 9
For Meeting of: July 17, 2012
ITEM TITLE: Resolution considering "East -West Corridor Route
Selection from 1 -82 to N 1st Street" Report
SUBMITTED BY: Joan Davenport, Acting CED Director
CONTACT Joan Davenport, 576 -6417
PERSON /TELEPHONE:
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
The City of Yakima and Yakima County are cooperatively conducting route selection and
environmental review for a new arterial street referred to as the "East -West Corridor" (EWC)
that will connect Terrace Heights to the City of Yakima streets network. The extension of the
EWC through the City will facilitate economic development of the Cascade Mill
redevelopment area. Additionaly, the EWC provides congestion relief for Yakima Avenue,
especially in the vicinity of the 1 -82 Interchange. The enclosed report details the alignment
options within the city limits and recommends that "H" Street as the optimal corridor choice
and will be examined in subsequent environmental review documents.
Resolution X Ordinance Other
(specify)
Contract: Mail to:
Contract Term: Amount: Expiration Date:
Insurance Required? No
Funding Phone:
Source:
APPROVED FOR ■
SUBMITTAL: City Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Review the report, consider public comment and adopt the resolution, making any changes
as appropriate.
BOARD /COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: ,
ATTACHMENTS:
Click to download
❑ Resolution considering East -West Corridor Route Selection Report
'❑ East -West Corridor Route Selection 1 -82 to N 1st Street Report
❑ Map of EWC Route Selection
❑ Pictures of "G" Street
❑ Pictures of "H'' Street
•
RESOLUTION NO. R -2012-
A RESOLUTION approving a report entitled "East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to
North 1s Street" which identifies 'H' Street as the most feasible alignment of the
East -West Corridor within the City of Yakima.
WHEREAS, the City of Yakima and Yakima County are cooperatively conducting the route
selection and environmental review for a new arterial street referred to as the "East -West Corridor"
(EWC) that would connect Terrace Heights to the City of Yakima street network; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the EWC is partly to relieve congestion on Yakima Avenue,
especially in the vicinity of 1 -82 and the interchange; and
WHEREAS, the EWC extension through the old Cascade Mill site, connecting Terrace Heights
to North 1 Street and in the future to Fruitvale Boulevard will facilitate economic development in the
area; and
WHEREAS, preliminary alignments for the EWC were identified in a 2001 study entitled the
"Terrace Heights Corridor Study" (Harding ESE) which illustrated a generalized route for the western
segment of the EWC within the City of Yakima; and
WHEREAS, since 2010 the railroad spur line on "H" Street has been abandoned and removed,
while the railroad spur on "G" Street has been confirmed to be a viable and working spur line which
will not be abandoned. The presence of a working railroad spur adjacent to an arterial street creates
safety conflicts; and
WHEREAS, public comment from nearby property owners and others have been considered
with written notice mailed prior to the Council meeting; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds and determines that supporting the EWC including
identification of "H" Street as the most feasible alignment within the City of Yakima is in the best
interest of residents of the City of Yakima and will promote the general health, safety and welfare;
therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF YAKIMA: The report entitled
"East -West Corridor Route Selection 1 -82 to North 1S Street is adopted by the City of Yakima. For the
purpose of future environmental review and route planning, "H" Street will be identified as the most
feasible alignment of the EWC within the City of Yakima.
ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL this 17th day of July, 2012.
Micah Cawley, Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Report to Yakima City Council
To: Honorable Mayor, City Council Members and City Manager
From: Al King, PE Lochner & Associates
Jeff Louman, PE HLA
Joan Davenport, Acting CED Director
Date: July 17, 2012 Council Meeting
Subject: East West Corridor Route Selection — Interstate 82 to North 1 Street
The following is a brief summary of the history of the East -West Corridor (EWC) from the vicinity of
Interstate 82 (1 -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."
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North 1 Street
Page 2
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 Sth 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 1 -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 ESE first identified the west segment of the route from Fruitvale
Boulevard to 1 -82. Various existing streets between and including East "G" Street on the south and
East "1" 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)
I Harding ESE, Inc. 2001: Terrace Heights Corridor Study
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North 1 Street
Page 3
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 East —West
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 County's request to reclassify
the East -West Corridor from North 1 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 1 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:
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North 1St Street
Page 4
• there is an elementary school located on the north side of East "1" Street between North 3rd
Street and Buwalda Lane;
• East "I" Street does not exist between North 4 Street and North 5 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 1 -82 on the east end;
• maintaining sufficient distance from the 1 -82 and US 12 interchange at the North end of 1
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.
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North f Street
Page 5
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,
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North 1 Street
Page 6
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.
East -West Corridor Route Selection from to North f Street
Page 7
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. Operation 4 2 1- Minimal or No Impact
2. Connectivity 4 2 2 - Some Impact
3. Utilities 2 3 3 - Increased Impact
4. Geotechnical 1 1 4 - Negative Impact
5. Right -of -Way 4 1
6. Community 2 3
7. Environment 1 1
TOTAL 18 13
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 1 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.
East -West Corridor Route Selection from 1 -82 to North 1 Street
Page 8
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.
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