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DOT budget still under construction
Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty, left, discusses the 2004 budget with her staff.
When the Metropolitan King County Council adopted a 2004 budget
last week, the transportation budget wasn’t entirely finalized. Due to a recent court ruling upholding Initiative 776, the King County Department
of Transportation’s Road Services Division will have less revenue to work with next year. So the council is
giving the division a few more months to balance the bottom line.
The budgets are set for three DOT divisions, Metro Transit, Fleet Administration and King County International Airport (Boeing Field).
While the budget is set for the Metro Transit division, the council has directed the agency to add more hours of service in 2004 than it had originally planned. So, transit staff are busy planning how to deploy approximately 8,000 hours of new bus service in 2004. The division had already earmarked 4,000 hours of new service to coincide with the opening of new park-and-ride facilities at Eastgate and Redondo Heights. The additional 4,000 hours approved by the council will be used in other parts of Metro’s system and will support the priorities outlined in the adopted 6-year plan.
Transit managers anticipate previously planned capital projects will continue in 2004, although some at a slower pace because of decreasing sales tax revenues. But, passengers will see new hybrid buses on the road in 2004, the opening of the new park-and-ride facilities, and preparations for joint operation of buses and light rail cars in the downtown transit tunnel.
For Fleet, it will be a status quo budget next year that continues to emphasize clean air technology and partnerships with other government agencies to boost purchasing power. Plus, the division will continue to buy hybrid electric vehicles to replace regular gas-powered vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life.
The airport budget places an increased emphasis on the infrastructure and trained personnel needed to enhance safety and security. During 2004, there will be a major reorganization in the division to establish an Operations and Compliance unit to meet new federal requirements.
The airport’s 2004 operating budget maintains current staffing levels, with an increase of approximately $800,000 to cover employee costs and significantly increased general utility costs. But, the 2004 revenue forecast does project approximately $584,000 of new revenues, with the largest increases reflected from lease adjustments implemented during 2003 and completed in 2004.
The Road Services Division has the most fluid budget at this point, and will need to submit a revised budget to the council in two months.
Due to Initiative 776 and the loss of a vehicle license fee to fund transportation improvements, the division needs to cut $9.6 million from the 2004 roads budget. Managers are currently identifying projects that can be delayed, and there may be additional reductions in staff. In the original budget proposal, 10 positions were cut from roads staff.
“Over the past several years, we have made many operating efficiencies to save money,” said Jennifer Lindwall, the manager in Roads who is responsible for assembling and managing the division's 6-year capital improvement program budget. “What we are looking at now are some dramatic cutbacks in projects and staff.”
The Roads capital improvement budget was adopted by the council last week with a deficit. Now, a revised budget must be submitted to the council for Roads by the middle of the February with balanced numbers with cuts and efficiencies all identified.
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Winter blasts a section of Neal Road
A failing stretch of Neal Road near Fall City has been closed since just before Thanksgiving.
Cracks and a deep hole in the road surface were noticed last week, prompting closure of the road near the northern intersection with State Route 202 and the state boat launch. Then flooding over the holiday weekend exacerbated the situation.
Engineering crews from the King County Road Services Division are currently
evaluating a variety of temporary and permanent fix options. In the meantime, all through traffic is being diverted to SR 202.
You can keep track of the status of this, and all road closures, online.
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King County Airport neighborhood holiday celebration kicks off next week
Staff and tenants at King County International Airport will get into the spirit of the season by participating in the
Museum of Flight’s (external link) holiday light display.
In celebration of the Centennial of Flight and the holiday season, the museum will have a whimsical outdoor light display of "Santa's New Toy." The display depicts a half-scale Wright Flyer replica (20-ft. wingspan) piloted by Santa Claus and led in formation by reindeer flying through the night sky.
The Museum is the kick-off location for Pool’s Parade of Lights, the annual holiday celebration headed by KOMO-TV’s Steve Pool. The kickoff will be held Monday, Dec. 8 from 5-7 p.m. KCIA staff will also have a special illuminated aircraft on display. The light display runs through the whole month of December.
Admission to the outdoor display and kick-off event on Dec. 8 is free, and includes admission to the museum from 5-7 p.m.
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Brighten your holiday by sharing the ride
Would you like to attend some of the upcoming holiday events in December, but don’t want to hassle with the traffic or pay the high cost for a parking space? One solution to this dilemma is to find someone to share the ride to ease your traffic stress and costs.
King County Metro Transit makes it easy for you find others going to the same event by logging on to
RideshareOnline (external link) and selecting
“Ridematch to regional events.”
Some of the events available for ridesharing include the Festival of the Trees at the Tacoma Dome, the Nutcracker at the new McCaw Hall, and the Jingle Bell Bash at the Tacoma Dome. If you see an event you plan to attend, it is easy to register and find out how to receive a list of others who are attending the same event. And, it is simple to contact persons on your list by checking the box next to the names listed, and then sending them a pre-written email message expressing your interest in sharing the ride.
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Roadwork ahead
Here are King County Department of Transportation projects that may disrupt traffic and travel this week:
Military Road, near Boulevard Park — The southbound lane of Military Road South will remain closed
until early February between South 116th Street and South 120th Street in the Boulevard Park area. During the closure, crews will be installing sidewalks on the west side of Military Road. Southbound traffic can detour via 24th Avenue South.
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DOT Dash