As predicted in January, the past 12 months have been productive and challenging for the King County Department of Transportation.

As 2003 began, KCDOT Director Harold S. Taniguchi said his staff would be tasked every single day with making difficult decisions in a climate of limited resources and uncertainty surrounding the future direction of transportation. Taniguchi’s forecast turned out to be very true, as did his confidence that KCDOT employees would rise to the occasion.

Over the past year, transportation funding has become less predictable and in some cases is no longer available to fund projects and programs in King County. Taniguchi and his staff have been successful in stretching the available funds to cover new or expanded services, yet in some cases there have been accompanying cutbacks.

In the Metro Transit division, bus service was revamped in several areas of the county to meet the changing needs of passengers. In the North King County and the Federal Way areas, several new bus routes were added while less-productive routes were consolidated or eliminated.

For the Roads Services Division, financial efficiencies were achieved by forging new partnerships on projects large and small. One of the biggest examples was the new network of roads linking the Sammamish Plateau with Interstate 90 at Sunset Way. In that case, King County, Issaquah, the state, and a private developer pooled their expertise and resources to build a new interchange and connecting roads. The partnership saved both time and money.

Those kinds of partnerships are evident throughout KCDOT. The department is exploring new ways to do business from small projects such as historic road signs in Fall City done in conjunction with the local community association, to the nationwide purchasing cooperative spearheaded by KCDOT’s Fleet Administration Division.

Technology has also played a key role in saving time and money. New fuels, high-tech equipment, and innovative online services all played an important during the past year in the department’s success.

Metro Online is a hot spot for new technology and online conveniences. In 2003, the following services were debuted: online chat for lost and found; point-to-point transit trip planning; custom printable timetables; and creating a series of commute trip plans with one click.

Another challenge that is always with the department is the weather. In 2003, winter got off to an early start – and never really stopped. Between flooding, windstorms and icy conditions, KCDOT workers have been working extra hours since mid-October to improve travel conditions.

Some important transportation milestones were also marked in 2003. The King County International Airport at Boeing Field celebrated both its own 75^th Anniversary and the 100^th Anniversary of manned flight. Metro Transit turned 30 this year, and Roads (formerly Public Works) is one of the oldest continuously operating divisions in King County’s 150-year history.

The Boeing Field anniversary coincided with the reopening of the historic passenger terminal building, which underwent a 14-month renovation. It is now the oldest passenger terminal in the Puget Sound area and serves regional commercial airlines and passengers, along with charter flights and private pilots.

"Our experience with the challenges and successes of the past year have prepared us well to serve the residents of King County and the region in 2004 and beyond," said Taniguchi.