Month: October 2023

How to bring Light Rail to Renton

Written by Randy Corman 10 Comments

When Sound Transit 3 was approved by voters, the package included a multi-million dollar planning study of a future light rail line to Renton.  While I was on Council I helped hire a consultant to get this study started, and we now need to urgently get it finished.

We will likely see a proposed Sound Transit 4 in the next two to three years, as Sound Transit has been forced to make compromises on planned service and schedule due to rising costs and pandemic impacts.  Polls show that voters in Seattle and surrounding areas remain highly in favor of mass transit (84 percent in Seattle), so any proposed Sound Transit 4 package is likely to pass, whether or not Renton is included in it or in favor of it.

A Sound Transit 4 package is likely to speed-up already approved projects, and Renton should insist on not waiting until 2040 for a light rail station.  Given Renton’s already large 107,000 population, with thousands of new housing units currently in planning or construction, and zoning for tens of thousands more, a Renton light rail station should be targeted for 2030 or earlier.

Renton officials must assure that the voter-approved Renton planning study is completed, and that a Renton light rail connection is included in any future Sound Transit package. 

The station location(s) should be identified,

The preliminary right-of-ways should be determined

The construction and operations costs should be estimated. 

Ridership projections should be completed

Renton’s past and future contributions to Sound Transit should be professionally calculated, so a strong regional equity case can be made to include the rail line in any future packages

Renton’s elected officials should then work together to assure the package is included in any future Sound Transit 4 initiative

As I’ve covered in other blog entries, Renton taxpayers have already contributed an estimated one to two billion dollars to Sound Transit, and we’re obligated to spending billions more.  Many Renton officials have worked hard to get this planning study authorized and underway.  Getting our deserved light rail line will require that the council work together as a team, and keep the Renton light rail planning study at at the forefront so that we don’t run out of time.

We must work collaboratively on getting light rail to Renton, or Renton taxpayers will be paying billions for decades for most other cities in our area to have high speed rail transit while Renton gets left out.

Getting the approved planning study completed and Renton light rail line added to a future Sound Transit proposal will require strong collaboration by Renton’s elected officials.  The plan I’ve outlined here was co-created with the many elected officials supporting me.

I-405 southbound closure tentatively planned November 3-6 to repair Lind Ave overpass

Written by Randy Corman 0 Comments
Lind Avenue has been closed at the crossing over I-405 since June 13, 2022

 

Repair work on Renton’s Lind Avenue overpass will finally get under way later this month, and will include complete demolition and replacement of the northern span of the bridge. Motorists traveling between Renton’s downtown and the Renton/Kent valley will be relieved to get this important connection back in service.

At the time of bid opening the Washington DOT was predicting a summer repair, so this is a little later than planned.  A year and four months ago the bridge was struck by an excavator being transported on a flatbed trailer, and the bridge has been closed to traffic ever since.  It turns out the bridge is more damaged than it originally appeared, and the whole northern half of the span of the bridge will need to be replaced.

Overnight work may begin as soon as October 23, and require one northbound and one southbound directional closure of I-405, from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.  Then a full weekend closure of all the southbound I-405 lanes is planned, from November 3-6  (weather permitting),  to demolish the damaged northbound bridge section.  Eight new girders will be lifted into place during this closure, to support the replacement span.  Plan ahead if you are going to be headed to the airport (or anywhere else that is time-sensitive) during that closure.

The WSDOT press release with further details can be found below, or found online here.

 

WSDOT photo of damaged girder on Lind Avenue bridge

 

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I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Renton Police Guild

Written by Randy Corman 4 Comments

I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Renton Police Guild. In informing me of this endorsement, the Guild President credited my long, successful track record of working with Renton Police on public safety as the basis for their endorsement.

As a Renton City Council Member for 28 years, I helped fund and hire needed police personnel most of the years I was on council, and did my best to protect police personnel from layoffs during recession periods. Hiring through the years included patrol officers, detectives, evidence technicians, crime analysts, DV victim advocate, K9 units, and others who work day and night to keep our community safe. The overall police department and the city itself more than doubled in size while I served on council.

Many years ago I helped develop and implement improved recruitment and hiring policies to increase the diversity of our new-hires, and help the department reflect the evolving demographics of our city.  (This was part of an award-winning city-wide inclusion program that we continually improve and refine as part of the process.)

When our police department outgrew the Mill Avenue Police Station, I helped authorize the funding and construction of our current police station as part of a new city hall complex. More recently I helped add an advanced new Police Training Facility to the complex.

During my years of service on council I consistently embraced technology to improve officer safety and effectiveness, such as modern vehicles, improved communication systems, non-lethal weapon options, and ever-improving forensic/investigation equipment.

I also helped draft numerous changes to city ordinances and advocated for changes to state laws as needed to improve the safety and security of all the residents of our city.  I worked closely in partnership with our residents, our city attorney, elected colleagues, and our police in adjusting these laws. When drafting laws and setting policy, I always kept my eye on our ultimate public safety goals while also working to exhaustively anticipate the fairness, public burden, enforceability, and possible unintended consequences of any new laws we passed.

I am eager to bring my experience, care and diligence back to Renton City Council.  I’m grateful to Renton Police for giving me their support in my 2023 campaign.

Speeding and failure to use seatbelts continue to drive tragic increases in Washington’s traffic fatalities

Written by Randy Corman 0 Comments

Note: A few hours after I published this article, State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson posted a public plea for drivers to please slow down, as State Patrol was responding to non-stop collisions, and had responded to 66 accidents in King County since yesterday.

The Washington Highway Safety Commission data demonstrate the continuing need for police safety patrol of our streets and highways, even if some legislators think there should be less of it.  As shown in the May 2023 data above, speeding and failure to wear seatbelts have been contributing to rapid jumps in highway fatalities, even while deaths from distracted driving and impaired driving have recently been dropping.   While nobody likes to get a speeding ticket or seatbelt ticket, this enforcement save lives.

In February I extensively covered the correlation between more-lenient pandemic-era traffic enforcement and a tragic upturn in street and highway fatalities.  At the time the Washington State Legislature had already barred police from initiating pursuits of speeding and reckless drivers, and the Legislature was debating House Bill 1513 which would prevent police from even attempting to pull over motorists for seat-belt violations.  HB 1513 also would have prevented police from pulling over motorists for broken tail-lights, driving unlicensed vehicles, and other equipment issues –ironically in the name of “safety.”

I spoke out against  HB 1513 in this Op-Ed to Renton Reporter (also published here),  and encouraged letter writing campaigns to restore reasonable police pursuit authority in this series of blog entries.

As I showed in this blog entry, the Legislature must reverse their recent experimentation, and once-again show unified support to our police officers, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers who are trying to conduct reasonable traffic enforcement on our streets and highways.  Highway deaths disproportionately hit our younger residents, as well as our lower-paid workers who disproportionately commute longer distances, sometimes late at night, in older vehicles. And for every fatality, there are two or three serious life-altering head-injuries or maimings that will change a victim’s life.  A compassionate society would keep the speeds on the streets as safe as possible, stop giving reckless drivers a pass, and remind everyone to wear seatbelts and replace their safety light bulbs when necessary.  Letting drivers crash at increasing frequency, in the name of “safety”, is anything but compassionate.

The charts above can be found on this dashboard of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission

 

 

 

Eastrail provides beautiful vistas with level biking and walking from Renton to Woodinville

Written by Randy Corman 3 Comments

 

As a 20-year member of I-405 corridor transportation planning team and a founding member of the Eastrail Regional Advisory Committee, I was glad to help bring Eastrail to Renton

 

Our new Eastrail hiking and biking Trail on the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Eastside Line is a wonderful new amenity in our city.  If you have not yet discovered it, you are in for a treat.  With amazing views of the lake, streams, trees and nature at a grade of less than 1%,  the trail is a delight for travelers of any degree of mobility.

The trail is a successful example of “railbanking,” where an otherwise abandoned rail corridor is preserved intact under a long-term agreement between the railroad and government agencies, allowing the corridor to become a public trail with the proviso that it could potentially be used by rail again in the future.

I was a longtime member of the I-405 Corridor Executive Steering Committee and Eastside Transportation Partnership when we learned the rail corridor would be abandoned.  Working with King County, the Port of Seattle, the DOT, and others, we protected the corridor to assure multimodal transportation options up and down the corridor.  I was a founding member of the Regional Advisory Committee for the new Rail trail, which we ultimately named Eastrail as it blended “Eastside Rail” and trail.

As someone who appreciated railroads, I was very pleased we could preserve the original trestles on the trail, and make them safe for pedestrians.

Several smaller trestles have already been converted for pedestrian use, and the plan is in work for the magnificent 1000-foot-long Wilburton Trestle in South Bellevue.  Funding issues are being worked to upgrade the trestle across I-90, and build a pedestrian/bike bridge across I-405 in the Wilburton area where the original tunnels used by the train were dismantled during the previous I-405 widening.

 

My wife Cathy walking the trail with me. Here it crosses over May Creek.
Trail users get this good view of the Seahawks training center

 

A bike and pedestrian section north of the Seahawks training center, built on the original railroad trestle.

 

From below the railroad origins of the bridge are obvious, and add to the trail’s charm
Details of the historic timber trestle bents and beams that carry the new concrete walking surface

 

The thousand-foot-long, hundred-foot high Wilburton trestle will be converted to a bike and walking path.  Amazon is helping with funding of this portion.

Sound Transit must prioritize their “planning study” for a Tukwila to Renton rail line

Written by Randy Corman 6 Comments
Millions of dollars were allocated in Sound Transit 3 to study a link light rail connection between Renton, Tukwila, and West Seattle. The study must be prioritized. Photo credit: Sound Transit

 

As I’ve covered in previous blog entries, Renton taxpayers have paid between 1-2 billion dollars for Sound Transit, and have received very little benefit.

When Sound Transit 3 (ST3) was approved by voters, it included several million dollars for a planning study of a light rail connection to Renton.  Renton must continue to push for this study to be completed, to ensure we are not left out of link light rail if a Sound Transit 4 is proposed in the future.

Many transit insiders believe there will be an ST4 proposed within a few years, as Sound Transit 3 funding isn’t covering all of the ST3 commitments, with one of the latest challenges being the quantity and cost of new trains.  While the Sound Transit Board has a fiduciary duty to deliver as best they can with the funds they are allocated  (making necessary compromises to design, operating frequency, implementation schedule, etc), the public could bring forward a new proposed ST4 bond issue to resolve these issues and enhance this service at any time.  The last I heard, the buzz was that it may happen between 2024-2026.

We must have a Renton Link Light Rail connection in any future ballot proposals.  I worked hard along with Renton’s Mayor and several council colleagues to get the Renton study into Sound Transit 3, and we then worked to jump-start the study by hiring a consultant to help us identify potential station locations and potential alignments.  We now need for Sound Transit to take this good work, and finish the job.

According to approved ST3 Documents, :

“The planning studies would help to identify the range of alternatives, evaluate potential routes and station locations and terminals, inform local
comprehensive planning, prepare for formal environmental review and engineering, and position the Sound Transit Board to evaluate options and
establish priorities for implementation in future phases of high capacity transit investments in the region. The studies will include public outreach,
preliminary environmental assessment, ridership forecasting, and conceptual engineering and cost estimating.

The studies include:
HCT Study: Light Rail Extending from West Seattle to Burien, connecting to Renton via Tukwila
This study would examine a light rail extension from West Seattle to Renton via Burien and Tukwila. The study would be completed in
coordination with local transit partners to examine a variety of options for service provision and to maximize opportunities for regional
integration.”

 The Issaquah-Kirkland line  is an example of a completed study. It includes 4 new stations and was funded with Sound Transit 3.

Part of the approved (and funded) plan for a Kirkland to Issaquah line

 

It’s way past time for Renton to get on the Sound Transit Link Light Rail long-term plan.  Unfortunately there are Seattle-based transit interests that don’t think Renton deserves a light rail line and they still want our tax money. Renton officials must push back against these opinions.  For example, prior to ST3, the popular  Seattle Transit Blog published an article which said:

‘The “tell” of excess focus on new regional connections is the heavy emphasis on the east-west Burien/Renton corridor.  To put it mildly, this is not a corridor where existing demand suggests a need for true high-capacity transit.’

Renton officials must be firm advocates for Renton when working with Sound Transit, so that Renton taxpayers do not spend many more billions of dollars while receiving very little benefit.

Part of the ST3 commitment to voters. Source: Sound Transit

Sound Transit’s 2023 Progress report does not include any discussion of these planning studies.

 

Randy Corman testifying to the Sound Transit Board in 2016. One of the board’s commitments was the study of a Renton-Tukwila light rail connection.  The full story is here.

More Sound Transit 3 documents and reports can be found here.

As an aerospace engineer and elected official, Renton’s airport has always been important to me

Written by Randy Corman 1 Comment

From 4:00-7:00 PM today I’ll be meeting people out at Renton airport for a BBQ fundraiser.  I would like you all to come and the details are here!  Here’s some background on our historic and vital airport, and some of my involvement with it.

Renton’s airport is important and historic:

The Renton Municipal Airport, Clayton Scott Field, is estimated to support 6.2 billion dollars a year in economic impact, including 18,000 jobs tied directly to airport businesses.  Aviation provides over a third of all Renton jobs and indirectly creates many of our other jobs. Along with living-wage paychecks, our aviation businesses pay about 38 million a year in taxes which help keep our city and schools succeeding.

Our Airport is also an important part of history. In 1922 it was a small turf runway called Bryn Mawr Airport. In 1935, two American icons, humorist Will Rogers and famed-aviator Wiley Post left the continental United States for the last time from Renton on their ill-fated trip to the Alaska frontier,  Our Seaplane base now bears their names. In 1943 Renton airfield was expanded and modernized by the US government to build the Boeing B-29 Superfortress. In 1954, our airport ushered in the jet age in commercial passenger transportation by launching the Boeing Dash 80 followed by the 707.   Also in 1954 local aviation pioneer Clayton Scott opened a business at Renton Airport alongside many other important businesses at the field.  ” Scotty” had flown out of Renton in 1928, served as Boeing founder William Boeing’s personal pilot, was the first pilot to land at Boeing Field, and ultimately became chief test pilot for the Boeing Company.  In 2006 Scotty flew himself to the Museum of Flight for a ceremony in which Marcie Palmer and I presented him with a banner naming the field after him.   From 1965 until now Clayton Scott Field has been the home of the 737, the best selling airliner in history.

The 2019 Master Plan Challenge

In 2019 the Renton Airport was undergoing a Master Planning process in order to maintain its safety, viability, and eligibility for Federal funding. The project was running into serious political challenges, and I helped work with the Airport Community, the Mayor, and the City Council to find a way through these challenges.

Our consultants on the project had identified an updated designation and new safety zones and clearances consistent with the most recent FAA Advisory Circulars for new airport design.  Unfortunately, these safety zones required us to extend the length of the airport by nearly 2000 feet, which either pushed it into the lake or right into downtown Renton.  The added airport length had already created great concern in the community, as we would have had to acquire anywhere from 40 to 100 new properties, including the sports field at Renton High School,  and do work in the lake and Cedar River that may not be allowed due to environmental concerns.  The airport could go all the way to Second Street.  Comments from concerned citizens and businesses continued to come into city hall, and it was clear that the project was facing severe headwinds.

We ultimately worked through these issues with the FAA, and our airport has maintained its classification and it’s financial viability for now.  But there are many more challenges on the horizon that will need elected leaders’ attention to keep our airport working for our community in the future.

For a detailed understanding of the technical issues involved in the Master Plan process, read more here in my 2019 blog on the topic

To search all my past stories on the airport, click here

Mixed-messages from Burien leaders regarding Econo Lodge prompt letter from Kennydale Neighborhood

Written by Randy Corman 4 Comments
The Kennydale Econo Lodge/Inn at Lake Washington is owned by REBLX Partners, and has been discussed as a possible homeless services site for Burien

 

Two days ago the Kennydale Neighborhood Association sent a letter to Burien leadership requesting that the City of Burien remove the Econo Lodge from consideration for relocation of their residents experiencing homelessness.

According to the B-Town blog, a Burien-based blog which provides in-depth city hall coverage, this letter was met with some confusion by at least one Burien council member:

“Why is it you think we are considering sending them to Renton?” Councilmember Stephanie Mora said to the KNA via email. “As far as I know there is only one property we are considering using that’s here in the city of Burien. Please help me understand what I might be missing.”

It’s commendable Councilmember Mora spoke up and asked this important question.  The answer to Councilmember Mora’s question is that the City of Burien website displays an August 1st news release which (as of today) says:

False information is circulating throughout the community that accuses the Burien City Council of rejecting an offer of $1 million from King County for the purpose of establishing a site for temporary housing.

The Burien City Council did not reject the offer presented by King County; the offer is not contingent upon a vote of acceptance by the Burien City Council and remains available through the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA). The Burien City Council remains committed to exploring fully the issue of temporary housing for the unhoused community and directed the City Manager to investigate potential partnerships and sites in and outside the city of Burien.

City personnel have identified several potential sites, including a facility operated by REBLX, a partner agency of KCRHA.  All sites remain under consideration until an exhaustive review has been completed by City personnel and shared with the City Council.

[Emphasis added; the REBLX site is the Kennydale Econo Lodge/Inn at Lake Washington]

The only subsequent news releases (as of today) on Burien’s website are concerning Planning Commission applications and Burien’s Welcoming Week.

Hence, anyone reading the news from Burien’s administration can reasonably assume that the REBLX/Econo Lodge site is still under consideration, and that information to the contrary is false Information (in the words of Burien’s City Manager’s Office.)

Kennydale residents will be relieved to hear that at least one Burien Council member is not considering the Renton Econo Lodge a viable solution, and Kennydale residents would be even more relieved if the Burien Administration superseded their August 1st statement with a new press release saying that the REBLX site is off the table.

While some Burien leaders may feel they have already clarified this, a KOMO news story last week implies Burien has not completed the “exhaustive review” to find shelter space that they called for in their news release.

Per KOMO on September 26: “What are the shelter options that we have? I think that’s the very crucial next step,” Mora explained.

 

Current screenshot from Burien’s official “News and Announcements” page

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[For additional background on this story, click here]

I’ve included the letter from KNA below:

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Please join me at Ace Aviation at Renton Airport Friday Oct 6, 4:00- 7:00 PM

Written by Randy Corman 3 Comments

This is going to a fun fundraiser at the Renton Airport, in the beautiful state-of-the-art Ace Aviation “Red Barn” facility. Thanks to Karen Stemwell and Marcie Palmer for organizing, and Kurt Boswell for hosting. RSVPs (to VoteRandyCorman@gmail.com) are appreciated to help us plan food, but not required. If you can’t make this event, donations are still greatly appreciated to help raise money for a final mailer. You can donate through this link: https://secure.anedot.com/elect-randy-corman/donate

Seattle leaders stress the importance of hotels for travelers in their city

Written by Randy Corman 7 Comments
Seattle Council and Mayor are looking to open more hotels in Belltown, to help their local businesses and raise city revenues. (photo from trip advisor)

 

Six weeks ago I pointed out that Renton had lost 22% of our hotel rooms for travel use as they were converted to emergency shelter use for City of Seattle’s homeless residents, while leaving the Red Lion boarded up and uninhabitable.  This number would hit 29% if the Kennydale Econolodge gets converted similarly.  I explained the loss of hotel space was hurting Renton’s economy and our ability to financially recover from the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the City of Seattle is emphasising the vital commercial importance of their own hotels for travelers, which they recognize are critical to help their small businesses recover while generate lodging tax to promote tourism.

A few weeks ago the Seattle City Council began talking about getting more hotels open in the city, particularly in Belletown.  

Per KOMO news:

According to city data, hotel occupancy rates downtown exceeded 90% this summer, which is the highest of any city in the nation. The same study reports occupancy rates are expected to beat pre-pandemic levels in 2024.  The city said it feels, with these latest numbers, more hotel capacity is needed.

“Yes, please,” said Jason Morganstern, the general manager and owner of Hatch Cantina in Belltown.  Morganstern said he and his two business partners took a chance on opening Hatch Cantina 16 months ago, and while it has had its challenges, between inflation, crime and fewer people working downtown, they got some good traction over the summer. But he’d like to see more hotel rooms. He insists more hotels mean more people who will come to Belltown.

“Hotels are the lifeblood of Belltown,” Morganstern said. “Go to any restaurant around here, there is a 40-to-50% increase in sales during tourist season.”

 Yesterday, Mayor Bruce Harrell discussed the importance of hotel lodging tax, which he acknowledges is vital to the city. He proposes increasing the rate from a flat $4 per night to 2.3% to enhance city marketing and maintenance revenues.

Per KOMO news:

“(It) is just another step toward our downtown activation plan,” Harrell said in a morning press conference at the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building downtown.   Harrell said the extra money will, in his mind, bring more people to the city to spend money which goes back into the general fund for services and maintenance.

While no agency appears to be comprehensively tracking hotel-to-shelter conversion rates and voucher use in King County (King County Regional Homelessness Authority only knew about one-out-of-three in Renton), I’ve estimated King County’s and Seattle’s overall hotel-conversion-to-shelter space at around 4 percent.

While Seattle works to quickly build it’s hotel revenues and room space above pre-pandemic levels, these same Seattle officials seem fine letting Renton’s revenues and room counts drop 23-29% .  It’s time for all Renton council members to say “enough”, and insist on more regional fairness.  And King County should rebuild our boarded-up Red Lion into a proper hotel, restaurant, and convention center again– to anchor our Renton Village shopping and dining district the way it did in 2019 before the County leased it.

Renton’s former Red Lion hotel is locked in a lease with King County, and boarded up. Even the boards used do not meet Renton city code.