Advisory Committee on Tolling and Traffic Management (2011-present)
WSDOT and the City of Seattle established an advisory committee on tolling in fall 2011. The committee is exploring ways to refine tolling of the SR 99 tunnel to minimize traffic diversion and meet funding goals, and investigate strategies to reduce or mitigate diversion. The committee will submit its initial recommendations by December 2012 to the Governor, Legislature, State Transportation Commission, WSDOT, Seattle Mayor and the Seattle City Council.
The committee will finalize its recommendations in December 2015, when the tunnel is scheduled to open and tolling begins. It will continue work for up to one year after tolling begins to evaluate its effect on city street and I-5 traffic.
WSDOT, the Seattle Mayor and Seattle City Council jointly appointed the 15 committee members (pdf 24 kb). Five members were nominated by each, and membership was confirmed by the City Council. Members were selected to represent various interests, including freight, retail, drivers, labor, bicycle and pedestrian interests, large employers, waterfront businesses, adjacent and affected neighborhoods, transit riders and low income people.
Meetings are open to the public, and meeting times and locations are listed under public events. Information presented to the committee is available on our meeting materials page.
Working Groups (2009-present)
WSDOT and the King County and Seattle departments of transportation established working groups in April 2009 to help inform the design and environmental review process for the SR 99 tunnel. In 2012 we shifted the focus of the meetings to construction activities, particularly those related to the tunnel portals.
Working group objectives:
- Review information about upcoming construction activities, schedules and potential impacts.
- Discuss coordination between projects and how agencies are working together to minimize impacts.
- Provide agencies with feedback on work that has been implemented.
- Share perspectives on upcoming construction activities and proposed mitigation techniques.
- Help distribute construction information to the broader community.
There are two working groups - one for the tunnel's north portal area and one for the south portal. Members represent neighborhood, business and freight interests and other interest groups. The Port of Seattle also participates in working group meetings.
Meetings are open to the public, and meeting times and locations are listed under public events. Information presented to the groups is available on our meeting materials page.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee (2007-2008)
In December 2007, the Governor, King County Executive and Seattle Mayor appointed an advisory committee of local community and business representatives to provide feedback on potential solutions for the viaduct's central waterfront replacement. It was made up of 29 individuals (pdf 32 kb) that represented communities, economic interests and cause-driven organizations. The purpose of this advisory committee, which met until December 2008, was to review, deliberate on and provide comments on the technical work for the viaduct replacement project.
Interagency Working Group (2008)
In 2008 WSDOT and the King County and Seattle departments of transportation created an Interagency Working Group, which included staff from different public agencies around the region. The purpose of the group, which met until December 2008, was to share information on the viaduct's central waterfront replacement with public agencies and to collect technical feedback on alternatives as they were developed.
Agencies participating in the working group included Community Transit, Federal Highway Administration, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board, Passenger Ferry District, Pierce Transit, Port of Seattle, Public Health, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, Puget Sound Regional Council, Sound Transit, and Washington State Ferries.