2024-07-22-minutes-public-works-&-cds-study-session

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hand are developed. Feasibility studies are then conducted to analyze these alternatives based on a variety of factors including transportation and mobility, environment, equity, resiliency, government and local agency coordination, and public input. Although such an analysis is not as detailed as a design or environmental study, it is intended to provide enough information to allow project sponsors to make decisions by reducing the quantity and scope of alternatives. The findings of the feasibility study will guide a shift towards a more focused allocation of resources, facilitating effective investment in the subsequent stages of design and environmental assessment. Project Purpose and Need This feasibility study is designed to identify potential solutions which can fulfill the project's purpose and goals, and why the project is needed. Project Purpose and Goals The purpose of the project is to: • Ensure continued and improved safety to 1-90 users, including travelers, maintenance crews, freight operators, and emergency responders. • Enhance mobility and connectivity on 1-90 for passenger vehicles, freight, transit, and active modes and provide support for increased person and freight throughput. • Respect the surrounding environment and provide measures to address the resiliency of the system, improve wildlife connectivity, and reduce impacts to environmental baseline conditions. • Support equity by ensuring communities and individuals are not disproportionately impacted. CHAPTER l: INTRODUCTION Need for the Project The project is needed to ensure continued safety and mobility throughout the study area. Kittitas County is home to many key freight - generating and time -sensitive industries, including agriculture and forestry, with 1-90 serving as a key thoroughfare for these industries. Providing a transportation system that accommodates these key economic generators and the timely movement of goods is important to Kittitas County. As such, WSDOT has identified this corridor as one of the state's major truck corridors, which is a major economic driver in the region, through both customers to the businesses along the routes and providers of goods movement for producers and growers in the County. In addition, growth within the County — industrial and residential — is contributing to increased congestion along 1-90. Such growth is putting a strain on the roadway network, both in terms of traffic congestion and wear and tear. Most of the congestion in Kittitas County occurs at certain times of the year — near ski resorts in winter or routes accessing the lakes in the summer. Heavy seasonal congestion on 1-90 and state routes within the study area can lead to traffic diverting onto local county roads. This poses both safety risks and delays to residents and also increases the maintenance burden on the County. This feasibility study addresses potential solutions to such traffic growth and congestion. A study initiated by the County in 2019 (see Appendix A) found congestion along 1-90 is heaviest during summer weekends and major holidays (Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day). In the westbound direction, this regularly occurs between MP 70 and MP 93 on Sundays in summer, with the most extreme congestion occurring on the Mondays of Memorial Day and Labor Day holiday weekends. Holiday traffic VOLUME I: FEASIBILITY REPORT 1-90 Corridor Easton to Cle Elunn Feasibility Study 1 3