Transportation Master Plan RFP green-lighted for Sammamish

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Sammamish Retreat 2017.

A request for proposal for a consultant to create a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) for Sammamish was green-lighted Saturday at the annual retreat.

A TMP for a 20-30 year vision will be a first for the City.

This differs from the Six Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), a legal requirement under state law for projects needed for growth and traffic concurrency standards.

It will include connectivity, sidewalks, bike lanes, the possibility of new east-west and north-south routes.

Coordination with Redmond, Issaquah, King County, the State and Sound Transit will also be examined.

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Looking ahead to 2016 in Sammamish

Sammamish Comment LogoShortly after the Nov. 3 election, Sammamish Comment identified issues that face the City Council this year. These include:

  • Fully assimilating the Klahanie annexation area into Sammamish.
  • The Sahalee Way road project. The City Staff hasn’t clearly made its case to many residents, or some on the Council, why this project is needed and what it should look like.
  • Appointments to the City commissions.
  • Setting priorities for the year. This should happen at the annual retreat, Jan. 14-16. The retreat begins at 5pm on the 14th and continues to noon on the 16th. It’s at the Murano Hotel in Tacoma.
  • Holding staff accountable to its own codes.
  • Resolution of the East Lake Sammamish Trail.

The full post, with details on these, may be found here.

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Intelligent Transportation System in line for refresher course

Illustration of Intelligent Transportation System. Image via Google images. Click to enlarge.

Sammamish’s new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), intended to speed traffic along the main arterial, 228th Ave., through the City, has generated enough complaints that a refresh is likely, officials say.

The ITS is intended to synchronize traffic lights based on traffic demand through the entire corridor. The problem: left turn signals don’t “trip” as often as before, sometimes leading to three full traffic light cycles before left turns are permitted, according to some City Council Members at a recent Council meeting.

Complaints appearing on social media point to longer cross street red lights, even when there is little or no traffic on 228th.

On other occasions, cross streets have the green even when there has been no traffic.

City transportation officials are well aware of the problems.

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City revises Sahalee Way timeline to ensure public role

Sammamish officials last night reversed course on the timeline for approving the contract for the Sahalee Way road project, followed by public input, and put the cart behind the horse instead of in front.

Additionally, Staff effectively threw out the City Council action October 6, when the Final Work Scope for the $15m project was approved on a 4-2 vote and said it will start from scratch with the design.

Sammamish Comment detailed the controversy and timeline surrounding the project yesterday morning.

The public meeting announced October 6, set for November 4, remains. The plan to have the City Council approve the contract for the consultant Perteet was set for November 3. This has been rescheduled to December 1. A new Council review meeting was set for November 10, by which time Staff will assimilate public comment from the November 4 meeting, which will be 7p-9p at the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center.

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Staff sought to move Sahalee Way road project contract approval to tonight despite protests

Despite protests at the October 6 City Council meeting by two City Council Members over the Council approving the Final Scope of Work for the Sahalee Way road widening project before a

Nancy Whitten

November 4 public meeting, staff tried to advance contract approval to today’s Council meeting (October 20), emails obtained by Sammamish Comment reveal.

Members Ramiro Valderrama and Nancy Whitten voted against the $15m project, both citing the lack of an opportunity for the public to review the Final Work Scope plans before a vote; and, in Whitten’s case, vociferous opposition to the design itself as inadequate and lacking a climbing lane southbound on Sahalee from SR202. The Final Work Scope was approved at the October 6 Council meeting on a 4-2 vote.

The vote, which was taken under the City Manager’s report and not on the Council agenda under New Business, or even under the Consent Agenda, left no indication to the public that action was going to be taken. Even Council Members didn’t know, complained Valderrama and Whitten.

Valderrama noted that there had been no public meetings since the summer.

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