TagPuget Sound Regional Council(106)

Destination 2030 is a long-range regional transportation action plan for King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties in the central Puget Sound area of Washington state, designed to address growing traffic congestion as the region prepares for an additional 1.5 million residents and 800,000 new jobs. The plan outlines over 2,200 specific projects—including more than 2,000 miles of new and improved roadways, expanded transit services, and new walkways and bikeways—to improve mobility across the region by 2030. It also emphasizes coordinating land use and transportation planning to support sustainable growth while preserving environmental quality.

A community advocacy flyer from RCAA (Residential Communities Against Airport expansion) urges King County taxpayers to oppose the planned Third Runway at Sea-Tac Airport, warning that the Port of Seattle's $3.3 billion expansion lacks firm financing and could result in significant tax increases for King County residents. The flyer highlights that the Port can raise property levies by over 60% without voter approval, and that elected officials from neighboring counties — whose residents face no such tax burden — will have a vote in approving the project through the Puget Sound Regional Council. Residents are urged to contact local officials including King County Executive Gary Locke, Seattle Mayor Norm Rice, and their respective councils to oppose the expansion.

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) 2022 Annual Report highlights the organization's key regional planning achievements, including the adoption of the first-ever Regional Housing Strategy, an update to the Regional Transportation Plan, and $102 million in funding for the Northgate Extension of Link Light Rail. The report also notes the passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Washington State's Move Ahead transportation package as significant funding milestones for transit, bridges, and roads in the central Puget Sound region. Note: this document does not contain information specifically related to Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

In this October 2020 letter, the City of Des Moines formally objected to the Puget Sound Regional Council's Regional Aviation Baseline Study, arguing that it wrongly assumes full implementation of SeaTac Airport's long-term expansion plan (the SAMP) before any required environmental review has been completed. The City warned that this flawed assumption skews all study scenarios, understates community noise and pollution impacts on neighborhoods near SeaTac, and creates a circular logic problem that undermines sound regional planning. Des Moines requested that the baseline be revised to reflect only already-approved and environmentally reviewed projects, and called for planning toward a second international airport to relieve pressure on SeaTac.

The Regional Aviation Baseline Study, produced by the Puget Sound Regional Council, examines the current state and future challenges of aviation in the Puget Sound region, covering scenario development, airport analysis, and public engagement. The study highlights near-term disruptions to air travel, noting that passenger volume at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport dropped to just 27% of normal levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily travelers falling to 17,200 and aircraft operations declining from 1,160 to 840 takeoffs and landings per day. The findings provide a foundation for regional planning decisions related to airport capacity, operations, and policy.

This February 2020 Port of Seattle Commission memorandum outlines the organization's top local and regional policy priorities for 2020, including industrial lands protection, clean fuels and sustainability, cruise terminal development, and equity and inclusion initiatives. The document covers Port-wide priorities such as reducing carbon emissions, supporting regional transportation mobility, and workforce development across King County. While the document addresses broad Port operations and planning, it does not specifically focus on Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.