TagPuget Sound Regional Council(175)

A November 2018 presentation by the Puget Sound Regional Council examined the growing demand for aviation in the central Puget Sound region, driven by rapid population growth from 3.7 million to 4.1 million people and job growth from 1.9 million to 2.3 million jobs between 2010 and 2018. The Regional Aviation Baseline Study was presented to the Highline Forum to establish a foundation for understanding how the region's booming economy and population are shaping future airport capacity needs. The study provides context for ongoing policy discussions around Sea-Tac Airport and regional aviation planning.

Passed before 3rd Runway

This document lists the weighted voting allocations for the General Assembly meeting held on May 31, 2018, covering member jurisdictions including counties, cities, tribal governments, and statutory members in the Puget Sound region. King County holds the largest county share at 264.52 votes, while Seattle leads all cities at 99.12 votes, and ports, WSDOT, and the Washington State Transportation Commission collectively contribute 153 statutory votes. The grand total of all weighted votes across all member categories equals 1,153.00.

The Regional Transportation Plan — 2018 is a draft planning document produced by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) in May 2018, outlining the regional transportation vision and investment priorities for the greater Puget Sound area, including King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. Funded in part by federal transportation agencies and Washington State, the plan addresses multimodal transportation networks including roads, transit, and non-motorized travel. Note: this document does not specifically address Sea-Tac Airport noise policy and may have limited relevance to airport noise concerns.

The Puget Sound Regional Council's 2018 Regional Transportation Plan outlines how the central Puget Sound region, which has seen rapid population and job growth since 2010, intends to manage an additional one million residents by 2040. The plan details major investments across highway, transit, rail, ferry, bicycle, and pedestrian systems to reduce traffic congestion and better connect housing, employment centers, and freight hubs. It aims to provide equitable access to the region's natural, cultural, and recreational assets while keeping the transportation system sustainable through projected growth.

The Puget Sound Regional Council's May 2018 Annual Report highlights the rapid growth and development occurring across the greater Seattle-Puget Sound region, including new housing, transportation, and infrastructure projects under construction. The report acknowledges challenges such as housing affordability, rising cost of living, and uneven economic growth across the region, while emphasizing the council's role in bringing local leaders together to find collaborative solutions.

Sea-Tac Airport saw record activity between 2014 and 2017, with over 46 million passengers and 425,895 metric tons of cargo passing through in 2017 alone. Passenger growth is slowing — dropping from a 13% year-over-year increase in 2015 to just 2.6% in 2017 — while air cargo, driven largely by domestic freight, surged 16% compared to the prior year. Summer months remain the busiest for passengers, and air mail volumes have shown a steady annual increase throughout the period.

The Burien Airport Committee (BAC) held meetings in early 2018 to address concerns about Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's growth and its impact on surrounding communities. Key topics included the Port of Seattle's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) Environmental Impact Statement, an Interlocal Agreement among Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, and SeaTac to coordinate responses to airport expansion, and updates on noise-related efforts such as Quiet Skies Burien and the city's petition regarding turbo-prop flights overhead. The committee also discussed participation in regional aviation planning studies led by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the FAA.

The Des Moines Aviation Advisory Committee met on March 12, 2018 to discuss concerns about Sea-Tac Airport's Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP), including the city's decision to commit $50,000 to join an interlocal environmental review agreement with neighboring cities. The committee also reviewed the first meeting of the Sea-Tac Stakeholder Advisory Round Table (StART), with representatives expressing cautious optimism about its future value, and began preparing materials on noise and health issues for an upcoming City Council study session. A Federal Way resident also addressed the committee, urging Des Moines to encourage Federal Way to take a more active role in addressing airport noise impacts.