TagWSDOT(61)

The Washington Aviation Economic Impact Study, published in July 2020 by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), examines the economic contributions of airports across Washington State, including on-airport activities and off-airport visitor spending. Prepared by Kimley-Horn in partnership with EBP, WSP, and PRR, the study uses economic modeling tools such as IMPLAN to estimate jobs, output, and income generated by aviation activity statewide. The report also addresses how aviation economics changed over the study period, including the effects of COVID-19 on the industry.

House Bill 2688 proposes changes to Washington State's transportation system policy goals, requiring the Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to evaluate transportation projects submitted to the legislature using updated policy criteria. Multiple state agencies — including the Departments of Commerce, Health, Ecology, and the Interagency Council on Health Disparities — would be required to participate in these project evaluations, along with representatives from vulnerable and highly impacted communities. The fiscal impact on participating agencies is estimated to be non-zero but indeterminate, with the Department of Commerce alone estimating costs of between $21,000 and $35,000 per year.

Washington State House Bill 2688 proposes expanding and modifying the state's transportation policy goals by adding new priorities such as accessibility, health and resilience, and equity and environmental justice, while removing existing goals like mobility and stewardship. The bill would require all transportation projects to be evaluated against these updated goals and specific metrics before receiving budget authorization, with projects failing to meet a minimum score threshold being excluded from funding. The evaluation process would involve multiple state agencies and must include public input from vulnerable and highly impacted communities.

In November 2019, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) presented findings from the SR 518 Corridor Planning Study to the Highline Forum in Des Moines, WA. The study, mandated by a 2017 legislative proviso and funded with $500,000 from the legislature plus an additional $400,000 from the Port of Seattle, examined traffic conditions and improvement alternatives along the SR 518 corridor near Sea-Tac Airport. The presentation covered traffic analysis, alternatives screening, and recommended improvement packages, with a final report due by November 30, 2019.

The Highline Forum held its end-of-year meeting on November 20, 2019, at Des Moines Beach Park Event Center, featuring updates on airport noise mitigation from the Port of Seattle's StART program, a SR 518 Corridor Study presentation by WSDOT, and planning discussions for 2020 meeting topics. The forum, co-chaired by Commissioner Felleman, brings together regional stakeholders to address issues related to Sea-Tac Airport's impact on surrounding communities. Six bimonthly meetings were scheduled for 2020, each running from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.

This 2019 WSDOT report analyzes noise barriers along the SR509 Phase 1 highway alignment near the Sea-Tac area, evaluating whether proposed sound walls meet feasibility and cost-reasonableness standards. Wall 3 was rejected because it could not achieve the required 5 dB noise reduction for nearby residents. Wall 4 met the technical noise-reduction threshold but was ultimately rejected because its estimated cost of $111,478 exceeded the allowable budget of $72,254.