At a recent meeting, Bothell City Council adopted a resolution of the I-405 Corridor Program indicating its formal opinion that a full implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan should be given highest priority over other proposed transportation improvements.

This resolution will be shared with the Sound Transit Board, the lead

agency on the development of a new regional transit-enhancement plan for

the central Puget Sound Region. The significance of this resolution is

to ensure that the Sound Transit Board considers all viable transportation-improvement options in addressing the Eastside-area transportation mobility in all directions. By implementing a Bus Rapid Transit plan along the I-405 Corridor, area commuters are expected to experience traffic-congestion relief between Bothell and Renton, as BRT can effectively move commuters faster and improve overall level of service.

The I-405 Corridor Program was the result of an extensive transportation study conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and its recommendations were then adopted in 2002 by the study’s executive committee. The project provided a comprehensive look of the major transportation corridors east of Interstate 5 and covering the benefits and costs of a range of mobility alternatives, including high-capacity rail. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was a major study effort as part of the program, with a study team made up of an executive committee of elected officials from the jurisdictions along the corridor, a citizen committee of 38 members and the support of a technical committee. The final adopted solution included the addition of up to two more general-purpose lanes, Bus Rapid Transit operating on High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and 1,700 van pools, and the additional benefits of fixing more than 200 stream crossings for fish mitigation.

“City of Bothell supported the work and recommendations of the I-405 study, which achieved a balance between automobiles and transit,” said City Manager Bob Stowe. “The city supports Bus Rapid Transit as a compromise among options which serves to increase mobility for those commuting to and through Bothell.”