'Hitting our stride' – KCDOT looks ahead to 2003
King County Director of Transportation Harold Taniguchi (left) goes over some of the 2003 plans for transit services with Metro Transit Deputy General Manager Jim Jacobson.
A message from Harold Taniguchi:
I have been director of the King County Department of Transportation for seven months now. When I took on this job, I said it would be both a daunting and exciting time to be heading up an agency that offers such a diverse mix of transportation services.
I wasn’t wrong, but maybe I underestimated the satisfaction factor of leading a team of people who are so dedicated to delivering broad-based transportation services in the most productive way possible.
Our employees at KCDOT are challenged every single day with making difficult decisions in a climate of limited resources and much uncertainty surrounding the future direction of transportation. Yet in many respects, I feel we are hitting our stride as a department.
We begin this new year positioned to make some historic contributions to our region by delivering the widest variety of Metro Transit services and road improvements ever in King County. The King County International Airport – more commonly known as Boeing Field – is also on course for an historic anniversary as it prepares to open its newly renovated passenger terminal. This airport generates more than $1.25 billion a year for our local economy, which is particularly valuable given the recent overall economic downturn.
As I look ahead in 2003, I see several key milestones for our department:
- It will be an unprecedented year for road construction, with a record $90 million earmarked for road projects. This is largely made possible by our decision to sell bonds to raise revenue for road construction. The sale of these road bonds will allow us to invest an additional $120 million into road improvements over the next few years in the neighborhoods and communities we serve. We are committed to delivering these improvements because we have promised our residents better and safer streets and roads. And, we are not about to break that promise;
- We also plan to expand our transit services to offer an even fuller range of facilities and personal-transportation options. This comes on top of the roughly 100 million bus trips we provide each year;
- We will increase our ability to support the movement of freight to strengthen our local economy, while continuing to meet customer demand for general aviation services at King County International Airport (Boeing Field);
- Employees in Fleet Administration and Transit will continue their nationally recognized work with clean-burning fuels and hybrid technology to reduce air pollution and increase vehicle efficiency;
- I am also pleased to be the director of the King County Department of Transportation at a time when this department will mark two very significant milestones – the 30th Anniversary of Metro Transit and the 75th Anniversary of Boeing Field. These events will give us opportunities to showcase these divisions’ ability to build on past successes and be key players in shaping the transportation future of our region.
Our department and our employees are judged every day on our ability to provide transportation services in a timely, cost-efficient, productive and friendly manner. Our report card with the public does not exist in letter grades. It's marked by how often we plow snow on county roads; how quickly we fix potholes; how well our bus drivers navigate busy streets during rush hour; how our traffic signals are synchronized to move traffic; how well Fleet personnel maintain county vehicles; how we manage our airport so the planes can take off to deliver valuable cargo throughout the U.S.; or something as simple as whether or not you can find the service information you need on our Web site.
Internally, we have to continue to look at what works and what doesn't. If it doesn't work well, how do we make it better? Our No. 1 objective is the delivery of high-quality services using our resources as creatively and innovatively as possible in a world that is becoming more fast paced every day.
We need to protect and grow what we have, but also work toward a vision of what we can be in the future. I want the King County Department of Transportation to be known as an agency that has the capacity, ability and efficiency to do more and do it well.
For more information:
Invitation to speak
Two King County Department of Transportation divisions have been invited to participate in a national conference about the use of hybrid electric passenger vehicles.
Staff from Fleet Administration and Metro Transit will share their experiences in acquiring and utilizing hybrids.
The conference is being organized by the Center for a New American Dream and the U.S. Communities
organization. The organizers noted that King County is a national leader in acquiring hybrid electric
passenger vehicles. Other participants will include organizations that are considering a large cooperative
purchase of hybrid vehicles.
Seattle Center Alternate Transportation Project
In a partnership with the Seattle Center Transportation staff, Metro Transit is beginning work on
a two-year project to attract area residents who don't drive or are unfamiliar with using Metro, such as seniors and
people with disabilities, to attend Seattle Center events. The project will use combined funds to build on the
capability of the new Event Match (external link)
and Travel Advocate programs to provide information about and promote the use of alternate ways
to travel to the Center, such as carpooling and special use vanpools.
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Storm Tip of the Week
The Dec. 26, 2002 windstorm hit the Puget Sound region hard, downing trees and power lines and closing roads.
If you encounter a downed power line remember that it is not possible to
tell if a downed line is "live" by looking at it. Never touch or attempt to
move a downed power line or a person who is in contact with a power line – high voltages
can be transmitted through materials other than power lines and normally non-conducting
materials like wooden poles can carry an electrical current if they become wet. Following a storm,
parents should check for downed wires in areas where their children or pets might play. Remind children to stay far away from any wires.
Visit the Taking Winter by Storm Web site and
learn more about winter storm preparedness.
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