Looking in the rear-view mirror:
KCDOT puts finish on another big year
Highlights for the King County Department of Transportation in 2002 included (clockwise from upper left): the appointment of Director Harold Taniguchi and Deputy Director Mary Peterson to lead the department; the arrival of a prototype hybrid diesel-electric bus; the opening of new hangars and general aviation facilities at King County International Airport; and the filling of the mysterious Woodinville sinkhole.
For the King County Department of Transportation, 2002 was the year of the "big project."
But "big" can’t just be measured by price tags. DOT managers also evaluate projects by what
they deliver for our customers ¯ the people who use county roads, transit and aviation services on a daily basis.
"Our staff is always looking at what we can do to improve King County’s transportation network," said DOT
Director Harold Taniguchi. “That can mean everything from a multi-million dollar new road to a new pedestrian pathway that costs
under $1,000.”
In April 2002, the King County Roads Services Division launched a record road-building construction
season. The $47 million dedicated for road construction this year appears to be the most spent in any one year for
county road construction. Some of the key projects completed this year included the: first phase of the North Sammamish Plateau Access
Road; South 120th Street; East Lake Sammamish Parkway at Interstate 90; and 244th Avenue Southeast near Enumclaw.
There was also significant progress on design work for big projects slated to begin in 2003 such as the widening
of Northeast 124th Street across the Sammamish Valley, and South 277th Street connecting Kent and Auburn to State Route 167.
On the transit side, the big focus in 2002 was on new buses. There is a lot of excitement about a hybrid diesel-electric
bus now being test driven by Metro Transit. The early test results show this prototype bus to be clean, efficient and more than
able to meet the geographic driving challenges of King County. If all goes well, more than 200 of these buses could be ordered in 2003.
Innovation also helped Metro put another 100 "new" buses on the road in 2002. Instead of ordering all-new trolley buses,
Metro’s Vehicle Maintenance wizards installed rebuilt electric-propulsion systems into new coaches. The “ultimate recycling”
job saved the county more than $20 million.
Metro passengers benefited more directly as facilities were remodeled and upgraded at the Overlake,
Aurora Village and Northgate Park and Rides, along with the major renovation at the Bellevue Transit Center г
a partnership with Sound Transit.
At the King County Airport, the big news has been the renovation of the historic passenger
terminal and expansion on the west side of the airport. This work will continue in the New Year, and be celebrated at the 75th
Anniversary of Boeing Field next July.
The Fleet Division's big push in 2002 has been implementing the latest technology to deliver efficient operations, protect the environment, and
substantially reduce the county’s reliance on petroleum products.
This past year, Fleet staff have substantially increased the number of electric hybrid vehicles in the county motor pool. Plus,
more and more of the traditional cars and trucks have been converted to use low-emission fuels. And, staff has found new ways to use biodegradable oil.
Along the way in 2002, DOT had its lighter moments. One of the most memorable came in July when international
attention was focused on a hole in the road near Woodinville. Eventually, county crews discovered the “bottomless pit” was
actually an old well that was more than 200 feet deep. But for several days, speculation focused on extra-terrestrial and
paranormal causes.
“Sometimes it would be nice to have a little ‘supernatural’ help with our workload here at
DOT,” said Taniguchi, “but it would be hard to top the dedication and professionalism of our staff when it comes
to getting things done in a way that best serves the public.”
For more information:
Vans a-go-go
Metro Transit’s Accessible Services has long worked with members of the Metropolitan King County
Council to deliver retired vehicles to local non-profit and government agencies that serve the disabled, senior citizens and youth.
The allocation is made on a geographic basis to help meet the needs of residents countywide.
This year, Accessible Services began working with council staff in July, and by year’s end 13 surplus
vans had been turned over to community groups. Each councilmember was able to provide a van to one organization in his or her district.
The agencies receiving the vans often serve groups of people whose needs are sometimes not best met by traditional
transportation programs.
Roadies in the spotlight
King County Roads Services recently got a call from a satisfied citizen who had requested street sweeping on
Champagne Point Place on the east side of Lake Washington. "A big pat on the back and thank you to the sweeper of our
street this morning. It is extremely hard to get this street clean and they did a great job. Please let them know how much we appreciate the good job."
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Storm Tip of the Week
Winter winds are one of the many ways you could lose power this season. Check your supplies of batteries, flashlights, candles, easy-to-prepare foods,
and extra blankets. Make a power outage fun with a campout in the living room and spooky stories around the fireplace! But be safe and be familiar
with what you should do if your power goes out. Another resource to have is the emergency phone list for
police, sheriff, fire, medical, and state patrol. Visit the Taking Winter by Storm Web site and learn more about
winter storm preparedness.
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