520 Mediation Process

Link to Updates and Meeting Dates, Agendas, Summaries and Materials

State Route 520 is one of two east-west Lake Washington crossings between Bellevue to Seattle (the other is I-90). The existing SR 520 bridges are considered vulnerable to earthquakes and windstorms. Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has been working on an Environmental Impact Statement for a 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV project. The replacement project begins at I-5 in Seattle and extends across Lake Washington to Bellevue (just west of I-405).

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May 15, 2007 Governor Christine Gregoire signed Senate Bill 6099 that required hiring a mediator to assist in developing State Route 520 bridge replacement impact plan in Seattle. Mike Hughes and Jody Erikson, mediators with The Keystone Center, have interviewed stakeholders and described the current situation. They have helped the stakeholders to develop a mediation process that will begin on September 11, 2007. A status report to the Joint Transportation Committee and the Governor included a list of the interests/need of the stakeholders, procedural issues that have to be addressed to make the mediation successful, an initial list of participating organizations, the criteria used to establish the list of organizations, and on outline of the process (Revised August 1, 2007 Status Report, prepared for Joint Transportation Commitee on August 13, 2007)

High Capacity Transit Plan - Senate Bill 6099 also required WSDOT, Sound Transit and King County, in cooperation with the University of Washington, to develop a Draft High Capacity Transit Plan by October 1, 2007. The final report is due by December 2008. To access the report please go to: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge/ .

The following come from the August 1 report and the draft mediation protocol:

Mediation Group

Purpose:

• Reach agreement on the components of an impact plan to address impacts of State Route 520 bridge replacement project on Seattle city neighborhoods, parks and institutions and ensure that these are integrated into mitigation strategy for the entire corridor
  
  
• Create a common understanding of the transportation, environmental, neighborhood and economic issues associated with State Route 520 reconstruction
  
  
• Search for solutions to these issues in Seattle and explore the advantages and disadvantages of each solution – using the legislatively prescribed 6-lane preferred alternative as the only basis for discussion (four general purpose lanes and two HOV lanes that could accommodate transit)
  
  
• Ensure that these alternatives fit with the emerging solutions to the same set of issues on the east side of the lake
  
  
• Arrive, if possible, at a consensus solution
  
  
• Integrate the results of the mediation with the high-capacity transit plan and the Supplemental EIS
  
  
• Accomplish all of this in line with the State’s fiscal constraints to improve the likelihood that the result can be implemented

In order to reach agreement in the timeframe envisioned in the legislation, the 520 mediation sessions will take place no less than once each month and twice a month if necessary. The group may establish task groups to complete more detailed work and make recommendations to the larger group. Task groups will meet between full sessions.
The group is comprised of organizations with a well-defined constituency (as opposed to an individual or single property owner), government agencies with permitting authority, neighborhoods directly impacted (facilities would lie within the boundary, the residents would see or hear the facility). The list of organizations also includes at least one organization that represents the key interests in this project (for instance: transit, bike access and connections, wetland/environment).

MEMBERS

1. David Dye, Washington Department of Transportation (lead agency – EIS)
2. Greg Walker, Sound Transit – (lead agency – EIS)
3. Jennifer Ziegler, Office of the Governor
4. Scott Woodward, University of Washington
5. Kevin Desmond, King County Metro Transit
6. Tim Ceis, Seattle Mayor’s Office
7. Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council
8. Tasha Atchison, City of Seattle Design Commission
9. Paige Miller, The Arboretum Foundation and The Arboretum and Botanical Garden Committee (ABGC)
10. David Hiller, Cascade Bicycle Club
11. Larry Sinnott, Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks
12. Rob Johnson, Transportation Choices Coalition
13. Gary Stone, Boating Community
14. Mark Weed, Seattle Chamber of Commerce
15. Shannon Boldizsar, Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
16. John Odland, Freight Advisory Committee
17. Jonathan Dubman, Montlake
18. Maurice Cooper, Madison Park
19. Ted Lane, Roanoke/Portage Bay
20. Colleen McAleer, Laurelhurst
21. Jordan Bader, University District
22. Nancy Brainard, North Capitol Hill
23. Carsten Stinn, Eastlake
24. Virginia Gunby, Ravenna Bryant
25. David Cooper, Yarrow Point
26. Miles Adam, Medina
27. George Martin, Clyde Hill
28. Fred McConkey, Hunts Point
29. Grant Degginger, Bellevue
30. Dave Asher, Kirkland
31. Steve Boch, Federal Highway Administration
32. Mike Grady, NOAA Fisheries (National Marine Fisheries Service) & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
33. Austin Pratt, U.S. Coast Guard
34. Legislature (one seat available to any legislator who wishes to attend a mediation session)

Oversight Committee

Purpose: to support the consensus-building efforts; understand and measure the progress of the mediation group; and assess emerging agreements and weigh in with any concerns or questions.

The Committee will convene at least twice: once to help establish the policy framework for the mediation and the second, late in the process, to review the emerging agreement and comment on its implementability (will meet more if necessary). The Committee is comprised of high-level elected and appointed State officials, including representation from one legislative district on the west side and one on the east side. The membership would be the official him or herself, not staff.

Members

1. Governor – Christine Gregoire
2. Joint Transportation Committee – House Chair – Judy Clibborn
3. Joint Transportation Committee – Senate Chair – Mary Margaret Haugen
4. Joint Transportation Committee – House Ranking Minority Member – Fred Jarrett
5. Joint Transportation Committee – Senate Ranking Minority Member – Dan Swecker
6. Mayor of Seattle – Greg Nickels
7. Executive, King County – Ron Sims
8. Senator, 48th District – Rodney Tom
9. Representative, 48th District – Ross Hunter
10. Representative, 48th District – Deborah Eddy
11. Senator, 43rd District – Ed Murray
12. Representative, 43rd District – Jamie Pedersen
13. Representative, 43rd District – Frank Chopp
14. President, University of Washington – Mark Emmert
15. CEO, Sound Transit – Joni Earl
16. Interim Secretary of Transportation – Paula Hammond
    

LINKS
Washington Senate Bill 6099, State Route Number 520:
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Law%202007/6099-S.SL.pdf

Washington Department of Transportation, 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV project: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge/

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