Shoreline Planning Commission Meeting - March 17, 2022

The Shoreline Planning Commission met on March 17, 2022, beginning at 15:00 UTC, with Chair Sager presiding. Commissioners Callahan, Lin, Ramashonji, and Galuska were present; Commissioner Malik had a planned absence. The main study item was the fourth briefing on the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) update, presented by city staff member Daly Peng. The commission also approved the agenda and the February 17 minutes, received no general public comment, and heard a commissioner report on a FirCrest School campus meeting.

Consent Calendar / Routine Approvals

• The agenda was approved as presented with no requested changes.
• The minutes from the February 17, 2022, meeting were approved with no changes requested.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No general public comment was offered; no speakers were signed up.

Discussion Items

• Transportation Master Plan Update (study item): Daly Peng presented the fourth planning commission briefing on the TMP update. The TMP is Shoreline's long-range blueprint for multimodal travel and mobility; the previous TMP was updated in 2011, and the new update will guide investments in transportation infrastructure and programs over the next 20 years. The city launched the multi-year update in fall 2020 and aims for adoption by the end of 2022.
• Vision and goals: The draft vision describes the transportation system Shoreline wants to provide by 2044. The six goals are prioritizing safety, providing multimodal options, protecting the environment, seeking equity, planning a connected community, and fostering a vibrant community. City Council endorsed the vision and goals, which were informed by Outreach Series One on May 24, 2021.
• Project evaluation and prioritization: Staff presented a draft framework pairing evaluation criteria with the TMP goals. No scoring system has been assigned yet; staff are seeking feedback from the public, council, and planning commission before using the metrics to score potential projects as high, medium, or low priority.
• Performance measures: Draft performance measures are intended to quantify how newly constructed transportation projects contribute to the TMP vision and goals. Safety measures would be reported annually through the city's traffic safety report, while other measures would be reported on a biennial cycle similar to the city's budget cycle. Attachment A in the staff report consolidated the framework.
• Outreach Series Three: Planned for April 19 through May 8, 2022, this outreach will share public feedback results, gather input on draft modal plans for walking, biking, transit, shared mobility devices, and driving, and collect feedback on the draft prioritization and performance process. The project team plans to target underrepresented groups, including BIPOC communities, youth, people with disabilities, older adults, people with low income, and people with limited English skills, using ethnic media advertisements, small group meetings, pre-recorded presentations on the TMP web page, and an online survey. Outreach will include 50 English yard signs plus companion signs in Mandarin and Spanish, placed in high-visibility locations such as corners and along the Interurban Trail, with QR codes linking to the website and outreach dates.

Commissioner Feedback and Questions

• Commissioner Ramashonji expressed strong appreciation for the staff's work and said the TMP is forward-looking and positions Shoreline to compete for federal and state grants, including FEMA, FHWA, and WSDOT funding.
• Commissioner Lin asked how yard signs had been used in prior outreach. Staff explained the sign production, placement, pairing of English signs with Mandarin or Spanish signs, and the QR code approach.
• Commissioner Callahan praised the work, said she was excited to see the draft priority list, and asked whether small-dollar, quick-win, low-hanging-fruit projects would be included. Staff responded that there would also be larger multimodal projects and noted that neighborhood traffic calming measures such as speed humps are generally part of the Neighborhood Traffic Safety Program rather than the TMP project list. Staff also noted that projects addressing collision history often score well for grants under the safety-related prioritization metrics.
• Commissioner Lin asked how projects would be selected using the prioritization system and how that relates to grant applications. Staff explained that the metrics were being vetted before the draft project list, that the process is designed to be data-driven rather than complaint-based, and that the consultant team built a future travel demand model to forecast population and job growth effects on traffic and intersection failures. This is layered with collision hotspot data and equity lenses based on age, income, communities of color, people with disabilities, and limited English speakers to create equity priority areas. Staff also mentioned that two light rail stations are expected to open in about two years, creating demand for multimodal connections.
• Commissioner Galuska thanked the team and said she especially values the connectivity and equity elements, as well as the BRT-related work, and looks forward to the draft modal plans.

Committee Reports and Announcements

• Commissioner Callahan reported attending the FirCrest School Campus Master Development Plan early community input meeting, hosted by the Department of Social and Health Services, and complimented staff for their role.

Key Outcomes

• No formal motions or roll-call votes were taken during the meeting; the agenda and February 17 minutes were approved without objection.
• The planning commission received the TMP update and provided feedback on prioritization, performance measures, equity, and outreach.
• Staff plan to return on April 7, 2022, with the draft modal plans.
• The next meeting on April 7 is also expected to include swearing-in of two new commissioners and Commissioner Lin's reappointment, MUR70 development code amendments, and election of the chair and vice chair.
• The meeting was adjourned after the announcements and next-meeting preview.