HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-10-30 Planning Board PacketAgenda
Edmonds Planning Board
SPECIAL MEETING
BRACKETT ROOM
121 5TH AVE N, CITY HALL - 3RD FLOOR, EDMONDS, WA 98020
OCTOBER 30, 2024, 7:00 PM
Edmonds Planning Board Agenda
October 30, 2024
Page 1
MEETING INFORMATION
This is a Hybrid meeting: The in-person portion of the meeting will now be at 7PM in the
Brackett Room on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Zoom Link below for those attending online.
Meeting Link:https://edmondswa-
gov.zoom.us/s/87322872194?pwd=WFdxTWJIQmxITG9LZkc3K0huS0l4QT09 Meeting ID: 873 2287
2194 Passcode:007978
Or Telephone : US:US: +1 253 215 8782
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and
their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and
taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we
honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
4. AUDIENCE COMMENTS
5. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
6. PUBLIC HEARINGS
7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Comprehensive Plan- Transportation, Climate, Review of the Draft Future Land Use Map
8. NEW BUSINESS
9. PLANNING BOARD EXTENDED AGENDA
10. PLANNING BOARD CHAIR COMMENTS
11. PLANNING BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS
12. ADJOURNMENT
Planning Board Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 10/30/2024
Comprehensive Plan- Transportation, Economic Development, Climate, Preferred Alternative Discussion
Staff Lead: Shane Hope
Department: Planning & Development
Prepared By: Navyusha Pentakota
Background/History
Washington State's Growth Management Act (GMA) requires cities and counties to update their
Comprehensive Plans periodically to guide growth sustainably over a 20-year horizon. These plans
establish a community's vision through goals, policies, and actions that shape decisions by local officials
and staff. The State's due date for adoption of the current update is December 31, 2024.
Under GMA, Comprehensive Plans must include essential elements, such as housing, land use, capital
facilities, utilities, and transportation, ensuring that growth and development are appropriately
balanced.
The Transportation Element, closely linked with land use, must address:
· Land use assumptions for travel estimates.
· Impacts on state-owned facilities with a multimodal Level of Service (LOS) that replaced the
traditional traffic-only LOS in 2023.
· Facility and service needs across transportation modes, ADA requirements, and funding
strategies.
· Intergovernmental coordination, demand management, and active transportation initiatives.
The Economic Development Element outlines goals and policies for citywide economic growth,
supporting business expansions while encouraging local businesses, attracting new enterprises, address
commercial displacement and fostering a skilled workforce. Priorities include enhancing livability
through mixed-use developments, supporting cultural amenities, promoting inclusive growth, and
building resilience through regional collaboration and sustainable practices.
Additionally, 2023’s House Bill 1181 mandates a Climate Element, addressing climate goals and
environmental justice, although the due date of it is not until 2029. In the current phase, Edmonds is
proactively incorporating climate strategies, recognizing the challenges city might face as a coastal city.
We expect more work will occur as part of the next phase. Meanwhile, the 2023 Climate Action Plan
outlines climate adaptation and sustainability goals which are now integrated into the Draft
Comprehensive Plan to support climate-sensitive growth.
The draft Comprehensive Plan, released for public review on October 3, has received Planning Board
feedback already on the Land Use, Housing, Capital Facilities, Utilities, and Community Culture and
Design elements, with some initial review of the Climate Element. The Board's October 30th meeting
will provide for input on Transportation, Economic, and Climate elements. (See attachments.)
Also, on October 30, the Planning Board will review the updated housing capacity numbers and a future
land use map, which reflect the preferred growth alternative recommended by the Planning Board at its
October 23 meeting,
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Staff Recommendation
Planning Board to discuss and provide any input on the draft goals and policies for the Transportation.
Economy, and Climate elements and to review the future land use map based on the preferred growth
alternative recommendation made at the planning meeting on Oct 23rd.
Narrative
Edmonds stands out for its historic character and natural beauty, making it vital to maintain its identity
while accommodating new developments. As new developments come into play, it is essential to
preserve these elements while ensuring sustainable growth. The Comprehensive Plan outlines strategies
for accommodating growth while preserving these qualities, managing urban sprawl, and protecting
natural resources within a structured framework.
The Plan sets a target of 9,000 new housing units and 3,000 jobs over 20 years. The Land Use and
Housing Elements specify growth locations, housing types, and future land-use designations to support
proposed growth. Complementary elements in the Plan align with these strategies, outlining necessary
infrastructure and services to support enhanced livability.
The Transportation Plan integrates land use and transportation, ensuring that future developments are
well-served. It outlines a balanced, multimodal system for the city and surrounding urban growth areas,
addressing mobility, safety, and public transit needs. Considering existing conditions and 20-year growth
projections, the plan outlines improvements in roadway mobility, safety, and public transit to support
increased density and encourage active transportation. It will includes a prioritized list of transportation
projects, with planning-level cost estimates, recommended studies, citywide maintenance, and other
initiatives. This project list will be based on the preferred growth alternative and available for review by
the Board in November.. The published draft Transportation includes goals and policies designed to
establish an efficient, well-connected multimodal network.
In addition to housing and infrastructure, economic development is another key component of the
Comprehensive Plan. While affordable housing and meeting growth targets are primary focuses,
strengthening Edmonds’ economic character is essential for a stable, resilient economy. Edmonds has a
diverse economic base, with many residents working in key sectors like healthcare, arts, recreation, and
professional services. The city must accommodate 3,000 jobs over the next 20 years per county growth
targets, with a current capacity for 2,500 jobs, leaving a gap of 500.
The city’s growth strategy focuses on creating centers, hubs and mixed-use areas, allowing residents to
live, work, shop, and play within close proximity. The Economic Development Element lays out a place -
based strategy to build economic resilience by fostering a diverse economy, enhancing centers and hubs
through mixed-use development, and attracting businesses and investments. The plan also aims to
create a clear regulatory environment that supports economic growth. Staff collaborated closely with
the Economic Development Commission and integrated Planning Board feedback in crafting the goals
and policies for this draft element.
In addition to the above, Climate is an optional but contextually an element of utmost importance to be
considered in the Plan. Edmonds recognizes that global climate change brings significant risks to our
community as a shoreline city and the responsibility to play a leadership role both within our own
community as well as the larger Puget Sound region. The Climate Element introduces mitigation and
adaptation strategies, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and
expanding renewable energy sources. Climate adaptation measures-such as preparing for sea-level rise,
reducing the urban heat island effect, and improving stormwater management-are also prioritized. The
City’s current Climate Action Plan includes goals to cut emissions and promote climate equity and
environmental justice, forming a foundation for a complete Climate Element update by 2029, as
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required by the Growth Management Act (GMA).
The two proposed growth alternatives distribute growth among designated centers and hubs, which
offer housing, local services, and dining, transforming them into key development areas. The Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) examined both alternatives for environmental impacts. After
extensive review, the Planning Board recommended a preferred alternative, balancing growth density,
building heights, and housing capacity across centers and hubs.
Attached are the draft Transportation, Climate and Economic Development elements for Planning Board
review and input at the upcoming October 23 meeting. Draft area details of each center and hub with
their respective housing capacities for both proposed alternatives discussed at the previous meeting are
also included for continued conversation. During the meeting, staff will present a future land-use map
reflecting the recent recommendation for the preferred growth alternative, along with updated housing
capacities, for further discussion.
The City Council is set to make a final decision on the preferred growth alternative on November 4.
Attachments:
DRAFT Transportation Plan
05_Climate
Oct 23_Preferred Alternative Scenarios
04_Economic Development
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Guiding Principle:Guiding Principle:
“Edmonds is a community where every resident can
travel safely and efficiently on foot, by bicycle, transit,
ferry, or vehicle to their destination both within the
city and to neighboring areas with people oriented
streetscapes”
TRANSPORTATIONTRANSPORTATION
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Prepared by: Prepared for:
City of Edmonds
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Plan ........................................................................................................... 147
Plan Development ................................................................................................................... 149
Consistency with Other Agencies ............................................................................................ 150
WSDOT Highway Improvement Program & Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program
............................................................................................................................................ 150
Puget Sound Regional Council ............................................................................................ 151
Snohomish County and Adjacent Cities ............................................................................... 152
Community Transit .............................................................................................................. 152
Federal and State Air Quality Regulations ........................................................................... 152
1. Existing Transportation Facilities and Conditions ............................................................. 153
1.1. Roadway Network ................................................................................................... 153
1.2. Traffic Operations .................................................................................................... 163
1.3. Traffic Safety ........................................................................................................... 166
1.4. Freight Routes ......................................................................................................... 168
1.5. Transit ..................................................................................................................... 170
1.6. Active Transportation Facilities ................................................................................ 175
2. Forecasts & Evaluation .................................................................................................... 180
2.1. Travel Forecast Model ............................................................................................. 180
2.2. Forecast Methodology ............................................................................................. 181
2.3. Forecast Evaluation ................................................................................................. 181
2.4. Transportation Projects & Programs ........................................................................ 192
2.5. Technology Considerations ..................................................................................... 192
3. Goals and Policies ........................................................................................................... 194
4. Plan Implementation ........................................................................................................ 201
List of Tables
Table 1-1 Roadway Level of Service Overview ....................................................................... 161
Table 1-2 - Pedestrian Level of Service Overview ................................................................... 162
Table 1-3 Bicycle Level of Service Overview ........................................................................... 162
Table 1-4 Existing (Spring 2024) Roadway Level of Service Overview ................................... 163
Table 1-5 Edmonds Vehicular LOS Standards ........................................................................ 164
Table 1-6 Intersections with Elevated Collision Rates ............................................................. 168
Table 1-7 May 2023 Community Transit Routes and Daily Ridership ...................................... 171
Table 1-8 May 2023 Community Transit Routes and Daily Ridership ...................................... 173
Table 2-1 City of Edmonds Land Use Growth ......................................................................... 181
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Table 2-2 City of Edmonds Weekday PM Peak Hour Vehicle Trips ......................................... 182
Table 2-3 Pedestrian Transportation Plan Network Definitions ................................................ 185
List of Figures
Figure 0-1 Transportation Plan Approach ................................................................................ 150
Figure 1-1 Edmonds Roadway Network .................................................................................. 154
Figure 1-2 Roadway Functional Classification ......................................................................... 156
Figure 1-3 Existing (2023) Roadway Average Daily Traffic (ADT) ........................................... 159
Figure 1-4 Existing (2023) Roadway Level of Service ............................................................. 165
Figure 1-5 Citywide Collisions (2018-2022) ............................................................................. 166
Figure 1-6 Citywide Collisions from 2018 - 2022 ..................................................................... 167
Figure 1-7 WSDOT Freight and Goods Transportation System (FGTS) Map .......................... 169
Figure 1-8 Community Transit Routes in Edmonds ................................................................. 172
Figure 1-9 Existing Pedestrian Facilities.................................................................................. 176
Figure 1-10 Existing Bicycle Facilities ..................................................................................... 178
Figure 2-1 Forecast 2044 Roadway Level of Service .............................................................. 183
Figure 2-2 Planned Pedestrian Network .................................................................................. 186
Figure 2-3 Planned Bicycle Network ....................................................................................... 188
Figure 2-4 Pedestrian LOS...................................................................................................... 190
Figure 2-5 Bicycle LOS ........................................................................................................... 191
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 147
Introduction to the Plan
Note: This is the first draft of the plan—it is still a work in progress with opportunities for
comment and input. Some sections have placeholders for content pending public input and
identification of a preferred growth alternative, and technical work like transportation planning
and capital facility financial analysis is ongoing. Additional technical details will be available in a
subsequent draft.
The City of Edmonds network of highways, roads, sidewalks, trails, railroads, and transit
services move residents, visitors, and goods into, though, and out of the community. Today’s
circulation routes and infrastructure reflect the incremental development patterns of the past.
Updates have occurred as transportation modes have changed, as demands on the system
have expanded, and as the City has grown and integrated with regional highway and trail
systems. Optimizing existing infrastructure and planning for future needs is necessary to
maintain an efficient system that will serve the City into the future. A comprehensive, well-
planned, and efficiently functioning transportation system is essential to Edmonds’s long-term
growth and sustained vitality.
The Transportation Plan provides the framework to guide growth and development of the City’s
transportation infrastructure. It integrates land use and the transportation system, responding to
current needs and ensuring that all future developments are adequately served. The
Transportation Plan addresses the development of a balanced, multimodal transportation
system for the City and adjacent unincorporated portions of the Edmonds Urban Growth Area
(UGA) and recognizes the regional nature of the transportation system and the need for
continuing interagency coordination.
This Transportation Plan is based on a study of the existing transportation network in the City of
Edmonds, combined with a 20-year (2044) projection of future growth and transportation needs.
The document includes five sections:
1. Consistency with other Agencies
2. Existing Transportation Facilities and Conditions
3. Forecasts Evaluation
4. Goals and Policies
5. Implementation
As a companion document, the Transportation Plan implements the Transportation Element of
the Comprehensive Plan. Consistent with the other elements of the Comprehensive Plan, the
Transportation Element establishes a policy framework for making decisions in the City, the
guiding principles, and describes a strategy for accomplishing this vision over the 20-year
planning horizon. Based on the goals and policies in the Transportation Element, the
Transportation Plan is intended to serve as a guide for transportation decisions to address both
short- and long-term needs. To meet Growth Management Act (GMA)1 requirements, the
Transportation Element and Transportation Plan must identify existing transportation system
1 Washington State 36.70A RCW. Available at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=36.70A
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
characteristics, establish standards for levels of service, and identify existing and future
deficiencies based on land use growth projections. The Transportation Plan also discusses
roadway mobility and accessibility needs, and identifies improvements necessary to enhance
safety, travel by active modes, and public transit support.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 149
Plan Development
Development of an updated City of Edmonds Transportation Plan was commissioned by the
City Council in 2022 to replace the adopted 2015 City of Edmonds’s Transportation Plan. The
Plan addresses transportation needs, improvement projects, and funding sources to support the
projected residential and employment growth through the year 2044. The Plan is also intended
to satisfy GMA requirements.
The following sections summarize the regulatory setting and regional planning efforts that
guided the development of the Transportation Plan.
Growth Management Act
Under GMA (RCW 36.70A.070), a transportation element is required to assess the needs of a
community and determine how to provide appropriate transportation facilities for current and
future residents. A 2023 GMA amendment included requirements to develop and implement a
multimodal level of service (MMLOS) for pedestrian, bicycle and transit travel in addition to
vehicular level of service (LOS). The transportation element must contain:
• Inventory of existing multimodal facilities;
• Assessment of future multimodal facility needs to meet current and future demands;
• Multi-year plan for financing proposed vehicular and multimodal transportation
improvements;
• Forecasts of traffic for at least 10 years based on adopted land use plan;
• Level of service (LOS) standards for arterials, active transportation facilities, and public
transportation, including actions to bring deficient facilities into compliance;
• Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies, and;
• Identification of intergovernmental coordination efforts.
Under GMA, development may not occur if the development will cause the transportation facility
to decline below the City’s adopted level of service standard unless strategies are identified and
implemented within six years of the development to accommodate the development’s impact to
the transportation system. To accommodate the impacts of the development, local governments
may change the phasing or timing of new development, provide transportation facilities or
services to serve the new development, reduce the LOS standard, or revise the land use
element. Finally, the transportation element must include a reassessment strategy to address
how the City will respond to potential funding shortfalls.
Transportation Impact Fees
A funding program for constructing the transportation projects identified in the Plan and the
Capital Facilities Element of the Comprehensive Plan can be supplemented by a transportation
impact fee (TIF) program to assist in funding projects that will accommodate traffic growth
associated with the future land use development of the City and its arterial system. The findings
of this Plan will provide the City with documentation and justification for grant applications to
seek funding for transportation improvement projects, and a guide for prioritizing its
transportation needs to maintain adopted level of service standards.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
Consistency with Other Agencies
Edmonds’s transportation system is part of, and connected to, a broader regional highway and
arterial system. The GMA works to increase coordination and compatibility between the various
agencies that are responsible for the overall transportation system. Since transportation
improvements need to be coordinated across jurisdictional boundaries, the Transportation Plan
needs to be consistent with and supportive of the objectives identified in the Washington State
Transportation Plan, PSRC’s Vision 2050, and the transportation plans or capital improvement
plans of the surrounding agencies. Developing the Transportation Plan is primarily a bottom-up
approach to planning, with the City exploring its needs based on the land use plan. Eventually,
local projects are incorporated into regional and state plans. A schematic of this approach is
shown below in Figure 0-1. The following sections provide a review of this Plan’s consistent with
neighboring jurisdictions.
Figure 0-1 Transportation Plan Approach
WSDOT Highway Improvement Program & Six-Year Transportation
Improvement Program
As required by the 1998 amendments to the GMA, the Edmonds Transportation Plan addresses
the state highway system. Specifically, the Transportation Plan addresses the following
elements related to the state highway system:
• Inventory of existing facilities – see Chapter 1
• Level of service standards – see Chapters 1 and 2
• Concurrency on state facilities – see Chapters 1 and 2
• Analysis of traffic impacts on state facilities – see Chapter 1 and 2
• Consistency with the State Highway Systems Plan –described below
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 151
Summarized below are the improvements on state facilities listed in the Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) 2024 – 2027, which are consistent with the Plan
identified in Chapter 4.
WSDOT maintains two improvements programs, the Highway System Plan (HSP) and the State
Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). WSDOT is currently updating the HSP, which was
last updated over 12 years ago. A draft of the HSP has been published and recommends new
revenues for state highways be dedicated over the next 20 years.
The 2024-2027 STIP was approved in January 2023 and identifies 3 projects in Edmonds:
1. Hwy 99 Revitalization Project extending from 220th Street SW to 224th Street SW
(including roadway widening, ADA-compliant curb ramps, landscaping, street lighting,
additional turn lanes at Hwy 99 & 220th St SW, APS (Pedestrian Signals) installation,
and utility/stormwater infrastructure improvements).
2. Main St. Overlay (6th Ave. to 8th Ave overlay and ADA-compliant ramp upgrades)
3. Olympic View Dr. Improvement (196th St. SW to Talbot St. overlay, ADA ramps
enhancements, and installing vaned grates)
Puget Sound Regional Council
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) maintains the Regional TIP. The Regional TIP must
be a 4-year program of projects that is updated at least every 4 years. The TIP ensures that
transportation projects meet regional transportation, growth and economic development goals
and policies, and clean air requirements. Regional TIP projects are required to meet the
following criteria:
• Consistency with VISION 2050 and the Regional Transportation Plan
• Consistency with local comprehensive plans
• Funds are available or expected to be available
• Consistency with the region’s air quality conformity determination
• Consistency with federal and state requirements such as functional classification
• Consistency with PSRC’s project tracking policies
The Regional TIP identifies six projects in and around Edmonds and those projects include
(note some of these projects overlap with the STIP projects noted above):
• Implementing the Swift Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Orange Line including project
development phase, construction phase and procurement phase. Construction of a
terminus station/transit center at Edmonds College.
• Expansion of Transit Demand Management (TDM) efforts for Swift BRT services
including marketing and outreach to existing and potential users promoting awareness,
education and behavior change targeting Swift BRT connections to Link Light Rail.
• Widening the intersection of 76th Ave W and 220th St SW on all approaches to add turn
lanes and construct wider sidewalks. Installing new traffic signal system, lighting,
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
signage, pavement, pavement striping, stormwater improvements, and potential
conversion of overhead utility lines to underground.
• Grind and overlay along Main St. from 6th Ave to 8th Ave. Upgrading the curb ramps to
be ADA-compliant.
• Installing ADA-compliant curb ramps, landscaping enhancements, a planter strip
between sidewalk and BAT lanes, and enhanced street lighting along Highway 99 (from
220th St SW to 224th St SW). Adding a second northbound and southbound left-turn
lane at the intersection of Hwy 99 and 220th St SW and a right-turn lane for the
westbound along 220th St SW. APS will be installed on all corners at 224th St SW and
220th St SW. Also includes new stormwater infrastructure and water and sewer utility
improvements.
• Grind and overlay along Olympic View Dr. from 196th St. SW to Talbot St. Upgrading the
ADA curb ramps and catch basins to vaned grates.
Snohomish County and Adjacent Cities
Countywide Planning Policies (CPPs) establish a countywide framework for developing and
adopting County and City comprehensive plans. The role of the CPPs is to coordinate
comprehensive plans of jurisdictions in the same county for regional issues or issues affecting
common borders. The Multicounty Planning Policies (MPPs) for transportation call for better
integrated land use and transportation planning, with a priority placed on cleaner operations,
dependable financing mechanisms, alternatives to driving alone, and lower transportation-
related energy consumption. CPPs were last adopted in June 2011 and amended in February
2022 effective March 2022. The County’s and Cities’ comprehensive plans will be made
consistent with the vision and policies in the Countywide Planning Policy Update.
Snohomish County’s six-year TIP (2024-2029) currently has one project identified in Edmonds:
• Installing adaptive signal control systems along Highway 99 and SR 524.
Community Transit
Community Transit is a regional transportation provider that operates transit service in the City
of Edmonds. Four routes provide bus service for the City of Edmonds. The city supports
Community Transit’s strategic plans and coordinates with the agency to identify how transit
needs should be addressed, particularly as new development occurs.
Federal and State Air Quality Regulations
The Transportation Plan is subject to the Washington State Clean Air Conformity Act that
implements the directives of the Federal Clean Air Act. Because air quality is a region wide
issue, the City’s Comprehensive Plan must support the efforts of state, regional, and local
agencies as guided by WAC 173-420-080.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 153
1. Existing Transportation Facilities and Conditions
The City of Edmond’s transportation system consists of various transportation facilities,
including state highways, arterials, local streets, transit services and facilities, and pedestrian
and bicycle facilities. The existing transportation system was inventoried in conjunction with the
update of this Transportation Plan. The inventory of the existing transportation facilities covers
the street system, traffic controls, traffic volumes, traffic operations, traffic safety, transit service
and facilities, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
1.1. Roadway Network
The roadway network provides mobility and access for a range of travel modes and users. The
functional classification system, traffic volumes, and traffic operations at intersections are
summarized within this section. This survey and analysis of the roadway network’s existing
conditions provides background for identifying potential transportation improvement projects and
programs. Figure 1-1 shows the existing transportation system serving the City of Edmonds.
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Figure 1-1 Edmonds Roadway Network
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 155
Functional Classification
All streets in the city have a designated functional classification. The functional classification of
a street depends on the types of trips that occur on it, the basic purpose for which it was
designed, and the relative level of traffic volume it carries. The different classifications of
roadways serve different stages of a trip, with some roadways designed to prioritize mobility
while others prioritize access to adjacent land uses.
Higher classes (e.g., freeways and arterials) provide a high degree of mobility and have more
limited access to adjacent land uses, accommodating higher traffic volumes at higher speeds.
Lower classes (e.g., local access streets) provide a high degree of access to adjacent land and
are not intended to serve through traffic, carrying lower traffic volumes at lower speeds.
Collectors generally provide a more balanced emphasis on traffic mobility and access to land
uses.
Cities and counties are required to adopt a street classification system that is consistent with
these guidelines (RCW 35.78.010 and RCW 47.26.090). The functional classification
designations for City roadways are shown in Figure 1-2, and the following sections describe the
general characteristics of each category.
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Figure 1-2 Roadway Functional Classification
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 157
Freeway
Multi-lane, high-speed, high-capacity road intended exclusively for motorized traffic. All access
is controlled by interchanges and road crossings are grade-separated. No freeways pass
through Edmonds, though Interstate-5 (I-5) runs to the east of the city limits.
Principal Arterial
Road that connects major activity centers and facilities, typically constructed with limited direct
access to abutting land uses. The primary function of principal arterials is to provide a high
degree of vehicle mobility, but they may provide a minor amount of land access. Principal
arterials serve high traffic volume corridors, carrying the greatest portion of through or long-
distance traffic within a city, and serving inter-community trips. On-street parking is often limited
to improve capacity for through-traffic. Typically, principal arterials are multi-lane facilities and
have traffic signals at intersections with other arterials. Regional bus routes are generally
located on principal arterials, as are transfer centers and park-and-ride lots. Principal arterials
usually have sidewalks and sometimes have separate bicycle facilities, so that non-motorized
traffic is separated from vehicle traffic. In Edmonds, SR 99, SR 140, and SR 524 are principal
arterials.
Minor Arterial
Road that connects centers and facilities within the community and serves some through traffic,
while providing a greater level of access to abutting properties. Minor arterials connect with
other arterial and collector roads, and serve less concentrated traffic-generating areas, such as
neighborhood shopping centers and schools. Provision for on-street parking varies by location.
Although the dominant function of minor arterials is the movement of through traffic, they also
provide for considerable local traffic with origins or destinations at points along the corridor.
Minor arterials also carry local and commuter bus routes. They usually have sidewalks and
sometimes have separate bicycle facilities, so that non-motorized traffic is separated from
vehicular traffic. Main St/212 St SW, 220th St SW, 228th St SW, 238th St SW, and N 205th St
are east-west minor arterials; 5th Ave S, 9th Ave S/9th Ave N, and 76th Ave W/Olympic View Dr
are north-south arterials.
Collector
Road designed to fulfill both functions of mobility and land access. Collectors typically serve
intra-community trips connecting residential neighborhoods with each other or activity centers,
while also providing a high degree of property access within a localized area. These roadways
“collect” vehicular trips from local access streets and distribute them to higher classification
streets. Additionally, collectors provide direct services to residential areas, local parks,
churches, and areas with similar land uses. Typically, right-of-way and paving widths are
narrower for collectors than arterials. They may only be two lanes wide and are often controlled
with stop signs. Local bus routes often run on collectors, and they usually have sidewalks on at
least one side of the street. Several north-south and east-west Collector roadways are located
throughout the City as shown in Figure 1-2.
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Local Access
Road with a primary function of providing access to residences. Typically, they are only a few
blocks long, are relatively narrow, and have low speeds. Local streets are generally not
designed to accommodate buses, and often do not have sidewalks. Cul-de-sacs are also
considered local access streets. All streets in Edmonds that have not been designated as an
arterial or a collector are local access streets. Local access streets make up the majority of the
miles of roadway in the city.
Other Classification Systems
In addition to the Functional Classification system adopted by the City of Edmonds, there are
federal and state roadway designations. Federal and state grant programs provide funding for
improvement projects that are on streets that have been classified with the federal or state
roadway designations.
National Highway System
The National Highway System (NHS) includes the Interstate Highway System as well as other
roads important to the nation’s economy, defense, and mobility as defined by the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA).
Federal Functional Classification
The Federal Functional Classification system provides a hierarchy of roadways as defined by
the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This classification system defines the role of travel
through a network of roadways, rather than focusing on individual roadways. As a result, the
Federal Functional Classification differs in several ways from the City‘s Functional
Classification. Changes to the Federal Functional Classification may be submitted through the
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Highways of Statewide Significance
WSDOT designates interstate highways and other principal arterials that are needed to connect
major communities in the state as Highways of Statewide Significance (HSS). This designation
assists with the allocation of some state and federal funding. These roadways typically serve
corridor movements having travel characteristics indicative of substantial statewide and
interstate travel. In Edmonds, SR 104 between the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry Dock and I-5, and
SR 99 between the south city limits and SR 104 have been designated as Highways of
Statewide Significance. The Edmonds-Kingston ferry route is considered to be part of SR 104
and is also identified as a Highway of Statewide Significance (excluding the ferry terminal).
Traffic Volumes
Traffic counts were collected at several locations on State Highways and City roadways in June
and October 2023. Existing weekday average daily traffic (ADT) volumes are shown in Figure
1-3.
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Figure 1-3 Existing (2023) Roadway Average Daily Traffic (ADT)
Within Edmonds, SR 104, SR 99 and SR 524 (196th St SW) have the highest ADT. Generally
state routes carry between 10,000 and 40,000 vehicles per day, while collectors such as Main
Street, 100th Avenue NW, Olympic View Drive, 76th Avenue W carry between 5,000 and
15,000 vehicles per day.
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Level of Service Standards
Transportation Level of Service (LOS) is a qualitative measure used to assess the quality and
efficiency of transportation systems. It is commonly used in transportation planning and
engineering to evaluate how well a road or transportation facility is operating in terms of traffic
flow and congestion. LOS is typically assessed on a scale from "A" to "F," with "A" representing
free-flow conditions and "F" indicating severe congestion and poor service quality.
State Highway Level of Service Standards
There are three Washington state routes located within the city.
• SR 104 (Edmonds Way) runs roughly east-west between the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry
dock and I-5.
• SR 524 (Puget Drive/196th Street SW) runs east-west connecting SR 104 to SR 99, I-5,
and ultimately SR 522.
• SR 99 runs north-south on the east side of the city and is the highest traffic-carrying
arterial in Edmonds. From Edmonds, it runs north to Everett, and south through
Shoreline to Seattle and the Tacoma metropolitan area.
As described previously, portions of SR 104 and SR 99 have been designated as Highways of
Statewide Significance. The LOS standards for Highways of Statewide Significance (HSS) are
set by WSDOT. Within Edmonds, both SR 524 and SR 99 are considered Tier 1 Highways of
Regional Significance, and have an LOS standard of “E mitigated,” meaning that congestion
should be mitigated (such as transit) when p.m. peak hour LOS falls below LOS "E.". SR 104 is
classified as an Urban Highway of Statewide significance, and thus has an LOS standard of D.
Cities and counties are required to include the LOS standards for all state routes in the
transportation element of their local comprehensive plan. The PSRC certifies the transportation
elements of the city and county plans and ensures that the regional LOS standards are
included. PSRC notes that state law is silent on whether agencies include or exempt non-HSS
facilities from local concurrency requirements.
WSDOT applies these standards to highway segments, intersections, and freeway interchange
ramp intersections. When a proposed development affects a segment or intersection where the
level of service is already below the state’s adopted standard, then the pre-development level of
service is used as the standard. When a development has degraded the level of service on a
state highway, WSDOT works with the local jurisdiction through the Washington State
Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process to identify reasonable and proportional mitigation to
offset the impacts. Mitigation could include access constraints, constructing improvements,
right-of-way dedication, or contribution of funding to needed improvements.
Snohomish County Level of Service Standards
Snohomish County LOS standards are defined based on arterial operations and not intersection
LOS. Level of service along key arterials is measured by calculating corridor travel speeds. LOS
standards for key arterials are defined by Snohomish County based primarily on arterial
classification, number of lanes, average daily traffic (ADT) and average travel speed. In rural
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 161
areas LOS standards range from LOS C to LOS D depending on the roadway type. In urban
areas LOS E is considered acceptable.
City’s Level of Service (LOS) Standards
Signalized intersection LOS is defined in terms of a weighted average control delay for the
entire intersection. Control delay quantifies the increase in travel time that a vehicle experiences
due to the traffic signal control and provides a surrogate measure for driver discomfort and fuel
consumption. Signalized intersection LOS is stated in terms of average control delay per
vehicle.
Unsignalized intersection LOS criteria can be further reduced into two intersection types present
within the City of Edmonds: all-way stop and two-way stop control. All-way stop control
intersection LOS is expressed in terms of the weighted average control delay of the overall
intersection or by approach. Two-way stop-controlled intersection LOS is defined in terms of the
average control delay for each minor-street movement (or shared movement) as well as major-
street left-turns.
Roadway LOS
The City of Edmonds has identified the weekday PM peak hour travel speeds along 15 key
corridor segments as being critical to maintaining the adequacy of its transportation system.
Corridor level of service is based on average weekday (Tuesday – Thursday) travel speed
through a corridor, which factors the total travel time and delays at the intersections within and
at the end of each segment. The minimum average travel speed for each corridor is based on
parameters for the Urban Street Class (Class IV) per the latest edition of the Highway Capacity
Manual (HCM). The City of Edmonds has retained a LOS C standard for collectors, and LOS D
for arterials. Table 1-1 summarizes the translation between roadway speed and LOS.
Table 1-1 Roadway Level of Service Overview
Percent of Speed Limit Roadway Level of
Service
> 85% LOS A
67 - 85% LOS B
50 - 67% LOS C
40 - 50% LOS D
30 - 40% LOS E
< 30% LOS F
Pedestrian LOS
The pedestrian LOS standards are presented in Table 1-2. These standards emphasize system
completion of sidewalks, pathways, or multi-use trails on arterial and collector roadways, or
along off-street corridors. The LOS designations are shown in green, orange, and red and
correspond with good, acceptable, and poor LOS, respectively. The long-term vision for the City
would be to have the planned pedestrian network roadways achieve a green or good LOS;
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however, in the near-term, the objective would be to achieve, at minimum, an orange or
acceptable LOS along these roadways.
Table 1-2 - Pedestrian Level of Service Overview
LOS Rating Standard Example Facilities*
Good
Pedestrian facilities built
as identified in planned
network
• Sidewalks on both
sides of the roadway, or;
• Multi-use path on one
side of the roadway
Acceptable
Pedestrian facilities exist,
but not as identified in
planned network
• Sidewalk along one
side of the roadway, or;
• On-street shoulder
facility for pedestrians
Poor No pedestrian facilities
present • No facilities exist
Generally, a green/good LOS indicates a roadway that provides the corresponding pedestrian
facilities identified in the planned pedestrian network, while an orange/acceptable LOS indicates
that a pedestrian facility is provided but does not align with the identified pedestrian facility in the
planned pedestrian network. A red/poor LOS generally indicates no designated facilities are
provided for pedestrians and is considered unacceptable.
Bicycle LOS
The bicycle LOS standards are presented in Table 1-3. These standards emphasize the
expansion and completion of both dedicated and shared use bicycle facilities on arterial and
collector roadways, as well as off-street corridors. The LOS designations are shown in green,
orange, and red and correspond with good, acceptable, and poor LOS, respectively. The long-
term goal would be to achieve a green bicycle LOS on all planned bicycle roadways, however in
the short term, achieving orange, or acceptable LOS is sufficient.
Table 1-3 Bicycle Level of Service Overview
LOS Rating Standard Example Facilities*
Good
Bicycle facilities built as
identified in planned
network
• Bike lanes on both sides
of roadway, or;
• Multi-use path on one side
of the roadway
Acceptable
Bike facilities exist, but not
as identified in planned
network
• Large shoulder or bike
lanes not to standard, or;
• On-street shoulder facility
for bicyclists
Poor No bicycle facilities present • No facilities exist
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Generally, a green/good LOS indicates a roadway that provides the corresponding bicycle
facilities (with appropriate striping/signage) identified in the planned bicycle network, while an
orange/acceptable LOS indicates that a bicycle facility is provided but does not align with the
identified bicycle facility in the planned bicycle network or that inadequate striping/signage is
provided to demarcate the facility. A red/poor LOS generally indicates no designated facilities
are provided for bicycles and is considered unacceptable.
The active transportation LOS standards are described in further detail in Section 2.3.
1.2. Traffic Operations
Intersection traffic operations evaluate the performance of signalized and stop-controlled
intersections according to the industry standards set forth in the Highway Capacity Manual 6th
Edition (Transportation Research Board, 2016). Peak hour traffic operations were evaluated at
the study intersections based on level-of-service (LOS) methodology and evaluated using
Synchro version 11.0. The PM peak hour intersection operations were selected due to the
higher typical traffic volumes occurring during that time period for a single hour between 4 and 6
p.m.
Existing (2023) Roadway LOS
The City of Edmonds measures LOS by assessing average travel speeds during weekday PM
peak hours on key corridor segments. LOS is based on travel time and delays, with standards
set by the Highway Capacity Manual. The city aims for LOS C on collectors and LOS D on
arterials, with travel speeds determining the LOS. The existing (spring 2024) weekday PM peak
hour travel speed LOS summary is presented in Table 1-4.
Table 1-4 Existing (Spring 2024) Roadway Level of Service Overview
Corridor Roadway Extents Approach
Existing
Speed
Existing
LOS
1 3rd Avenue 7th Ave N to SR 104 NB 23.8 A
SB 23.5 A
2 Caspers St / Puget Dr 7th Ave N to 76th Ave W WB 26.8 A
EB 25.7 A
3 Main St 84th Ave W to SR 104 WB 19.8 C
EB 19.3 C
4 212th St SW SR 99 to 84th Ave W WB 21.9 B
EB 19.7 C
5 100th Ave W Caspers St to SR 104 NB 22.2 B
SB 23.9 B
6 Firdale Ave / 244th St SR 104 to NE 205th St WB 23.2 C
EB 25.0 B
7 8th / SR 104 (northern
hallf) Main Street to 100th Ave W NB 27.3 B
SB 30.0 A
8 220th St 9th Ave to Western city limits WB 22.1 B
EB 22.6 B
9 5th Ave Main St to SR 104 NB 15.8 C
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SB 18.1 B
10 228th Ave 73rd PI W to 95th PI W WB 22.5 A
EB 22.2 A
11 84th Ave Main St to 238th St NB 21.1 B
SB 23.2 A
12 SR 104 (southern half) 100th Ave W to Southern city limits NB 28.1 B
SB 31.4 A
13 SR 99 (southern half) 228th St to 244th St NB 25.6 C
SB 29.8 C
14 SR 99 (northern half) Northern city limits to 228th St NB 18.7 D
SB 23.9 C
15 76th Ave Northern city limits to 220th St NB 21.8 B
SB 23.7 B
Previously, the city measured LOS at intersections, based on vehicle delay as measured by the
Highway Capacity Manual. Shifting to a methodology based on corridor travel speed time
reflects a broader focus on corridor-wide mobility and user experience, rather than isolated
intersection performance.
The city's LOS standards are shown in Table 1-5.
Table 1-5 Edmonds Vehicular LOS Standards
Facility LOS Standard
City Streets Arterials: LOS D or better (except state routes)
Collectors: LOS C or better
State Highways of Regional Significance SR 99 north of SR 104, SR 524: LOS E or better
State Highways of Statewide Significance SR 104., SR99 south of SR 104: not subject to city Standard, but
identify situations where WSDOT standard LOS D is not met.
Existing roadway LOS in the City of Edmonds are shown in Figure 1-4. The results of the LOS
analysis indicate that all the studied roadways currently meet City LOS standards. In addition to
roadway LOS, the map also shows intersection performance. The only intersection not
operating well is the intersection of SR 104 (Edmonds Way) and 238th Street SW, a two-way
stop-controlled intersection that reports LOS F for the worst movement at the intersection. This
intersection involves low-volume side streets that experience high vehicle delays during the PM
peak hour.
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Figure 1-4 Existing (2023) Roadway Level of Service
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1.3. Traffic Safety
Collision records for the most recent complete five-year period were reviewed for all collisions
reported within the City of Edmonds. Historical safety data was collected from WSDOT for the
period of January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022. A review of collision history was performed to
identify potential safety issues for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. Figure 1-5 summarizes the
annual citywide collisions between 2018 and 2022.
Figure 1-5 Citywide Collisions (2018-2022)
Overall annual collisions have decreased in Edmonds since 2018. The large decrease in 2020
is due to traffic volume decreases resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. As traffic volumes
have ‘returned to normal’ the total number of annual collisions have increased but have not
returned to pre-COVID levels. Similar to total collision numbers, annual fatal and serious injury
collisions decreased significantly in 2020, and have since increased, but have not returned to
pre-COVID highs. Figure 1-6 shows a map of the collision locations within Edmonds for the
same data period.
1 5 3 2 3
127
132
78
91 94
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
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Figure 1-6 Citywide Collisions from 2018 - 2022
During the five-year study period, there were a high number of crashes along 99, including two
fatal crashes (pedestrian) and 19 crashes with serious injury, including several crashes
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involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Other corridors with multiple crashes involving pedestrians
and/or bicyclists include 9th Ave S/100th Ave W, 5th Ave S, Main St, SR 104, and 76th Ave W.
Most crashes involving fatalities, serious injuries, pedestrians, or bicyclists took place on
principal roads and major or minor arterials, but at least three pedestrian-involved crashes
caused serious injury occurred on local streets.
Between 2018 and 2022 there were 71 pedestrian collisions and 36 cyclist collisions within
Edmonds. Generally, pedestrian collisions were more severe, 28 percent of which resulted in a
serious or fatal injury, while 11 percent of bicycle collisions resulted in a serious injury.
Intersection Crash Rates
The crash rate was calculated for each study intersection in terms of collisions per million
entering vehicles (MEVs). Generally, intersections that have collision rates below 1 crash per
MEVs do not warrant further safety study. In Edmonds, there are two locations with collision
rates over 1.0 per MEV, as shown in Table 1-6.
Table 1-6 Intersections with Elevated Collision Rates
Location Collisions
per Year
Collisions
per MEV Fixed Object Approach
Turn
Rear
End
Head
On
Pedestrian /
Bicyclist Angle Sideswipe
SR 99 / 228th St
SW 12.6 1.08 0 4 30 0 0 21 6
SR 99 / 220th St
SW 17.6 1.16 0 6 41 0 1 13 19
SR 99 / 228th St
SW 12.6 1.08 0 4 30 0 0 21 6
As shown in the table, the locations with observed crash rates exceeding the critical crash rates
include the intersections of 220th Street SW and 228th Street SW of SR 99. The most common
collision type at both intersections was rear-end collisions. Rear-end collisions are common at
signalized intersections, when drivers may rapidly alter vehicle speeds while approaching the
intersection in response to signal timing changes or turning vehicles. Angle and sideswipe were
the most common collision type after rear-end collisions. While there were no recorded fatalities
at these intersections, there were 48 injury collisions or approximately one-third of the total
collisions at these intersections.
1.4. Freight Routes
The Washington State Freight and Goods Transportation System (FGTS) classifies highways,
county roads, and city streets according to the average annual gross truck tonnage they carry.
Truck tonnage values are derived from actual or estimated truck traffic count data that is
converted into average weights by truck type. The FGTS uses five truck classifications, T-1
through T-5, depending on the annual gross tonnage the roadway carries.
• T-1: more than 10 million tons per year
• T-2: 4 million to 10 million tons per year
• T-3: 300,000 to 4 million tons per year
• T-4: 100,000 to 300,000 tons per year
• T-5: at least 20,000 tons in 60 days and less than 100,000 tons per year
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 169
Routes with the highest annual gross tonnage, T-1 and T-2 routes, are also identified as
Strategic Freight Corridors. Within Edmonds, as shown in Figure 1-7, SR 104, SR 524 and SR
99 are identified as T-3 routes. Additionally, 76th Ave W, Firdale Avenue and 3rd Ave S are
identified as T-4 routes. Beyond these primary routes, delivery vehicles use many other streets
to reach their final destinations.
A few areas prohibit certain types of vehicles. The downtown area between SR 104 and 9th Ave
S only allows single unit trucks, while SR 524, Olympic View Drive within the city, and a few
other roads are prohibited for hauling.
Figure 1-7 WSDOT Freight and Goods Transportation System (FGTS) Map
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1.5. Transit
The following section describes the existing service, ridership and facilities provided by
Community Transit. Community Transit currently operates 10 bus routes through Edmonds and
maintains 154 bus stops and five park & ride facilities.
Community Transit, the major provider of public transit for Snohomish County, operates three
types of transit service in the city:
• Fixed bus route service
• Rideshare services
• Dial-A-Ride Transit (DART) paratransit service
Fixed Route Service
Fixed bus routes are local or commuter services that operate on a standardized schedule.
shows the bus routes that serve the city. Most of this service is provided by Community Transit,
although Sound Transit connections are available along I-5. SWIFT Bus Rapid Transit also
operates through the city along SR 99. Table 3-18 summarizes bus routes serving the city,
which provide two-way service between destinations in the city and surrounding areas, from
morning through evening. Commuter bus routes serving the city, which provide service to major
employment destinations in Snohomish and King Counties, are also shown Figure 1-8.
Commuter routes typically operate only during the weekday morning and evening peak
commute periods. Every Community Transit bus is equipped to accommodate wheelchairs. All
buses are also equipped with bicycle racks. Community Transit currently operates the following
routes within Edmonds:
• Route 101 – provides local service between the Mariner Park and Ride in Shoreline and
Aurora Village in Everett. During the week, service operates every 30 minutes from
approximately 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• Route 102 – provides local service between Edmonds Station and Lynwood City Center
Station. During the week, service operates every 30 minutes from approximately 5 a.m.
to 6:45 p.m. and every hour from 6:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. On Saturday, service operates
every 30 minutes from approximately 5:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and every hour from 6:45
p.m. to 9:45 p.m. On Sunday, the service operates every 30 minutes from 6:45 a.m. to
6:45 p.m and every hour from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
• Route 112 – provides service from Mountlake Terrace Station to Ash Way Park & Ride.
During the week, the service operates every 30 minutes from approximately 5 a.m. to 8
p.m. and every hour from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. On the weekends, service operates every 30
minutes from approximately 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and every hour from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Route 114 – provides service from Aurora Village to the Lynwood City Center Station.
During the week, the service operates every 30 minutes from approximately 5 a.m. to 8
p.m. and every hour from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturdays, the service operates every
hour from 6:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and on Sundays, it operates every hour from 7:45 a.m.
to 8:45 p.m.
• Route 119 – provides in-county commuter service between Mountlake Terrace and Ash
Way P&R, Monday through Friday. This service provides trips every 30 minutes between
approximately 5:45 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. and every hour between 8:50 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. on
weekdays (every 30 minutes between 2:50 p.m. and 5:50 p.m.). On Saturdays, it
provides trips every hour between 6:10 a.m. and 9:10 p.m. and on Sundays, it provides
trips every hour between 8:10 a.m. and 8:10 p.m.
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• Route 130 – provides commuter service between Edmonds Station and Lynnwood
Transit Center. This service provides trips once every 30 minutes from approximately
4:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and every hour from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays. On
Saturdays, it provides trips every hour from approximately 6:45 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. On
Sundays, it provides trips every hour from approximately 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.
• Route 166 – provides service between Edmonds Station and Silver Firs. On weekdays,
the service provides trips once every 30 minutes from approximately 5:00 a.m. to 8:00
p.m. and every hour from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. On Saturdays, it provides trips every
hour from approximately 5:50 a.m. to 9:50 p.m. On Sundays, it provides trips every hour
from approximately 6:50 a.m. to 8:50 p.m.
• Swift Blue Line (Route 701) – provides Community Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
service every 10-12 minutes on weekdays and every 15-20 minutes on early mornings,
evenings and weekends between Everett Station and Shoreline North/185th Station.
• Route 909 – provides service from Edmonds Station to Mountlake Terrace Station. This
service provides trips about every 45 minutes from approximately 5:25 a.m. to 11:50
p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays (Saturday service stops at 10:20 p.m.). Throughout
the day, there are certain one-hour intervals. On Sundays, it provides trips about every
45 minutes from approximately 7:00one-hour0 p.m.
Transit routes, run times and recent ridership data available from Community Transit are
summarized in Table 1-7.
Table 1-7 May 2023 Community Transit Routes and Daily Ridership
Route Number Route Description Hours of Operation
Route 101 Aurora Village to Mariner Park and Ride Weekdays (5:00 am – 11:30 pm)
Saturdays (7:00 am -–10:20 pm)
Sundays (7:00 am – 9:20 pm)
Route 102 Edmonds Station to Lynwood City
Center Station
Weekdays (5:00 am – 11:00 pm)
Saturdays (5:45 am – 10:00 pm)
Sundays (6:45 am – 9:00 pm)
Route 112 Mountlake Terrace Station to Ash Way
Park & Ride
Weekdays (5:00 am – 10:30 pm)
Weekends (7:00 am – 9:30 pm)
Route 114 Aurora Village Transit Center to
Lynwood City Center Station
Weekdays (5:00 am – 10:00 pm)
Saturdays (6:45 am – 10:00 pm)
Sundays (7:45 am – 9:00 pm)
Route 119 Mountlake Terrace to Ash Way P&R Weekdays (6:35 am – 10:30 pm)
Saturdays (6:10 am - 9:45 pm)
Sundays (8:10 am – 8:45 pm)
Route 130 Lynwood City Center Station to
Edmonds Station
Weekdays (4:30 am – 10:00 pm)
Saturdays (6:45 am – 10:15 pm)
Sundays (7:45 am – 9:20 pm)
Route 166 Edmonds Station to Silver Firs Weekdays (5:00 am – 12:00 am)
Saturdays (5:50 am – 10:50 pm)
Sundays (6:50 am – 9:50 pm)
Swift Blue Line (701) Everett Station and Shoreline
North/185th Station
Weekdays (4:15 am – 12:30 am)
Saturdays (5:00 am – 11:30 pm)
Sundays (6:00 am – 10:45 pm)
Route 909 Edmonds Station to Mountlake Terrace
Station
Weekdays (5:25 am – 12:00 am)
Saturdays (5:25 am – 10:30 pm)
Sundays (7:00 am – 10:30 pm)
Figure 1-8 shows Community Transit’s current fixed route service map operating in and around
the City of Edmonds.
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Figure 1-8 Community Transit Routes in Edmonds
Paratransit Service
Community Transit also provides paratransit services for patrons who cannot use fixed-route
bus services due to disability, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This
service provides curb-to-curb paratransit service within ¾ mile of all local fixed-routes during
hours of fixed-route operation. Community Transit currently provides Dial-A-Ride Transit
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(DART) paratransit service to eligible riders who are unable to use fixed route bus service due
to a disability. Service is available to all origins and destinations within 0.75 mile of local, non-
commuter bus routes.
Vanpool Program
Community transit also offers vanpool services for citizens who wish to carpool to work.
Vanpools must consist of at least three riders and can accommodate up to 12 per vanpool
group. Users pay a fare based on the daily round trip miles and size of the van used while
Community transit will provide the van (including routing service and maintenance), gas,
insurance and pay any highway tolls.
Park-and-Rides
Within Edmonds, there are five officially designated park and ride lots. The largest facility is the
Edmonds park-and-ride lot located at 72nd Avenue West and 213th Place SW. This facility,
which has a capacity for 256 cars, is owned by WSDOT and operated by Community Transit.
This facility offers direct access to routes 405, 871 and provides a one block walk to the nearest
Swift Blue line BRT. Table 1-8 summarizes the park-and-ride lots that serve Edmonds.
Table 1-8 May 2023 Community Transit Routes and Daily Ridership
Facility Routes Served Parking Capacity (if available)
Edmonds Park & Ride 405, 871, Swift Blue 256
Edmonds Station 116, 130, 196, 416 ~250
Edmonds Lutheran Church 115 12
Edgewood Baptist Church 119 10
Korean United Presbyterian Church 416 58
Outside of the city, the Lynnwood Transit Center and Aurora Village Transit Center are the
major hubs for transferring between Community Transit local routes. Community Transit routes
connect with King County Metro service at Aurora Village, Mountlake Terrace Transit Center,
and Bothell; Everett Transit in the City of Everett; the Washington State Ferry at the Edmonds
and Mukilteo Terminals; with Sound Transit at various park-and- ride lots in the south
Snohomish County; with Link Light Rail service at the Northgate Transit Center and Island
Transit in the City of Stanwood.
King County Metro Transit
King County Metro does not provide local service within Edmonds, but connections are
available between Community Transit and Metro routes at the Aurora Village Transit Center just
south of the city.
Sound Transit Express Bus
Sound Transit provides regional bus service to the urban portions of Snohomish, King, and
Pierce counties, but does not have an established express bus stop in Edmonds. Sound Transit
express bus service is available at transit centers and park-and-ride lots in the vicinity of
Edmonds (Swamp Creek, Lynnwood Transit Center, and Mountlake Terrace Transit Center)
and can be accessed by Community Transit.
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Rail Service
Passenger rail service in Edmonds is provided by Sound Transit’s Sounder commuter rail and
Amtrak’s intercity rail. The rail station is located at 211 Railroad Avenue and can be accessed
by Community Transit.
Sounder Commuter Rail
Operated by Sound Transit, the Sounder commuter rail line operates between Seattle and
Everett, with stops in Edmonds and Mukilteo. Through a partnership with Amtrak, Amtrak trains
are also available for commuters along this route. Sounder operates four southbound trains
during the morning commute period and four northbound trains during the evening commute
period. Amtrak operates one additional train in each direction during both the morning commute
period and the evening commute period.
Additional parking is needed at the train station to accommodate the rising number of daily
transit riders using this service. Sound Transit currently leases a parking lot from various
property owners.
Amtrak Service
Amtrak operates two routes with stops in Edmonds: the Amtrak Cascades and the Empire
Builder.
Amtrak Cascades
Edmonds serves as a stop along the Seattle – Vancouver route. Service is daily, with two
northbound trains and two southbound trains stopping in Edmonds per day. From Edmonds, the
two northbound trains terminate in Vancouver, British Columbia. Both southbound Cascades
trains originate in Vancouver, BC.
The Cascades route’s northbound service provides connections to Everett, Mount Vernon, and
Bellingham in Washington State, and Surrey, Richmond, and Vancouver in British Columbia.
Travelers who wish to take rail south to destinations between Seattle and Portland are best
served by traveling to Seattle to take the Seattle–Portland route.
Empire Builder
The Empire Builder provides cross-country service between Seattle and Chicago. Its route
traverses the states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Illinois. Service is daily, with one eastbound train departing from Edmonds each evening (5:27
pm). One westbound train arrives in Edmonds each morning (10:35 am).
Washington State Ferries
The Edmonds-Kingston ferry route connects the northern portion of the Kitsap Peninsula and
the Olympic Peninsula with northern King and southern Snohomish Counties. The route is 4.5
nautical miles long, and takes approximately 30 minutes to traverse. The Edmonds-Kingston
route operates seven days per week year-round, with average headways ranging between 35
and 70 minutes.
In 2013, the Edmonds-Kingston route carried 3.09 million people, at an average of 8,465
passengers per day. This is slightly less than the 4.3 million people the route carried in 2006.
The annual Washington State Ferries Traffic Statistics Report indicates that in-vehicle boardings
were the most prevalent, with about 86 percent of passengers boarding in this manner on the
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average weekday. Walk-on passengers constituted 14 percent of all passengers on an average
weekday.
1.6. Active Transportation Facilities
The active transportation network consists of facilities for residents and visitors to participate in
active transportation modes and recreational activities in the City of Edmonds. A combination of
on-street facilities and off-street pathways provide the core network for walkers, cyclists, and
other non-motorized users to travel. These facilities can be used for many of the same purposes
as personal vehicles and transit, including commuter travel, grocery store trips, and other
errands within the City. Active transportation facilities, particularly off-street pathways, are also
used for recreational trips or for access to parks and other recreational destinations.
Pedestrian Facilities
In 2002, the City of Edmonds completed its Comprehensive Walkway Plan. The plan included
goals and objectives for non-motorized transportation in the city, in addition to a walkway
inventory, a review of facility standards, and recommendations for walkway projects. The
Walkway Plan has been updated in subsequent years, culminating in a full update as part of the
2015 plan.
Pedestrian Facility Inventory
Pedestrian facilities within the city include sidewalks, walkways, roadway shoulders, and off-
road trails. Sidewalks are the primary pedestrian facility within downtowns and developed areas.
Along with off-street trails, sidewalks are the primary facility type for pedestrians. Cyclists may
also use sidewalks within many of these jurisdictions provided they yield right-of-way to
pedestrians. Sidewalks within the City of Edmonds are typically provided on both sides of the
street in the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. Figure 1-9 shows the existing sidewalks on
one or both sides of the street in the City.
Figure 1-9 shows that the sidewalk system is most complete inside the core area bounded by
SR 104, 92nd Avenue W, and SR 524. Outside of this area, sidewalks are primarily located
along roads classified as collectors or arterials. Raised and striped walkways are generally
associated with schools and provide safe walking routes.
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Figure 1-9 Existing Pedestrian Facilities
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Bicycle Facilities
The city prepared a comprehensive Bikeway Plan in 2009. This plan was revised as part of the
previous transportation master plan update to outline a list of improvement projects for the
bicycle system. The types of recommended bicycle facilities range from shared-use paths to
bike lanes to bicycle parking.
• Shared use paths and trails – off-street facilities that cater to both pedestrians and
cyclists. Where paved, these facilities provide a high amenity connection for
nonmotorized users of all ages and all abilities.
• Bike lanes – portions of roadways that have been designated by striping, signing, and
pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use by cyclists.
• Bike sharrows or common lanes- shared streets used by bikes and cars. Signed
shared roadways are shared roadways that have been identified as preferred bike routes
by posting bike route signs. Sharrows are commonly used to indicate where on the
roadway a cyclist should ride, and also to remind motorists to share the lane with
bicycles when present.
Note that these bicycle facilities can be used by human-powered and electric-assisted bicycles.
Given the hilly terrain in Edmonds, the use of electric-assisted bicycles is expected to continue
to increase.
Bicycle Facility Inventory
Figure 1-10 shows the location of existing bicycle facilities within the city. The Interurban Trail,
which links the cities of Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, and
Everett, runs through the southeastern portion of Edmonds. Trails are also located along the
city’s beaches and within city parks.
There are also easy connections for cyclists to ferries, Sound Transit’s Sounder service, and
Community Transit. Bicycles are allowed on all these systems. WSF provides a reduced fare for
bicycles, Sound Transit provides bike racks, and all Community Transit vehicles have bike
racks.
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Figure 1-10 Existing Bicycle Facilities
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2. Forecasts & Evaluation
Edmonds’s Transportation Plan is developed based on the evaluation of the existing
transportation system and future transportation system needs based on planned future growth.
The City of Edmonds selected a 2044 horizon year. Year 2044 provides a long-range look at the
transportation system needed to support anticipated growth in the city and other communities in
Snohomish County. The year 2044 also corresponds to the current planning horizon for the
Comprehensive Plan overall and associated population and employment forecasts adopted in
the Snohomish County Countywide Planning Policies.
Travel forecasts have been developed and analysis has been conducted for average weekday
conditions during the PM peak hour. The weekday PM peak hour generally has the highest
overall traffic volumes in the community and thus provides the basis for identifying capacity-
related improvement needs. The travel forecasts provide a technical basis for identifying the
transportation improvement projects in the Transportation Systems Plan (Chapter 3).
2.1. Travel Forecast Model
Primary analyses of the 2044 traffic forecasts were initially based on the following travel
forecasting assumptions:
• Committed improvement projects in Edmonds’s current Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP)
• Improvement projects in available transportation plans from adjacent jurisdictions
• Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) Transportation Vision 2050 Update Regional
Capacity Projects List (as of May 2022)
• WSDOT’s 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
• City of Edmonds’s forecast land use data
• PSRC 2050 Land Use forecasts and regional trip end data from the 2050 regional travel
demand model
Based on these assumptions, travel forecasts were developed using Edmonds’s travel demand
model. This model is a tool that is used to convert existing and future land uses into weekday
vehicle trips. The Edmonds travel demand model was updated to reflect existing 2023
conditions and was used as the basis for preparing 2044 travel demand forecasts for the
Edmonds UGA. The following provides an overview of the land use assumptions, planned
network improvements, and the alternatives analysis.
Baseline Transportation Network
As a part of the baseline forecast 2044 conditions, any transportation improvements that are
planned and funded in the near-term were included in the analysis. For the baseline network the
following eight planned projects were included:
• 228th Street SE from Highway 99 to 95th Place W – Widen to three lanes
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• Highway 99/238th Street – Add 2nd northbound left-turn lane
• Highway 99/220th Street – Add 2nd northbound, southbound, and eastbound left-turn
lanes
• Main Street/9th Avenue – Signalize the intersection
• 76th Avenue W/220th Street SW – Intersection improvements
• SR 104 from 236th Street to 226th Street – Construction of an adaptive signal system
• SR 104/76th Avenue W – Add 2nd westbound left-turn lane
• 236th Street SW from 84th Avenue W to Highway 99 – Green streets program, reduced
speed limits
2.2. Forecast Methodology
A strong relationship exists between land use and the transportation facilities necessary to
provide mobility within the community. Future transportation improvements recommended in the
Projects and Projects Section have been defined to support the Land Use Element of the
Comprehensive Plan.
The 2044 forecasts of land use growth throughout the City and its Urban Growth Area (UGA)
were developed based on the land use growth estimates from the Land Use Chapter.
The Edmonds Travel Demand Model was developed in 2023 and is used as a basis for the
2024 Comprehensive Plan Update and the 2024 Transportation Plan to determine future traffic
forecasts. The model accounts for the number of households and employees within the City and
converts those into weekday PM peak hour trips. These trips were then converted to travel
modes and allocated to City roadways to understand the overall impacts on the transportation
system for the proposed 2044 land use.
Table 2-1 summarizes the existing and forecast land use assumptions (from the Land Use
Element) that form the basis of the transportation forecasting.
Table 2-1 City of Edmonds Land Use Growth
Land Use Existing 2044 No Action 2044 Alternative A 2044 Alternative B
Households 19,219 24,364 30,888 31,329
Jobs 10,309 12,857 13,195 13,374
Source: Snohomish Countywide Planning Policies
As shown in Table 2-1, by 2044 the number of households could increase by 5,145 to 12,110
(or a 27 to 63 percent increase). The number of jobs could increase by 2,548 to 3,065 (or a 25
to 30 percent increase).
2.3. Forecast Evaluation
The alternative analysis is based on the land use forecast described above and used to identify
transportation needs for Edmonds, develop the framework for the transportation network, and
ultimately the 20-year transportation improvement project list. The evaluation is completed using
the City’s travel demand model to forecast transportation demands and then applying the
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multimodal level of service (LOS) standards to determine both vehicular and active
transportation needs. The results of the alternatives analyses are used to develop a
recommended 2044 transportation network with improvements.
Traffic Forecasts
Trip generation was developed through the modeling process, which converts estimates of
housing and employment into weekday PM peak hour vehicle trips based. Table 2-2
summarizes the weekday PM peak hour trip generation for both existing and forecast 2044
conditions for the different alternatives evaluated.
Table 2-2 City of Edmonds Weekday PM Peak Hour Vehicle Trips
No Action
PM Peak Hour Trips
Alternative A
PM Peak Hour Trips
Alternative B
PM Peak Hour Trips
Forecast 2044 Alternative 24,510 27,434 27,665
Existing 21,470 21,470 21,470
Increase 3,040 5,964 6,195
Source: Transpo Group, 2024
The growth in traffic volumes will result in additional traffic congestion along City streets
assuming similar driving behaviors as today. As traffic volumes increase, the number of hours
during the day when congestion is experienced may also increase. A review of the roadway
system capacity for Edmonds shows that additional roadway improvements and connections
may be required to handle this increase in traffic volumes and maintain adopted LOS standards.
Additional analysis is completed in the subsequent section to determine what improvements are
needed at intersections with the growth in projected vehicle traffic.
Traffic Operations
Consistent with existing conditions and methodologies, weekday PM peak hour traffic speeds
were evaluated across the collector and arterial network. Forecast travel speeds were
calculated by adding additional intersection delay incurred by traffic growth between existing
and future 2044 forecast conditions along each corridor. Forecast 2044 roadway LOS is shown
in Figure 2-1.
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Figure 2-1 Forecast 2044 Roadway Level of Service
Forecast 2044 roadway operations generally result in speed decreases compared to existing
conditions. However, the roadway LOS standard is only exceeded on SR 99 in the northbound
direction from the northern city limits to 228th Street. The speeds are forecast to decrease to
LOS F without any improvements.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
While Edmonds has adopted a roadway travel speed-based methodology for measuring
roadway LOS, intersection operations will continue to play an important role in roadway travel
speeds. While only US 99 is forecast to operate below LOS standard, four intersections were
identified as not performing well during the development of the travel speed forecasts. The
intersections include:
• 76th Ave/Olympic View Dr (all-way stop controlled)
• 88th Ave W/Puget Dr (two-way stop-controlled)
• SR 99/228th St (signalized)
• Edmonds Way/238th St SW (two-way stop-controlled)
The Transportation Projects and Programs provides a list of projects or programs to address
these operational deficiencies.
Active Transportation Network Vision
The City’s vision for the future roadway network is to provide active mode facilities on all roadways
unless special circumstances make it prohibitive. The City’s previous comprehensive plan and
capital facilities plan identifies numerous improvement projects to install sidewalks and/or multi-
use paths along roadways within the city that currently lack active mode facilities. These
improvements are being implemented as part of identified improvement projects or through the
ADA and sidewalk improvement program.
As part of Edmonds Municipal Code 18.80.015 (Complete Streets), the city requires that all new
transportation projects provide appropriate accommodation for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit
users and persons of all abilities. The City’s recently developed Street Typology report also
outlines standardized roadway designs across each roadway in the city. Edmonds also requires
developers to provide street frontage upgrades in accordance with their street design standards.
These programs have helped the city achieve parts of the active transportation vision; however,
reliance on developer-implemented improvements alone would result in gaps within the bicycle
and pedestrian network.
The planned pedestrian and bicycle networks, shown in Figure 2-2 and Figure 2-3, respectively,
identifies the future vision for a comprehensive network of active transportation facilities to serve
forecasted growth. The city envisions an interconnected system of on-road and off-road facilities,
that include sidewalks, pathways, shared-use trails, and key connections.
The pedestrian network contains a series of Primary and Secondary Routes. Corridors identified
as Primary or Secondary Routes are not indicative of a hierarchy for future active transportation
facility development, rather they are used to make a distinction between routes that are more
regional or that extend completely through the community (primary), and those that serve to
make the second leg of the journey to connect to destinations, extend into neighborhoods, or
complete a loop (secondary). Table 2-3further defines the functions of each tier within the
Pedestrian Transportation Plan Network.
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Table 2-3 Pedestrian Transportation Plan Network Definitions
Hierarchy System Function
Primary Network Backbone of the system. Offers direct connections to majority of important community
destinations, usually on arterials or collectors. Primary Network routes are often the
most attractive route in terms of convenience in urban areas.
Secondary Network Supportive to the Primary Network, often providing system continuity by connecting
segments of the primary network with on-street or off-street facilities. Secondary
Network routes sometimes offer more comfortable routes on quieter streets, although
the route may not be as direct as the Primary network.
Local Streets This encompasses most streets within the City (including residential neighborhood
streets). While not specifically identified within the Pedestrian Transportation Plan
Network, many of these roadways provide pedestrian and/or bicycle facilities in line
with roadway design standards. Other Streets provide access to the Primary and
Secondary Networks.
Trails Trails represent the off-street pedestrian and bicycle facilities within the City. Trails
often provide the direct connectivity of Primary Network routes but are located along
alignments away from roadways (creating a more comfortable pedestrian and bicycle
environment).
Source: Transpo Group, 2024
It should be noted that the roadways within the Planned Transportation Plan Network are not
the only roadways within the city designated to have pedestrian facilities. As indicated in the
street design standards, most roadways within the City are required to provide some level of
pedestrian facilities.
The Pedestrian Transportation Network is not meant to define the type, width, and locations of
these facilities for Primary and Secondary Network roadways. Instead, the roadway design
standards and the street typology report designate the types of facilities planned for each
roadway based on its functional classification and/or street typology. The Planned
Transportation Plan Network is intended to lay out the active transportation vision for the city,
not to designate the pedestrian facilities for each roadway.
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Figure 2-2 Planned Pedestrian Network
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 187
Unlike the pedestrian network, where corridors are identified as Primary or Secondary Routes,
the bicycle network identifies the preferred bicycle facility on each network (as shown in Figure
2-3). This network was developed iteratively, with feedback from city staff, the transportation
advisory committee and the previous comprehensive plan bicycle network. Ultimately, City staff
identified specific corridor treatments for bicyclists along each roadway and removed most
shared use facilities from the planned network in favor of dedicated facilities to promote bicyclist
safety for all ages and abilities.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
Figure 2-3 Planned Bicycle Network
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Active Transportation Level of Service
Bicycle, pedestrian, and trail facilities play a vital role in the City’s transportation environment.
The Edmonds active transportation system is comprised of facilities that promote mobility
without the aid of motorized vehicles. A well-established system encourages healthy
recreational activities, reduces vehicle demand on roadways, and enhances safety within the
community.
As described in Chapter 1 the active transportation LOS standard is based on the presence of
facilities along designated routes. Based on the system plan networks and LOS criteria,
pedestrian and bicycle networks were evaluated and summarized in and, respectively.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
Figure 2-4 Pedestrian LOS
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Figure 2-5 Bicycle LOS
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
As shown in Figure 2-4, the pedestrian system meets LOS standards in most of the designated
pedestrian routes of the city. The northern and southern sections of the city are missing
facilities. Many of the missing sidewalks are along secondary or local roadways.
In contrast, the bicycle system LOS shown in Figure 2-5 does not meet LOS standards in many
areas of the city. The city lacks bicycle facilities along some of the major corridors, including the
State Routes 99, 104 and 524 (S 196th Street). The long-term project list (currently under
development) seeks to implement bicycle lanes or multi-use pathways to achieve an acceptable
LOS for the bicycle network.
2.4. Transportation Projects & Programs
[ This section of the plan is currently under development. This section will detail all the needed
capital projects necessary to accommodate anticipated growth while maintaining the existing
level of service standards. This project list will also include planning level cost estimates that
summary the anticipated costs (in 2024 dollars) for each project. The project list will also include
recommend studies, citywide preservation and maintenance projects and other programs (such
as the city’s traffic calming program). ]
2.5. Technology Considerations
Advances in technology impact the short and long-term use of the transportation system and its
users. The following sections describe technologies emerging or being considered in Edmonds
and the region.
Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO)
Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) is an integrated approach to
optimize the performance of existing infrastructure by implementing multimodal, intermodal, and
often cross-jurisdictional systems, services, and projects. TSMO seeks to operate the existing
transportation system as safely and efficiently as possible, often maintaining or even regaining
previous capacity levels and improving safety performance levels. In practice, TSMO is applied
on a corridor or in a region as a series of operational strategies. Corridor strategies instead of
just intersection improvements.
Electric Vehicles
As the use of electric vehicles (EVs) continues to grow within transportation systems, it
becomes essential to establish an accessible EV charging infrastructure. Currently, charging
infrastructure in the city is provided at several private business locations. City-owned properties
and right of way are not currently equipped with public charging systems for electric vehicles.
The City may evaluate the benefits of entering a public private partnership to provide charging
systems on City property if electric vehicle charging stations are desired by the community in
the future.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 193
E-Bikes / E-Scooters
E-bikes and E-scooters are electricity-assisted bicycles and scooters. Availability, diversity of
types of e-bikes/scooters, and use of e-bikes/scooters has been increasing in recent years
removing barriers and expanding transportation options for road users. Increased use of e-
bikes/e-scooters will likely result in the need for increased bike facilities and infrastructure.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
3. Goals and Policies
These initiatives seek to preserve Edmonds's unique story and character, while fostering
economic resilience, and enhancing the City’s livability. Prioritizing equitable investments in
infrastructure and programs that contribute to vibrant neighborhoods, environmental protection,
and transparent governance.
The following goals and policies are registered to match the GMA & VISION 2050 requirements:
Goal T- 1 Create a complete and connected system that offers efficient transportation
options to implement the regional transportation plan.
Policy T - 1.1. Partner with other entities to create a logical system that integrates within the
regional transportation network and supports the regional growth strategy.
Policy T - 1.2. Provide a safe, comfortable, and convenient travel experience for all users and the
movement freight and goods.
Policy T - 1.3. Focus on transportation system management investments that increase efficiency while
reducing demand and the need for capacity.
Policy T - 1.4. Focus new development in activity centers with pedestrian access to transit and prioritize
connectivity to transit nodes that provide important connections to regional destinations.
Policy T - 1.5. Coordinate planning, construction, maintenance, and operation of transportation facilities
and programs with the State, counties, neighboring cities, Puget Sound Regional Council,
Community Transit, Sound Transit, and other entities to ensure critical infrastructure is in
place to respond to both natural and human-caused disasters.
Policy T - 1.6. Position Edmonds to respond to technical innovations, such as electric vehicles,
autonomous vehicles, and other personal mobility devices. Coordinate with regional and
private entities to accommodate these modes of transportation that have the potential to
provide increased mobility and environmental benefits.
Goal T- 2 Participate in land use and transportation planning with Puget Sound
Regional Council, Snohomish County, and surrounding jurisdictions to
support and promote the Regional Growth Strategy in Vision 2050.
Policy T - 2.1. New and existing streets should form a well-connected network that provides for
safe, direct, and convenient access for automobiles, bicycles, and pedestrians.
Prioritize transportation investments that reinforce the City's vision of developing
near transit-oriented areas, consistent with the regional growth strategy.
Policy T - 2.2. Build a transportation system that enhances the City's land use vision to prioritize
multimodal investments in activity centers and transit stations.
Policy T - 2.3. Work with transit providers to serve designated activity centers with appropriate levels of
transit service. Transit stops should be properly located throughout the activity center
and designed to serve local community and activity patterns and significant
concentrations of employment.
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Policy T - 2.4. Encourage active transportation by providing safe facilities for bicycles and pedestrians.
Policy T - 2.5. Encourage collaboration across departments to develop a network of walking paths
throughout the city. This network could include, but not be limited to signed loop trails in
neighborhoods, park-to-parks walking paths, and theme-related walks.
Policy T - 2.6. Provide bicycle lanes where feasible to encourage the use of bicycles for transportation
and recreation purposes. Sharrows can be provided on lower volume roadways to create
motorist awareness.
Policy T - 2.7. Where feasible, design all streets as complete streets that serve automobile, transit,
pedestrian, and bicycle travel according to City ordinance 3842.
Policy T - 2.8. Maximize efficiencies of existing transportation facilities through Transportation Demand
Management; Encouraging occupants of new development to use existing sidewalk,
bicycle, and transit facilities; and Supporting technologies that improve the efficienc y of
travel, including signal improvements and changeable message signs.
Goal T- 3 Support and enforce laws that are designed to provide safety for vulnerable
users, including people walking, biking, riding transit, and people with
mobility challenges.
Policy T - 3.1. Support the transportation needs of traditionally underserved neighborhoods and
vulnerable populations through investment in equitable modes of transportation in
addition to potential catch-up investment for areas in need, as necessary.
Policy T - 3.2. Design walking paths for use by people of all ages, abilities, and mobility levels.
Improvements to walking paths and curb cuts should meet the requirements of ADA.
Goal T- 4 Develop the City's transportation system to serve existing and future land
uses and promote economic growth.
Policy T - 4.1. Encourage the efficient movement of people and goods through an effective and inter-
connected transportation network that includes collector and arterial streets, trails, bike
paths, public transit, and other transportation facilities.
Policy T - 4.2. Support a multimodal transportation system that links air, ferry, rail, bus, auto, freight, and
non-motorized travel providing access to regional transportation systems while ensuring
the quality, safety, and integrity of local commercial districts and residential
neighborhoods.
Policy T - 4.3. The City should work with WSDOT, BNSF, Amtrak, Sound Transit, Community Transit,
and local walking and biking advocacy groups to locate and design a multi-modal
transportation center and terminal to serve the City's needs with the following elements:
a.) Ferry terminal that meets the operational requirements to accommodate forecast
ridership demand and that provides proper separation of automobile, bicycle, and walk -
on passenger loading
b.) Train station that meets intercity passenger service and commuter rail loading
requirements, and provides the requisite amenities, such as waiting areas, storage, and
bicycle lockers
c.) Transit center with connections to major regional destinations
d.) Linkage between stations/terminals that meets the operational and safety
requirements of each mode, including a link between the multi-modal station terminal and
to the business/commerce center in downtown Edmonds
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
e.) Safety features that include better separation between train traffic and other modes of
travel, particularly vehicle and passenger ferry traffic as well as the public; and
f.) Overall facility design that minimizes the impact to the natural environment, particularly
the adjacent marshes.
Goal T- 5 Minimize the adverse impacts of transportation facility improvements on the
natural environment both in established neighborhoods and undeveloped
areas.
Policy T - 5.1. Support transportation investments that advance alternatives to driving alone as a
measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and in turn reduce the effect of citywide
transportation on global climate change.
Policy T - 5.2. Design streets with the minimum pavement areas needed and utilize innovative and
sustainable materials, where feasible, to reduce impervious surfaces and storm water
pollution. Wherever feasible, culverts under streets should be reconstructed or removed to
improve fish passage.
Policy T - 5.3. Policy 5.3. Include analyses of geological, topographical, and hydrological conditions, as
well as impacts to human health and safety in the planning, design, and construction of
transportation facilities.
Goal T- 6 Pursuant to the Growth Management Act, maintain an inventory of the City's
transportation facilities and establish appropriate Level of Service
Guidelines and Standards.
Policy T - 6.1. The Transportation Element shall include mapped inventories of all major transportation
modal networks, including automobile, transit and freight vehicles; sidewalks, bikeways,
and multiuse trails; and airports, railroads, shipping terminals, and vehicle a nd passenger
ferry routes.
Policy T - 6.2. Roadway Level of Service (LOS) Standards for City of Edmonds Streets:
▪ Arterials = LOS D or better
▪ Collectors = LOS C or better
▪ State Highways of Regional Significance (PSRC):
o SR 524; SR 99 north of SR 104 = LOS E or better
▪ State Highways of Statewide Significance (WSDOT):
o SR 104; SR 99 south of SR 104 = LOS D or better
o Not subject to City concurrency regulations, but City will identify locations
where LOS D is not being met.
Policy T - 6.3. Pedestrian Level of Service (LOS) Standards
▪ Green = Complete Pedestrian Network Facility
▪ Yellow = Partial or Incomplete Pedestrian Network Facility
▪ Red = Missing Pedestrian Network Facility
Policy T - 6.4. Bicycle Level of Service (LOS) Standards
▪ Green = Complete Bicycle Network Facility
▪ Yellow = Partial or Incomplete Bicycle Network Facility
▪ Red = Missing Bicycle Network Facility
Policy T - 6.5. Adopt and implement a multimodal transportation concurrency management program
based on the level of service standard measurements for intersections, public transit,
walkways, and bikeways.
Policy T - 6.6. Provide additional transportation facility capacity only when existing facilities are used to
their maximum level of efficiency, consistent with adopted LOS standards.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 197
Policy T - 6.7. Work with PSRC travel demand forecasts to identify state, regional, and local
multimodal transportation system improvements deemed necessary to
accommodate growth while improving safety and human health.
Policy T - 6.8. Keep roadways operating in safe condition by taking steps to secure roadway
funding from a variety of sources to maintain, rehabilitate, or replace roadways.
Edmonds will work with its partners to understand street maintenance and
rehabilitation needs. Prioritize roadway preservation projects and consider the long-
term maintenance costs of new capacity as part of the upfront cost of development.
Goal T- 7 Coordinate infrastructure planning and financing with other agencies to
ensure that these plans are consistent with the regional mobility goals and
land use plans.
Policy T - 7.1. Finance the six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) within the City's financial
capacity to achieve a balance between available revenue and expenditures related to
transportation facilities.
Policy T - 7.2. Pursue and implement alternative and innovative transportation financing methods, such
as transportation benefit districts, variable-demand parking management pricing, user
fees, and other potential options to support ongoing maintenance, preservation, and
operation of the City’s transportation system.
Policy T - 7.3. Develop a 20-year finance plan that balances transportation improvement needs, costs,
and revenues available for all modes to assist in updating the Transportation Impact Fee
(TIF) program and the annual adoption of the Six-Year Transportation Improvement
Program (TIP).
Policy T - 7.4. If projected funding is inadequate to finance needed transportation facilities, based on
adopted level of service (LOS) standards and forecasted growth, the City should explore
one or more of the following options:
• Lower the LOS standard
• Change the Land Use Plan
• Increase the amount of revenue from existing sources; or
• Adopt new sources of revenue
Goal T- 8 Street Design and Traffic Calming Goal:
Policy T - 8.1. Design street improvements to encourage downtown traffic circulation to flow in and around
commercial blocks, promoting customer convenience and reducing congestion. Separate
through-traffic from local traffic circulation to encourage and support customer access.
Policy T - 8.2. Encourage landscaping along residential streets to preserve existing trees and vegetation,
increase open spaces, and decrease impervious surfaces. Landscaping may be utilized to
provide visual and physical barriers but should be carefully designed not to interfere with
motorists’ sight distance and traffic, pedestrian, bicycle, and wheelchair safety.
Landscaping improvements should take maintenance requirements into consideration.
Policy T - 8.3. Encourage underground placements of utilities when existing roadways are improved.
Policy T - 8.4. Encourage placement of underground conduit for future installation of fiber optic cable as
roadways are built or improved.
Policy T - 8.5. Convert private streets to public streets only when:
• The City Council has determined that a public benefit would result.
• The street has been improved to the appropriate City public street standard.
• The City Engineer has determined that conversion will have minimal effect on the City’s
Street maintenance budget.
• In the case that the conversion is initiated by the owner(s) of the road, that the owner(s)
finance the survey and legal work required for the conversion.
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
Policy T - 8.6. Improve emergency service access to the waterfront, especially to west side of train tracks
when there is a train crossing.
Goal T- 9 Public Transit and Transportation Demand Management Goal:
Policy T - 9.1. Explore future funding for a city-based circulator bus that provides local shuttle service
between neighborhoods (Firdale Village, Perrinville, Five Corners, Westgate) and
downtown.
Policy T - 9.2. Encourage the provision of a bus rapid transit system or other high-capacity frequent
transit service along SR 104.
Policy T - 9.3. Work with transit providers to ensure that transit service within the city is:
o Convenient and flexible to meet community and user needs
o Dependable, affordable, and maintains regular schedules.
o Provides adequate service during evening hours, weekends, and holidays; and
o Comfortable and safe for all users.
Goal T- 10 Parking Supply Goal
Policy T - 10.1. Carefully review parking requirements for downtown development proposals both for
autos and bikes to promote development while still ensuring adequate balance
between parking supply and demand.
Policy T - 10.2. Encourage underground parking as part of new development.
Goal T- 11 Additional Active Transportation Goal
Policy T - 11.1. Leverage funding opportunities and the City’s right of way to complete the arterial walking
path system according to the following priority list:
o Arterial roadways without walking paths or shoulders on which transit service is provided
o Arterial roadways without walking paths or shoulders on which transit service is not
provided
o Arterial roadways with shoulders too narrow or in or poor walking condition for
pedestrians
o Arterial roadways with adequate shoulders for pedestrians but without walking paths
o The remainder of the arterial roadway system (e.g. roads with walking paths along one
side, or roads with walking paths in disrepair)
Policy T - 11.2. Locate walking paths and bicycle facilities to facilitate community access to parks,
schools, neighborhoods, shopping centers and transit facilities/stops.
Policy T - 11.3. Place highest priority on pedestrian safety in areas frequented by children, such as near
schools, parks, and playgrounds. Provide walking paths in these areas at every
opportunity.
Policy T - 11.4. Maintain existing public walking paths.
Policy T - 11.5. Place highest priority for improvements to bicycle facilities and installation of bike racks
and lockers near schools, commercial districts, multi-family residences, recreation areas,
and transit facilities.
Policy T - 11.6. Provide safe bicycle connections to existing bicycle facilities in adjacent jurisdictions.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 199
Goal T- 12 Land Use – Transportation – Environment Goal
Policy T - 12.1. Ensure city transportation facilities and services are provided concurrent with new
development or redevelopment to mitigate impacts created from such development.
Road improvements may be provided at the time of or within 6 years of development.
Policy T - 12.2. Encourage and promote the use of electric vehicles as they are developed in all
automobiles, truck, and commercial vehicle classes. Encourage the use of such vehicles
in a way that conditions are safe and don’t impede traffic flow. Provide for a broad range
of electric charging opportunities at public and private parking venues throughout the city,
including standards for new developments that provide parking facilities.
Potential Action Items
The following list outlines potential action items that can be further explored to guide
implementation efforts, considering the city’s priorities, available resources, and other critical
factors. These actions will be designed to support the city’s long-term vision while ensuring
compliance with the Growth Management Act (GMA) and PSRC Vision 2050
• Encourage neighborhoods to fund improvements that exceed City standards (e.g. for parking,
median strips, landscaping, traffic calming, walking paths or other locally determined projects)
• Locate utilities and walking path amenities, including but not limited to poles, benches, planters,
trashcans, bike racks, and awnings, so as to not obstruct non-motorized traffic or transit access.
• Coordinate traffic signals located within ½ mile of each other to decrease delay and improve
operations.
• Use public rights-of-way only for public purposes. The private use of a public right -of way is
prohibited unless expressly granted by the City
• Provide access between private property and the public street system that is safe and
convenient, and incorporates the following considerations:
o Limit and provide access to the street network in a manner consistent with the function
and purpose of each roadway. Restrict number of driveways located along arterials.
Coordinate with local businesses and property owners to consolidate access points in
commercial and residential areas.
o Require new development to consolidate and minimize access points along all state
highways, principal arterials, and minor arterials.
o Design the street system so that the majority of direct residential access is provided via
local streets.
o For access onto state highways, implement Chapter 468-52 of the Washington
Administrative Code (WAC), Highway Access Management -- Access Control
Classification System and Standards.
• Work with transit agencies to ensure existing and planned transit creates connections to existing
and future employment and activity centers
• Locate walking paths and additional street features such as benches and shelters along transit
routes to provide easy access to transit stops
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City of Edmonds Transportation Master Plan | DRAFT October 2024
• Participate on the boards of Community Transit and other public transit providers, and regularly
share citizen and business comments regarding transit services to the appropriate provider.
• Coordinate with local public transit agencies and private transit providers regarding road closures
or other events that may disrupt normal transit operations in order to minimize impacts to transit
customers.
• Encourage parking on one side rather than both sides of streets with narrow rights -ofway, with
the exception of downtown
• Place highest priority on provision of lighting on walking paths, crosswalks and bicycle facilities
that regularly carry non-motorized traffic at night. Non-motorized traffic, characterized as any
vehicle that does not require a license, includes motorized bicycles, scooters, and Segways, in
addition to pedestrians and people riding bicycles.
• Seek opportunities to improve safety for those who bicycle in the city.
• Provide a complete walking path network in commercial areas, especially downtown, as an
element of public open space that supports pedestrian and commercial activity.
• As funding permits and right of way is available, complete a collector walking path system that
connects to transit service and activities such as retail, schools, or parks.
• When appropriate, acquire easements and/or development rights in lieu of rights-of way for
installation of smaller facilities such as sidewalks, walking paths
• Encourage the use of innovative crosswalk treatments, such as pedestrian actuated flashing
signals or pedestrian crossing flags.
• Encourage separation of walking paths from bikeways, where feasible. Multi-use paths should
also be encouraged in instances which separating walk and bike paths is unreasonable.
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CITY OF EDMONDS TRANSPORTATION PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024 201
4. Plan Implementation
[ This section of the plan is currently under development. It will discuss Edmond’s expected
funding resources and overall adequacy to meet both transportation operations and
maintenance needs as well as the needed capital improvements to accommodate growth. This
section will also discuss options for balancing the city’s budget should their existing funding
resource streams prove insufficient to meet the needs. ]
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 95
CLIMATECLIMATE
Guiding Principle:Guiding Principle:
“Edmonds is committed to strengthen our resilience to
climate change while balancing growth and protecting
and expanding our environmental assets. It will prioritize
creating sustainable, and low-carbon Edmonds that can
enhance quality of life for residents”
CLIMATECLIMATE
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96 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 97
Introduction
The Climate element provides a vision, goals, and policies that respond to new legislation that
requires a climate change element (HB 1181) as part of a comprehensive plan. Climate elements must
maximize economic, environmental, and social co-benefits and prioritize environmental justice to avoid
worsening environmental health disparities. The element must include:
•Resilience Sub-element that addresses adaptation to hazards exacerbated by climate change.
•Mitigation Sub-element that identifies goals and policies addressing greenhouse gas emissions reductions
The Climate Element addresses strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It includes
reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable practices, enhancing energy efficiency, and
promoting renewable energy sources. The element emphasizes climate adaptation measures, such
as protecting against sea level rise, mitigating the urban heat island effect, and improving stormwater
management. It also focuses on preserving natural resources and critical areas, expanding green
infrastructure, and increasing urban tree canopy. Public education and community engagement are key
components, aiming to foster a resilient and sustainable city capable of withstanding climate impacts.
The City of Edmonds is currently developing this element and requires more detailed analysis to
ensure complete compliance.
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98 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
City of Edmonds- Regional leader in environmental stewardship
The City of Edmonds recognizes that global climate change brings significant risks to our community
as a shoreline city. At the same time, the City understands that we have a responsibility to play a
leadership role both within our own community as well as the larger Puget Sound region.
Recognizing the importance of addressing the issues surrounding the environment and climate
change, in September 2006, the City of Edmonds formally expressed support for the Kyoto Protocol
and adopted the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement by Resolution No. 1129, and joined the
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) by Resolution No. 1130.
Scientific evidence and consensus continue to strengthen the idea that climate change is an urgent
threat to the environmental and economic health of our communities. Many cities, in this country and
abroad, already have strong local policies and programs in place to reduce global warming pollution,
but more action is needed at the local, state, and federal levels to meet the challenge. On February 16,
2005 the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to address climate change, became law for the
141 countries that have ratified it to date. On that day, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels launched an initiative
to advance the goals of the Kyoto Protocol through leadership and action by at least 141 American
cities.
46 ENVIRONMENT
CITY OF EDMONDS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN / FEBRUARY 2023 DRAFT
• Increasing frequency of wildfire and length of
wildfire season along the West Coast including
inland areas east of the Cascades, with
associated smoke reaching Puget Sound.
• An 89% likelihood that sea level in Edmonds will
rise 1 foot by 2100, and a 1% chance that it will
rise by 5 feet or more. In either case, sea level will
continue to rise into the next century.6
These effects have already begun. Globally, the
years 2013–2021 all rank among the 10 warmest
years on record, with 2021 being the 6th warmest
on record. Locally, 2021 included the three hottest
days on record. Downtown Edmonds saw its first
ever temperature of 100 degrees, giving a taste of
what higher future temperature extremes mean for
the region.Tides in early 2022 reached record highs
throughout Puget Sound. In the Puget Sound region
in 2018, wildfire smoke led to 24 days of poor air
quality, including nine days that were considered
either unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy for
everyone.
The ways these changes will affect frontline
communities in Edmonds need to be better
understood, but we do know that some people
will have a harder time adapting than others. For
example, extreme summer heat causes heat stress,
including death. More than 80% of deaths from
heat stress are among people over 60 years of age,
and Edmonds has a high percentage of people in
this age group.7 The problems of heat stress are
compounded when air quality is poor, because
keeping windows open allows dangerous levels
of particulates. Again, older individuals are among
the most susceptible, as are young children and
others. Many homes in Edmonds do not have
air conditioning, and the cost of purchasing and
operating air conditioners can be especially hard
for people living on lower and fixed incomes.
Community solutions to these types of issues may
range from emergency cooling centers, to subsidies
for energy-efficient cooling systems, to planting trees
for shade.
6 Miller et al. 2019.
7 Kenny et al. 2010.
Figure 11: Relative Sea Level Rise (RSL)
expected for Edmonds WA.
Source: Miller et al. 2019
Figure 12: Inundation of Edmonds shoreline
with 5 feet of sea level rise at high tide.
Source: Climate Central 2022
2–5 foot rise in
sea level in
likelihood of a
Edmonds by 2100
50%38%–46%
less snowpack in the
Cascades by 2050
average annual
temperatures
increase by 4.2°F to 5.5°F
by 2100
46 ENVIRONMENT
CITY OF EDMONDS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN / FEBRUARY 2023 DRAFT
• Increasing frequency of wildfire and length of
wildfire season along the West Coast including
inland areas east of the Cascades, with
associated smoke reaching Puget Sound.
• An 89% likelihood that sea level in Edmonds will
rise 1 foot by 2100, and a 1% chance that it will
rise by 5 feet or more. In either case, sea level will
continue to rise into the next century.6
These effects have already begun. Globally, the
years 2013–2021 all rank among the 10 warmest
years on record, with 2021 being the 6th warmest
on record. Locally, 2021 included the three hottest
days on record. Downtown Edmonds saw its first
ever temperature of 100 degrees, giving a taste of
what higher future temperature extremes mean for
the region.Tides in early 2022 reached record highs
throughout Puget Sound. In the Puget Sound region
in 2018, wildfire smoke led to 24 days of poor air
quality, including nine days that were considered
either unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy for
everyone.
The ways these changes will affect frontline
communities in Edmonds need to be better
understood, but we do know that some people
will have a harder time adapting than others. For
example, extreme summer heat causes heat stress,
including death. More than 80% of deaths from
heat stress are among people over 60 years of age,
and Edmonds has a high percentage of people in
this age group.7 The problems of heat stress are
compounded when air quality is poor, because
keeping windows open allows dangerous levels
of particulates. Again, older individuals are among
the most susceptible, as are young children and
others. Many homes in Edmonds do not have
air conditioning, and the cost of purchasing and
operating air conditioners can be especially hard
for people living on lower and fixed incomes.
Community solutions to these types of issues may
range from emergency cooling centers, to subsidies
for energy-efficient cooling systems, to planting trees
for shade.
6 Miller et al. 2019.
7 Kenny et al. 2010.
Figure 11: Relative Sea Level Rise (RSL)
expected for Edmonds WA.
Source: Miller et al. 2019
Figure 12: Inundation of Edmonds shoreline
with 5 feet of sea level rise at high tide.
Source: Climate Central 2022
2–5 foot rise in
sea level in
likelihood of a
Edmonds by 2100
50%38%–46%
less snowpack in the
Cascades by 2050
average annual
temperatures
increase by4.2°F to 5.5°F
by 2100
46 ENVIRONMENT
CITY OF EDMONDS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN / FEBRUARY 2023 DRAFT
• Increasing frequency of wildfire and length of
wildfire season along the West Coast including
inland areas east of the Cascades, with
associated smoke reaching Puget Sound.
• An 89% likelihood that sea level in Edmonds will
rise 1 foot by 2100, and a 1% chance that it will
rise by 5 feet or more. In either case, sea level will
continue to rise into the next century.6
These effects have already begun. Globally, the
years 2013–2021 all rank among the 10 warmest
years on record, with 2021 being the 6th warmest
on record. Locally, 2021 included the three hottest
days on record. Downtown Edmonds saw its first
ever temperature of 100 degrees, giving a taste of
what higher future temperature extremes mean for
the region.Tides in early 2022 reached record highs
throughout Puget Sound. In the Puget Sound region
in 2018, wildfire smoke led to 24 days of poor air
quality, including nine days that were considered
either unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy for
everyone.
The ways these changes will affect frontline
communities in Edmonds need to be better
understood, but we do know that some people
will have a harder time adapting than others. For
example, extreme summer heat causes heat stress,
including death. More than 80% of deaths from
heat stress are among people over 60 years of age,
and Edmonds has a high percentage of people in
this age group.7 The problems of heat stress are
compounded when air quality is poor, because
keeping windows open allows dangerous levels
of particulates. Again, older individuals are among
the most susceptible, as are young children and
others. Many homes in Edmonds do not have
air conditioning, and the cost of purchasing and
operating air conditioners can be especially hard
for people living on lower and fixed incomes.
Community solutions to these types of issues may
range from emergency cooling centers, to subsidies
for energy-efficient cooling systems, to planting trees
for shade.
6 Miller et al. 2019.
7 Kenny et al. 2010.
Figure 11: Relative Sea Level Rise (RSL)
expected for Edmonds WA.
Source: Miller et al. 2019
Figure 12: Inundation of Edmonds shoreline
with 5 feet of sea level rise at high tide.
Source: Climate Central 2022
2–5 foot rise in
sea level in
likelihood of a
Edmonds by 2100
50%38%–46%
less snowpack in the
Cascades by 2050
average annual
temperatures
increase by4.2°F to 5.5°F
by 2100
The City of Edmonds has formally approved
the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
which was endorsed by the 73rd Annual U.S.
Conference of Mayors meeting, Chicago, 2005.
Under the Agreement, participating cities
committed to take three sets of actions:
• Urge the federal government and state governments
to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the
target of reducing global warming pollution levels to
7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
•Urge the U.S. Congress to pass bipartisan
greenhouse gas reduction legislation that 1)
includes clear timetables and emissions limits and
2) a flexible, market-based system of tradable
allowances among emitting industries
•Strive to meet or exceed Kyoto Protocol targets for
reducing global warming pollution by taking actions
in our own operations and community.
Figure 5.2 Regional and local climate
change projections. (Source:
Edmonds Climate Action Plan)
7.A.b
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 99
Edmonds Climate Action Plan (CAP)
The Climate Action Plan (CAP) was first published
in 2010 to set goals to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions (GHG). In 2023 the CAP was
updated to redefine climate action goals to meet
targets that had not been met by the Edmonds
community. The CPA provides steps for the City,
individuals and businesses to work towards being
carbon neutral by 2050 and identifies actions
through 2035. The interconnection of equity and
climate action is integrated throughout the plan,
with Frontline communities identified as leaders
for reducing consumption, and as those facing the
biggest threats related to climate change.
•The CAP discusses the inevitability of impacts from
climate change and identifies steps to prepare and
respond to those impacts. The Comprehensive Plan
has integrated the Strategies and Actions provided
in the plan, along with the overall approach to
Climate Equity.
•CAP sets goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
(GHG). In 2023 the CAP was updated to provide
steps for the City, individuals and businesses to
work towards carbon neutrality by 2050. It identifies
actions through 2035.
•The CAP discusses impacts from climate change
and identifies steps to prepare and respond to those
impacts.
•The history of inequity in climate action provides
context for CAP recommendations, as environmental
crises disproportionately impact vulnerable
populations.
Climate Resilience: The ongoing process
of anticipating, preparing for, and
adapting to changes in climate; minimizing
negative impacts to our natural systems,
infrastructure, and communities
Mitigation: Actions taken to reduce or
eliminate the emissions of greenhouse
gases (present and future) to reduce the
rate and extent of climate change damage.
It may also be referred to as greenhouse
gas emissions GHG reduction.
Climate Equity: Recognition that the impacts
of climate change are felt by the most
vulnerable populations. A climate equity
approach not only enhances ecosystem
services but also contributes to building
resilience in these vulnerable communities,
prioritizing those areas that already lack
infrastructure to mitigate surface runoff, lack
tree canopy or shade or cooling, or other
impacts.
7.A.b
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100 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Climate Equity
The City of Edmonds is committed to
embedding climate equity at the forefront of
development projects and city-funded capital
projects. This means proactively addressing the
disproportionate impacts of climate change on
vulnerable populations, including low-income
communities, communities of color, and other
marginalized groups.
The CAP discusses the interconnection between
equity and climate action and the benefits of
integrating the two in strategic planning. The
history of inequity in climate action provides
context for key recommendations, highlighting
Frontline communities as key demographics to
consider.
Environmental justice, climate change, and equity
are deeply interconnected, with geographic
and socioeconomic factors creating distinct
exposures and outcomes. For instance, the
Bowl area benefits from cooler temperatures
during heatwaves due to its proximity to Puget
Sound, while communities along the Highway 99
Corridor face higher environmental health risks.
The unique contexts and frontline communities
that exist within Edmonds need to be considered
in the assessment and prioritization of climate
change resources.
Figure 5.1 Frontline Communities in Edmonds (Source:
CAP Document)
The City of Edmonds is home to frontline communities
including the elderly, BIPOC, non-English speakers, those
with no health care coverage, renters, persons below the
poverty line, those experiencing homelessness, and those
without a bachelor’s degree or higher, among others.
Goal CC-1. Provide information and opportunities for Edmonds residents to learn more
about the climate crisis and take action.
Policy CC-1.1 Partner with environmental organizations to leverage their expertise.
Policy CC-1.2 Encourage access to healthcare services in underserved areas, particularly those
disproportionately affected by climate change, to address both immediate and long-term health
risks.
Goal CC-2. Seek to alleviate environmental and health disparities on vulnerable
populations resulting from climate change
Policy CC-2.1 Encourage public health systems to anticipate and respond to emerging climate-related
health threats, including the integration of climate considerations into disease surveillance,
emergency response, and health education programs.
Policy CC-2.2 Support programs to ensure that all residents, regardless of race, social, or economic
status, have clean air, clean water, and other elements of a healthy environment.
7.A.b
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 101
Climate Resilience Sub Element
Develop, implement and monitor climate resilience strategies responsive to the impacts of climate
change and support public health and safety, the economy, public and private infrastructure, water
resources, and habitat.
Snohomish County 2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP)
The City of Edmonds adopted the HMP which was developed in cooperation with other jurisdictions in
Snohomish County. HMP identifies resources, information, and strategies for reducing risk from natural
hazards. The plan guides and coordinates mitigation activities throughout Snohomish County.
Integration of Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation: This approach recognizes the
interconnectedness between climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise,
and heatwaves, and existing vulnerabilities to natural hazards, such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes,
and wildfires. They both require deliberative long-term actions in the built and natural environments to
reduce harm resulting from hazards. Both frameworks center around vulnerability and risk assessment
as the fundamental analyses, making them highly comparable in structure and approach. By integrating
climate adaptation and hazard mitigation efforts, communities can:
•Recognize and address the compounding risks posed by climate change and natural hazard
•Identify opportunities to implement measures that provide multiple benefits
•Build resilience by incorporating adaptive strategies into hazard mitigation plans,
•Integrate climate projections and future risk assessments into hazard mitigation planning processes to ensure
that mitigation measures are robust and effective in the face of changing climate conditions.
•Identify opportunities to leverage funding and resources from multiple sources
Goal CC-3. Fulfill requirements of HB 1181 for addressing climate change.
Policy CC-3.1 Conduct a climate change risk assessment and impact analysis, consistent with state
guidance.
Policy CC-3.2 Broadly engage the public, including through equitable public outreach processes and
best practices for addressing climate issues.
Policy CC-3.3 Consider strategies that coordinate with with the Snohomish County Hazard Mitigation
Plan (HMP) and Shoreline Master Program. The strategies may include:
•“Extreme Heat Response Plan”, such ascreating a network of emergency cooling centers to be available
during extreme heat events.
•“Floodplain Management Plan”, such as updating development regulations for high-risk zones and
green storm infrastructure.
•“Wildfires Prevention Plan”, such as for fuel management and fire-resistant landscaping.
7.A.b
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102 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Goal CC-4. Seek to reduce community exposure to extreme heat, precipitation, smoke,
sea-level rise, and other climate-exacerbated events
Policy CC-4.1 Address the impacts of sea level rise by developing and implementing a comprehensive
adaptation plan that protects Edmonds’ coastal areas, infrastructure, and communities.
Policy CC-4.2 Seek funding sources, including grants, state and federal funding, and public-private
partnerships for sea level rise adaptation projects such as the Edmonds Marsh Estuary
restoration project, Willow Creek Daylighting project or others, as appropriate
Policy CC-4.3 Enhance emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts to mitigate risks and
impacts associated with extreme weather and other hazards worsened by climate change.
Policy CC-4.4The City of Edmonds should communicate with, and support climate resilience planning
efforts of, other districts and county programs, such as the Snohomish County Hazard Mitigation
Plan process, the Snohomish Health District, the Port District, the Alderwood Water Wastewater
District, the Snohomish County Public Utility District, and others.
GHG Emissions Reduction Sub-element
Edmonds Climate Action Plan’s GHG inventory and analysis aligns with Pathway 3 of the GHG
Emissions Reduction Sub-Element analysis as outlined in Section 4.3 of Climate Element Planning
Guidance published by WA State Department of Commerce. Pathway 3 leads to developing GHG
reduction goals and policies based on emissions inventory modeling results.
However, per the guidance document, Edmonds should use 2022 as their emissions baseline year and
set incremental targets that lead to achieving net zero emissions in 2050, consistent with Washington’s
statewide targets. The current CAP has 2017 as the baseline year. Commerce also recommends that
the emissions inventory be updated every five years to evaluate progress toward your GHG reduction
goals and targets.
Since 2008, the City has launched numerous initiatives aimed at creating energy-efficient and
sustainable public facilities.
•Completed an energy audit of major City buildings and facilities to identify opportunities for improved
efficiency.
•Reduced electrical usage at the library by approximately 45% after completing a capital improvement project.
•Upgraded the wastewater treatment plant with new technology that reduced electrical consumption by 19%
and fuel oil consumption by 44%, a reduction of 221 MT CO2e annually.
•Upgraded energy efficiency of City facilities, including interior lighting, insulation, and 10kW of community
solar at the Anderson Center; insulated glazing at City Hall; and high efficiency boiler and hot water tank at the
Public Safety building.
•Worked with PUD to replace 1600 streetlights with energy-efficient LED fixtures.
•Installed a 100-kilowatt project on Edmonds’ public safety building in 2022 using WA state grant
7.A.b
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 103
Goal CC-5. Promote green building practices and embrace renewable energy sources
to reduce carbon emissions
Efficiency First bill, requires owners of
large buildings (commercial and multifamily
buildings over a size threshold) to
benchmark their building’s energy usage
and report it to the State of Washington. The
state will then publish this data online so that
owners can see how each building compares
to its peers.
Policy CC-5.1 Strengthen energy efficiency codes,
consistent with best practices.
Policy CC-5.2 Support programs and incentives
that encourage existing land use,
buildings, and infrastructure to reduce their
carbon footprint. Encourage or incentivize
new developments to use low emission
construction practices, low or zero net
lifetime energy requirements and “green”
building techniques
Policy CC-5.3 Encourage electric heat pumps and consider limiting the use of natural gas in new
commercial and residential construction
Policy CC-5.4 Partner with Puget Sound Energy and other organizations with the goals to identify and
select appropriate and cost-effective energy improvements.
Policy CC-5.5 Explore financial assistance programs such as low interest loans or grants for installation
of solar energy projects and energy efficient equipment for affordable housing projects,
including residences and community facilities.
Policy CC-5.6 Remove barriers for installing residential and small business renewable energy systems,
as well as community solar (streamline permitting, lower fees, etc.)
Goal CC-6. Reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by promoting active transportation and
mobility by all modes to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals.
TDM strategies that are meant to reduce
congestion, ease traffic, and improve
the range of transportation options by
encouraging carpooling, biking, public
transit, or Telecommuting.
Policy CC-6.1 Prioritize multimodal investments
where needed in neighborhood centers
and hubs and the activity centers
Policy CC-6.2 Continue to promote active
transportation to reduce VMTs through:
•Encourage development in centers and hubs
to support a sustainable land use framework
•Support transit capital improvement in
partnership with Community Transit to improve
transit stops that serve centers and hubs.
Policy CC-6.3 Establish guidelines for the installation of EV charging stations in the public Right-of-
Way (ROW) while balancing the competing demands for curb space, including the needs of
pedestrians, cyclists, public transit, and other users.
Policy CC-6.4 Explore and expand practical options for transitioning more of the municipal fleet to
electric vehicles to maximize climate benefits and cost savings.
7.A.b
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104 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Goal CC-7. Reduce material consumption, waste generation, and resource depletion
Policy CC-7.1 Promote zero-waste programs and educational initiatives to “reduce, re-use, and recycle”
Policy CC-7.2 Promote local farmers’ markets at activity centers (including proposed Neighborhood
Centers and Hubs) throughout the city.
Policy CC-7.3 Ensure that the City sets an example by promoting sustainable practices when
organizing events, with a focus on reducing waste in materials, food, and other resources.
Implementation Actions
Performance Measures
Goal CC-8. Develop a set of climate metrics that can be tracked, assessed and
reported on by the City on an on-going basis.
Policy CC-8.1 Create an interactive dashboard that can display tracked information and reporting from
the monitoring program.
Policy CC-8.2 Climate Action Plan (CAP) should be updated every five years to be in compliance with
HB 1181 and Commerce’s GHG Emissions Reduction sub-element requirements.
Policy CC-8.3 Set aside funding for regular updates to the inventory analyzed in CAP.
Policy CC-8.4 Plan for data collection, target setting, progress reporting and adjustments to program
needs.
Policy CC-8.5 Continue to inventory and monitor both public facility, and community greenhouse gas
emissions targets as designated in the 2023 CAP.
Goal CC-9. Consider long-range, strategic, and short-term planning and decision-
making in making progress toward community sustainability.
Policy CC-9.1 Develop benchmarks and indicators to measure progress toward sustainability goals.
They should be both understandable and obtainable so that they can be easily explained and
used.
Policy CC-9.2 Schedule planning and budgeting decision processes to form a logical and linked
progression so that each process builds on and informs related decisions.
Policy CC-9.3 Long-range, strategic, and short-term planning should acknowledge the other time
frames, decisions, and resources involved. For example, short-term budgetary and regulatory
decisions should be designed to effect strategic and long-term goals.
7.A.b
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 105
Potential Action Items
The following list outlines potential action items that can be further explored to guide implementation
efforts, considering the city’s priorities, available resources, and other critical factors. Any such action
that is selected will be designed to support the City’s long-term vision while ensuring compliance with
the Growth Management Act (GMA).
•Allocate resources to enhance climate literacy for the community with emphasis on educating
community leaders, youth, and organizations by facilitating regular workshops and seminars on
climate
•Create a centralized resource providing information and updates
•Conduct regular climate risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities, inform housing resilience
strategies, and make relevant updates to the building codes
•Establish advisory boards such as Climate Champions with representatives from vulnerable
communities to guide program development and implementation
•Conduct thorough climate equity assessments to evaluate how proposed city funded capital projects
may affect vulnerable populations, with a focus on reducing disparities in climate resilience and
access to resources
•Conduct Health Impact Assessments (HIA) for large-scale projects to evaluate and address
potential health impacts on vulnerable populations and neighborhoods. Define threshold criteria for
determining which projects require an HIA based on factors such as project size and type, potential
health impacts, and the characteristics of the affected populations
•Expand responsibilities of the existing Climate Protection Committee to act as the Climate Policy
Advisory Team as defined in Section 2.1 of the guidance document
•Develop a climate change risk assessment and impact analysis for city government facilities and
operations
•Develop a climate risk assessment and impact analysis for the Edmonds community. Consider
the potential impacts to economic, land use, and other community patterns due to the short- and
long-term risks associated with climate change using tools specified in Section 3.1 of the guidance
document
•Undertake a Climate Equity Strategic Plan that identifies issues, and targets actions that address
climate equity. Include planning tools appropriate to both public and private participants. The
following activities should be part of the plan:
•Utilize Edmonds Equitable Engagement Framework to inform equitable public outreach processes
and best practices. Incorporate surveys and other forms of data collection to find populations needing
support. Engage with advocacy groups and elevate local needs and priorities.
•Assess the effects of climate risk on vulnerable populations, e.g. seniors, and those on fixed incomes.
•Develop recommendations for community programs responsive to findings.
•Coordinate with, and leverage state and regional goals and initiatives.
•Implement a monitoring schedule: Align the periodic assessment with scheduled updates to vulnerability
analysis for regular evaluation and timely update of strategies and actions.
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106 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
•Undertake a policy review of City comprehensive, strategic, and specific plans to ensure that City
policies are appropriately targeted to prepare for and mitigate potential impacts of climate change.
•The reviews may be done to correspond with scheduled plan updates or accelerated where either a
higher priority is identified, or the next update is not specifically scheduled
•Develop and implement robust development standards that are adaptable to the impacts of climate
change, enhancing the resilience of the city’s infrastructure, buildings, and communities
•Update building codes to incorporate climate-resilient materials and construction practices that can
withstand extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and storms
•Update land use plans for climate adaptation and resilience based on the strategies identified within
climate change risk assessment and impact analysis to address sea level rise, flooding, wildfire, extreme
heat, and other hazards
•Implement urban cooling strategies such as increasing green spaces, greater tree canopy,
opportunities for water-based recreation, installing cool roofs and pavements, (Refer UDF goals in
Community Design Element)
•Develop and implement policies to enhance carbon sequestration through natural and engineered
solutions, contributing to the city’s climate goals and improving environmental health
•Conduct a detailed vulnerability assessment of coastal areas, identifying critical infrastructure,
properties, and natural habitats at risk from sea level rise
•Establish and maintain monitoring systems to track sea level changes and the effectiveness of
adaptation measures over time
•Conduct an economic impacts analysis of sea level rise and the costs and benefits of different
adaptation strategies
•Regularly update and implement the City’s Emergency Management Plan (EMP) including
identification of multimodal emergency and evacuation routes.
•Include measures to ensure resilience of local energy supply at City operated mass care facilities,
such as solar power and battery storage, in the event of electrical outages due to extreme weather or
fires
•Conduct community drills and education programs to ensure residents are informed and prepared
•Support local schools in integrating climate and sustainability education into curriculum
•Explore carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market as a funding source for energy improvement
programs/incentives for small businesses
•Pursue the use of transportation demand management (TDM) strategies as a means of reducing
traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.
•Operationalizing complete street approach
•Explore a market-based vehicle, bike and scooter share program in Edmonds.
•Promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) by expanding charging infrastructure especially within City-
owned facilities including parks
•Partner with utility companies to create favorable EV charging rates and infrastructure development
programs
7.A.b
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: CLIMATE 107
•Establish a monitoring program which should include measures that:
•Enable a comparison between measurement periods
•Measure progress toward greenhouse gas reduction goals
•Identify opportunities and obstacles for meeting greenhouse gas emission targets
•Evaluate the effectiveness to achieve these goals.
•Develop benchmarks and indicators to measure progress toward sustainability goals. They should be
both understandable and obtainable so that they can be easily explained and used
Draft Performance Metrics
Goal Performance Metric
New developments use low emission
construction practices.
Number of New Residential and Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Installed
Percent of New Residential and Commercial Development LEED-Certified or
meeting Net-Zero Carbon Emissions
Percent of Existing Residential and Commercial Area Retrofitted
Vehicle miles travelled (VMT) are reduced
Residential units developed in neighborhood centers and hubs
Percent of workforce commuting by transit
Percent of workforce commuting on foot or by bicycle
Percent of Workers Carpooling and Ridesharing
Promoting low-carbon vehicles Number of electric vehicles registered in Edmonds
Tree canopy contributes to carbon
sequestration efforts.Number of Trees Planted in Edmonds
Material consumption and waste
generation is reduced.Reduction in Solid Waste Taken to Landfill
7.A.b
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
Preferred Growth Alternative
Discussion
Planning Board_Oct 23, 2024
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
How did we find centers and Hubs?7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 3
Perrinville
North Bowl
Firdale North
East Seaview
Five Corners
Westgate
Firdale Village
Highway 99
Subarea
Downtown/
Waterfront
Activity
Center
Medical District Five Corners
Westgate
Firdale Village
Perrinville
North Bowl
Firdale North
East Seaview
Downtown/
Waterfront
Activity Center
Highway 99
Subarea
South Lake Ballinger
Maplewood
West Edmonds Way
Centers & Hubs 7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
Proposed Growth
Alternatives
4
Approved by City Council_April 2024
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 5
No Action alternative
This alternative is non-compliant with Washington State
Growth Management Act requirements.
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 6
Alternative A:
Focused Growth
Note: Capacity metrics shown are approximate values
1,800
800
750
290
Firdale North
30
North Bowl
75
Perrinville
35
East Sea view
80
Existing
capacity
4,100
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 7
Alternative B:
Distributed Growth
*Maplewood Hub: Cannot count towards GMA Capacity
1,100
350
1500
90
290
200
100
350
70
35
Note: Capacity metrics shown are approximate values
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
1,800
800
750
290
Firdale North
30
North Bowl
75
Perrinville
35
East Sea view
80
Existing
capacity
4,100 1,100
350
1500
90
290
200
100
350
70
35
Alternative B:
Distributed Growth
Alternative A:
Focused Growth
Note: Capacity
metrics shown are
approximate
values
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 9
Preferred Alternative
•No-action alternative won’t meet state requirements.
•Preferred alternative:
•May be either of the two proposed growth
alternatives or something in between the two
alternatives studied in the DEIS
•Cannot add any additional areas for growth.
•Will be incorporated into the Final Comprehensive
Plan and provide direction for capital facilities,
regulations, and other actions
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 10
Existing H-99 Capacity
4,100 units
Existing Employment Capacity Existing Housing Capacity
Reducing allowed ht from 75’ to 50’
will open the city to litigation for loss
of economic use, the takings clause
in the fifth amendment of the
Constitution.
Existing H-99 growth is very high and
redistributing this to other areas
among the centers/hubs might be a
significant burden on those areas.
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
Draft Area
Details
11
With capacity achieved
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 12
Neighborhood Center: Westgate
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 4 floors (5 with incentive)
Up to 4 floors
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing 3-4 Floors
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
~1800 units ~1100 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Center: Five Corners
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
13
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 4 floors (5 with incentive)
Up to 4 floors
Up to 3 floors
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
~800 units ~350 units
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 14
Medical District Expansion
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
5 corners
expansion
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 4 floors (5 with incentive)
Up to 4 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~750 units ~1500 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Center and Hub: Firdale
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
15
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 4 floors (5 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 4 floors (5 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors
~30 units ~90 units
~290 units~290 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: North Bowl
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~75 units ~200 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: Perrinville
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~35 units ~100 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: East Seaview
18
No Action Alt A: Focused Growth Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors (4 with incentive)
Up to 3 floors
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~80 units ~350 units
7.A.c
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7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: South Lake Ballinger
20
No Action Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~70 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: West Edmonds Way
21
No Action Alt B: Distributed Growth
Mixed-Use
Neighborhood Commercial
Multi-Family
School
Bus Stops
Neighborhood Commercial
Existing Multi-Family (3 floors)
Up to 3 floors
Metrics are approximate, conceptual only and
subject to change with further study.
~35 units
7.A.c
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Neighborhood Hub: Maplewood
No Action Alt B: Distributed Growth
~200 units
No incentives –
PB - Agreed for 3 floors
7.A.c
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 23
Centers
Alt A:
Focused
Growth
Alt B:
Distributed
Growth
Comments/
concerns specific
to each area
Impacts
Westgate 1800 1100 Limit heights •Keeping Westgate as-is reduces the job capacity
substantially.
•The existing capacity is not tested for feasibility on
its own which means Westgate may not develop if
kept as-is without market feasible densities.
Five Corners800 350 Allowable heights
to not exceed 3
floors
•Loss of community benefits with the
incentive program.
•Neither Alts. fulfill targets by reducing allowable
heights to 3 floors across
Firdale 290 290 Limit heights •If Firdale Village allowable height is reduced to 3
floors,no housing capacity is generated.
Medical
District
Expansion
750 1500 Balance growth
in Medical District
•Alt A: No change
•Alt B: Reduce the Medical District Expansion NC
extents
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update | 24
Hubs
Alt AAlt B Comments/
concerns specific to each
area
Impacts
North Firdale 30 90 Remove North Firdale as a
Neighborhood hub because
it is located within CARAs
Due to the available buffer in housing
targets, the alternatives remain as is with
minor change to the overall capacities.
North Bowl75 200 - -
Perrinville35 100 Remove Perrinville as a
Neighborhood hub because
of flooding issues
Do not remove the hubs from growth
areas, the alternatives retain the flexibility
to reduce required heights elsewhere
East Seaview80 350 --
South Lake Ballinger70 --
West Edmonds Way35 --
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City of Edmonds Comprehensive Plan Update |
QUESTIONS ?
COMMENTS?
Email us @ everyonesedmonds@edmondswa.gov
For more updates, visit edmondswa.gov/everyonesedmonds
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 81
ECONOMYECONOMY
Guiding Principle:
“Edmonds’ economy is resilient and celebrates its
unique identity, provides support and opportunities to
the community and businesses to flourish”
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82 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 83
Introduction
The Economic Development Element is intended to provide comprehensive policy direction for
maintaining, expanding, and attracting economic activity across the city. This objective focuses on
fostering sustainable growth that balances development with environmental stewardship, ensuring
long-term prosperity and an enhanced quality of life for residents. Key priorities include supporting
existing businesses through resources and infrastructure improvements, attracting new businesses by
leveraging the city’s strengths and opportunities, and fostering a skilled workforce.
The International Economic
Development Council defines the
general objective of economic
development as “Improving the
economic wellbeing of a community
through efforts that entail job
creation, job retention, tax base
enhancements and quality of life.”
The element aims to enhance the city’s livability
by supporting mixed-use development and
cultural amenities. Additionally, it promotes
inclusive economic development to ensure that
all residents benefit from economic opportunities,
while encouraging regional collaboration and
resilience to adapt to economic shifts and market
disruptions.
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84 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Edmonds Today
Key Employment Sectors
Based on a review of local and regional employment data, the City of Edmonds either already excels
in or has the capacity to excel in the following employment categories. referred henceforth as “Key
Employment Sectors.”
A variety of terms are used to describe various employment sectors. Most of the names of the key
employment sectors below are from the American Community Survey (ACS, a part of the US Census).
The sector names in bold italics below are from the PSRC Regional Economic Development Strategy
(2021); these sectors have been identified as significant drivers of the regional economy. An underlying
assumption of the employment sectors is that flexible work schedules and quality of life of the
employees will remain a key consideration in luring business to Edmonds.
•Health care, Life Sciences, and Global Health
•Knowledge workers
•Professional, scientific, management, and other services
•Business Services; Finance, insurance, and real estate
•Information & Communication Technology
•The Creative Economy, which includes arts, tourism, small-scale artisanal manufacturing, and craft
producers, including microbreweries, distilleries, specialty foods, creative technology, and other
sectors. The Creative Economy is characterized by a significant number of non-traditional workers
who operate sole-proprietorships, sole-owner LLCs and who are small business owners, independent
contractors, and freelancers.
•Retail/Commercial
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Employed population 16
years and over
Health care & Education 4,672
Professional, scientific,
management and other Services 3,604
Retail Trade 2,647
Finance, Insurance, and Real
Estate 1,913
Manufacturing 1,886
Construction 1,860
Arts, Recreation, Accommodation
and Food Services 1,830
Other Services 991
WTU 843
Public Administration 653
Information 487
Wholesale trade 429
Agriculture, Forestry & Mining 94
Employed Edmonds Residents by Industry
Figure 4.1 shows the number of Edmonds
residents who are employed in various industries.
Consistent with the Key Employment Sectors
section above, health care, knowledge work
including professional services and finance, retail,
and arts and recreation are among the industries
in which the most residents are employed.
Source: American Community Survey (ACS),
2020, via PSRC. For the civilian employed
population 16 years and older. https://www.psrc.
org/our-work/census-and-american-community-
survey
Figure 4.1 Employed Edmonds Residents by Industry, 2020
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 85
Figure 4.2 Key Export Industries and Comparison of Edmonds to Nearby Cities
The columns on the right of Table 4.2 compare the share of employed Edmonds residents in each
industry to the share of employed residents in Bothell and Woodinville, and Snohomish County,
respectively. Bothell and Woodinville were selected because of their somewhat similar locations in the
region, and size.
•Key Regional Export Industries are PSRC’s terms for the industry categories described in the
ACS/U.S. Census; For example, PSRC focuses on “life sciences” while the Census tracks jobs in the
“health care and education” industries. Many of these industries, are important both regionally and
locally in Edmonds—including health care/life sciences, knowledge work/business services, arts
and recreation/tourism, and information. However, other industries are key drivers of the regional
economy, but are probably less critical to the City of Edmonds. These industries include aerospace,
maritime, and military and defense. It is possible that Edmonds could excel in these industries, but
neither anecdotal evidence nor government data seem to suggest that Edmonds currently excels in
them.
•Edmonds’ economy is similar and different to nearby cities and the County. Edmonds has more
employed residents than the comparison cities in healthcare, construction, finance, and arts/
recreation. It has fewer employed residents in the professional services, information, and
manufacturing industries. Compared to the County, Edmonds has a significantly larger share of
employed residents working in health care, arts/recreation, and professional services; it has far few
employed residents in manufacturing.
Source: American Community Survey (ACS), 2020, via PSRC. For the civilian employed
population 16 years and older.
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86 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Where Edmonds Residents Work
Understanding where Edmonds residents work is a critical piece of the City’s economy. During and
following 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors led to significant changes in work locations
across the country. Thus, U.S. Census’ LEHD program 2019 data was selected to represent pre-
pandemic employment locations for this study.
Figure 4.3 shows that, in 2019, the vast majority (92%) of employed Edmonds residents commuted to
work elsewhere, and that only 8% of employed Edmonds residents both lived and worked in Edmonds.
Therefore, Edmonds can accurately be called a “bedroom community.” Workers and their families are
making a choice to live in Edmonds, even though their jobs are located elsewhere.
There are about 55% more employed residents
who commute elsewhere than there are
employees who commute into Edmonds. These
employed residents are critical to the City’s
economic health and contribute heavily to
municipal revenue streams such as property and
sales taxes. The comprehensive plan should
focus on improving quality of life for these
employed residents, not just oriented towards
attracting employers to Edmonds.
Figure 4.4 shows the direction and distance
that employed Edmonds residents commuted in
2019. While about 40% of employed residents
remain “close to home” and commute less than 10
miles, an even larger share (47.6%) of employed
residents commute between 10 and 24 miles. A
very large share of these commuters have been
commuting south, to central parts of the City of
Seattle, including Downtown and the University
District.
Figure 4.3 Where Edmonds Residents Work, 2019
Figure 4.4 Commute Direction and Distance for
Employed Edmonds Residents, 2019
(Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household
Dynamics (LEHD) program, U.S. Census
Bureau, 2019)
(Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) program, U.S. Census Bureau, 2019. Note that the data source
for Figure 4.3(LEHD) is different than the data source for Figure 4.1 (ACS). While the two data sources identify similar overall
employment dynamics, specific figures are different between the two sources.)
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 87
Work From Home / Remote Work
Prior to the COVID pandemic, a relatively small share of the workforce nationwide worked from home
(about 5%). During and following the pandemic, this share increased dramatically, as more workers
found they could do their jobs from home and other locations, aided by new technologies such as
remote video conferencing. We expect remote work to be a critical employment trend throughout the
duration of the Edmonds comprehensive plan.
In 2022, data from the American Community Survey (ACS) / U.S. Census Bureau indicate that 25.3%
of workers in the Edmonds area were working from home or working remotely. This suggests that
approximately 4,500 Edmonds residents are working from home or working remotely (e.g., from coffee
shops, co-working spaces, etc.) Edmonds’ 25% work from home share is similar to other nearby areas,
and lower than Bothell and Mill Creek (33%), Shoreline (30%), and Redmond (38%). One source notes
that, “[ACS] data shows remote work is stable over the last year [2021 to 2022], and if anything, has
increased slightly. There is no sign that return-to-office is gaining steam on a national scale.”
This means that ensuring that Edmonds is a functional and desirable place to work remotely is key to
Edmonds ongoing economic success. Apart from any specific industry sector, accommodating work
from home employees is its own key employment sector.
The Adjacent Possible
Recent academic research into economic development has shown that economies tend to grow into
the “adjacent possible,” rather than by taking giant leaps into “distant” economic sectors. (Source: MIT,
Bloomberg.)
Put in more concrete terms, this means that local economies grow by building from the things they are
already good at into industries that are adjacent to their existing business and employment base. For
example, the Puget Sound’s strong software industry grew into online shopping in the early 2000s.
Its strength as a location where gourmet coffee has been brewed and enjoyed for decades enabled
the region to produce traded sector companies that serve coffee worldwide. It’s aeronautics and
aerospace industry has spawned many other complex manufacturing companies in Snohomish County.
However, the region is not a notable hub (at a nationally notable scale) for movie production (LA) or oil
and gas production (Houston). Both at a regional and City of Edmonds scale, it does not make sense to
try to pursue these non-adjacent industries.
The City should incrementally seek to grow into adjacent possible industries. For example, while its
Life Sciences employment base is small compared to other Puget Sound cities, Edmonds has strong
health care and professional service sectors, and quality of life. It is possible that it can use these to
attract additional Life Science businesses and employees. The Key Employment Sectors reflect this
approach of pursuing the adjacent possible.
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88 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Edmonds 2044
Activity Centers, Neighborhood Centers, and Hubs
The 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update envisions a hierarchy of centers and hubs, with two major
activity centers (Downtown/Waterfront, and Highway 99), multiple Neighborhood Centers (e.g.,
Westgate, Five Corners), and multiple smaller Hubs (e.g., North Bowl and Perrinville). These centers
and hubs are described in more detail in the Land Use Element of the Comprehensive Plan.
The City envisions that all centers and hubs will include a mix of land uses that are physically
integrated, and ideally would include places to live, work, shop, and play in close proximity to each
other. This is a significant difference in approach from the previous Comprehensive Plan, which
emphasized the importance of “business districts.” This shift is intentional and seeks to focus the City’s
attention on people and integrated, mixed-use places, rather than single-use business districts, or
industrial or office parks.
Neighborhoods of Opportunity
Numerous studies completed in recent decades have shown that the neighborhoods that children
grow up in have a significant impact on their lives, including the education they receive, the jobs
they hold, their future income, and other outcomes. Raj Chetty, Professor of Economics at Harvard
University and Director of Opportunity Insights has led the detailed analysis of this phenomenon.
Residents’ levels of education is one of the best predictors of incomes and thriving economies.
The fact that where people live affect their opportunities in life means that Edmonds has an opportunity
to provide its residents with great opportunities through the thoughtful implementation of this plan.
Some of the findings of the Opportunity Insights lab include:
•The neighborhoods in which children grow up shape children’s outcomes in adulthood.
•Education quality - even as early as Pre-Kindergarten - has large effects on kid’s lives
•Currently, low-income families are segregated into lower-opportunity areas.
•A booming economy does not necessarily lead to increased upward mobility for local children.
•Place-focused approaches to improving economic mobility—such as making investments to improve
outcomes in areas that currently have low levels of mobility or helping families move to higher
opportunity areas—are important.
•Support for policies that integrate households of various incomes to reduce segregation and
concentrated poverty, such as building affordable and middle-income housing, changes in zoning laws,
and efforts to improve local public schools.
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 89
Placemaking and Destination Development
Placemaking can be defined as creating and sustaining places in the built and natural environments
that people want to go to, linger, and spend time in with family, friends, and neighbors.
Examples of great places can be small or large, and include Downtown Edmonds, many places on the
Puget Sound waterfront, and small neighborhood cafes or pocket parks where neighbors meet and
connect.
Figure 4.5 shows a street scene in Downtown Edmonds and illustrates one reason that placemaking
is relevant to economic development: When people enjoy going to places and spending time in them
because the buildings and public spaces there are well designed, they often spend money there,
and enable the businesses and organizations located there to be more successful. Many high-quality
places are also places with correspondingly high measures of business strength, such as commercial
rents and property values.
While placemaking is desirable for local businesses and business districts, it is also an important part of
modern economic development citywide. This is because:
•Highly educated “knowledge workers” in Edmonds’ Key Employment Sectors drive a significant share of
economic growth, An increase in knowledge workers brings up to three times more corollary jobs than
the manufacturing sector most often in the service sector.
•Knowledge workers are increasingly mobile and can choose where to live. This has been true since the
mid-20th century and is even more the case now in the post-COVID world, where working on a hybrid or
remote basis has become more common.
•By investing in placemaking, cities such as Edmonds can increase the likelihood that residents,
employees, and businesses want to live in Edmonds, which should drive job creation and public sector
revenues such as property values and retail sales.
Destination development is a term highly related to placemaking but is focused on visitation.
Destination development can be defined as: The strategic planning and advancement of defined areas
to support the evolution of desirable destinations for visitors, by providing compelling experiences,
quality infrastructure, and remarkable services to entice visitation.
Figure 4.5 Downtown Edmonds (Source: City of Edmonds)
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90 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Public Revenues
As per the definition of economic development, tax base enhancements are a key component of this
work. A resilient and differentiated tax base is essential to creating the conditions for the remainder of
the components of economic development. The two figures below show the 2023 revenues for the
City of Edmonds for all funds (Figure 6) and the General Fund (Figure 7).
2023 revenues for the City of Edmonds for all funds
•Property, retail sales and use taxes make up nearly 36% of all of City’s revenues for all funds. These
taxes are directly related to economic development outcomes, such as demand for residential and
commercial property in Edmonds, and the amount of retail sales and business enterprises that take
place in Edmonds.
•Charges for services generate more than 41% of total City revenue. Charges for services are primarily
related to the provision of utilities, including water, wastewater/sewer, stormwater, telephone, cellular,
gas, electric, cable garbage. Demand for utilities is also related to economic development, since
residents and businesses generate demand for utilities.
•Thus, a thriving economy with prosperous households and businesses, and some growth in
population and jobs, drives at least 77% of the City’s revenues. Some intergovernmental transfers are
also related to population and job growth, growth management, and other economic development
related issues.
Figure 4.6 Percentage Revenue by Type – All Funds,
2023
Figure 4.7 Percentage Revenue by Type – General
Fund, 2023
2023 revenues for the City of Edmonds for General funds
•The General Fund is used for most ordinary government operations, such as staffing for parks and
recreation, public works, facilities maintenance, and administrative offices.
•Other funds, such as Enterprise Funds, pay for specific City projects such as those related to sewer
and water utilities and capital projects.
•Property and retail sales and use taxes—provide 58% of the revenues for the general fund.
Therefore, creating policies to increase the amount of goods sold and the total value of property in the
City is critically important to providing quality public services.
Sources: 2020 Adopted Budget, City of Edmonds; Edmonds Taxes and Incentives, City of Edmonds.
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 91
Edmonds’ Economic Development Vision
Edmonds Economic Development vision or “mantra” can be visualized as the place where the City’s
four economic development goals overlap, as shown below. Between 2024 and 2044, Edmonds
hopes to:
Goal ED-1. Diversify and grow the City’s jobs and economy to build robust and
differentiated key employment sectors, enhance local employment opportunities,
strengthen the city’s unique identities, attract spending from nearby communities,
and increase municipal tax revenues to support local services.
Policy ED-1.1 Grow employment within Edmonds’ key employment sectors by enabling existing
employers in these sectors to thrive, and actively attracting employers and jobs in these sectors.
Identify and prioritize areas with blighted commercial areas for investment. Develop or maintain
business recruitment programs, including a tool kit of incentives, to encourage business growth.
Policy ED-1.2 Be an exceptional place for employees to work remotely—from home, community
spaces, or other “third places.” Explore features that could enhance Edmonds’ desirability for
remote workers, including high quality of life, reliable internet connectivity, and transportation
infrastructure.
Growing the
Economy
GOAL A
Focusing on quality
of life
GOAL C
Place-making
GOAL B
Governing
effectively
GOAL D *
*An integrated place-based strategy for
economic resiliency
Figure 4.8 Edmonds’ Economic Development Vision “Mantra”
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Policy ED-1.3 Market Edmonds as a year-round destination to visitors from within and beyond the
Puget Sound region, for its waterfront location, historic downtown, arts and culture, eating and
drinking establishments, international shopping and dining, natural amenities, gardens and
flower displays, parks and recreational assets, etc.
Policy ED-1.4 Actively partner with local and regional economic development organizations such as the
Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, Port of Edmonds, Snohomish County, PSRC’s Central Puget
Sound Economic Development District Board, and the Department of Commerce to grow the
City’s economy, particularly in low opportunity areas. Continue to solicit and address feedback
to enhance the business environment.
Policy ED-1.5 Acknowledge that producing adequate affordable and workforce housing requires
an active role from city government. While community-based organizations and housing
developers are the primary movers of this work, the city should allocate staff time to partnership,
grant writing, planning, policymaking, and advocating in this space. Facilitate a variety of
home ownership opportunities by allowing and supporting condos, community cooperatives,
associations, and equity building
Goal ED-2. Revitalize and enhance the city’s activity centers, neighborhood centers
and hubs through integrated, mixed-use placemaking and destination
development approaches, in recognition of the needs for housing, commerce and
economic development.
Policy ED-2.1 Commit to, and invest in, an active and continuous engagement with the entire
community, with particular emphasis on neighborhoods.
Policy ED-2.2 Create destination management plans for the City’s Activity Centers and engage in
holistic planning, implementation, and reporting of their progress. Branding and destination
marketing are key elements of destination management.
Policy ED-2.3 Prioritize revitalization and enhancements to communities with a low opportunity index.
Actively target infrastructure improvements to provide equitable access to public facilities
and services. Plan, track, and create realistic financing strategies to improve place. Consider
effective use of community renewal planning in the Highway 99 area or other areas where such
a tool is appropriate.
Policy ED-2.4 Acknowledge that this work is regional and requires a steady investment in time, energy,
and focus over years to address imbalances in public investment. It requires work at every level
of our government.
Policy ED-2.5 Address business displacement through supporting businesses – directly where feasible
or through conveners - with grants, technical assistance, capacity-building expertise, marketing,
and branding.
Policy ED-2.6 Improve access to commercial parcels negatively impacted by state highway
infrastructure. Promote access and walkability to, and within, commercial areas in areas less
effectively served by pedestrian enhancements.
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EVERYONE’S EDMONDS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 93
Goal ED-3. Support and enhance the community’s quality of life for residents of all
backgrounds and incomes, workers, and visitors to sustain and attract business
and investment and enhance economic well-being.
Policy ED-3.1 Promote strategies and policies that expand access to opportunity and remove barriers
ensuring all Edmonds residents have the opportunity to thrive—regardless of age, race, gender,
and other factors
Policy ED-3.2 Recognize the role of community-led organizations as catalysts for local empowerment,
advocacy, and collaboration and support them to strengthen their capacity and enhance their
effectiveness in serving the community
•Facilitate access to resources, information, and networks.
•Foster collaborative partnerships between city agencies and CBOs to address community needs and
achieve shared goals
Policy ED-3.3 Support green job growth: Encourage Investment in skilled workers, green workforce
development training, and new low carbon technologies like clean energy and renewable
materials.
Policy ED-3.4 Recognize that investments providing attractive and integrated public facilities, civic
spaces, and mixed-use development help the City’s growing population to gather, connect,
and that building community increases our competitiveness in the regional economy as well as
improving quality of life for residents
Policy ED-3.5 Support, recognize, and empower businesses with cultural significance to the
community.
Goal ED-4. Ensure a predictable and efficient regulatory environment that facilitates
economic development, via the City’s zoning, permitting, business support, and
investments.
Policy ED-4.1 Continually strive to offer an efficient, timely and predictable regulatory environment, and
a high level of customer service to those seeking permits from the City. Establish performance
metrics and track them, acknowledging that learning and improving is the primary goal of this
work.
Policy ED-4.2 Align the following City’s investments and programs with the economic development
goals.
•Capital Improvement Program
•Impact fees structures, which can vary based on the degree to which a project supports comprehensive
plan goals. For example, projects that create more walk trips and fewer auto trips may pay lower impact
fees.
•Taxes, including overall tax burden.
•Programs, grants, loans, and other incentives, particularly those which support anti-displacement
strategies and support for existing entrepreneurs, such as relocation assistance.
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94 CITY OF EDMONDS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN | DRAFT OCTOBER 2024
Policy ED-4.3 Become experts in all aspects of municipal project financing. Investigate Tax Increment
Financing, Local Improvement Districts, Congressionally Directed Spending, state and federal
grants, area-specific impact fees and other methods to improve infrastructure in targeted areas
of the city.
Policy ED-4.4 Ensure that equity is central to the decision-making process of city government, with a
commitment to fairness, inclusion, and justice for all residents
Policy ED-4.5 Be a connector for our small businesses to programs that offer business support,
financial or managerial assistance, and technical training
Potential Action Items
The following list outlines potential action items that can be further explored to guide implementation
efforts, considering the city’s priorities, available resources, and other critical factors. Any such action
that is selected will be designed to support the City’s long-term vision while ensuring compliance with
the Growth Management Act (GMA).
•Develop relocation options in Edmonds for those displaced from mobile home parks and engage
with communities to make those resources known.
•Provide additional support for safety, community space, and walkability improvements through
securing grants and other financial support
•Establish a shared metric for quality of life that incorporates the following measures as a starting
point, possibly with the addition of other elements to be determined:
•Connection
•Mobility
•Sociability
•Stability – particularly with respect to housing stability
•Health
•Safety
•Continue to foster an open and accepting community culture that respects diversity, in part because
progressive communities are better able to attract and retain business.
•Identify sources of risk where displacement risk is high
•Develop programs that mitigate and manage displacement risk.
•Identify meaningful investments in areas with lower economic opportunity.
•Develop incentives to manage and preserve affordable commercial spaces within mixed-use areas
that support small local businesses
•Assist in applications for grants, subsidies, or if feasible, provide direct funding opportunities
•Simplify administrative processes and requirements for community-based organizations seeking
permits, licenses, or approvals to carry out their activities
•Minimize housing displacement created from development – identify properties at risk of commercial
and housing displacement in commercial areas
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