Hwy 167 Traffic

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE TRAFFIC
How an incomplete Highway 167 is hurting Fife,
Washington’s economy, and the future.
Gridlock. Stagnant Economy. Pollution.
The completion of SR 167 is of significant importance to the Port of Tacoma, Pierce County,
Washington State and the nation. It is of critical importance to the City of Fife.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
85% of Port of Tacoma truck traffic travels through Fife, most along the busy
54th Avenue Corridor. Almost 20,000 vehicles travel 54th every day.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Idling trucks and traffic produce pollution in an area that is already above
standard maximum pollution levels.
85%
JOBS LOST
Fife employers’ #1 complaint is traffic. Not only cost and time to
route goods, but finding and keeping the employment force of about
20,000 is as struggle.
85% of Port traffic
travels through Fife.
SAFETY ISSUES
The size, speed and frequency of truck traffic through Fife make
it a hazardous location for pedestrians, general commuters and
make police enforcement a challenge.
TRANSPORTATION COSTS
Fuel, idle time and driver costs skyrocket when traffic is
heavy. With rising transportation costs, it’s only a matter
of time until we lose business to other Ports.
2014 TRAFFIC STUDY
$
65% of truck traffic...
CONTAINER TRAFFIC FORECAST
A recent traffic study focused on just one segment,
the northbound I-5 ramp, of the SR-167 extension.
The goal was to understand how even a small
portion of the extension would positively impact
Fife. Our conclusion is that this segment alone
will drastically improve congestion, safety and
transportation costs.
Not completing the SR 167 project the will have
significant and increasingly adverse impacts on
Fife’s road repair costs as well as quality of life,
with local streets choked with trucks and other
regional traffic. - STUDY PRODUCED BY KPG, INTERDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
THOUSANDS OF TEUS (TWENTY-FOOT CONTAINERS)
20,000 vehicles a day...
2400
2200
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
TRAFFIC CONGESTION POINTS
•• 54th Avenue East
•• 70th Avenue East
•• Pacific Highway Interchange
•• Exit Backup onto I-5 Southbound
“This
project is of critical
importance to Fife because
currently regional truck traffic to
and from the Port of Tacoma flow through
the city on city streets. This results in traffic
congestion, as well as increased wear and tear of
local roads, which decrease the usable pavement
life resulting in higher street maintenance costs.
Streets in the City of Fife will be gridlocked if
anticipated growth occurs in the absence
of a completed State Route 167.”
2014 WEEKDAY TRAFFIC VOLUMES
54TH AVE E BETWEEN 20TH ST E
& PACIFIC HWY E
Russ Blount
Public Works Director,
City of Fife
Did you know that the completion of Hwy 167
would save $6 million a year in freight travel time?
COMPLETE 167: THE ONLY OPTION
With transportation costs rising,
we risk losing business to other ports.
Fund SR-167 now.
It is estimated that the completion of State Route 167 would encourage the development of
79,000 new jobs, have an economic benefit associated with job growth more than $10 billion
and allow the Puget Sound ports to be more competitive with other U.S. and Canadian ports.
$70k
,
17500
6min.
$6M
$70k a year in
reduced fuel costs
17,500 gallons of gas saved
EXISTING IMAGE
RENDERING OF COMPLETED 167 INTERCHANGE
“Current
road and highway
infrastructure will not sustain
current demands or support any future
development without upgrades to allow for
the free flow of East/West traffic on the Pacific
Hwy and in to the approaches and exits to the Port
of Tacoma. In addition, with the size, speed and
frequency of the truck traffic coming through Fife
now, it is challenging to maintain safe streets for
pedestrians and traffic to share.”
6 minute average travel time savings
Mark Mears,
Fife Police Chief
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF
THE 167 INTERCHANGE
•• 150 Metric Tons of
Carbon Dioxide Reduced
•• Makes Fife a Good Choice to
Locate Homes & Businesses
•• Transit Runs on Time
•• Reduced Environmental Impacts
(Less Idle Time)
•• Room for Growth
•• Port Expansion Opportunities
•• Competitive in the Marketplace
$6M a year in freight travel time savings
BROOKVILLE PARK GROUNDBREAKING, FIFE, 2014
CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
It is essential to the
economic vitality of the
City of Fife, Pierce County,
the Puget Sound region,
and Washington state and
to the economic prosperity
of current and future
generations of Washington
residents that the State
include a mechanism to
fully fund the completion
of State Route 167 in the
State budget.
Report prepared by City of Fife.
253-896-8601, [email protected]

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