With downtown Burien recognized
by the Puget Sound Regional Council as one of 25 regional growth
centers, the City has prioritized the need to plan for increased density
and transportation options in the near and longer term. In support of
those goals, the City initiated a Downtown Mobility Study to provide a
toolbox of strategies and policy levers that can be used to jumpstart
the development Burien desires.
The purpose of the Downtown
Mobility Study was to improve transportation options to and through the
downtown area, with a specific focus on bicycle and pedestrian mobility,
transit connectivity, and parking. The study builds on Burien’s unique
character to create a multimodal vision for the future. All of the
strategies identified in this document work toward three overarching
goals:
- Improve multimodal connections within Burien
- Increase Downtown’s multigenerational appeal
- Elevate Burien’s position in the region
The
study provides an overview of Burien today, the City’s economic
development goals and how the Mobility Study helps advance these goals,
the process that created the Mobility Study, and the major
recommendations (or ‘Big Moves’) that will help the City achieve its
overall vision.
Several of the recommendations of the study are
already being implemented, including: wayfinding, parking code updates,
ADA accessible treatments, strategic marketing of Burien’s advantages to
potential development, enhanced regional transit, enhanced pedestrian
crossings, and activating spaces. Read more about two of these projects
below.
Wayfinding
In 2016, the City utilized economic
development grant funds to complete a design of a wayfinding system,
which was completed in June 2017. In fall of 2017, the City applied for
and was awarded a Port of Seattle Economic Development Partnership grant
of more than $50,000 that will go towards fabrication and installation
of the wayfinding signage. The installation of the signs in the Downtown
core is expected to be complete in summer 2018.
Parking Code Update
In
November 2017, the City Council passed changes to the parking
regulations in the downtown Burien that exempt new businesses in
existing buildings from providing additional off-street vehicle parking.
These changes reduce barriers for new business startups and encourages
property investment by updating existing structures.