CHAPTER 5

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

 

5.1 AREA TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IMPACTED BY ILLAHEE CREEK

 

Illahee has a limited road system primarily due to the steep slopes of Illahee Creek. There is only one north-south road going through Illahee, Illahee Road, which goes from Bremerton to Brownsville, and crosses Illahee Creek near its mouth. The next north-south road, State Highway 303, is one and a half miles to the west. This means the road system essentially detours for one and a half miles to avoid Illahee Creek and the Illahee Preserve. This creates a significant open space area and benefits the Illahee Creek, but limits the transportation options. It also makes for increased traffic as people often avoid State Highway 303 and travel north/south on Illahee Road.

 

 

5.2 Existing Infrastructure

 

Below are the main roadways that either border or are within the Illahee Community boundary, see Figure 5.1.

State Facilities

 

State Highway 303, is a five lane principle north-south highway in Kitsap County. It is also the western most border of the Illahee Community between Riddell Road and McWilliams Road.

 

County Facilities

 

Illahee Road is classified as a Minor arterial from the top of Illahee Hill as it transitions from Trenton Avenue where it runs north/south to the community of Brownsville. The road has varying shoulder types. In one 0.3 mile section the west side of the shoulder is paved. The remaining shoulders are unpaved and range from no shoulder to approximately two feet of shoulder width, the predominance being about one foot of unpaved shoulder width. The posted speed limit is 35 mph, except for the portion going through Illahee community proper, where the speed limit is 25 mph.

 

East 30th Street is the southern border of the Illahee Community. It is a two-lane east/west collector roadway, running from East Bremerton and terminating as it reaches the bluffs near Illahee State Park.

 

Sylvan Way is a two-lane Minor arterial and local collector, which runs east/west from the area south of Illahee State Park into the East Bremerton area. It comprises another southern border of the Illahee Community between Trenton Avenue and Perry Avenue.

 

Perry Avenue is a two-lane north/south Principal/Minor arterial, running from East Bremerton to Riddell Road. It comprises the western border between Sylvan Way and Riddell Road.

 

Riddell Road is a two-lane east/west Principal arterial, running from Perry Avenue to State Highway 303. Riddell road is the southern border of the Illahee Community from Perry Avenue to State Highway 303.

Trenton Avenue is a two-lane north/south Collector arterial, running from East Bremerton to Sylvan Way where it transitions into Illahee Road. It is the western border of the Illahee Community from 30th Avenue to Sylvan Way.

Fir Drive is classified as a two-lane local road that runs from the Trenton Avenue/Illahee Road transition north until it dead ends. It connects the dead-end two lane roads.

McWilliams is classified as a Minor arterial. It is a two-lane roadway, which runs from State Highway 303 east/west until it dead ends at East Avenue. McWilliams is the northern border of the Illahee Community from State Highway 303 to Sunset Avenue.

Sunset is classified as a two-lane local road that runs north/south. Sunset is the western border of the Illahee Community from McWilliams to N.E. Colorado Street. Note that N.E. Colorado Street extended would connect with University Point Circle.

East Avenue functions as a Minor arterial for a short section as it distributes most traffic to Ocean View Boulevard or 3rd Avenue. It is a two-lane roadway, which runs north/south.

 

Ocean View Boulevard is a Minor two-lane steep grade arterial connecting East Avenue with Illahee Road.

 

3rd Street is also classified as a Minor two-lane arterial connecting East Avenue with Illahee Road.

University Point Circle is classified as a two-lane local road that runs in a rectangular pattern through the University Point development and connects with Illahee Road. The northern most portion of University Point Circle, along with N.E. Colorado Street, forms the northern border of the Illahee Community. There is only one ingress and egress connecting University Point Circle to Illahee Road.

 

 

5.3 KITSAP TRANSIT SERVICES

 

Scheduled Transit Services

 

Kitsap Transit does not provide regularly scheduled bus service to the Illahee proper, but does provide service to some of the perimeter areas of Illahee, see Figure 5.2. Perimeter service is provided daily except for holidays, when service is either not provided or limited.

 

Illahee Dial-A-Ride

 

Illahee Dial-A-Ride buses operate trips within the Illahee area and make connections to Kitsap Transit routed buses at the East Bremerton Transfer Center. These are advanced reservation buses that operate on a limited schedule -- weekdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations can be set up the day before, or up to seven days in advance. Trips may be grouped with other Dial-A-Ride or ACCESS trips.

 

ACCESS Busses

 

Kitsap Transit also serves the disabled or elderly through their ACCESS shuttle program. These shuttles are specially designed for the needs of their clientele providing home to destination service.

 

 

5.4 Traffic Analysis

 

Methodology

 

Capacity analyses are described in terms of Level of Service (LOS.) LOS is a qualitative term that describes the operating conditions a driver will experience while traveling on a particular street or highway during a specific time interval. It ranges from LOS A (little or no delay) to LOS F (long delays, congestion). LOS for roadway links is determined by comparing roadway travel volumes to roadway capacity, known as the volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio.

 

Table 5-1 shows the relationship between LOS and V/C ratios. The county has adopted LOS D (v/c = 0.89) as the minimal standard for roadways and intersections within the urban growth area, and LOS C (v/c = 0.79) for rural roadways. Under current conditions, all roadways in the Community-Area are considered to be rural in nature (minimum LOS of C), with the exception of state routes, where WSDOT has adopted LOS D as the V/C threshold.

 

Table 5-1. LOS and V/C Comparison

Level of Service

Volume-to-Capacity Ratio

A

< 0.60

B

0.60 to 0.69

C

0.70 to 0.79

D

0.80 to 0.89

E

0.90 to 0.99

F

> 1.00

 

The maximum theoretical vehicle-carrying capacity of a roadway is determined to be approximately 18,000 to 22,000 vehicles per lane per day. There are, however, many factors that can reduce the actual capacity of particular roadway segments. These factors include lower posted speeds, the presence of driveways or cross-streets, narrow lane widths, and pedestrian activity. The placement of traffic signals can also lower the capacity of a roadway segment.

 

Roadway capacity values were assigned to the roadway segments in this study based on the factors described above. Specifically, the capacity values used were taken from Appendix C ÒGeneralized Service Volumes for Snohomish County Arterials (maximum two-way weekday traffic by level of service)Ó of the Snohomish County Transportation Needs Report. In that report, several tables were prepared showing the estimated daily capacity, under various roadway conditions. The factors used in the Snohomish County data are reflective of other counties in Western Washington, and are appropriate to Kitsap County transportation planning efforts. In this study, tables from Group 1 of the Urban Area Standards were used to identify roadway capacities.

 

 

Existing Conditions

 

Volumes for Average Daily Traffic (ADT) on the existing network for 2000 are shown on Table 5.2. Volumes for 1999 were based on traffic count data collected by Kitsap County. A 2.2% per year growth rate was used to adjust volumes to 2000 conditions.

 

Based on the existing roadway conditions and daily traffic volumes, all roadway segments providing access to the area under normal conditions presently operate at or above the acceptable Level of Service standards for Kitsap County roadways (Table 5-1 & 5-2).

 

Table 5-2. 2000 LOS and V/C Comparison

 

 

 

Roadway

 

 

 

2000 Volume

 

 

Capacity

 

Volume-to-Capacity Ratio

 

 

 

LOS

Illahee Road

3,000

11,700

.26

A

Sylvan Way

7,100

13,000

.55

A

Perry Avenue

5,800

13,000

.45

A

Riddell Road

11,500

16,300

.71

C

Trenton Avenue

5,400

14,600

.37

A

McWilliams

8,500

14,600

.58

A

East Avenue

1,800

11,700

.15

A

Ocean View Blvd

2,200

11,700

.19

A

3rd Street

1,500

11,700

.13

A

 

 

Future Conditions

 

All roadway segments studied are expected to operate at or above the acceptable Level of Service standards for Kitsap County roadways in 2012 (Table 5-3).

 

Table 5-3. 2012 Road Network LOS and V/C Comparison

 

 

 

 

Roadway

 

 

 

 

2012 Volume

 

 

 

 

Capacity

 

 

 

V/C Ratio

 

 

 

 

LOS

 

 

Concurrency Threshold (0.89 x D)

Deficit

(-)

Excess (+)

Capacity

Illahee Road

4,600

11,700

.39

A

10,418

5,813

Sylvan Way

10,700

13,000

.82

D

11,570

870

Perry Avenue

12,200

13,000

.94

E

11,570

-630

Riddell Road

14,072

16,300

.86

D

14,507

435

Trenton Avenue

5,100

14,600

.35

A

12,994

7,894

McWilliams

12,000

14,600

.82

D

12,994

994

East Avenue

4,000

11,700

.34

A

10,413

6,413

Ocean View Blvd

4,000

11,700

.34

A

10,413

6,413

3rd Street

No Data

11,700

.15

NA

10,413

NA

 

 

 

5.5


5.5 CURRENT Scheduled Improvements

 

Kitsap County Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

 

The Kitsap County Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (2006-2010) includes the following improvements: There are no improvements planned in the Illahee area for this period.

 

The Mosquito Fleet Trail Plan

 

Early in Illahee history was its total dependence upon water-borne transportation via the ÒMosquito FleetÓ. Illahee is one of over 40 Mosquito Fleet ports along Kitsap CountyÕs 228 miles of Puget Sound shoreline. The Mosquito Fleet Trail Plan is a long term project under the Washington State Scenic Byway System that runs through Illahee and is most noticed by the number of bicycle tour groups that ride the trail through Illahee, see Figure 5.3. There are no Mosquito Fleet Trail Plan improvements planned in the Illahee area for the known future.

 

 

5.6 PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS

 

ÒMore and better walking pathsÓ was a common request from the questionnaires received. To increase pedestrian safety along roadways, shoulders should be widened to accommodate walking paths. These, or sidewalks, should be mandated for any new developments within the Illahee Community boundary. Also, this should be a requirement of any future roadway projects.

 

 

5.7 Goals AND POLICIES

 

Goal 5-1          Encourage development of an efficient multimodal transportation system and develop a funding strategy and financing plan to meet its needs.

 

Policy 5-1        Develop ÒmultimodalÓ transportation plan for the Illahee Community that considers all modes of transportation, and specifically: private vehicles, public transit (buses), bicycles, and walking/jogging. Plan should cover in detail the implementation plan for future pedestrian walkways as noted in Section 5.6.

 

 

Goal 5-2          Provide the citizens the opportunity to participate in the development of transportation planning policy.

 

Policy 5-2        Encourage citizen participation, organizations or individuals, in County transportation planning efforts for the Illahee Community.

 

Goal 5-3          Establish minimum level of service standards for transportation facilities in accordance with the requirements of the Growth Management Act.

 

Policy 5-3        Transportation improvements shall be available to support planned growth at adopted levels of service concurrent with development.

 

Goal 5-4          Reduce accidents and potential accidents by providing a safe transportation system through good design practices.

 

Policy 5-4        Analyze accident data to determine where safetyÐrelated improvements are necessary. Prioritize and implement safety-related improvements during the transportation planning process.

 

Goal 5-5          Minimize negative environmental impacts by the transportation                            system.

 

Policy 5-5        Maintain environmental standards and mitigation requirements that are the same or higher than those placed upon the private sector.

 

Policy 5-6        Signage needs to be provided warning traffic of wildlife crossings in the vicinity of the locations where secondary wildlife corridors exist.

 

Top

Home | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5
Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Appendix A | Appendix C


Contact: web@illaheecommunity.com

Copyright 2006
Illahee Community Citizens Advisory Group
All Rights Reserved