SR 524 (196th St. SW/SE/Filbert Rd.) Road Improvements,
24th Ave. W to SR 527 (Lynnwood-Bothell area)
Project History
The proposed project emerged from several feasibility studies conducted in the 1970s and early 1980s that identified 196th Street SW as a primary east-west travel corridor for south Snohomish County. Safety and traffic flow improvements were considered for the corridor. As area population grew, traffic on this narrow two-lane roadway increased to volumes exceeding the roadway’s design capacity. In addition, roadway sight distance problems pose safety issues for motorists, and the current roadway does not provide for adequate pedestrian and bicycle usage.
Initial public meetings and outreach occurred in 1981, as part of the county’s first arterial plan development process. In 1984, the County undertook a corridor study that focused on two potential east-west corridors, 196th Street SW and 180th Street SW. Three public meetings were held in 1985 to discuss alignment alternatives and identify community and environmental concerns associated with future road improvements.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared in 1987 as part of the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) environmental review for the project. Public outreach for this process included two public scoping meetings and meetings with the King’s Court Mobile Home Park, Snohomish County Improvement Alliance, Wood Trails Homeowners, Brier Citizens Committee, and the Wetlands Alliance. In addition, questionnaires were sent to residents in the project area and comment letters were received from agencies and the public.
After the Draft EIS was issued, two project newsletters were distributed, and three public meetings were conducted to inform the public of the project and solicit comment on the EIS. Responses to comment letters and open house comment sheets were provided in the Final EIS issued in 1989. An interim report was prepared in 1990, discussing existing conditions and proposing interim improvements for major intersections along the Corridor. Two public meetings were subsequently held.
In 1992, Snohomish County transferred jurisdiction of 196th Street SW to the State of Washington through an interlocal agreement. As part of the agreement, the County would complete the roadway design and construct improvements to 196th Street SW, now also known as SR 524. In 1993, Snohomish County issued a Record of Decision was issued that identified a preferred roadway realignment alternative. The preferred alternative was based in part on citizen input received during the SEPA process. A project newsletter was sent out to inform citizens.
In 1996, the County initiated the right-of-way acquisition process for the realignment, but construction funding was not yet available.
As the acquisition process began, the County became aware of new environmental concerns. Citizens prompted the County to reconsider the project alternatives and selected alignment by submitting petitions. A public meeting and a community meeting with residents of the “S-curve” area were held, and a project newsletter was distributed to inform the public.
A Draft Supplemental SEPA EIS (DSEIS) was prepared and issued in 1997, followed by a public meeting to gather public comment on the Draft. A Final Supplemental EIS (FSEIS) was issued in 1998. An extensive design process and right-of-way acquisition had occurred since the 1998 Record of Decision that selected an alternative that minimized impacts to Swamp Creek buffers and associated wetlands. The alignment selected in 1998 realigned the roadway to pass through the mobile home park.
As citizen-based initiatives reduced local funding available for transportation-based projects, the 196th Street SW Road Improvement project was put on hold until state and federal highway funds became available.
In recent months, the potential for federal funding has prompted the preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The EA assesses changed conditions and updates environmental documentation. The proposed alignment has undergone design modifications since the 1998 FSEIS, as engineering work has progressed toward the 60 percent phase of project design. While the Preferred Alternative selected in 1998 included five lanes throughout the length of the project, the project has been modified so that the roadway would taper to four lanes between Cypress Way and Locust Way, and between 10th Place West and the Floral Hills Cemetery entrance. A project newsletter was sent out to citizens and an open house was held in October 2002 as part of the recent environmental documentation process.
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