Puget Sound Regional Council
Encyclopedia
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is a regional planning organization that develops policies and makes decisions about transportation planning
, economic development
and growth management
in the four-county Seattle metropolitan area surrounding Puget Sound
. It is a forum for cities
, town
s, counties, transit
agencies, port districts
, Native American tribes
and state agencies to address common regional issues.
, Kitsap County, Pierce County
and Snohomish County, which together encompass 6290 square miles (16,291 km²) and contain 82 cities and towns. The five major cities are Seattle and Bellevue
in King County, Tacoma
in Pierce County, Everett
in Snohomish County, and Bremerton
in Kitsap County. The region's population was estimated at 3,582,900 in 2007.
and the state Regional Transportation Planning Organization by Washington Governor Booth Gardner
in 1991.
One of the PSRC's major landmark projects is VISION 2040, a strategy for dealing with significant growth in population and employment forecast for the central Puget Sound region by the year 2040.
Others include "Destination 2030," which is a 30-year transportation plan for the region, and the "BNSF Corridor Preservation Study." The BNSF corridor study recommended replacing most of the Woodinville Subdivision
rail line that runs through Seattle's eastern suburb
s with a bicycle and walking trail, as well as preserving freight services along the northern segment. For the longer term (10 to 40 years), the study recommended planning for high-capacity commuter rail.
The largest portion of funding for the PSRC's activities, about 74 percent, is provided by the federal government. Twenty percent is from dues paid by PSRC members, and the remaining 6 percent is from state grants.
Transportation planning
Transportation planning is a field involved with the evaluation, assessment, design and siting of transportation facilities .-Models and Sustainability :...
, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
and growth management
Growth management
Growth management is a set of techniques used by government to ensure that as the population grows that there are services available to meet their demands. These are not necessarily only government services...
in the four-county Seattle metropolitan area surrounding Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. It is a forum for cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
, town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s, counties, transit
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
agencies, port districts
Port authority
In Canada and the United States a port authority is a governmental or quasi-governmental public authority for a special-purpose district usually formed by a legislative body to operate ports and other transportation infrastructure.Port authorities are usually governed by boards or...
, Native American tribes
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
and state agencies to address common regional issues.
Geography
The Puget Sound Regional Council serves the central Puget Sound region of Washington state. The region is made up of King CountyKing County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Kitsap County, Pierce County
Pierce County, Washington
right|thumb|[[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] - Seat of Pierce CountyPierce County is the second most populous county in the U.S. state of Washington. Formed out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852, by the legislature of Oregon Territory...
and Snohomish County, which together encompass 6290 square miles (16,291 km²) and contain 82 cities and towns. The five major cities are Seattle and Bellevue
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
in King County, Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
in Pierce County, Everett
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
in Snohomish County, and Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
in Kitsap County. The region's population was estimated at 3,582,900 in 2007.
History
The Puget Sound Regional Council was created in 1991 by an interlocal agreement among the region's jurisdictions. It was designated as the federal Metropolitan Planning OrganizationMetropolitan planning organization
A metropolitan planning organization is a federally-mandated and federally-funded transportation policy-making organization in the United States that is made up of representatives from local government and governmental transportation authorities...
and the state Regional Transportation Planning Organization by Washington Governor Booth Gardner
Booth Gardner
Booth Gardner , an heir to the Weyerhaeuser fortune, was the 19th Governor of the U.S state of Washington between 1985 and 1993. He also served as the ambassador of the GATT. He is a Democrat. Before serving as governor, Gardner was Pierce County Executive...
in 1991.
Activities
PSRC conducts long-range planning (20-30 years in the future) for growth management, transportation and economic development. PSRC also prioritizes and distributes a portion of federal funding for transportation in the region, and provides regional data and analysis. PSRC houses the Puget Sound Economic Development District and sponsors the Prosperity Partnership.One of the PSRC's major landmark projects is VISION 2040, a strategy for dealing with significant growth in population and employment forecast for the central Puget Sound region by the year 2040.
Others include "Destination 2030," which is a 30-year transportation plan for the region, and the "BNSF Corridor Preservation Study." The BNSF corridor study recommended replacing most of the Woodinville Subdivision
Woodinville Subdivision
The Woodinville Subdivision is a railroad line that was formerly owned by BNSF Railway and takes its names from one of its original end points in Woodinville, Washington, United States. The line extends approximately in east King County and Snohomish County. The line's ownership has been...
rail line that runs through Seattle's eastern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s with a bicycle and walking trail, as well as preserving freight services along the northern segment. For the longer term (10 to 40 years), the study recommended planning for high-capacity commuter rail.
Organization and Funding
The Puget Sound Regional Council is governed by elected officials from its member government agencies, who meet annually as a General Assembly to vote on major decisions, approve the budget and elect new leaders. A 32-member Executive Board meets monthly to make decisions on behalf of the General Assembly. Assisting in this decision making process are several advisory boards, which are composed of local elected officials as well as representatives of business, labor, environmental and community interests.The largest portion of funding for the PSRC's activities, about 74 percent, is provided by the federal government. Twenty percent is from dues paid by PSRC members, and the remaining 6 percent is from state grants.