PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.       5h 
ACTION ITEM              Date of Meeting   November 6, 2012 

DATE:    October 31, 2012 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Mary Gin Kennedy, Director of Commission Services 
SUBJECT:  Duwamish Traffic Management Association Sponsorship 

Amount of This Request:  $50,000         Source of Funds: General Fund 
Est. State and Local Taxes: $0             Est. Jobs Created: N/A 
Est. Total Project Cost:    $50,000 
ACTION REQUESTED: 
Request Commission authorization for the Port of Seattle to contribute $50,000 in funding to the
Duwamish Traffic Management Association (TMA) for a community and business outreach
program related to freight, transportation and mitigation needs for the Port's terminals and within
the Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center (Duwamish MIC). 
SYNOPSIS: 
The Duwamish TMA asked the Port to help sponsor a business and community outreach 
undertaking focused on the transportation and mitigation needs of the Port's container terminals
and on Duwamish MIC freight and traffic management issues and concerns. The work is
designed to lead to the publication of a report, which would include at least ten profiles of local
businesses located in the industrial area that depend on the Port for shipping or are key players in
the maritime sector, and one or more public forums. The work is to be completed within six
months. The Port's sponsorship will allow the program to get underway before the end of 2012. 
Data collected during the business and community outreach will be used to illustrate the
contribution of the Seaport to the economic health of Seattle and King County through case
studies. The program will also collect current data from Port-dependent businesses on their use
of Port properties for imports and exports and assist the Port in developing new marketing
strategies. 
The research will inform the Port, regional decision-makers and the general public about the
Port's facilities and long-standing Port, maritime sector and Duwamish MIC transportation
assets, needs and concerns, and how those assets, needs and concerns are linked to the Port's, the
City of Seattle's and King County's continued economic success. The report will present
recommendations on freight and traffic improvements that will be necessary to support the

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
October 31, 2012 
Page 2 of 3 
continued vitality of the Port and the manufacturing and industrial sectors, which support
thousands of jobs in our region. 
BACKGROUND: 
The Duwamish TMA, a non-profit group which works on improving transportation in the
Duwamish MIC, asked the Port to help sponsor a business and community outreach undertaking
focused on the transportation and mitigation needs of the SoDo business community, the Port's
container terminals and on other freight users. The program will also seek to prioritize
Duwamish MIC transportation needs based on input from the business and community outreach.
The Duwamish TMA is contributing $25,000 of its own funding to this program. It has also
received a $5,000 funding commitment from Boeing and is soliciting funds from other interested
stakeholders to reach a goal of $100,000. Approval of the Port's sponsorship will allow the
program to get underway in the next two months. 
This request has been approved by the Port's "Sponsorship Committee," as falling within the
parameters of the Port's sponsorship policy. Funds are available from the Port's contingency
funds. The program would support the promotion of the Port's facilities and trade promotion,
public education and future economic development. However, because the request came to the
Commission office and because its size, it was deemed appropriate to seek approval by a vote of
the Commission in public session. 
The program will help identify, determine, and evaluate the transportation needs of the
businesses associated with the Port's container terminals. Data collected during the business and
community outreach will illustrate the contribution of the Seaport (and Duwamish MIC
businesses) to the economic health of Seattle and King County through case studies. The
program will further identify traffic conditions, transit requirements, mitigation strategies and
capital improvements still needed after current transportation projects in the Duwamish MIC,
including the bored tunnel replacement of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, are complete. This report
and other findings developed as part of the Duwamish TMA's research and outreach efforts
would also be available to inform the SEPA review of the proposed sports and entertainment
arena in SODO. Input will be sought from the major freight companies, Port-related and other
employers, manufacturers, retailers, transit users, bicycle/pedestrian groups, stadiums and
government agencies located in SoDo or using the Duwamish transportation system. 
The information gathered from the business and community will assist in planning for future Port
economic development projects, and those undertaken by others in the maritime/industrial
sectors as the Duwamish MIC area experiences new growth and development. The fresh
research and data will be analyzed and synthesized to inform the Port, regional decision-makers
and the general public about the Port's facilities; long-standing maritime sector and
transportation assets, needs and concerns; and how that infrastructure is linked to the Port's, the
City of Seattle's and King County's continued economic success.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
October 31, 2012 
Page 3 of 3 
As indicated above, initially, the Duwamish TMA will conduct an inclusive community-wide
survey of stakeholders who are dependent on the Port as a freight and transportation hub,
especially for import and export shipping services, or who work or do business in SoDo and are
impacted by the movement of freight. After completing the business and community outreach,
the program would also sponsor one or more public forums or panels to share initial information,
conclusions and recommendations and seek final comments from stakeholders. 
Based on the business and community outreach and the public forum(s), the Duwamish TMA
will publish a balanced and objective report within six months (by May 2013) with key findings
and recommendations prioritizing freight-related issues but including all modes of
transportation. The report would be widely available to elected officials, the business
community and the general public. 
The Duwamish TMA is well-suited to undertake this effort because it is very familiar with the
Duwamish Manufacturing Industrial Center's freight and transportation issues and Port-related
businesses. It is also already well-known to many stakeholders and has been able to work with
diverse interest groups on previous projects. The Commission and Port staff will work closely
with the Duwamish TMA to ensure that the Duwamish TMA's work fills in gaps not covered by
other analysis and planning efforts. Port staff will form a technical oversight committee with the
Duwamish TMA in drafting the report and sponsoring the public meetings, and a steering
committee may also be formed. The Duwamish TMA's thoroughlydocumented "StreetSmart"
report is the model for this program. The report examined traffic and safety issues along 1st 
Avenue South between SoDo, Georgetown, South Park and North Tukwila, sought consensus
from the participants, and made 28 major recommendations to improve bicycle and pedestrian
connections in this highly industrialized area. 
OTHER DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS REQUEST: 
Letter from the Duwamish Traffic Management Association. 
Approved Trade, Business and Community Development Funding Application.