Intergovernmental cooperation for East Link
Memorandum of Understanding
The City of Bellevue and Sound Transit have been committed in partnership to ensure that the East Link light rail project is constructed in a way that meets the needs of Bellevue and the region. This intergovernmental cooperation was captured in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and Sound Transit originally approved in November 2011 and amended in May 2015.
- 2015 Amended Memorandum of Understanding (Amended MOU)
- 2011 Umbrella Memorandum of Understanding (Umbrella MOU)
The 2011 Umbrella MOU centered on a shared responsibility for addressing the costs of including a tunnel through downtown Bellevue. Elected officials and staff from both agencies worked collaboratively to identify alignment modifications that reduced impacts to the public and overall cost savings and efficiencies. These savings and efficiencies resulted in amendments to the original 2011 Umbrella MOU.
The Amended MOU addressed the final financial terms surrounding construction of East Link within Bellevue; added the Operations and Maintenance Facility; identified areas of efficiency through project coordination; provided greater certainty for Sound Transit with respect to permit costs and timelines and provided the City with certainty for mitigation to construction impacts.
Specifically, amendments included deleting outdated provisions, including financial terms, adding sections regarding the Operations and Maintenance Facility (Section 20), project coordination (Section 21), considerations for additional property impacts due to alignment modifications (Section 22) and permitting and mitigation (Section 23).
Transit Way Agreement
In support of the 2011 Amended MOU, the City and Sound Transit agreed to a Transit Way Agreement that sets the framework and responsibilities for how the agencies will interact regarding Sound Transit’s use of the city-owned public rights-of-way for the purposes of constructing, operating and maintaining East Link light rail within Bellevue. The original Transit Way Agreement acknowledges that future amendments will be likely.
- 2nd Amendment to the Transit Way Agreement (May 2015)
- 1st Amendment to the Transit Way Agreement (June 2013)
- Original Transit Way Agreement (November 2011)
- Draft Transit Way Agreement (October 2011)
Another important interagency document is the Three Party Agreement approved between the City, King County, and Sound Transit to address the potential future realignment of 120th Avenue NE.
- Three Party Agreement (May 2015)
City Council Public Hearing April 13, 2015 (Amended MOU)
The Council held a public hearing on the agreements at its April 13 council meeting:
- April 13 public hearing video recording
- April 13 PowerPoint presentation
- April 13 agenda memo
- Staff answers to questions from Council(asked by Councilmembers at the April 13 council meeting)
- Attachment 3a, Views of the Slough and Park & Ride from Enatai
- Attachment 3b, Existing trees viewed at street level from the south
- Attachment 5, East Link Mitigation Map
- Attachment 7a, Lake Bellevue 20 questions response
- Attachment 7b, Lake Bellevue 20 questions response
- Attachment 7c, Lake Bellevue 20 questions response
- Attachment 9, City permit process graphic
- Attachment 10, Draft maintenance of traffic plans
- Attachment 13, February 2 parking replacement strategy
- Attachment 16 and 17, RCO packet
- Attachment 18, East Link alternatives analysis process
- Attachment 20, OMSF Phase 1 and Phase 2
- Attachment 27a, Existing and Sound Transit planned bicycle facilities
- Attachment 27b, Planned city bicycle facilities
City Council meeting April 6, 2015 (Amended MOU)
The amendments to the MOU are contained in a package of three legal documents. This topic was discussed at the Bellevue City Council's April 6 meeting:
- April 6 MOU presentation video recording
- April 6 MOU PowerPoint presentation
- April 6 agenda memo
- Fact sheets about the amended MOU: