Puget Sound Regional Council
 | |
| Abbreviation | PSRC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1956[1] |
| Type | MPO |
| Purpose | Transportation and urban planning, economic development, data collection and research |
| Headquarters | 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98101 |
| Location | |
Region served | Puget Sound region |
Membership | Puget Sound counties cities, towns, ports, and tribes transit and state agencies[2] |
President | Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive |
Executive Director | Josh Brown |
Budget | $27.5 million (two-year budget, from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2019)[3] |
| Website | www |
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is a metropolitan planning organization that develops policies and makes decisions about transportation planning, economic development, and growth management throughout the four-county Seattle metropolitan area surrounding Puget Sound. It is a forum for cities, towns, counties, transit agencies, port districts, Native American tribes, and state agencies to address regional issues.[4][5]
Geography
The Puget Sound Regional Council serves the central
History
Early history (1956–1991)
In 1956 the four counties of the Puget Sound region established the Puget Sound Regional Planning Conference, which changed its name to the Puget Sound Governmental Conference (PSGC) in 1958. It launched the Puget Sound Regional Transportation Study (PSRTS) in 1962 with support from the Washington State Highway Commission, the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (predecessor of the Federal Highway Administration), and the
Its membership continued to expand to smaller
Puget Sound Regional Council (1991–present)
The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) came into being in its current form in 1991 by an interlocal agreement and was designated an MPO by Washington Governor
The agency was headquartered at Waterfront Place in Downtown Seattle for most of its history. PSRC announced in 2023 that they would move to a fifth-story space at 1201 Third Avenue with the signing of a 13.5-year lease.[7] The new office opened on January 25, 2024.[8]
Activities
PSRC conducts long-range planning (20‑30 years in the future) for growth management, transportation, and economic development. It also collects regional data on
Securing transportation funding
PSRC President Josh Brown notes that "helping communities secure federal
VISION 2040
VISION 2040 is PSRC's strategy to ensure that Puget Sound region residents have a high quality of life come 2040, when the region's population is expected to reach 5 million. The document analyzes policies in response to the needs of housing, economic development, transportation, and the environment. It identifies infrastructure investments that would contribute to the region's and its residents' well-being and suggests a financing plan for the investments.[4]
"BNSF Corridor Preservation Study"
The "
In 2008 the
Prosperity Partnership
The Prosperity Partnership is a coalition of public- and private-sector organizations as well as nonprofits that is "working to promote a strong central Puget Sound economy". It was launched in November 2004 and has accrued more than 300 member organizations. Achievements include:[11]
- Founded the Washington Clean Technology Alliance, the first trade association dedicated to clean technology in the state (2007)[12]
- Published a report on the "size, scope, segments, and growth potential" of the region's clean tech cluster as well as its niche advantages and how to pair them with export-oriented industries (Nov. 2009)[11]
- Founded the Washington Global Health Alliance, which markets Washington as an "epicenter of global health discovery, development, and delivery" (2007)
- Published a foreign direct investment (FDI) toolkit to aid local and state governments in attracting FDI (Jan. 2009)
- Established the International Regions Benchmarking Consortium, a gathering of "metropolitan regions that find it mutually beneficial to learn from each other" by comparing data and research findings, with financial support from Microsoft and Boeing (2008)[13]
- Created the Washington Defense Partnership to serve as a central coordinating body for the military presence and mission in Washington as well as families, defense-contracting community (2009)[14]
- Spearheaded efforts to secure a "Transportation Partnership Account" worth $8.5 billion that would target "safety, freight, efficiency, and capacity projects" (2005)[15]
- Launched the Washington Aerospace Partnership, a "coalition of business, labor, and local government leaders working to sustain and grow aerospace industry jobs in Washington", which is home to more than 600 aerospace manufacturers that employ more than 100,000 people[16]
Funding
The Puget Sound Regional Council is governed by elected officials from its member government agencies, who meet annually as a General Assembly to approve the budget and elect new leaders. A 32‑member Executive Board meets monthly to make decisions on behalf of the General Assembly, along with several advisory boards composed of local elected officials and representatives of business, labor, environmental, and community interests.[17]
The federal government provides the largest portion of PSRC's funding—74% of the total annual budget. Approximately 20% comes from membership dues and the remaining 6% comes from state grants.[18]
References
- ^ a b c Puget Sound Regional Council (2009). History of PSRC (PDF). Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ "Membership Directory". About PSRC. Puget Sound Regional Council. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ "Budget and Work Program". About PSRC. Puget Sound Regional Council. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ a b c Puget Sound Regional Council Annual Report 2012 (PDF) (Report). Puget Sound Regional Council. June 7, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ "Puget Sound Regional Council. "Interlocal Agreement for Regional Planning in the Central Puget Sound Area" http://www.psrc.org/about/what/interlocal.htm
- ^ Washington State Office of Financial Management. "April 1, 2019 Population of Cities, Towns, and Counties Used for Allocation of Selected State Revenues" Retrieved April 2, 2020 http://www.ofm.wa.gov/POP/april1/ofm_april1_population_final.pdf
- ^ Thompson, Joey (August 28, 2023). "Regional planning agency to leave longtime space for 1201 Third tower". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "PSRC has moved to a new office!". Puget Sound Regional Council. January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Julia Patterson; Wayne Short; Deborah Chase; et al. (May 2007). BNSF Corridor Preservation Study: Final Report (PDF) (Report). Puget Sound Regional Council. pp. 63–66. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ Parsons Brinckerhoff (December 2008). BNSF Eastside Corridor Commuter Rail Feasibility Study Phase II (PDF) (Report). Puget Sound Regional Council. p. ES-3. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ a b "About the Prosperity Partnership". Economic Development – Prosperity Partnership. Puget Sound Regional Council. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ "About Us". Washington Clean Technology Alliance. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ "Welcome". International Regions Benchmarking Consortium. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- GDP. See following white paper for details: Bonnie Berk; Michael Hodgins; Brian Murphy; Erica Natali; Erik Rundell (September 2010). Washington State's Defense Economy: Measuring and Growing its Impact(PDF) (Report). Washington Economic Development Commission. p. ii. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ A Citizen's Guide to Washington State: 2012 Transportation Budget (PDF) (Report). Washington State Senate Transportation Committee. June 2012. p. 14. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ "Aerospace". Economic Development – Aerospace. Puget Sound Regional Council. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ Puget Sound Regional Council. "Bylaws of the Puget Sound Regional Council" (March 16, 2000) http://www.psrc.org/about/what/bylaws.htm
- ^ Puget Sound Regional Council. "PSRC Biennial Budget and Work Program Fiscal Years 2008–2009" (April 5, 2007) http://www.psrc.org/about/budget/fy2008-09budget.pdf
External links
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| National | |
