4%	United States
Environmental Protection
Mm Agency
May 2015
.gov/smartgrowth

IBS

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Greening	America's	Capitals
Greening America's Capitals is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program to help state
capitals develop an implementable vision of distinctive, environmentally friendly neighborhoods that
incorporate innovative green infrastructure strategies. In collaboration with the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
through the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, EPA provides design assistance to help support
sustainable communities that protect the environment, economy, and public health and to inspire
state leaders to expand this work elsewhere. Greening America's Capitals will help communities
consider ways to incorporate sustainable design strategies into their planning and development to
create and enhance interesting, distinctive neighborhoods that have multiple social, economic, and
environmental benefits.
Olympia, Washington, was chosen in 2013 as one of four state capital cities to receive this assistance
along with Lansing, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; and Montpelier, Vermont.
Find more information about Greening America's Capitals at
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/greening-americas-capitals.
Smart Growth
GREENING
AMERICA'S CAPITALS
Cover: Washington State Capitol viewed across Capitol Lake. (Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)

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Acknowledgments
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Abby Hall, Office of Sustainable Communities
Clark Wilson, Office of Sustainable Communities
Tom Eaton, Director, EPA Region 10, Washington Operations Office
City ofOlympia Project Team
Stacey Ray Senior Planner Community Planning and Development, City of Olympia
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner Public Works, City of Olympia
David Smith, Transportation Engineer, Public Works, City of Olympia
Eric Christensen, Water Resources Engineering and Planning Supervisor, Public Works, City of Olympia
Dennis Bloom, Planning Manager, Intercity Transit
Kate Haefele, Intern, Community Planning and Development, City ofOlympia
Rob Richards, Program Manager, Downtown Ambassador Program
Nicholas Vann, State Historical Architect, Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historical Preservation
Dave Wasson, Chief Operating Officer Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters
Marygrace Jennings, Cultural Resources Manager; Washington State Department of Enterprise Services
jonathon Turlove, Associate Planner, Parks, Arts and Recreation, City of Olympia
janis Dean, Owner, Popinjay
Michelle Bentley, Associate Planner; Urban Forestry, City of Olympia
Consultant Team
Community Design+Architecture
Connie Goldade, RLA, Principal in Charge
Phil Erickson, AIA, Complete Streets Advisor
Ashley Cruz, Urban Designer
Warren Logan, Urban Designer-
Kevin Utschig, Urban Designer
Kevin Saavedra, AICP, Project Urban Designer
MAKERS
John Owen, Principal in Charge
Sean McCormick, Architectural Designer
Urban Rain | Design
Kevin Robert Perry, ASLA, Principal in Charge

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary	iv
! | Introduction	!
2	| Project Area and Existing Conditions	2
3	| Design Workshop	7
4	| Design Options	9
5	| Next Steps and Funding Sources	33
Appendices
Appendix A: Examples of Green Streets	39
Appendix B: Green Infrastructure Toolbox	41
Appendix C: Examples of Parklets	42
Appendix D: Examples of Road Diets	43
Appendix E: Examples of Shared Streets	44

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- iv
Executive Summary
The city of Olympia, Washington, wants to create a cohesive vision for Capitol Way, the city's main street in the downtown that
links the state capitol with the popular Olympia Farmers Market. The city wishes to make the street more accommodating for
pedestrians and bicyclists, add more street trees with better planting techniques to make the street more attractive and safer; and
manage stormwater runoff to improve water quality and minimize localized flooding. The city hopes that the investment made in
public improvements of the street will spur increased private investment and vitality in the downtown.
The city requested technical assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Greening America's
Capitals Program. EPA funded a design team to assess the corridor and collaborate with city staff, local business owners, residents,
and other stakeholders to develop and identify design options to revitalize and "green" Capitol Way. The team developed design
options for individual focus sites that respond to site conditions and community input. The options illustrate a range of new street
configurations, such as curbless "shared streets" near the existing farmers market that allow flexible use of the streets to serve all
users while also increasing the amount of open space in the right-of-way for seating and public events. Design options in the main
shopping area downtown illustrate how a "road diet" could reduce vehicle travel lanes to create more space to widen sidewalks
and add more landscaping to improve aesthetics and absorb stormwater runoff. Options for Capitol Way closerto the state
capitol campus, where traffic volume warrants four lanes, illustrate how pedestrians and bicyclists could be safely accommodated
and landscaping incorporated, even with limited space by narrowing travel lane widths. Regardless of configuration, all the design
options make pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders safer and more comfortable while accommodating desired traffic capacity
and maintaining parking; increase the amount of public gathering space; and provide more landscaped areas to increase shade,
absorb stormwater runoff, and reduce localized flooding.
The report includes near- and mid-term steps the city could take if it chooses to implement any of the design options, as well as
potential funding sources for design implementation. These actions could catalyze improvements not just on Capitol Way, but also
in all of the downtown.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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1- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Introduction
Capitol Way is Olympia's main street, connecting the state
capitol campus to the downtown commercial core, the
waterfront, and residential neighborhoods beyond. The city
of Olympia requested assistance from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA's) Greening America's Capitals
program to help improve Capitol Way by:
¦	Improving pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular facilities
and circulation.
¦	Making Capitol Way more of a destination that supports
existing businesses, is attractive to new development, and
has identifiable gateways.
¦	Increasing landscaping and pervious areas to capture
stormwater runoff, help reduce localized flooding, and
improve downtown's overall appearance and identity.
EPA hired a consultant team to develop design options that
the city could consider for Capitol Way. The design options
presented in this report envision Capitol Way as a green and
complete street—a street that is more walkable and bikeable;
better connects popular destinations; supports existing
businesses; helps attract new development; and manages
its own stormwater all while creating a more positive and
attractive identity for downtown Olympia. A "complete street"
makes the roadway and sidewalks safer for all users, including
pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and transit riders. However a
street is not necessarily "complete" without considering its
environmental performance. Incorporating green infrastructure
into street design—referred to as a "green street"—adds
environmental protection components. Green infrastructure
includes a range of natural and built approaches to stormwater
management, such as rain gardens, stormwater planters,
permeable paving, and street trees that mimic natural systems
by capturing and cleaning polluted stormwater and letting it
absorb into the ground rather than flowing into the storm
sewer system and ultimately into Puget Sound. (See Appendix
A for examples of green streets and Appendix B for additional
information on green infrastructure elements).
Figure I: Capitol WaydeMertding into the historic downtown area.
(Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
Figure .2: Public art and: an edibls garden in the foundiibout at the
farmers market, the northern terminus of Capitol Way. (Image Credit:
Community Design + Architecture)

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PROJECT AREA AND EXISTING CONDITIONS
21 Project Area and Existing Conditions
Project Area
The Greening Capitol Way project focused on Olympiad main
street from Market Street in the north, where the farmers
market is located, to the capital campus ending at Maple
Park Drive in the south. City staff selected five focus sites
(see Figure 3) that represented the various conditions along
Capitol Way. The design team also found it constructive and
:nformative to discuss the challenges, issues, and design options
for Capitol Way in regards to general areas of the downtown
and capitol campus that Capitol Way links together
The five focus sites and site-specific concerns are:
Q Capitol Way between Band A Avenues
This focus site is representative of the northernmost portion
of Capitol Way, between Market Street and Olympia Avenue.
The area is transitioning from an older, single-story industrial
area into a mixed-use district with mid-rise residential
complexes and a hotel. Two of the residential buildings are
senior residences. One large parcel is currently vacant and
zoned for residences, businesses, and ground-floor retail. The
farmers market is a major draw and is adjacent to Percival
Landing, which has a park, marina, and boardwalk with
restaurants, shops, and other attractions. Vehicle traffic in
this area is primarily local, mainly accessing the parking lots at
the attractions and other uses during business hours; there
's very little through traffic. Capitol Way in this location was
recently reduced from four to three travel lanes and added
bicycle lanes, but the curb-to-curb street width remained the
same (Figure 4). Pedestrians therefore still have to cross a wide
street, and the design team was told residents of the senior
residences find it particularly challenging, which can discourage
them from walking to nearby destinations.
hurston
Legion Way
Sylvester Park
7th Ave 1
(Maple Park Ave
Farmers market
Budd Inlet,
West Bay
4th Ave
8th Ave
Capitol Lake
9th Ave
Union Ave
State capitol,
west campus
State capitol,
east campus
Sid Snyde
14th Ave
Project area
Focus site
— Historic district	Omfe	0:25 m/te
figure• 1 Creehing Capitol Way study area and five- foms sites. (Aerial figure 4: Capitol Way from B Avenue Igoking south. (Image Credit:
Image. Credi t: City o f Olympia)
Community Design + Architecture)
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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3 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
©Capitol Way between 4th and 5th Avenues and
©Intersection of Capitol Way and Legion Way
These two focus sites are in Olympia's historic downtown arid
are characteristic of the blocks between Olympia Avenue and
Legion Way. The buildings vary in height from one to eight
stories. The ground floors have shops and restaurants, so
the street has many pedestrians. Many of the buildings have
permanent, low-slung awnings that project over the sidewalk
and work well in providing shade and protection from the
rain, but, along with the relatively narrow sidewalks, preclude
street trees in some places. Sidewalks are typically too narrow
for large numbers of pedestrians, outdoor seating, or sidewalk
retail displays. Sylvester Park, at the intersection of Capitol Way
and Legion Way, is a primary public open space in downtown.
©Capitol Way between 9th and 10th Avenues
This section of Capitol Way transitions from the historic
downtown to a more office-oriented district with only a few
shops and cafes leading to the capitol campus. Focus site 4
is typical of the conditions found from Legion Way to I Ith
Avenue. Many buildings are set back from the street, and
some have parking lots in front of them, so the street is not
particularly welcoming to pedestrians (Figure 7). The street
slopes up from north to south (the capitol campus sits on a
bluff). The design team and residents noted that drivers tend
to drive faster along this stretch of street than elsewhere,
particularly going northbound down the hill. The wide street
and speeding vehicles make it unsafe for pedestrians to cross
Capitol Way.
Figure 5: Capitol Way looking north frorri 5th Avenue.
Figufe 6: Capitol Way looking south from Legion Way.
(Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
Figure 7: Capitol Way looking north, from 19th Avenue.
(Ima:ge Credit: Community Gesign + Architecture)
Figure 8: Capitol Way looking north from I Ith Avenue,
(Imagp Cwiit: Community Design + Architecture)
©Intersection of Capitol Way and 11th Avenue
This focus site is in the southernmost portion of the project
area and is where Capitol Way transitions from the capitol
campus to a mixed-use office district (Figure 8). The
intersection has little to define it, but it has partial views of
the waterfront and downtown to the north. A new state
government building is being planned for the northwest corner
Most pedestrian movement is across Capitol Way (to get from
one side of the campus to the other) and occurs at a mid-
block crossing; the street itself does not have much pedestrian
activity. The intersection is signalized, but as the street is wide
and pedestrians have a long wait to get a 'walk' signal, crossing
remains difficult for some.

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PROJECT AREA AND EXISTING CONDITIONS
Existing Conditions
These conditions were the most pertinent to developing the design options and were the general topics of focus group meetings
held at the workshop (discussed in Chapter 3).
Walking, Biking, Transit, and Parking
While the downtown area has an interconnected street grid,
Capitol Way is one of only two major streets that connect
downtown to the capitol campus and points south. On Capitol
Way, the highest average daily traffic counts are found at the
southern end, and traffic decreases in volume as one moves
northward, with a significant drop north of State Avenue.
Capitol Way in the downtown and along the street north of
downtown has on-street parking; small pockets of parking
occur south of downtown. The side streets also have on-street
parking, and many parking lots are close by.
Sidewalks along Capitol Way are typically 10 to 12 feet wide
but get significantly narrower where there are street trees
(Figure 9). There is currently limited space for outdoor displays,
seating, and places for people to congregate comfortably.
At many intersections, crossing Capitol Way can be difficult,
especially for older residents, given the street width, traffic
speed, and lack of signals at some intersections. Capitol
Way has few bicycle facilities; those that exist occur in short,
disconnected segments. Frequent driveways and parking lots
along Capitol Way interrupt the sidewalk and make walking less
pleasant. The intersection of Capitol Way and 14th Avenue has
no pedestrian crossings with the exception of one along the
western side. There are also no sidewalks along the eastern
side of Capitol Way in this area. North of this intersection is a
street-level, mid-block pedestrian crossing with flashing signal
beacons to allow people to walk between both sides of the
capitol campus. South of the intersection is a pedestrian bridge.
This connection is inconvenient for pedestrians, as people can
access the bridge only from deep within the campuses, and the
western end of the bridge lands in the visitor center parking
lot at 14th Avenue and Sid Snyder Way. Signage to provide
information and direct pedestrians is also lacking.
Downtown Olympia is well served by transit. Several local
and express bus routes run along Capitol Way, including a
free downtown shuttle called the Dash (Figure 10). A regional
transit center is one block off of Capitol Way and is planned
for expansion. Ridership is high to moderate, and many riders
are "choice riders," meaning they have cars but choose to take
transit rather than drive to or through downtown. Bus stops
for local routes and the Dash occur approximately every two
blocks along Capitol Way between the farmers market and the
capitol campus. Buses typically stop in the outer travel lane at
the curb, where there is no on-street parking, or stop in the
parking lane, at designated stop zones. In a few instances, the
bus stop is a transit bulb-out that extends the sidewalk across
the parking lane, with the bus stopping in the travel lane. Due
to the numerous and competing demands for uses within the
Capitol Way roadway in the historic district, the travel lanes
are 9 feet wide, not the 11 feet preferred by Intercity Transit
for their buses. Therefore, the buses tend to straddle both
travel lanes in the same direction, leading to back-ups.
figure 9. Pedestrians gre most frequent in the historic downtown ewe,
(Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
w
Figure 10: Downtown has many bus; stops and a few bicycle racks.
(Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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5 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, W A
nipiitiill
4th Ave |
5thAve ¦.
xVt'fic-'
§ fc Legion Way
lA'.S 7tUve^
^*wv fm
^J1'», J. ¦'. ';7 ' I IJL:
Sid Snyder Ave
Maple Park Ave
High water table area
Opportunity for water quality design solutions
Steep grade area
Opportunity for runoff volume reduction design solutions
Flooding hot spot
i	
0' 20:8' 400'
Flood prone area
©
Figure f I: Hydrology and topography relationship along Capitol Way,
showing stegp slopes, high water tofefe, and flood-prone areas In the
project dred. (Aerial Image Credit: City of Oiympia)
1 Coast & Harbor Engnftefing, Engineered U&sponss to Sect Lew®! Rise
PeEemher 30, ,2011 ¦
Storm Sewer Infrastructure, Topography, and
Sea Level Rise
In downtown Olympia, the stormwater system, site
topography, and potential sea level rise are all interconnected
(Figure 11). The project area along Capitol Way collects surface
stormwater flow from buildings; streets, and parking lots into
the underground pipe system. Many buildings, especially in
the historic district, have downspouts that cross under the
sidewalk and release stormwater into the gutter. There is little
opportunity for rainfall to soak into the ground because a high
percentage of the area has impervious cover
In 2011, the city of Olympia published the Engineered Response
to Sw Level Rise,' which provides an analysis of flooding
potential, evaluation of flood damage vulnerability, engineered
response to flooding risk, flood protection strategies and
implementation sequence, and recommendations. That report
indicated that parts of lower downtown Olympia are currently
not protected from inundation by the 100-year flood, also
referred to as the one percent-annual-chance flood. The
combination of high tides, heavy rainfall, and sea level rise
can prevent upstream stormwater from entering the piped
system and discharging into Budd Inlet, which ultimately could
cause more severe and more frequent flooding in downtown
Olympia.
From the boundaries of the farmers market to Legion Way, the
topography of Capitol Way is relatively flat. The downtown
core from 5th Avenue north to the farmers market is a low
point within the overall watershed and has an underground
water table located close to the surface. This low zone that
extends westward to the West Bay of Budd Inlet is susceptible
to flooding and the effects of sea level rise. Capitol Way,
from Legion Way south to I Ith Avenue, maintains a relatively
consistent and steep slope. During moderate to strong rainfall
events, surface runoff flows down the street very fast and
could exacerbate flooding in the northern portion of Capitol
Way.
The piped underground stormwater system in downtown
Olympia is a combined sewer system with outfalls leading into
both the East Bay and West Bay of Budd Inlet. This stormwater
infrastructure is often overwhelmed during large rainfall runoff,
high tides, or a combination of those events, and future sea
level rise due to climate change will exacerbate this problem.

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PROJECT AREA AND EXISTING CONDITIONS
Street Trees and Landscaping
Qlympia has a strong commitment to planting and maintaining
street trees in the city, including in the downtown area.
However, a lack of funding has significantly curtailed new
plantings and maintenance. Trees are planted fairly consistently
along the length of Capitol Way and provide a stately
character However, gaps in the trees occur along the length of
the street. Many trees were planted at the same time and are
nearing the end of their lives. Many of the trees in the historic
district have roots that are heaving and cracking the sidewalk
(Figure 12). City arborists attribute this condition to, among
other reasons, tree species with aggressive roots, compacted
soil, and other unfavorable urban planting conditions such as
inadequate soil volume for tree and root health and viability.
Trees typically are planted close to the street curb. Street
trees have been omitted or pruned to be clear of the awning
where permanent awnings project over the sidewalk (Figure
13). In some areas, street trees are planted in wells at the back
of the sidewalk and are crowding into building facades that
are not set back. Along 5th Avenue just east of Capitol Way,
street trees are in planters in the parking lane (the planters are
separated from the sidewalk so as not to impede runoff along
the curb in this retrofit street design) (Figure 14). Trees in these
types of planters appear to be thriving. Capitol Way has little
landscaping, aside from the street trees and large expanses
of lawns along Capitol Way through the capitol campus and
at Sylvester Park. No landscaping is currently used to capture
stormwater runoff from impervious areas.
FiguM' JQrMany of the mature street trees downtown are buckling
the sidewalk, causing unsafe conditions. (Image Credit: Urban Rain \
DgsignJ
Figure 13: Tre$ canopies and businesses' awnings co-mp^t? fa •space
along Ccipitol Way. (Image Credit: Urban Rain ( Design)
RgtSS- 14: 5th Avenue- has trees pia'nt&d in the parking lane,
contributing to the pleasant character. (Image Credit: Urban Rain \
Design)
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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7 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Community Partnerships, Economic Vitality, and Placemaking
Olympia's downtown hosts many uses and facilities that
reinforce the community's character and draw residents.
The city has seen recent public and private investments in
community facilities in areas such as Percival Landing, the
farmers market, the Washington Center for Performing Arts,
the new city hall, and the waterfront. Numerous events and
festivals are held downtown and in Sylvester Park, including
Artswalk, Procession of the Species, Music in the Park, and
Harbor Days. The farmers market draws many shoppers and
sightseers downtown for local fresh products and craft items.
Downtown has public art, large murals, and artistic painted
benches. The city has an informal mural program to create
art and abate graffiti. Plaques identify and describe historic
buildings, alleys, and sites. An alley improvement project is
underway to expand non-traditional areas for pedestrian use
while making downtown more attractive.
The city also allows the installation of parklets, a street
improvement that provides public gathering space in the
parking zone of streets. No parklets exist along Capitol Way,
but two are present along Cherry Street and 5th Avenue
east of Capitol Way. One parklet uses raised planters for
landscaping and catching stormwater (Figure 15). For more
information on parklets, see Appendix C.
Figure 15: Tfie-pwWef twfstefe the Oiympia Cisffes Roosting Company
in downtown Oiympia provides a canopy to protect people- from rain
and sun and capture rainfall, which flows into the integrated planters.
(Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
31 Design Workshop
The design workshop took place over September 29th to October 1st, 20 i 4. During the workshop, the design team met with
the community at two public open houses, one at the beginning of the design workshop and one at the end; held interactive
design sessions with city staff; and facilitated focus group meetings with technical experts and local stakeholders in three topic
areas identified as priorities by city staff before the workshop—economic development and placemaking; green infrastructure
and climate resiliency; and walkability. Input that the design team heard from the public, city staff and focus group attendees is
organized below into the city's three original goals for the project. The goals, coupled with public and stakeholder feedback (some
feedback naturally fits under multiple goals), guided the development of the design options presented in Chapter 4.
A fourth focus group meeting, attended by city, state, and federal agency staff, discussed "opportunistic implementation," referring
to the potential for linking Capitol Way improvements with other funded street and stormwater improvement projects, and
using public-private partnerships to more efficiently implement green infrastructure and complete streets concepts. Participants
also discussed investing public funds to leverage private investment and increase both private and public economic benefits. A
summary of this meeting is in Chapter 5.

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DESIGN WORKSHOP - 8
Goal 1 - Improve pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular
facilities and circulation.
¦	Improve sidewalks and street crossings. Workshop
participants voiced many concerns about the deteriorated
sidewalks, poor lighting, and narrow walking areas in some
locations. People discussed the need to differentiate the
sidewalk from the street, have audible signals at crossings,
and other features to assist people with disabilities
including sight impairment. Participants also noted that
several intersections were hard to cross because of poor
or non-existent crosswalk markings and the width of the
street. Other participants commented about emphasizing
the value of pedestrian space and the need to make a
positive walking environment.
¦	Improve conditions for bicyclists. While participants
generally agreed on the need for bicycle improvements
in the downtown, they did not agree on what kind of
improvements to make. Some people strongly advocated
for dedicated lanes or a cycle track (on-street bike lanes
that are physically buffered from traffic lanes), while
some bicyclists were comfortable with being part of the
traffic flow if speeds are relatively low. Other participants
identified parallel streets in the downtown as better
bicycle routes than Capitol Way.
¦	Make Capitol Way function well for buses. Participants
value the transit service they currently have and
understand the importance of transit to downtown's
future success. Some participants emphasized that changes
to the street should not reduce transit service or cause
delays (for example, when buses must pull out of the flow
of traffic to access stops, re-entering the traffic can delay
the bus).
¦	Reduce and manage traffic speeds. Participants were
concerned about speeding traffic, especially on the hillside
portion of Capitol Way.
¦	Use the downtown grid better. People noted that the city
could better use the street grid to improve circulation for
drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
¦	Tie alleyways into a pedestrian network. Along with
a street grid, downtown Olympia also has a network
of alleys. Participants supported current city efforts to
improve some of the alleys for pedestrian use and would
like to see more.
Goal 2 - Make Capitol Way more of a destination that supports
existing businesses and is attractive to new development.
¦	Increase public space with shared streets. Workshop
participants were excited by the potential benefits of
shared streets. They saw shared streets as a way to not
only improve the pedestrian environment, but also make
the street a place where people could gather and special
events could be held.
¦	Maintain on-street parking. Many participants noted a
real or perceived lack of on-street parking on Capitol Way
and want current on-street parking to be maintained or
increased so as not to affect businesses. Others suggested
that the space for on-street parking could be more
valuable for other uses, such as a wider sidewalk to create
increased active public space. Some participants felt that, in
a successful downtown, people might not be able to park
right in front of their destination, but walking a few blocks
in a pleasant environment is part of a good downtown
experience.
¦	Reinforce the downtown character. Stakeholders felt
strongly that Capitol Way should have a distinctive
character and streetscape that uses building materials and
design details that would be identifiable as "downtown."
Goal 3 - Increase the amount of landscaping and pervious areas
to capture stormwater runoff, help reduce localized flooding,
and improve downtown's overall appearance.
¦	Care should be taken in street tree siting and
maintenance. While street trees were desired by most
of the workshop attendees, participants had differing
concerns about current tree conditions and locations.
Problems noted were sidewalk damage, restricted sunlight,
obscured windows and views of building facades, and signs
and street lights blocked by foliage. Positive comments
received from participants about street trees included
providing a more attractive downtown.
¦	Include stormwater management in landscaping.
Participants were interested in providing green
infrastructure downtown. Green roofs and green walls are
possible techniques in addition to integrating rain gardens
into the streetscape.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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9 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
41 Design Options
With input from the community, the design team generated design options, and green and complete street strategies. These
options and strategies respond to the community's goals of improving Capitol Way for all users as the main street for downtown
and a primary linkage to the capitol campus while improving environmental conditions, reducing flooding risks, and increasing
social and economic vitality in downtown Olympia.
Key ideas that informed the design options while also addressing community concerns include:
•	Put additional portions of Capitol Way on a road diet.
The city has already used a road diet in the northern area
of Capitol Way. The design team developed a concept
that includes a similar removal of travel lanes for the
entire length of Capitol Way north of I Oth Avenue. Lane
removals or width reductions reallocate space in the
right-of-way to pedestrians and/or bicyclists, can shorten
street crossings for pedestrians, and can help calm traffic.
For more information on road diets and examples of
how cities in the Pacific Northwest have used them, see
Appendix D.
•	Create a shared street district in the north end of
Capitol Way near the farmers market. Design options
illustrate how shared streets can improve the experience
for pedestrians, provide attractive gathering spaces,
and temporarily convert into open space for special
events. Other design options show how the city could
inexpensively and incrementally convert streets to shared
streets using parklets, paint, and planters. For more
information about shared streets and examples of how
cities in the Pacific Northwest have implemented them,
see Appendix E.
•	Put more street trees and landscaping in the parking
lane. To protect tree health and reduce root damage
to sidewalks, the design options illustrate placing street
trees in the parking lane, similar to what is already in place
on 5th Avenue. Putting trees here would require some
reduction of on-street parking, which local businesses are
concerned about, but it would create a more attractive,
walkable, and environmentally friendly streetscape.
•	Maintain on-street parking. Despite some on-street
parking space being lost to tree planting, using a road diet
on Capitol Way allows additional on-street parking where
none existed before, particularly in the area between the
historic downtown and the capitol campus.
•	Maintain good transit access. To accommodate buses, the
design options illustrate a consistent 11-foot-wide travel
lane to avoid buses' current straddling of two narrow
travel lanes. The team developed two design options for
bus stops that aim to allow traffic flow to continue when a
bus is stopped and also not to delay buses as they attempt
to re-enter traffic to keep them on schedule. One option
provides a space in the parking lane for a bus stop at the
far side of an intersection, which allows the bus to more
easily re-enter traffic with the gaps between vehicles
created by the traffic signal. The other option provides a
vehicle bypass lane around buses stopped in the travel lane
adjacent to a stop in a transit bulb-out that extends the
sidewalk across the parking lane. Transit bulb-outs are also
located at the far side of an intersection; this configuration
gives the bus free flow travel in the through lane after
stopping.
•	Use landscape as green infrastructure to manage
stormwater and reduce flooding. The design options use
a variety of green infrastructure techniques to manage
runoff while making Capitol Way more attractive.
•	Balance the need for dedicated bicycle lanes with other
uses. Through discussion with city staff and workshop
participants, the team recognized that bike lanes on
Capitol Way could not be added without reducing the
potential to improve sidewalks and sometimes affecting
parking. Given the workshop participant's desire for
improving pedestrian facilities and the importance of street
parking, the team's design options do not include bike lanes
on Capitol Way, except for a bicycle climbing lane between
7th and I Ith avenues that allows bicyclists who would find
it difficult to maintain speed on an uphill climb to safely get
out of the traffic lane.
Figure 16 illustrates the overall circulation concepts presented
in the design options.
This chapter discusses the general areas along Capitol Way and
the more detailed focus site as a prototype for a design option.
The work on the five focus sites include site-specific analysis
and design options, as well as illustrate design concepts that
could be applicable to the area of Capitol Way in which the
focus site is located.

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DESIGN OPTIONS - 10
Port Plaza
Park
Budd Inlet
West Bay
Farmers market
Corky Av^
Thuuste
Percival
Landing
Park
1.
State Ave^^
Heritage Park
(	4th Ave k"
V	11111
5th Ave ¦
C,.
%
%

*
Capitol Lake
State capitol
building

OlyilPji'-r-
tatef
Transit center
¦4
in11 5,„«
Old state capitol
l„ll|	
oQ
Legion
Sylvester
Park
^ Talcou
9th Ave
9th AV
Union
l I th Ave
we
Capitol court
building
Itli Av
'uarage access
5th Ave Sr*
LEGEND
Visitor center
vn
iHjl
J
* Capitol Way width exaggerated for graphic purposes
Pedestrian
bridge

Northbound lane
Southbound lane
Vehicle bypass lane
at in-lane bus stop
Shared turn lane
Restricted turn at
cross street
One-way street
Convert two-way
street to one-way
street
Bicycle climbing
lane
Shared street
district
I - ¦ ¦ On-street parking
11111111 Mid-block crossing
Bus stop
©
0 mile
0.25 mile
Figure 16: This diagram of the Capitol Way corridor
indicates the type and location of complete street
design concepts such as the shared street district,
number and location of vehicle and bicycle lanes,
vehicle turning movements, mid-block pedestrian
crossings, on-street parking, and reorganized bus
stops.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY

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11- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, W A
Focus Site 1-Capitol Way between B and A Avenues
Existing Condition
This northernmost area of Capitol Way, between Market
Street and Olympia Avenue (Figure 17), includes streets
with low traffic volumes and a mix of residential industrial,
and commercial uses. Capitol Way between B and Thurston
avenues recently underwent a road diet, going from four lanes
to three and adding dedicated bike lanes. However; Capitol
Way's 53-foot curb-to-curb width is still quite wide and is
difficult for residents of the large, adjacent senior community
to safely and conveniently cross. This area has few stop signs
or traffic signals, which also makes it difficult for pedestrians
to cross safely. Bus stops are located in the parking lane.
This area of Capitol Way, as well as downtown, is at a lower
elevation, which makes it subject to flooding from high tides,
storm surges, and an underground water table located close to
the surface. These impacts are anticipated to increase as the
climate changes and the region sees more intense storms and
higher sea levels. The area surrounding this portion of Capitol
Way is prime for redevelopment and infill due to the vacant
and underused parcels, increasing development demand, and
city interest in economic investment.
Design Option
Along Capitol Way, shared streets could occur between
Olympia Avenue and the farmers market (and not just limited
to the focus site between B and A avenues). These blocks were
identified because the traffic in this area is low (and projected
to remain low), and residents noted that the street is difficult
to cross, especially for senior citizens. Furthermore, workshop
participants expressed the desire for more public open space
and places for events to occur, such as expanding the farmers
Figure 17: Focus site I. (Aerial Image Credit: City of Olympia)
market. The blocks immediately south of the farmers market
could meet that demand by converting to shared streets. In
fact, several of the blocks in this area could also be converted
as shown in the shared street district in Figure 16.
This design option illustrates how a street can be more flexible
by creating a curbless, shared space that serves multiple
functions and is shared by different users (Figures 20 and 21).
The design calms traffic, and pedestrians and bicyclists are
emphasized over vehicles. The illustrations include parallel
parking, but other design concepts could include some diagonal
parking. A 22-foot-wide travel area for vehicles (space for
two 11 Toot travel lanes) is provided, with the street offset,
or jogged, to further emphasize the pedestrian nature of the
space and to encourage slow speeds. The meandering travel
way and variations in parking design create a flexible open
space area on either side, ranging from about 15 to 40 feet
wide. Fifteen feet denotes the minimum width of a sidewalk to
accommodate large numbers of pedestrians walking between
the farmers market and downtown and to provide a separation
between pedestrians and vehicles. Forty feet is determined
by the width of the right-of-way less the width of a minimum
sidewalk on one side of the street (15 feet) and the vehicle
travelway (22 feet). This flexible space can allow parallel and
diagonal parking, stormwater planters, temporary kiosks or
food truck parking, designated bus stops with shelters located
at the far side of intersections, and public seating areas. The
entire shared street space can be used for public gatherings
or special events such as street fairs, food truck round-ups,
and seasonal expanded farmers markets and can be closed
to traffic for some of these activities. Adding stop signs at
intersections is especially important for the residents of the
adjacent senior housing community.
Integrating green infrastructure improvements can take
advantage of Capitol Way as a low point or flow line within
the downtown's watershed, as well as define and separate
the different uses of the space. Shallow stormwater planters
can work with the existing high water table and would
protect water quality and collect debris before it enters the
stormwater system. Delaying and storing stormwater runoff
can reduce the risk of flooding due to heavy rain and tidal
storm surge. The city might want to explore salt-tolerant plants
in future detailed designs for this part of the project area.
An extensive pervious paving treatment across the street
section can also manage and treat stormwater runoff. Pavers in
a different color and texture can delineate the edge between
the area that is more typically used by vehicles and bicyclists,
and the area most often used exclusively for pedestrians.
The delineating pavers do not need to be American with
Disabilities Act-style truncated domes or a bright yellow


Farmers market



*"s • "*; \9 1:



*4 • jjKgS-v -• i

Budd


Budd
Inlet,


Inlet,
West

JUT' '>'Jb Ave
East
Bay

i i nn
Bay


K-:Uri'iAAVe
o

State Ave


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DESIGN OPTIONS
- 12
color as the tactile quality of these pavers; physical and visual
definition of vehicle travelways, and street signs can make
it clear to pedestrians that they are entering a space to use
caution and that drivers need to slow down and yield to
pedestrians. Entry treatments at the intersections where the
street transitions from the standard street to the shared street
also help to indicate to drivers that they are entering an area
that is different from the standard street. These treatments
can include a change in pavement material, ramping up into the
shared street, narrowing of the travelled way, stop signs, and
changes in landscape treatment.
In the short term, the city could make the street safer
and add open space with design treatments that are cost
efficient and quick to implement. Examples include movable
planters, pavement painted to delineate corner bulb-outs,
new pedestrian seating areas and parking configurations, and
parklet-style wood platforms to extend the pedestrian area
(Figures 22 and 23). Unlike typical parklets, these platforms
would not have side rails, which would let passengers enter
from adjacent parked cars. These treatments would improve
the street until the city can fund the full shared street option,
if it chooses to. The street curb-to-curb section can undergo a
road diet to reallocate the center dual-turn lane and bike lanes
to widened pedestrian space and change to diagonal parking
Figure 19: This design option depicts a shared street, providing flexible space where pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles can use the same space. Landscaping
and permeable paving help calm traffic, define where vehicles can be, and clean stormwater runoff
in lieu of parallel parking to minimize a reduction in on-street
parking spaces.
The city could require future developers of the vacant parcel
on the west side of Capitol Way between B and A avenues to
provide an easement to widen the sidewalk beyond the right-
of-way to match the right-of-way alignment of adjacent blocks.
Figure 18: Existing view of Capitol Way between B and A avenues, in front of
the senior housing. The wide street is a challenge for local seniors to cross.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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13- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA

Tactile Paver,
T


15'-40'
22'
15'-40'
Flexible space:
public open space, pervious paving,
stormwater planters
Pervious shared
travel way
Flexible space:
public open space, pervious paving,
stormwater planters

IT

Right-of-way
Figure 20: This section view of a shared street design option illustrates how vehicle circulation, parking, and pedestrian areas could be defined and coexist
without curbs and with the street and sidewalk at the same level.
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DESIGN OPTIONS - 14
Offsetting the vehicle travel way subtly encourages drivers
to slow down.
Raising intersections would continue the shared street
option between blocks and emphasize the pedestrian
realm.
0 A flexible space outside the travel way can provide space
for parallel parking; intermittent, shallow stormwater
planters; and paved and boardwalk areas for pedestrians,
bicyclists, diagonal parking, temporary kiosks or food
trucks, public seating areas, and other public activities and
landscaping.
Boardwalk surfacing can be extended overthe stormwater
treatment area to allow iarger bioretention areas below.
Shallow stormwater planters and pervious paving allow
limited amounts of runoff to infiltrate to compensate for
the high water table and tidal influences. The planters
also can separate the travel way and parking areas from
pedestrian areas.
Trees in the street and shared space provide shade to
reduce ambient air temperatures, making people more
comfortable.
Figure 21: This plan view of Capitol Way between B and A avenues illustrates
a design option for a shared street. The continuous paving pattern extends
the pedestrian realm into the streets and intersections, signaling a shared
space that deemphasizes the vehicle while still enabling vehicle traffic. Raised
intersections would provide physical and visual cues to slow automobile
traffic, while landscape planters and pavement color and texture would help
guide drivers through the block.
Boardwalk
Pervious paving
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Green infrastructure
Tactile paving strip	q, j5, jq,
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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15- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
curbs
remain
n 8 i i(r 4^4 i i "• i io' i 8 f
Sidewalk Parklet Parking Travel	Travel	Bus Bus stop Sidewalk
lane	lane	pullout parklet
Right-of-way
Figure 22: Section view of a possible interim reconfiguration of Capitol Way to transition into a shared street. Narrowing Capitol Way would shorten crossing
distances for seniors and other pedestrians.
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DESIGN OPTIONS - 16
Moveable planters and painted pavement delineate corner
bulb-outs and new pedestrian seating areas and parking
configurations. Bulb-outs reduce pedestrian crossing
distances.
Parklet-style wood platforms extend pedestrian areas.
Asphalt pavement below the platform could be replaced
with a pervious surface to allow stormwaterto infiltrate.
© Corner bulb-outs can calm traffic.
Figure J3; Plan ViejS of d possible jttteitni /^ortfiguraticm 0/ Capitol Waf
to transition into (JsfuflfSfif Sfffifit. Initial imprmSKiMtits ioiild incliidg paint,
pIcMfttS,. itnd porkfets to s spcco fgf p&SsstridnS and riiako StriS
crossings sofsf.
Boardwalk
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Painted curb extension
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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17- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Focus Site 2-Capitol	Way betw
Existing Condition	Design Option
This focus site, typical of Capitol Way from Olympia Avenue
to Legion Way, is in the historic district of downtown. Figure
24 identifies the focus site and historic district within the
downtown area. The street is wide, with four travel lanes and
two parking lanes; Sidewalks are too narrow for the level of
existing and potential pedestrian activity. Many sidewalks are
in poor condition due to heaving from the street tree roots.
As with other areas of Capitol Way, narrow traffic lanes cause
buseS'to straddle the paired traffic lanes in each direction. Bus
stops in this area are either located so that buses stop in the
parking lane or stop in the travel lane with a transit bulb-out
that extends the sidewalk across the parking lane. The block
between 4th and 5th avenues is one of the busiest on the
corridor in both pedestrian traffic and business activity. Alleys
typically bisect blocks.
The road diet design option reduces the number of through
lanes to one in each direction and provides either a dual left-
turn lane or back-to-back left-turn pockets in blocks where
more vehicles are turning. A road diet can calm traffic and
make pedestrians safer; responding to workshop participants'
strong concerns about pedestrian safety along this part of
Capitol Way. Reallocating the removed travel lane maintains
on-street parking while adding room for landscaping, green
infrastructure, and more pedestrian space (either as sidewalks
or boardwalks over green infrastructure). To address the
community's concerns about street trees, new street trees can
be planted in parking lanes. This design permits flexible and
occasional use of the parking lane for additional pedestrian
space or other activities such as outdoor seating and street
fairs.
A variety of green infrastructure elements, including
stormwater curb extensions at corner bulb-outs, grated street
tree wells, and pervious paving in the parking lane and center
dual left-turn lane, could improve water quality and reduce
peak flows to help alleviate the city's concerns about increased
storm surge from Puget Sound (Figures 27, 28, and 29; also,
see the green infrastructure toolbox in Appendix B). These
improvements could provide a range of additional benefits,
including trees that provide shade and reduce ambient air
temperatures.
Mid-block crossings at select locations expand the pedestrian
network and tie into the existing alley system. Alleys can be
surfaced with permeable paving to reduce stormwater ponding.
A planted median can be substituted forthe center dual-turn
lane if left turns into alleys are not necessary. Pruning existing
street trees regularly would let more sunlight penetrate, avoid
blocking street lights, and allow views into stores.
hurst on Ave
Olympia
Project area
Focus site
Historic district
Figure 24: Focus site 2 represents the conditions found on Capitol Way
between Olympia Avenue and Legion Way. (Aerial Image Credit: City of
Olympia)
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DESIGN OPTIONS
- 18
Figure 25: Existing condition of Capitol Way in the block between 4th and 5th avenues in the historic downtown
area. The lack or poor conditions of pedestrian and bicyclist facilities can make walking and biking less safe and less
appealing. (Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)
Figure 26: This sketch illustrates how a road diet and intermittent street trees and pervious paving in the parking lane can improve the street's visual character,
narrow the street's real and perceived width to calm traffic, and increase green infrastructure opportunities. The bulb-outs and mid-block crossings would
shorten crossing distances and times, while landscaping and pedestrian-scaled lighting would provide a more inviting place to walk.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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19- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA

s 7'5' ,
¦==«
r 11
- I0' .
, "•

c 7S ,
- 8"







Sidewalk
Boardwalk
Stormwater
curb
extension
Travel lane
Pervious dual
turn lane
IT
Travel lane
Stormwater
curb
extension
Boardwalk
Sidewalk
Right-of-way
Figure 27: Cross section showing a road diet lane reduction at intersections with boardwalk paving and stormwater planters in bulb-outs to improve water
quality.
Grated
stormwater
tree well
Grated
stormwater
tree well
77'
Right-of-way
Figure 28: Cross section showing a road diet with the removal of a traffic lane mid-block with pervious paving and street trees with grates placed in the parking
lanes. Grated street trees can capture and treat runoff and provide shade. Trees can trap light rains in their leaves to protect pedestrians from the elements
and prevent and/or delay rainfall from reaching the ground.
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DESIGN OPTIONS -20
0
©
0
Street trees with grates can be planted in the parking
lanes to capture and clean stormwater. Trees would be
separated from the building facade and can have larger
root zones, which keeps the trees healthier.
Boardwalks are extended Overthe stormwater treatment
area to provide pervious paving and allow larger
bioretention areas below.
Corner bulb-outs at intersections can provide larger
stormwater planter areas, increase pedestrian safety and
reduce pedestrian crossing distances. Reduced crossing
distances allow shorter traffic signal cycles, as pedestrians
take less time to cross the street.
Mid-block pedestrian crosswalks can be placed to give
pedestrians more routes and choices while calming traffic.
Parking lanes and centerturn lanes can include pervious
paving to manage and treat stormwater.
A road diet could remove one or two lanes of traffic
and reallocate the space to other uses, such as parking, a
sidewalk, transit, bicycle lanes, and landscaping or green
infrastructure. A road diet can encourage people to drive
more slowly, which protect pedestrians. An 11-foot outside
travel lane would let buses stay in their lane.
Figure H? 7his ptar) view of Capitol Way between 4th and :>rh ayerttfes
illustrates ii diet approach grid how travel lanes cpuid be Teajhmted
ta make the street tuffs live, widen sidewalks, and allow varied and
multipurpose tecfmiqiKS- to green tfie'sireet.
Boardwalk
Pervious paving
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Green infrastructure
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21 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Focus Site 3-lntersection of Capitol Way and Legion Way
Existing Condition	Design Option
The intersection of Capitol and Legion ways is at the southern
edge of the historic downtown and is the junction between
the downtown core to the north and the transition area
to the capitol campus to the south (Figure 30). The original
state capitol building and Sylvester Park are at the southeast
corner Sylvester Park's dense trees and lower elevation make
it difficult to see into the park from parts of Capitol Way.
Legion Way is one of downtown's most important east-west
avenues, with a direct connection to the popular Heritage
Park on Capitol Lake. Parking and street trees are limited on
Capitol Way, giving pedestrians little separation and protection
from traffic. On the southwest corner; the bus stop is at a
transit bulb-out, with the bus blocking traffic in that lane when
loading. The bus stop in the northbound direction is located
in a widened travel lane. The only bike facility is a bike parking
corral on Legion Way at the northeast corner of Capitol Way.
The city requested guidance on how to create a gateway at this
important crossroads, in particular how to highlight Sylvester
Park as a de facto town square for downtown.
The design option for this intersection emphasizes
improvements to green infrastructure and pedestrian, bicycle,
and transit facilities (Figure 32). Pedestrian crossings are
realigned to provide direct circulation. Reducing corner radii
and providing corner bulb-outs where on-street parking is
present shortens pedestrian crossing distances. An entry
plaza into Sylvester Park signifies the importance of this public
open space and provides a gateway to the park. A road diet,
realignment of the travel lanes, and redistribution of on-street
parking allows bus stops to be moved out of travel lanes and
into the parking lane to improve traffic flow and allows a
bicycle climbing lane up the hill towards the capitol campus to
improve bicycle access and safety (Figure 33); The northbound
bus stop is moved north of the Legion Way intersection to
become a far side stop to help buses re-enter the flow of
traffic.
Green infrastructure techniques can include permeable paving
and a block-long, linear stormwater curb extension planter
along the park's frontage. The stormwater planter has no trees
so that it does not affect the existing board canopy of trees in
the park.
The bus stops, bicycle lane, and right-turn pockets complicate
the construction of sidewalk extensions on all corners but the
northwest. However the city could explore options to reduce
the curb radii and pedestrian crossing distances at this central
intersection in more detail during future design development.
This design option preserves the existing trees on the
perimeter of Sylvester Park, but thinning the trees would allow
"eyes into the park" and more sunlight in the park. An entry
plaza at the Legion Way intersection could include special
paving, seat walls, and art installations. The city would need to
coordinate with the state Department of Enterprise Services
(DES), as the DES manages Sylvester Park, on possible gateway
design concepts, tree maintenance, and other management
practices.
The existing bike parking corral at the northeast corner could
be replaced with an extended corner bulb-out or parklet to
give pedestrians more gathering space while including some
bike parking. Alternatively, bike parking can be shifted to
another location.
blympia
5th Ave
Sylvester Park
Legion Way
Project area
Focus site
Historic district
Figure 30: Intersection of Legion Way and Capitol Way. (Aerial Image Credit:
City of Olympia)
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DESIGN OPTIONS -22
Figure 31: Existing view of the Capitol Way and Legion Way intersection, with Sylvester Park on the left. (Image Credit:
Makers)
Figure 32: This perspective view depicts how corner bulb-outs, reduced corner radii, realigned crosswalks, relocated bus stops, and a road diet can improve the
pedestrian realm. The road diet allows the introduction of a bicycle climbing lane and stormwater curb extension planters to increase permeable areas and
manage stormwater runoff
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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23 -
GREENING AMERICA'S
CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Parking lanes, center turn lanes, and sidewalks include
pervious paving to manage and treat stormwater
Stormwater planters in curb extensions can capture and
treat runoff from the street and sidewalk and separate
pedestrians and vehicles.
e Boardwalk design treatments can expand the pedestrian
zone over stormwater treatment areas.
Reducing the curb radius adjacent to Sylvester Park can
slow drivers' turning right and create a more pedestrian-
friendly area.
The entry plaza, which includes pervious paving and seat
walls, serves as a gateway to historic Sylvester Park and
invites people to enter the park.
Sidewalks can be widened where more pedestrians are
expected and desired, at bus stops, or where the city plans
outdoor activities.
Additional bicycle parking could encourage more cycling.
Figure 33: This plan view of Capitol Way between Legion Way and 7th Avenue
shows how reallocating travel lanes to other uses creates space for elements
that manage stormwater runoff, make the area more attractive, and make
the street safer for all users.
Boardwalk
Pervious paving
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Green infrastructure
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DESIGN OPTIONS -24
LEGION WAY QT
7TH AVE
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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25 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Focus Site4~ Capitol	Way betwe
Existing Conditions
This focus site is in a portion of Capitol Way that transitions
from the historic downtown to the capital campus (Figure
34), between Legion Way and i Ith Avenue. In this area,
Capitol Way consists of four travel lanes, one parking lane on
the west side, and sidewalks. The street has a hiIIcrest at the
south. Workshop participants described unsafe pedestrian
conditions in this area, including faster vehicle speeds due to
the downhill slope and the lack of stop signs or traffic signals
at all intersections between Legion Way and I Ith Avenue.
In addition, dual travel lanes in each direction create unsafe
pedestrian conditions as a vehicle in the lane closest to a
crossing pedestrian can block views of that pedestrian from
drivers in the other lane. This increases the potential for the
second vehicle to hit the pedestrian crossing the street. No
marked bicycle lanes and the difference in speeds between
bicycles and vehicles make the street unappealing for bicyclists
as well. The pedestrian environment is worse here than in
northern parts of Capitol Way as the street is unattractive,
contains many parking lots adjacent to the sidewalk, and, with
inconsistent on-street parking and trees, has less buffering for
pedestrians. Bus stops in this area are located in a widened
travel lane. The block between 9th and I Oth avenues (Figure
.35) is the focus site for this area.
Design Option
The design option for this portion of Capitol Way continues
the road diet and street improvements described for the
previous focus sites and street areas. This design option
reduces the travel lanes to two, with a center dual left-turn lane
Legion Way
^ 7th Ave
2 8th Ave
Capitol Lake
10th Ave
Union Ave
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DESIGN OPTIONS -26
lane can remain between the vehicle and bus lanes or can be
redirected behind the transit bulb-out.
A dedicated bike lane in the uphiii direction protects bicyclists
from faster traffic next to them. Bicycle climbing lanes are
typically used where the right of way is constrained and cannot
accommodate bike lanes in both directions, in these cases, a
bicyclist can presumably travel downhill faster and does not
need the added protection from vehicles, so a shared travel
and bicycle lane is provided for downhill bicyclists.
Figure 35: Current view of Capitol Way in the block between 9th and I Oth
avenues. Fast-moving cars, wide crossing distances, lack of parking lanes, and
few street trees make it uninviting for walking. (Image Credit: Makers)
Figure 36: This perspective view depicts how a road diet and consistently planted street trees can increase safety and give the street more character. Reducing
travel lanes and adding stormwater curb extension planters, permeable paving, and a bicycle climbing lane can work together to encourage downhill drivers
to drive at a safer speed. Due to Capitol Way's gradient, stepping weirs (retaining walls that stormwater can flow over) can be used to slow the velocity of
collected stormwater runoff and allow informational and playful art opportunities.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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27 - GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
7,5'
Stormwater
curb
extension,
parking
L5'

S l0' J
[ P f 7.5'
'4' J
8.5'
I '
i
*

1 "
'

Dual left-turn Shared travel Stormwater => _ Sidewalk
O .9-
lane or median and bike lane curb > £
extension, (£
parking
Right-of-way
Figure 37: Cross section illustrating a road diet. Adding pervious paving, trees, and stormwater planters would manage stormwater runoff, create shade to
improve the walking environment, and buffer pedestrians from adjacent traffic.
Dual left-turn Travel lane
lane
Right-of-way
Storm
water
curb
extension
Shared travel
and bike lane
3 Sidewalk
O a.
> £
Figure 38: Cross section showing transition from the street section with two travel lanes to the section between Union and I Ith avenues, where lanes are
narrowed to help meet community goals by adding green infrastructure and a bicycle climbing lane to keep bicyclists safer.
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DESIGN OPTIONS -28
Pervious paving between the curbside trees allows air and
water exchange with the soil to improve tree health and
clean stormwater
Pervious paving, landscape strips, and bulb-outs in the
median, parking lane, and along the curb allow space for
green infrastructure.
© Curb extension planters help clean stormwater Due to the
slope of the street, the planters can be terraced with weirs
to work with the grades.
The bicycle climbing lane separates bicyclists from traffic to
better protect them.
Corner bulb-outs can make crossing the street safer by
encouraging drivers to drive more slowly through the
intersections.
0 Stop signs or traffic signals at intersections along the
descent of Capitol Way can calm traffic and keep
pedestrians safer.
Time signals to not prioritize vehicle traffic outside of
commute times, and even in commute times do not delay
pedestrian crossings of Capitol Way too long, particularly
adjacent to transit stops.
0 The provision of new on-street parking creates more
parking options and buffers pedestrians from moving
vehicles.:
Figure 39: This plan view of Capitol Way between 9 th and I Oth avenues
dbpfets o road diet Bus stops can be relocated or designed to improve buses
re-entering the flow of traffic. Adding on-street parking, street trees,: antf
$torrnw®ter curb extension planteps-eontiniKS the xxtfiitof gpmpus thomcter
into downtown and eontributes- to a tecfest/wr
Boardwalk
Pervious paving
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Green infrastructure
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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29- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
Focus Site 5-lntersection	of Cap
Existing Condition
This focus site is in the southernmost portion of Capitol
Way. The intersection of Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue is
the transition point between the mixed-use office district
with downtown to the north and the capital campus to the
south. Figure 40 highlights the boundaries of focus site 5 and
the southern part of Capitol Way. This area is designed to
emphasize vehicle traffic flow, and intersection signals are
calibrated to give priority to vehicles. Capitol Way bisects the
capitol campus and makes it difficult to walk between the two
areas. North of the Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue intersection
is the beginning of the downward slope from south to north.
Capitol Way angles to the west at Union Avenue, the next
intersecting street to the north, which limits the connectivity
between the different areas of the street. Southbound buses
stop in a pullout at the southwest corner of Capitol Way and
I Ith Avenue and northbound buses stop in the travel lane at a
designated zone nearthe midblock crossing between I Ith and
14th avenues on Capitol Way.
The city wants the Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue intersection
to be a gateway to the city and link the capitol campus visually
and physically with downtown. The intersection is poorly
defined, with a parking lot and wide expanses of lawn and
landscaping in front of historic government buildings set far
back from the street on three of the corners (Figure 41). The
fourth corner has a state office building; plans are underway to
replace this building with a new structure.
Design Option
Many workshop participants noted that a gateway was
needed to announce downtown and unify downtown with the
capitol campus. In response, the design option includes entry
plazas with special paving and seating walls on the corners.
Buildings or other vertical elements can frame and highlight the
intersection and views to both downtown and the state capitol
building.
Street trees, rain gardens, stormwater planters, and
conventional landscape treatments, followingthe West Campus
Historic Landscape Preservation Master Plan, can be added
to provide a variety of green infrastructure and extend the
character of the capitol campus up to the intersection and
along Capitol Way. Enhancing conventional landscaping and
pedestrian circulation along the street frontage can provide
many benefits, and itself can provide some stormwater
management benefit by reducing overall imperviousness of the
street. Every square foot of new conventional landscape space
essentially removes the same amount of impervious area from
the stormwater collection system. The West Campus Historic
Landscape Preservation Master Plan also suggests that on-street
parking be removed along the west capitol campus, which can
create more space for landscaping and stormwater planters
along Capitol Way.
A minor modification to the proposed state office building,
to be built on the northwest corner of the intersection, can
create a visual and physical link between the capitol campus
and Capitol Way. The building's proposed front porch design
can be modified to allow the entry stairs, which the current
design orients only towards I Ith Avenue, to turn the corner
toward Capitol Way.
The city can work with capitol campus representatives
to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity between
downtown and the capitol campus and add green and
complete street facilities around and through the campus, and
along Capitol Way.
Project area
Focus site
Many stakeholders, including capitol campus representatives,
pointed out concerns about existing conditions along this part
of Capitol Way from I Ith Avenue to Maple Park Drive such as
Capitol Way sharply divides the capitol campus and is difficult
for pedestrians to cross. The design strategies developed for
the Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue intersection and other areas
of Capitol Way could be extended to the Capitol Way and 14th
Avenue intersection and from I Ith Avenue to Maple Park
Drive to improve the community's concerns.
Figure 40: Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue intersection. (Aerial Image Credit:
City of Olympia)
State capitol,
east campus
Park Ave
Capitol Lake
State capitol,
west campus
Sid Snyde
Ave
Union Ave
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DESIGN OPTIONS -30
The northbound bus stop could remain unchanged, as it is
located near the midblock pedestrian crossing. The southbound
bus stop Could be relocated to also be closer to the midblock
crossing. Shifting this stop south also allows for more landscape
space near the I Ith Avenue intersection, which creates a
stronger gateway character at the intersection, reduces vehicle-
bus conflicts, and provides a larger bus stop.
Figure 41: Existing view of the intersection of Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue.
The wide street, long waits for a walk signal, and numerous places where
vehicles could potentially hit pedestrians make walking and bicycling unsafe.
(Image Credit: Makers)
Figure 42: This perspective view shows how this intersection could be transformed into a gateway to both downtown and the capitol campus. Future
redevelopment at the corners can frame the intersection. New corner plazas can have special pavement treatments, seat walls, and landscaping, including
green infrastructure, to create an attractive yet functional space. The intersection could be raised to the sidewalk level to emphasize the pedestrian nature of
this area and to slow drivers.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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31 -
GREENING AMERICA'S
CAPITALS
OLYMPIA, WA
Entry plazas and special intersection paving can serve as a
gateway to both downtown and the capitol campus.
Removing a parking lot can increase the amount of
permeable area and strengthen the gateway character.
This new green space can also provide a place for the
state's historic fountain, currently in storage.
® Rain gardens can treat and infiltrate stormwater.
Adding trees, landscaping, and stormwater planters can
improve air and water quality, give the street character;
unify Capitol Way's appearance all along its length, and
provide a more pleasant and comfortable place for people
to walk.
Figure 43: This plan view of the Capitol Way and I Ith Avenue intersection
illustrates gateway features on all four corners. Stormwater curb extensions
along the street separate pedestrians and vehicles, while rain gardens in
the capitol campus could allow landscape areas to be both attractive and
functional.
Boardwalk
Pervious paving
Sidewalk
General landscaping
Green infrastructure
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DESIGN OPTIONS -32
Potential future
development
11TH AVE
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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33- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
51 Next Steps and Funding Sources
The design options presented in this report, as well as the city of Olympia's other planning and policy efforts, can catalyze a
range of improvements that can, in turn, attract more investment to improve Capitol Way and downtown. This chapter includes
next steps that the city and its partners could take within the next five years to achieve their goals for downtown. It also notes
potential funding sources identified and discussed during and after the design workshop. Some next steps would have ongoing
implementation and programs that would continue beyond the initial five years discussed here.
Next Steps
Stakeholders, including city staff and staff from regional, state,
and federal agencies, and the design team identified numerous
tasks, programs, and policies that the city and its partners could
implement if they choose to realize the design options in this
report.
Near Term (2015 to 2017)
¦	Include interim road diet design option improvements in
repaying and restriping plans and construction projects.
The city will be repaving and restriping at least some
portions of Capitol Way in the project area in the near
future as part of the 2014-2019 Capital Facilities Plan. The
city could use this project as an opportunity to implement
some elements of the road diet design options, as well
as other features (e.g., bulb-outs, mid-block crossings,
and others). These elements would occur as interim
improvements by "painting" or striping them onto the new
street pavement until full funding and design documents
for new landscaping, moving curbs, and other physical
improvements can be obtained. The improvements will
encourage further discussions with stakeholders and
analysis of the improvement's impacts on all modes of
travel, and likely include traffic modeling of the road diet
concept(s). This will inform the design of permanent
improvements which should be completed to at least the
30 percent or similar design level. The performance of
the interim improvements may also make the funding of
permanent improvements more attractive for potential
funders.
¦	Include interim shared street and parklet improvements
in repaving and restriping plans and construction
projects. The city can implement initial elements of shared
or complete street concepts as part of repaving and
restriping Capitol Way under the Capitol Facilities Plan
activities. The interim improvements can use temporary
and inexpensive materials such as paint for restriping and
delineating corner bulb-outs, lane narrowing or removal,
and parking zones; moveable planters for street trees and
landscaping; and parklets to create more gathering and
seating areas and bus zones.
¦	Develop a Capitol Way Design Plan. Preparation of a
Capitol Way Design Plan can occur in conjunction with
the upcoming Downtown Strategy undertaking (the
Downtown Strategy will identify actions the city could take
to implement its vision for downtown) or as a separate
project. Integrating it with the Downtown Strategy
could help the city understand how the downtown
transportation network can support improvements
to Capitol Way. The Capitol Way Design Plan could
further develop the shared street design option for the
northern portion of Capitol Way. The design plan could
also further explore streetscape, green infrastructure,
and other elements of the design options even if they
cannot be implemented during the repaving and restriping
of the street planned for underthe capital facilities plan.
Having a design plan completed and ready to use would
be beneficial as either further interim implementation
could be possible or other funding could be identified for
additional pilot improvements in conjunction with the
planned repaving and restriping project.
¦	Develop a downtown shared streets district. While
a shared street on the northern part of Capitol Way
could be implemented based on concepts and strategies
developed in the Capitol Way Design Plan, it might make
more sense to also develop a Downtown Shared Streets
District Plan. A Downtown Shared Streets District Plan
can assist in understanding the potential for the downtown
transportation network to support improvements not
only to Capitol Way, but the entire area anticipated to be
included within the shared streets district. As part of the
Downtown Shared Streets District Plan effort, the city
could discuss the shared streets concept with stakeholders,
conduct traffic modeling analysis of street improvement
impacts on all modes of travel, analyze existing conditions
in greater detail, and refine the interim and permanent
improvement design options found in this report. In
lieu of a Downtown Shared Streets District Plan, the
Downtown Strategy could include a shared street district
plan and advance the accompanying streetscape, green
infrastructure, and other elements of the design options in
this report.
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NEXT STEPS AND FUNDING SOURCES
- 34
¦	Work to coordinate Capitol Way design options
with the state's West Campus Historic Landscape
Preservation Master Plan update. The city can work
with the state to advance the strategies, goals, and design
options to implement green and complete streets. As part
of this effort, the city could also coordinate with the state
to improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity and safety
through the campus.
¦	Identify and implement projects that link to other funded
projects. As other public and private projects are planned
and implemented, the city can consider incrementally
implementing elements of the design options. This should
be an ongoing action item beyond the nearterm and
coordinated amongst all city departments and partner
agencies.
¦	Develop design standards for complete and green
streets. The city can develop design standards for
complete and green streets to facilitate implementation
of the Capitol Way design options and other concepts
that will come from developing policies and plans such as
a Capitol Way Design Plan, Downtown Shared Streets
District Plan, or integrated with the Downtown Strategy.
Several standard and guidance documents useful to
this endeavor include the Institute for Transportation
Engineers' Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A
Context Sensitive Approach;2 the National Association of
City Transportation Officials' Urban Street Design Guide;3
the Washington, D.C., Department of Transportation's
Green Infrastructure Standards;4 San Mateo County's
Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design
Guidebook;-' the "Streetscape Design Guidelines" chapter of
Seattle, Washington's Right-of-Way Improvements Manual;b
the Puget Sound Partnership's Integrating LID into Local
Codes: A Guidebook for Local Governments;1 and Portland,
Oregon's Bureau of Environmental Services website.y
¦	Develop a green streets infrastructure operations and
maintenance plan. Many communities are implementing
comprehensive green streets strategies and have
recognized the benefits of preparing design standards
and an operations and maintenance plan in tandem. The
financial realities of the operations and maintenance
plan can inform the complexities and details of the
design standards to effectively maintain the green
streets elements. Documents that can help Olympia
prepare an operations and maintenance plan include: the
Philadelphia Water Department's Green Infrastructure
Maintenance Manual Development Process Plan and
Appendix VII - Analysis of SMP [Stormwater Management
Practice] Maintenance Protocols of Green City, Clean
Water Implementation and Adaptive Management Planf
Portland, Oregon's Green Steward's Maintenance Guide"1
and Stormwater Management Manual;" Seattle's Green
Stormwater Operations and Maintenance Manual;12 and
the Washington. D.C., Department of Environment's
Stormwater Management Guidebook.13
¦	Identify and cultivate key partnerships. Working with
community stakeholders can help reach shared goals and
implement strategies to integrate complete and green
street concepts, create gateways, improve transit, enrich
and unify the streetscape, and redesign Capitol Way. Key
partners might include the county, the state, the regional
transit agency, downtown business association, and parking
and business improvement area groups. The city could
also identify a role for businesses and other stakeholders
to sponsor and maintain interim improvements such as
parklets and planters and permanent improvements such
as trees and bus shelters. The city can continue to look for
these types of opportunities beyond the nearterm.
2 Institute of Transportation Engineers. Context Sensitive Solutions
(CSS). Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive
Approach: An ITE Recommended Practice, http://www.ite.org/css/.
2010.
- National Association of City Transportation Officials. "Urban
Street Design Guide." http://nacto.org/usdg. Accessed Nov. 21,
2014.
4	District Department of Transportation. "Green Infrastructure."
http://ddot.dc.gov/Greenlnfrastructure. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
5	San Nateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program. Son
Mateo County Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Design
Guidebook, www.flowstobay.org/greenstreets. Accessed Apr. 7,
2015.
0 City of Seattle. Seattle Right-of-Way Improvements Manual, www.
seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/manual/6_4.asp. 2012.
7	Puget Sound Partnership. Integrating LID into Local Codes: A
Guidebook for Local Governments. Pages 137- 138. http://www.psp.
wa.gov/downloads/LID Guidebook/LIDguidebook FinalDraft.pdf.
July 2012.	"	"
8	The City of Portland. "Sustainable Stormwater Nanagement".
www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/34598. Accessed November 21,
2014.
' Philadelphia Water Department. "Green City, Clean Waters."
http://phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/documents_and_
data/cso_long_term_control_plan. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
0	The City of Portland. Environmental Services. "Green Street
Steward Program." www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/5250l.
Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
1	The City of Portland. Environmental Services. 2014 Stormwater
Management Manual (SWMM). https://www.portlandoregon.gov/
bes/52501. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
12 City of Seattle Public Utilities. Green Stormwater Operations
and Maintenance Manual, http://www.seattle.gov/util/cs/groups/
public/@spu/@usm/documents/webcontent/spu02_020023.pdf.
Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
- District Department of the Environment. 2013 Stormwater
Management Guidebook, http://ddoe.dc.gov/swguidebook. 2013.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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35- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
¦	Implement and enforce city and downtown design
guidelines and policies. The city can implement
and enforce existing design guidelines and land use,
transportation, and economic policies and prepare other
guidelines, policies, and implementation measures as
needed to support its vision and goals for downtown. This
action item should continue beyond the nearterm.
¦	Partner to reduce vacancy of downtown buildings
and their parking lots. The city, downtown business
organizations, property owners, and other stakeholders
can work together to provide temporary uses in vacant
buildings and their parking lots to create interest and
active uses along the street. Uses might include art
installations,14 pop-up retail,15 pop-up restaurants, food
trucks or mobile retail (retail inside refurbished vehicles
such as a bus), and similartemporary installations. Food
truck "pods" in parking lots can include tables and seating,
overhead canopies, lighting, a stage for entertainment, and
a children's play area. The SoMa StrEat Food Park16 in San
Francisco, CA provides many of these elements including
a large heated pavilion, rotating food truck vendors and
cuisines, and programs to tie into related events such as
celebrating national corn dog or grilled cheese sandwich
day by offering those foods on the designated day.
"Pavement-to-parks" installations could also be a strategy
to pursue. Pavement-to-parks are where portions of a
roadway is repurposed from vehicle use to public open
space by closing off a roadway, or removing a portion
thereof, with the use of street furniture, paint and/or
planters to define a pedestrian space. These interventions
can improve pedestrian safety, calm traffic, and enhance
the attractiveness of the street. Pavement-to-parks can
occur where streets or intersections produce excessively
large areas of paved roadway that results in complicated
intersections or slip lanes that create safety hazards for all
roadway users, especially pedestrians. Public open space
improvements can range from larger painted corner bulb-
outs to an expanded public plaza with painted roadway
surfaces, public art, planters, tables, seating, canopies and/
or stormwater features. This strategy is increasingly being
employed in cities across the United States.
14 San Francisco Arts Commission. "Search results for: Art in
Storefronts." www.sfartscommission.org/?s=art+in+storefronts.
Accessed Apr 7, 2015.
5 Farley, John. No Vacancy: Turning Empty Spaces Into Cultural
Pop-Ups. METROFOCUS. Thirteen.org. October 31, 2011, http://
www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/20l l/l O/no-vacancy-turning-empty-
spaces-into-cultural-pop-ups.
The Storefront. How it Works. Pop-Ups Are Easy. www.
thestorefront.com/how-it-works. Accessed Apr 7, 2015.
0 SOMA StrEatfood Park. "Home Page." http://somastreatfoodpark.
com. Accessed Apr 18, 2015.
These various tactics can increase economic and
pedestrian activity downtown until permanent uses are
established in the vacant spaces.17 In addition, pop-ups and
flexible spaces can also encourage entrepreneurs by giving
them inexpensive space to get started in. These types of
opportunities should continue into the future.
¦ Partner to improve downtown alleys. The city, adjacent
property and business owners, downtown business
organizations, and other stakeholders can work together
to improve downtown alleys to create a more fine-grained
pedestrian network and vibrant pedestrian gathering
areas, improve the character of the downtown, and
reduce stormwater ponding in these areas. One example
of this type of effort is the Alley Network Project in
Seattle, which developed public and private partnerships
to transform alleys around Pioneer Square into lively and
attractive spaces. Its website includes lessons learned,
resources, partnership members, and other information.Iy
Mid-Term (2018-2020)
¦	Implement Capitol Way design option improvements
that have not been completed. The city or a public-
private partnership can consider designing, building, and
maintaining the shared streets, green infrastructure, street
trees, and other elements that are not implemented as
part of the street repaving and restriping capital facility
improvement projects.
¦	Work with state agencies that manage the capitol
campus to implement improvements along Capitol
Way between I Ith Avenue and Maple Park Drive, and
within the campus itself. The city can coordinate and
partner with state agencies as they implement the West
Campus Historic Landscape Preservation Master Plan, 1063
State office building project, and other improvements to
implement the design options and achieve community
goals.
¦	Review and update the green streets operations and
maintenance plan. The operations and maintenance plan
should remain current with best practices and be regularly
updated with information gathered from staff feedback,
community input, and monitoring of green infrastructure
strategies.
17	Marketek, Inc. Invigorating Main Street with Pop-Up Businesses.
Portland, Oregon. http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/SHPO/
docs/20130MSConf/Marketek_PopUp_Retail.pdf. 2013
18	Alley Network Project. "About the Alleys." http://
alleynetworkproject.com/sample-page. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
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NEXT STEPS AND FUNDING SOURCES
- 36
Funding Sources
Including green and complete streets in projects can help the
city compete for limited infrastructure improvement funding
from regional, state, or federal agencies. Green and complete
streets elements can be easily integrated with other street
improvements and support the environmentally sustainable
and multimodal concepts that many funding entities emphasize.
Participants in the focus group on implementation identified
several potential funding sources that the city and its partners
could explore to implement the design options. The design
team also researched additional potential funding sources.
Federal Sources
¦	EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 grants fund
demonstration projects that reduce nonpoint source
pollution. Green infrastructure elements of the design
options can be eligible for funding through this program.19
¦	EPA's Brownfields grants and technical assistance give
communities and other stakeholders resources to assess,
and clean up properties where the actual or potential
presence of a hazardous substance could complicate
reuse. Sites in the project area could be eligible for this
assistance.20
¦	Green Project Reserve, part of EPA's Clean Water State
Revolving Fund, is a water quality financing source that
helps communities meet the goals of the Clean Water
Act. Nonpoint source pollution control and green
infrastructure can be eligible for funding through this
program.21
¦	EPA Region 10 Office offers many different funding
sources for efforts to protect and restore the Puget
Sound.22
Targeted Watersheds (to encourage community-based
approaches to protect and restore watersheds such as
Puget Sound).23
¦	EPA's Urban Waters Small Grants Program funds
research, training, and studies that advance the restoration
of urban waters by improving water quality through
activities that support community revitalization and other
local priorities. About 19 percent of recent grants have
been given to advance green infrastructure.24
¦	The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Community Development Block Grant
Program offers the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.
Section 108 provides financing for a range of development-
related projects including public infrastructure. These loans
can catalyze private development.25
¦	MAP-21, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,
underthe U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal
Highway Administration, provides funding for pedestrian,
bicycle, street, and transit projects. Specifically, MAP-21
establishes the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)
and continues the Surface Transportation Program (STP).26
¦ EPA's Office of Water has grants and other funding
programs, including: Clean Water (projects to improve
water quality, renew wastewater, and support local
economies); Section 106 Water Pollution Control (to
establish ongoing water pollution control programs); and
" U.S. EPA. "Clean Water Act Section 319." http://water.epa.gov/
polwaste/nps/cwact.cfm. Accessed Apr 7, 2015.
20 U.S. EPA. "Brownfields and Land Revitalization." www.epa.gov/
brownfields. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
2 U.S. EPA. "Green Project Reserve." http://watenepa.gov/grants_
funding/cwsnf/Gneen-Pnoject-Resenve.cfm. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
22 U.S. EPA. "EPA Region 10 (Pacific Northwest)." www2.epa.gov/
aboutepa/epa-negion-10-pacific-northwest. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
2- U.S. EPA. "Grants Redirect." http://watenepa.gov/grants_funding/.
Accessed Apn 7, 2015.
24	U.S. EPA. "Unban Watens Small Gnants Fact Sheet." www2.epa.
gov/unbanwatens/unban-watens-small-gnants-fact-sheet Accessed
Apn. 7, 2015.
25	U.S. Department of Housing and Unban Development (HUD).
"Section 108 Loan Guanantee Pnognam." www.hudexchange.info/
section-108. Accessed Apn. 7, 2015.
20 U.S. Department of Transportation Fedenal Highway
Administnation. "Surface Transportation Pnognam (STP)." http://
www.fhwa.dot.gov/map2l/factsheets/stp.cfm. Accessed Apn. 7,
2015.
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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37- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
State Sources
The Washington State Historical Society offers a
Heritage Capital Projects Fund for projects facilitating
the preservation of Washington's heritage and history and
making it readily accessible to its citizens. Funds might be
available in 2015.27
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources
administers funds from the U.S. Forest Service's Tree City
USA Tree Planting Grant. Funding is available to cities that
plan to increase community tree canopy coverage and
provide multiple environmental benefits with stormwater
management and water quality improvement.2'11
Community and Other Sources
Olympia identified funding in its Capital Facilities Plan
for 2015-2020 to make street tree, sidewalk, and corner
bulb-out improvements between 10th and Union
avenues during 2016 and 2020. The city could see if it
is possible to fund and construct these improvements
sooner. Regardless, the city can build on these planned
improvements to respond to issues identified through the
Greening America's Capitals project.
The ECO Network and the Puget Sound Partnership
offers a $10,000 grant for Thurston County ECO Net
member organizations as part of their ECO Net Capacity
Building Block Grant. The grant might be available in 2015.
These grants fund a variety of membership development
and networking programs to provide community
outreach and education on issues related to Puget Sound
stewardship.29
A special improvement district can be created for
stormwater; landscape, and lighting, or other streetscape
improvements to help fund capital investments and
operations and maintenance of improvements. The
properties and/or businesses that would contribute to
the improvement district will depend upon the specific
boundary and improvements of the district, but the city
can build upon the efforts and program of the existing
Parking and Business Improvement Area.
The Downtown Business Association could consider
expanding and changing its funding and investment
strategies to help with capital investments and operations
and maintenance of improvements.
A range of regional and national foundations and nonprofit
institutes can fund further planning and design for green
and complete streets in downtown Olympia through
direct grants, training, ortechnical assistance. One example
is the 12,000 Rain Gardens in Puget Sound31 organization
in conjunction with the Russell Family Foundation that
offers grants for environmental sustainability to reduce
polluted runoff into the Puget Sound through green
infrastructure.3
The city could explore public-private partnerships
for planting and maintaining street trees and green
infrastructure such as a volunteer street tree management
or stewardship program. Volunteers could include master
gardeners, the general public, and students. These
programs could also serve as job training for youths and
others.
27 Washington State Historical Society. "Heritage Capital Projects
Fund." http://www.washingtonhistory.org/support/heritage/
capitalprojectsfund/. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
2- Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
"Community Forestry Assistance Grant Resources." www.dnr.
wa.gov/ResearchScience/Topics/UrbanForestry/Pages/rp_urban_
grant_resources.aspx. Accessed Apr 7, 2015.
2Q Puget Sound Partnership. Funding Opportunities, www.psp.
wa.gov/funding.php. Accessed Apr. 7, 2015.
-° 12,000 Rain Gardens in Puget Sound. "The Campaign."
www.I2000raingardens.org/about-us/the-campaign. Accessed
Apr. 7, 2015.
- The Russell Family Foundation. "Puget Sound." www.trff.org/
puget-sound. Accessed Apr 7, 2015.
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APPENDICIES - 38
Appendices
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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39- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, W A
APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF GREEN STREETS
Many types of green infrastructure elements are useful in city
streets and environments, even those with constrained rights-
of-way. Green streets integrate these elements into a larger
whole and for wider benefit. A green street is an integration of
street and park; resulting in a landscaped public space designed
to capture, cleanse, and potentially infiltrate stormwater runoff
while creating an attractive environment that makes walking
and biking more pleasant.
SW Montgomery Street in Portland, Oregon, is a green and
complete shared street that includes grated passageways, or
"bridges," across stormwater planters, landscaping, and curbless
pavement areas (Figures A-1 and A-2). Shared streets expand
pedestrian spaces and could create areas for capture and
management of stormwater runoff into planters and pervious
pavements. (See shared streets examples in Appendix E.)
The Burnside/Couch Streetscape in Portland is an example
of stormwater curb extension planters (Figures A-3 and
A-4). Retrofitted into a busy corridor; these planters separate
vehicles and pedestrians, shorten pedestrian crossing distances,
help calm vehicle speeds, and treat stormwater runoff.
Figures A-1 and A-2: Grated walkways, stormwater planters, and pervious
paving in the SW Montgomery shared street in Portland show the different
types of elements that can provide attractive ways to improve water quality.
(Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)
Figures A-3 and A-4: Before and after views of the Burnside/Couch curb extension stormwater planters in Portland, which show how stormwater management
and treatment can be retrofitted into city streets with existing trees. (Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)
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APPENDICES -40
Figures A-7 and A-8: Trees in grated tree wells can provide numerous environmental and placemaking benefits. When placed in the parking lane, as on Castro
Street in Mountain View, they create places that can be used flexibly for parking, seating, or community events. (Image Credit: Urban Rain | Design)
Pervious paving, including boardwalks, allow stormwater flows
to infiltrate at or nearthe source and limit runoff. The Sports
Basement development in Berkeley, California, demonstrates a
boardwalk application. The boardwalk serves a dual purpose as
it spans a bioretention area that collects and treats stormwater
and works in a compact and constrained site, to accommodate
bike parking (Figure A-5). One block of Allston Street in
downtown Berkeley has been retrofitted with permeable
pavers to infiltrate stormwater runoff (Figure A-6).
Castro Street in Mountain View, California, has street trees
planted in parking lanes. Paired with tree grates and guards,
tree wells in parking lanes provide a larger root zone area,
separate trees from buildings and awnings, and let the parking
zone be used for outdoor dining, street fairs, and other
community events. These planters can also be designed to let
runoff flow directly into the tree well systems. However; the
Castro Street example does not incorporate direct capture of
stormwater runoff (Figures A-7 and A-8).
Pervious pavement systems and green infrastructure
stormwater elements can reduce the amount of stormwater
runoff, slow the flow of runoff, and help clean the water at the
source. They can reduce the quantity of debris, sediment, and
contaminants by directing water to and through plants and
soil, which protects water quality in Budd Inlet, Capitol Lake,
and the Puget Sound. Planting trees can expand the urban
forest and urban habitat, improve air quality and placemaking,
reduce ambient air temperatures, and capture rainfall before it
hits the ground. These examples show how green streets and
green infrastructure can be integrated with design elements
that create a more complete street and pleasant environment,
giving drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users more
choices while supporting downtown Olympia's economic
vitality and character
Figure A-5: Pervious paving such as boardwalks allows stormwater runoff
to infiltrate at the site. The Sports Basement in Berkeley illustrates
how techniques to improve water quality can serve other functions
such as providing bicycle parking. (Image Credit: Community Design +
Architecture)
Figure A-6: Pervious pavers can collect and treat stormwater runoff. (Image
Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
GREENING CAPITOL WAY
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APPENDIX B: GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TOOLBOX
Green infrastructure1 uses landscaping, permeable paving, and soil ratherthan more conventional
engineering solutions to Collect and treat stormwater runoff to protect water quality, in addition
to these environmental benefits, green infrastructure strategies can enhance a streetscape's
character and shade pedestrians. These techniques and facilities can be used to create green
streets and provide green infrastructure elements.
Green Wall: Green walls help transform blank vertical surfaces into living art canvases. They
are especially useful to significantly green a space without taking up valuable ground area. Though
green walls are often seen as mainly aesthetic, they can be designed to accept stormwater
runoff from the building and slow the movement of the runoff, much iike a tree's bark. These
stormwater walls could be effective in the alley system in Olympia's downtown core and other
places where space is tight and roof downspouts are present.
Grated Landscape Area: These areas have a metal grate placed over the landscaping system
to allow pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic on top of them. This stormwater system creates both
a landscaping system for stormwater management and a viable walking or driving surface. Typically,
slip-resistant steel metal grates are used, with the openings within the grate a maximum of |/2-
1/4 inch wide to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The plant materia! in
grated landscape area systems is typically low growing (maximum 6 inches tall) and can survive in
reduced light conditions.
Stormwater Planter: Stormwater planters are. one of the most common types of iandscaped
stormwater facilities in downtowns. These systems can take different shapes and sizes, capture
either street or sidewalk runoff or be used with or without on-street parking. Stormwater
planters along streets can be used at individual tree locations or as a linear and interconnected
part of the sidewalk zone. In areas with high pedestrian use, stormwater planters should be
graded as shallowly as possible to minimize the need for exposed curbs and other potential trip
hazards.
/ I t 1
Li
Pervious Paving: in some areas, the need for hardscape will trump the desire for additional
landscaping space. In these areas, pervious paving is appropriate for stormwater management
and has many types of systems. Interlocking concrete joint pavers offerthe most versatility in
terms of color, shape, and pattern. They are relatively easy to install, remove, and replace if there
is a need to access subsurface utilities without residual scaring and patchwork, as can be seen in
conventional paving. Boardwalks are also useful for allowing stormwaterto infiltrate through the
boardwalk gaps while providing a distinctive and more natural paving surface.
Stormwater Curb Extension: Stormwater curb extensions, also known as bulb-outs, can
be placed along streets in the parking zone. These facilities replace either existing parking spaces
or areas in the parking zone striped as "no parking" with a landscaping system that captures and
treats stormwater runoff. Stormwater curb extensions can be designed in many shapes and sizes.
They can also be the method for supporting new street trees outside of the sidewalk zone.
Rain Garden: Rain gardens are larger landscaped areas used to capture stormwater runoff
and can help set up special focal points or connections along streets. Rain gardens can be highly
versatile, take on any shape, and are designed to capture and manage more significant amounts of
runoff than other types of stormwater facilities.
U.Si EPA. "Green: Infrastructure^' www.epa,g:c>v%reeninfrastructure. Accessed Apr 7, 2015,
//MMt*
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APPENDICES -42
APPENDIX C: EXAMPLES OF PARKLETS
A parklet is a publicly accessible open space that expands
the sidewalk area of a street for people to use for a range of
activities. They add vitality to the street and adjacent uses.
Parklets repurpose part of the street, typically one or two
parking stalls, and are typically built and maintained by adjacent
"sponsoring" businesses or residents. Sponsors might include
cafes and restaurants, bike shops, art galleries, or churches.
Some transit agencies are exploring the potential of using
portions of parklets for bus stop bulb-outs. San Francisco was
the first community in the United States to install parklets
in 2010. The concept has spread across the country and has
become a common technique to quickly and economically
expand pedestrian zones in downtowns. The parklets on
Poweii Street in San Francisco provide much-needed seating
and landscaping in a busy downtown shopping district
(Figure C-l). In Olympia. parklets are constructed with roofs
to protect people from rain and one incorporates green
infrastructure into its design.
A parking stall's typical dimensions—7 to 10 feet wide and
20 to 25 feet long—can create enough space for a variety
of activities, including outdoor dining. For example, the
Cheese Board Collective in Berkeley, California, (Figure C-2)
constructed a parklet on a heavily traveled main street with
narrow sidewalks to accommodate safe and convenient seating.
This parklet incorporates many design elements, including
mosaic tile planters, benches around trees, various seating
types and arrangements, and night lighting. It encourages
shoppers, residents, and passersby to sit and talk or relax over
coffee, pastries, or a slice of pizza throughout the day and
evening. Like most parklets, anyone can use it because it is
officially a public open space.
Parklets can be provided on many different types of streets,
from major arterials running through a downtown to low-
volume commercial or mixed-use streets. Parklets can support
economic development and enhance street character.
Areas with heavy pedestrian activity might not be able to
devote much space to on-street landscaped stormwater
facilities. Parklets can add landscaped planters, or green roofs
to help manage stormwater runoff. The art and architecture of
the stormwater canopies can create a distinctive and innovative
character
Figure C-l: Parklets provide respite in heavy pedestrian areas along Powell
Street in San Francisco. (Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
Figure C-2: Parklets can offer different seating arrangements for a variety of
social interaction. (Image Credit: Community Design + Architecture)
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43- GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS OLYMPIA, WA
APPENDIX D: EXAMPLES OF ROAD DIETS
Figure D-f: Poor or no pedestrian and bicycle facilities along Stone Way in
Seattle prompted the city to implement a road diet. (Image Credit: Seattle
Department of Transportation)
Figure D-2: After the road diet in which vehicle lanes were removed and
bicycle lanes and pedestrian improvements were added, Stone Way is a safer
and more pedestrian-friendly street. (Image Credit: Seattle Department of
Transportation)
Road diets typically reduce the number of travel lanes on a
street; they can also narrow the width of the travel lanes. The
remaining right-of-way can be reallocated to bicycle facilities,
parking, landscaping or green infrastructure, and/or pedestrian
space. Road diets improve the pedestrian and bicycle
environment by calming traffic and adding amenities that make
all users safer. Road diets can be used for a variety of street
types and land use contexts. The calming of traffic and better
walking and bicycling conditions can also help the economic
vitality of commercial mixed use streets, helping them more
fully function as community main streets.
Seattle has several successful road diet programs. In each of
the examples below, vehicle travel speeds were reduced while
peak-hour traffic volumes remained the same.
Stone Way reduced the travel lanes from four to two and
added a two-way left-turn lane and a combination of bike
lanes and sharrows, where bikes and vehicles share the same
travel lane (Figures D-l and D-2). This example is particularly
pertinent to Capitol Way, as both streets have an uphill
segment and a mix of land uses. After the reconfiguration,
an evaluation based on three years data found a 6 percent
decrease in motor vehicle volume, a 35 percent increase in
bicycle traffic, and a decrease of all collisions by 14 percent. It
also found that traffic was not diverted to adjacent streets or
neighborhoods2
Nickerson Street reconfigured the roadway to improve
pedestrian safety by reducing the number of travel lanes and
adding new marked crosswalks. The result for the first year
of data after the improvements was a 23 percent decrease
in the number of collisions.3 Northeast 125th Street changed
from a four-lane street (two travel lanes in each direction) to
a three-lane street (one travel lane in each direction with a
center turn lane) and added bicycle lanes. This street also saw a
significant drop in speeding and collisions. Cars traveling faster
than 40 miies per hour dropped by 69 percent and the rate
of pedestrian, bicycle, and head-on collisions dropped by 10
percent.4
^ City of Seattle Department of Transportation. Stone Way N Rechannelizatioti: Before and Afte-r Study. httpi//www,;seattle,gov/transpartation/
docs/stonewaybeforeaftej hnal.pdf Acffissesi Apr 7, 2015.
-* City of Seattle Department of Transportation. "Nkkerson Streef Changes," www,Seattle,gov/transportation/niekersonTtm, Accessed Apr.
7f,20IX
* City of Seattle Department of Transportation. "NE 12,5th Street — A Safer Street for All." Accessed Apr, 1,2015,
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APPENDICES -44
APPENDIX E: EXAMPLES OF SHARED STREETS
Shared streets have no curbs, and are designed to provide
more public open space use while also creating a slower, safer
street for all users. The street can serve multiple functions such
as street fairs, seasonally expanded farmers markets, food truck
gatherings, and informal public uses. The street could be closed
to traffic for some of these activities. The arrangement of the
road and sidewalk surface on a level ground plane, paired with
special surface treatments (i.e., tactile and other pavement
finishes), help calm traffic and define areas of the street that
have different primary uses and modal priorities. This type of
open space emphasizes the pedestrian while still allowing bikes
and cars as "guests."
Bell Street, a four-block long shared street, is in one of
Seattle's densest mixed-use neighborhoods. It was redesigned
into a shared street to provide an outdoor living room to
the residents of the surrounding buildings while still allowing
vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Opened in 2014, the street
has hosted numerous events, ranging from art walks to group
dance lessons, while providing everyday public space to nearby
residents, office workers, and commercial customers (Figures
E-i through E-4).
Figures E-l, E-2, E-3, and E-4: Bell Street is a shared street in a mixed-use
area. Paving materials and colors, landscaping, and street furniture convey to
drivers that this is a pedestrian zone and to slow down. (Image Credit: SvR
Design Company)
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Smart Growth
GREENING
AMERICA'S CAPITALS
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