Date:
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Contact:
Lloyd D. Brown, WSDOT Communications, (360) 705-7076
OLYMPIA -- WSDOT signs this week more than $25 million in contracts and grants for public transportation, passenger rail and freight rail projects across the state. The largest amounts will be directed to the following projects and communities:
- $9.7 million for regional mobility grants, including: $2.7 million to the City of Lakewood for a commuter rail station; $600,000 to Vancouver for a C-Tran park-and-ride facility; $4.6 million to Community Transit in Snohomish County for commuter bus expansion and commuter parking; and, $1.8 million to King County Metro for transit access
- $1.8 million for Snohomish Riverfront rail improvement project
- $123,000 for the Point Defiance by-pass project rail improvement project
- $20,000 for King Street Station track improvements
- $3.5 million to purchase a total of 159 vanpool vehicles–117 vanpools in King County; 10 vanpools in Benton/Franklin counties; 25 in Thurston County; 5 in Grays Harbor County; 2 in Mason County.
- $300,000 to add new bus service between Warden and Othello in Grant County.
- $9.2 million contract to help fund the additional daily Amtrak Cascades passenger roundtrip that commenced last July.
"These awards support some of our most important transportation projects and programs," said Doug MacDonald, Secretary of Transportation. "Citizens and the legislature support programs like vanpooling and rural transit services as well as projects that move passengers and freight on the rail lines."
Judy Giniger, WSDOT’s public transportation and rail program director, linked the signing of the contracts to the announcement by Secretary of State Sam Reed on Tuesday, Sept. 12, that Initiative 917 did not quality for the ballot.
"Citizens and communities across the state were unhappy that funds approved by the legislature for programs in their communities were held up while the initiative process played out," Giniger said. "We regret the unavoidable delay from WSDOT’s prudence in holding money that a passage of the initiative might have placed in jeopardy. We are pleased to see the money finally go to work for better transportation in our state."
The 2003 and 2005 revenue programs increased Washington State’s investment in capital passenger and freight rail, and public transportation services by more than $900 million over 16 years. In addition, Washington State’s program to invest in its highway system is now one of the most aggressive in the country. Projects are in construction throughout the state. Since January 2003, WSDOT has delivered 57 projects funded by 2003 and 2005 gas tax increases. For more information on WSDOT’s project delivery performance read the latest quarterly Gray Notebook report on-line at www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/
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