Date:
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Contact:
Lloyd Brown, WSDOT Communications, (360) 705-7076
SEATTLE -- The US Department of Transportation today selected the SR 520 Bridge replacement as a priority project to receive grant funding and additional federal support under an innovative grant program designed to improve traffic through the combined implementation of advanced transit, technology, telecommuting and tolling. The USDOT announcement could eventually provide an additional $127 million in federal funding for projects related to the SR 520 bridge replacement.
The Lake Washington Urban Partnership application was jointly submitted by King County, the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington State Department of Transportation.
"We welcome the announcement that the USDOT has made the replacement of the SR 520 bridge a national priority and will work with the agency to secure this additional federal funding," said Paula Hammond, Interim Secretary of Transportation. "The SR 520 bridge is among the most vulnerable structures in our state and needs to be replaced. The features of the federal Urban Partnership program are a good match for the SR 520 bridge because better transit, technology, telecommuting and electronic tolling strategies have already been identified as part of the future of the corridor."
The grant is timed to coincide with upcoming state legislature decisions on the bridge, ongoing mediation and the development of a finance plan for the bridge replacement. Under terms of the grant, King County would receive up to $41 million to purchase 45 new buses for the corridor and make other transit improvements, and about $86 million would be provided to develop and implement active traffic management and traveler information systems, and to support future decisions by the Washington State Legislature on how best to toll the bridge. In addition, the grant would deliver up to $11.6 million for improvements to Puget Sound ferry service.
"Our success securing this grant illustrates the truly regional effort needed to replace the Highway 520 Bridge," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "I applaud Secretary Peters for putting a priority on innovations in transportation. Our partnership is now ranked among the best in the nation and the 520 bridge replacement is a federal priority. The $41 million in transit money will put 45 new buses on the 520 corridor and provide service to one million new riders each year. Also, the $1 million for the Vashon passenger ferry will be a great help for improving passenger-only service."
"Our region recognizes the high priority of replacing this vulnerable bridge. This grant signals that our federal partners are with us. It will help with the next steps, including priority attention by our partners at the federal level," said Bob Drewel, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council. "This announcement is a great start, but it is not a finish. We are now first in line for this federal funding but to secure it we’ll need to work through the complexities of the project to secure these funds."
The USDOT announcement is the result of the signing of an agreement in principle among the partners. Details of the grant will now be negotiated between the USDOT, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Puget Sound Regional Council.
More information on the SR 520 project can be found at the WSDOT web site, http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr520bridge/.
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