Date:  Friday, December 02, 2011

Contact: Stephanie Tax, manager, Highways and Local Programs, 360-705-7389 (Olympia)
Steve Pierce, communications director, 360-705-7076 (Olympia)

OLYMPIA – Curious about what roadway or transit projects have been approved for your community? Perhaps there’s a traffic signal, paving job, transit improvement or bicycle path in your near future. Find out by checking Washington’s draft 2012-2015 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

The draft STIP, a listing of federally funded projects as well as regionally significant state and local transportation projects, is now available for review and comment. The Washington State Department of Transportation’s public comment period for the STIP is Friday, Dec. 2, to Monday, Dec. 19.

Approximately 1,000 statewide transportation improvement projects utilizing $1.9 billion in federal funds are included in the 2012-15 STIP. The STIP includes projects such as pavement overlays, roadway widening, bridge replacement or repair, signal systems, safety enhancements, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transit improvements. WSDOT developed the list in coordination with statewide metropolitan and rural transportation planning organizations to ensure that the proposed projects are consistent with local, regional and state plans.

Projects included in the STIP are funded by a combination of federal, state and local sources. Federal-aid projects must be included in the STIP before the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration can authorize the expenditure of federal funds.

A new four-year STIP is created every year, and several projects may carry over as they move from design, to right-of-way and finally, to construction. The current 2011-14 STIP can be viewed online; a similar, searchable database of the 2012-15 STIP will be created after review and approval by FHWA and FTA in early 2012.

Written comments can be sent to: Stephanie Tax, WSDOT, P.O. Box 47390, Olympia, WA 98504-7390, email: Taxs@wsdot.wa.gov, or by fax at: 360-705-6822.

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