Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District
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House Passes Transportation Bill:
Includes Funding for Local Projects
2 April 2004
This afternoon, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 357-65 to pass the Transportation Equity Act (H.R. 3550). In response to U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee’s requests, funding for several local projects is included in the bill. The bill passed the House despite the President’s veto threat.
Inslee commented, "These local projects will improve road safety and improve traffic flow in our area. They deserve funding, and I am glad that our local needs have been recognized by the Congress. These projects will not only help our local transportation situation, they will create real jobs right here at home."
The bill reauthorizes federal transportation spending for the next six years. Funding in the bill includes:
- $3,000,000 for the UW-Bothell/Cascadia interchange. This project will provide critical access to the growing university and community college campus. The new south access will improve the link between I-405, SR-522 and the campus, alleviate congestion at the north campus access on Beardslee Blvd. and allow campus enrollment to increase. Enrollment is currently prohibited from increasing without the completion of this project. The Regional Partnership of Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties also lists completion of the UW-Bothell freeway interchange as a top priority and essential to the growth of the tech and bio-tech corridors in Bothell.
- $2,000,000 for the Interurban Trail in Shoreline. Inslee has played an active role in previously securing funding for this project, and this figure should help to complete the trail, which provides a safe bike and pedestrian avenue to travel the length of Shoreline. The trail also creates a pedestrian bridge crossing of Aurora Ave (SR-99) and continues regional trail improvements that, when completed, will unify communities from Seattle to Everett.
- $2,000,000 for the Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) railroad trestle and bridge in Woodinville. The purpose of this project is to improve traffic flow at a longstanding bottleneck at the railroad crossing south of Woodinville's main interchange onto Highway 522. Currently there are long delays during commute hours, queuing problems all day, and hampered freight mobility in the adjacent commercial and industrial areas. Work will include adding lanes on SR 202 under the trestle, adding a southbound right turn lane at Northeast 175th Street, adding an additional southbound left turn lane at Northeast 177th Place and another northbound through lane north of Northeast 177th Place. The SR 522 overpass will be rechannelized to expand capacity, and the trestle walls will receive a new treatment.
- $1,500,000 for highway work on SR-9 in Snohomish.
- $1,500,000 for widening SR 527 in Bothell-Mill Creek.
- $1,000,000 for congestion relief on I-405.
- $500,000 for an extension on Wagga Way in Kitsap County.
- $500,000 for an exit ramp at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood.
In addition to these requests, Inslee worked with Congressman Rick Larsen to secure the following funding in the bill: