Member-Designated T&I Projects

In 2021, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) advanced a surface transportation authorization bill called the INVEST in America Act. As part of this legislation, the T&I Committee accepted requests from House Members for projects to be funded in their districts.

The T&I Committee process for considering member projects was separate and distinct from the House Committee on Appropriations’ process for considering Community Project Funding requests.

The following projects listed alphabetically by project name were submitted by Congressman Smith and selected by the T&I Committee for funding. Unfortunately, however, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that ultimately passed Congress did not include any Member Directed projects.

Project Name: 42nd Ave S Bridge Replacement Project
Location of Project: Tukwila, WA 98188
Project Sponsor: City of Tukwila
Amount Requested to Committee: $1,270,000
Project Description: This project funding would help support the final design of the replacement of the existing 42nd Ave S steel truss bridge in Tukwila, WA.  If the bridge were to fail, 10,300 vehicles per day (based on 2018 Traffic Counts) would be impacted, including 3,000 trucks that would no longer be able to access the BNSF intermodal rail yard as it is the preferred and safest access for trucks. The 42nd Ave South Bridge is a critical link in the freight network on a local and regional scale as goods and products are shipped and moved cross country to freight hubs. These rail networks carry international and domestic cargo to inland markets, serve the Port of Seattle to the north and the Port of Tacoma to the south. Restricted access or failure of the bridge would be a major detriment to freight movement and have significant economic impacts on the region.

The 42nd Ave South Bridge Replacement Project would improve equity in the region by offering safe access for pedestrians to reach public transportation, the Tukwila Community Center, trails, and local businesses. The bridge also serves pedestrians and cyclists as the southern connection of the Green River trail and provides access to the Tukwila Community Center, a local hub for classes and cultural events, and the Allentown neighborhood. It is also the main route for vehicles and pedestrians from Allentown to reach the Tukwila Park and Ride, which is the closest public transportation option.
Project Website: https://www.tukwilawa.gov/departments/public-works/construction-projects-and-transportation-impacts/42nd-ave-bridge-replacement-project/

Project Name: Bellevue Transit Center Safety and Connectivity Project
Location of Project: Bellevue, WA 98004
Project Sponsor: City of Bellevue
Amount Requested to Committee: $1,000,000
Project Description: This project will reconstruct the intersections at both ends of the downtown Bellevue Transit Center and the new light rail station to improve safety and access for people walking, rolling, and bicycling.

This project is urgently needed before light rail service begins in Bellevue in 2023 to accommodate anticipated growth and facilitate safe, convenient, and accessible transfers between bus and light rail services. It increases safety for people walking, rolling and bicycling, supporting Bellevue’s Vision Zero strategy and goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injury collisions.

The project promotes public transit by facilitating convenient and accessible transfers between modes. This will maximize public benefit from the region’s $3.7 billion investment in the East Link light rail system and the region’s transit system. When complete, the project will provide a seamless bike and pedestrian connection between the downtown Bellevue light rail station and Bellevue Transit Center that are separated by 110th Avenue NE, the most active bicycle and pedestrian corridor in the City. 

The project will support planned growth in downtown Bellevue as employers add 25,000 new jobs by 2025. Overall, this project will cultivate vibrant pedestrian environments that connect employees to local restaurants, retail, transit, entertainment, and other essential services. 

Project Name: Eastrail Wilburton Critical Crossing
Location of Project: Bellevue, WA 98005
Project Sponsor: King County, WA
Amount Requested to Committee: $1,700,000
Project Description: The Eastrail Wilburton Critical Crossing Project will develop a high-quality signalized crossing at a complex road crossing. The includes a new traffic signal to allow safe crossing of SE 1st Street in Bellevue. This crossing is a missing link that would connect already-funded segments of trail to the north and south and is anticipated to support public use rivaling that of any other trail segment in the regional trail system.  Once complete, this project would allow connection of the last gap in a continuous 12-mile section of the Eastrail trail—an uninterrupted 42-mile trail that will connect the eastside communities of Renton, Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville, Snohomish, and Redmond. The Eastrail trail is anticipated, once fully connected, to become the most heavily used trail in the regional trail system.  

Eastrail is a critical piece of the Puget Sound region's transportation strategy to increase multi-model options to help manage congestion and growth. This project is located in the Wilburton Area, a key area for redevelopment and growth near the City of Bellevue's downtown core, hospital district, light rail line, and the Bel-Red Corridor (a two-mile-long series of compact, mixed-use transit-accessible neighborhoods currently being developed). In addition to providing expanded options for recreation and commuting, the trail segment also connects to two Sound Transit light rail stations—the Wilburton Station and East Main Station in Bellevue—as well as the South Kirkland Park and Ride, offering convenient options for multi-modal transportation across the region.
Project Website:  https://www.kingcounty.gov/services/parks-recreation/parks/trails/regional-trails/popular-trails/eastrail.aspx

Project Name: Georgetown to South Park Connection
Location of Project: Seattle, WA 98108
Project Sponsor: Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)
Amount Requested to Committee: $1,800,000
Project Description: This project would establish a pedestrian and bike connection from the business district in the Georgetown neighborhood to the business district in the South Park neighborhood. The route was determined through community input and outreach and is now ready for engineering assessment. The connection is to be made up of a combination of protected bike lanes and shared-use pathways.

This project connects two communities that are less than 2 miles apart, that share community resources such as a library, community center, and senior center. Currently, there is no continuous facility for citizens to walk or bike between these two Duwamish Valley neighborhoods that are heavily impacted by air pollution and the Duwamish River superfund site. These communities will benefit greatly from a new walking and biking facility to help offset emissions from automobiles, provide families with a new health and recreational opportunity, and provide a safe connection for those who cannot drive to access services they need.

Project Name: Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project
Location of Project: City of Kent, WA 98032
Project Sponsor: Kent, WA
Amount Requested to Committee: $2,500,000
Project Description: The project would convert Meeker Street (64th Avenue S to just east of Kent Elementary School) from a congested 5-lane roadway to a 3-lane roadway with on-street parking on both sides of the street and a separated 2-way cycle track on the south side of the street. The complete street project also includes decorative street lighting, landscaping, and other sidewalk and median improvements to create a more comfortable experience for vulnerable users and to increase safety for all modes. The design is projected to reduce the likelihood of speeding and fatal and severe crashes. The roadway will also be repaved, extending the life of this minor arterial, and providing much-needed maintenance in this mixed-use area near the City Center.

The Meeker St project extends the Meet Me on Meeker promenade converting Meeker into a multimodal, complete street leading to Downtown Kent and the Central Business District. This critical segment fronts a retail shopping center and Kent Elementary School, providing an important connection to support safe routes to school efforts. The improvements support an existing frequent transit route and a planned King County Metro Rapid Ride route. This critical bus rapid transit route will connect communities in Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Seattle with employment opportunities throughout the region.
Project Website: https://www.kentwa.gov/city-hall/meet-me-on-meeker

Project Name: MLK Jr. Way S Safety and Accessibility Improvements Project
Location of Project: Seattle, WA 98144 & 98122
Project Sponsor: Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)
Amount Requested to Committee: $750,000
Project Description: The project will build protected bike lanes, mark and signalize missing crosswalks, fill a sidewalk gap, and make other safety and accessibility improvements and repairs along 1.1 miles of Martin Luther King Jr. Way S at the north end of Seattle’s Rainier Valley. This project will connect the existing Mt. Baker Station on Sound Transit’s Central Link light rail line with the soon to open Judkins Park Station on the East Link line via a bicycle facility that will be attractive to existing and potential riders of all ages and abilities.

During public outreach for Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan in 2019, a north-south bicycle route in the Rainier Valley emerged as a top citywide priority. This will help ensure that residents and workers in Seattle’s most diverse neighborhoods have better transportation choices and safe connections to the regional light rail system.

The project will also make a series of improvements at and near the critical Rainier Ave S and MLK Jr. Way S intersection, where three people walking have been killed in traffic collisions in just the past two years. This neighborhood has seen recent investment in affordable housing with several hundred units already open or in various stages of the development pipeline, but the busy intersection at its center makes walking and biking a challenging and dangerous experience.
Project Website: https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/bike-program/protected-bike-lanes/mlk-protected-bike-lane

Project Name: Puyallup Avenue Transit/Complete Street Improvements
Location of Project: Tacoma, WA 98421
Project Sponsor: City of Tacoma
Amount Requested to Committee: $2,000,000
Project Description: This project would reconstruct 1.2 miles of Puyallup Avenue from S. C Street to Portland Avenue, to include heavy haul asphalt and concrete pavement, new signals, bicycle facilities, sidewalks/curb ramps, crosswalks, lighting, and other complete street elements. As this project supports one of the largest Transit Oriented Districts in the State, it will include Tacoma’s first HOV/Transit lane running eastbound from Pacific Avenue to Portland Avenue.

The Tacoma Dome Transit Station, located on Puyallup Avenue, provides connections with Sound Transit (Express buses, Tacoma LINK Light Rail, the Sounder Express train, and the future light rail to Sea-Tac airport, Pierce Transit, Greyhound, Intercity Transit, and Amtrak). Project improvements will support access to these local, regional, and nationwide services.

The project will provide defined and planned multi-modal access across the corridor. This includes providing bicycle facilities and bicycle signals where there are none today, widened sidewalks, improved ADA access, pedestrian scale lighting, and improved pedestrian movement at both signalized and uncontrolled and mid-block crossings. These facilities will tie into local and regional facilities that serve the city, Port of Tacoma, and multi-county trail systems.

Project Name: Rainier Avenue South Corridor Improvements - Phase 4A
Location of Project: Renton, WA 98057
Project Sponsor: City of Renton
Amount Requested to Committee: $2,000,000
Project Description: This funding will support Phase 4 of the Rainier Ave S Corridor Improvements project, starting from S Grady Way to Renton city limits, and adjacent to the Renton Municipal Airport. The project will upgrade walkway conditions and streetscape, and address pedestrian infrastructure continuity gaps. The funding will also support the reconstruction of substandard traffic signals, upgrading signal timing and coordination, and an extension of southbound Business Access & Transit (BAT) lanes

Since 2012, there have been over 250 collisions on Rainier Avenue. This project will improve the safety of the corridor by increasing separation between pedestrians and vehicle lanes with a landscaped buffer and wider sidewalks and by installing a new pedestrian-activated signal and curb ramp improvements for ADA accessibility. Reconstruction of substandard traffic signals, upgrading signal timing and coordination, and an extension of southbound Business Access & Transit (BAT) lanes will improve transit speed and reliability as well as general traffic mobility. 

Accommodating transit is crucial as Rainier Avenue South connects with the current Tukwila Sounder Station and the soon-to-be constructed South Renton Transit Center (Rainier Avenue/Grady Way). That Transit Center will be a major connection hub for existing fixed-route services as well as new Bus Rapid Transit – the Sound Transit “Stride” and the King County Metro Rapid Ride I Line.
Project Website: https://rentonwa.gov/city_hall/public_works/transportation_systems/projects_and_programs/current_projects/rainier_ave_s_phase_4_-_s_3rd_st_to_n_w_3rd_pl

Project Name: South Campus Interim Base Electrification
Location of Project: Tukwila, Washington, 98168
Project Sponsor: King County Metro
Amount Requested to Committee: $3,000,000
Project Description: King County Metro at its South Campus in Tukwila is implementing the first phase of infrastructure improvements that will enable Metro to achieve its goal of a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2040. This work is occurring at the South Campus Interim Base facility where Metro is adding electrification infrastructure to operate and maintain up to 125 battery electric buses. The electrification work at these facilities includes the installation of necessary electrical infrastructure and charging equipment including transformers, switchgear, chargers, cabling, charging, and connectors. The facility is scheduled to be in operation by 2025.

The project will improve public health by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from Metro Transit operations, helping King County and Washington State meet GHG reduction targets defined in King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan and RCW 70.235.020 through deploying zero-emission fleet technologies.
Project Website: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/programs-projects/transit-corridors-parking-and-facilities/bus-base-expansion/south-campus.aspx

Project Name: SR 99/NB Duwamish River Bridge - Grid Deck Replacement
Location of Project: Seattle, WA 98108
Project Sponsor: Washington State Department of Transportation
Amount Requested to Committee: $2,000,000
Project Description: This project will replace the Duwamish River Bridge grid deck, which has reached the end of service life. A typical bridge grid deck has 20 years of service life and this deck was built in 1996. The grid deck has many interim temporary repairs and deterioration is accelerating rapidly, increasing the need for costly emergency repairs. SR 99 is a T1 Freight route carrying 13.5 million tons of freight annually. Currently, the West Seattle Bridge is closed to traffic causing traffic to detour onto this structure, which is also adding to the acceleration of deterioration. Replacing the failing panels will provide a more solid driving surface with better skid resistance thereby reducing the potential of collisions. The project will also reduce or eliminate expensive emergency repairs which have detrimental impacts on freight mobility and safety in the corridor.

Project Name: Tukwila International Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit Station
Location of Project: Tukwila, WA, 98118
Project Sponsor: Sound Transit
Amount Requested to Committee: $2,000,000
Project Description: Project funding will be used for the construction of a new freeway Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station that connects to the existing Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station via a new pedestrian bridge. This will provide an easy transfer for BRT riders looking to use light rail travel to Downtown Seattle, Lynnwood, and Federal Way.

The new BRT station is part of Sound Transit’s I-405 BRT project, called “Stride,” that will serve King and Snohomish counties. Sound Transit is currently implementing the most ambitious transit expansion in the nation: building clean energy mobility options for the future, delivering transit services for essential workers, and providing thousands of family-wage jobs.

Fast, frequent I-405 BRT service will increase access to jobs and other services and can reduce the burden of vehicle ownership. The TIB BRT Station can help improve health conditions for residents in surrounding communities by reducing air pollutant emissions, including diesel, through the reduced vehicle trips.
Project Website: https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/i-405-brt 

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