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Rep. Smith Votes to Pass the INVEST in America Act

July 1, 2021

Washington. D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) issued the following statement today after the House passed H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act.

“The INVEST in America Act puts over $700 billion into communities across the U.S. to move our transportation system and water infrastructure into the 21st century. The bill puts climate change front and center, creates good-paying jobs, and improves the lives of Americans. These investments are critical not only for improving the safety and efficiency of our transportation system, but will also ensure a stronger and more equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“I am happy the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee included $20 million in funding for 11 projects across Washington's 9th district. I have worked hard with community partners and elected officials from across the district to be sure we submitted qualified and highly needed projects. They will support the transition to electric bus infrastructure, improve access to public transit, create new and enhanced bike and pedestrian connections, increase safety, and repair vital transportation corridors for the region’s economy.

“The INVEST in America Act not only authorizes hundreds of billions of dollars in investment in our infrastructure but ensures we do so in a more sustainable and equitable way. This funding will help repair our nation’s roads and bridges, significantly expand public transit systems, and invest in existing and new passenger rail corridors. It will also bring about much-needed improvements in road safety through smarter street planning, safer routes to schools, and new walking and cycling paths.

“I am proud that the bill includes my Promoting Affordable Housing Near Transit Act to spur affordable housing development near transit lines and city centers. This provision will provide new opportunities for transit entities to partner with community-based organizations to utilize unused land for affordable transit-accessible housing. The INVEST in America Act incentivizes transit-oriented development, ensuring that our communities remain walkable, become better connected, and remain affordable despite the rapid economic growth in many of America’s cities.

“This legislation makes necessary investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, the largest source of emissions in the U.S. It will also help electrify the transportation system with tens of billions of dollars in funding for electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, zero emission buses, and greening the federal fleet of vehicles. The INVEST in America Act makes the largest down payment in public transit we have seen and establishes new funding sources specifically for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote resiliency for the impacts of climate change.  

“The water infrastructure investments made in this bill will finally address long-standing failure to ensure safe drinking water access for everyone. The INVEST in America Act dedicates over $115 billion in drinking water infrastructure and affordability, including the replacement of lead pipes across the country. 

“Through the INVEST in America Act, the House is making important strides in our commitment to revitalize our existing transportation systems, make ambitious, climate-friendly investments, creating new jobs, and promoting more equitable transportation investments.”

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Rep. Smith Secures $20 Million For Transportation Projects in the 9th District

July 1, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) announced the successful inclusion of $20 million in funding for eleven transportation-related projects in the Ninth District as part of the INVEST in America Act that passed the House today.

“I am proud to have secured funding for eleven transportation projects in the Ninth District in the INVEST in America Act,” said Rep. Adam Smith. “These projects support efforts to electrify King County’s bus system, expand public transit access, improve safety and accessibility, increase connectivity through new pedestrian and bike infrastructure, and repair transportation corridors that are vital for the region’s economic growth. I look forward to working with my colleagues to further advance these projects and the broader legislation that invests in all of our communities.”

The eleven projects are listed alphabetically below.

You can read more about the projects here.

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Pedestrian and Bike Connection from Georgetown to South Park

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $1,800,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the Seattle Department of Transportation's Georgetown to South Park Connection.

“The Georgetown and South Park communities have outlined that their number one transportation priority is a walkable, bikeable community,” said City of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Right now, these two communities are among the Seattle region’s most culturally vibrant and diverse neighborhoods yet lack access to easily accessible connections. We are thankful to Rep. Smith for making the Georgetown to South Park Connection a part of the Invest in America Act.”

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.  

Click here for more information about member-designated transportation and infrastructure projects.

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Rainier Avenue South Corridor Improvements

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $2,000,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for Rainier Avenue South Corridor Improvements in Renton, Washington.

“We are extremely grateful for Congressman Smith’s leadership for including funds in the continued work on improving the Rainier Avenue corridor through our community,” said Renton Mayor Pavone. “This project will make Rainier Avenue more convenient for all users – for people walking, driving to transit stops, shopping, or delivering goods and services. The project will also make the Rainier Corridor easier to navigate for those who need to reach key employment centers.”

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.

Click here for more information about member-designated transportation and infrastructure projects.

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $2,500,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the City of Kent’s Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project.

“Meet Me On Meeker is a public-private partnership that is reconstructing an auto-centric thoroughfare into a multi-modal complete street one segment at a time,” said City of Kent Mayor Dana Ralph. “The Meet Me on Meeker effort has been a catalyst for both significant urban redevelopment and increased quality of life for people who call Kent home.  As one of the most diverse cities in the nation and the most diverse city in Washington, Kent is committed to developing an equitable, multimodal transportation system. Due to budgetary pressures for essential services, capital investments are hard to come by and the federal participation championed by Representative Smith is vital to keeping the Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project and the community moving forward.”

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.

Click here for more information about member-designated transportation and infrastructure projects.

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