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Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Bellevue Transit Center Safety and Connectivity Project

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $1,000,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the Bellevue Transit Center Safety and Connectivity Project.

“On behalf of Bellevue residents and the City Council, I want to thank Congressman Smith for his role in the decision by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to allocate $1 million for the Bellevue Transit Center Safety and Connectivity Project,” said City of Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson. “With the transit center located across the street from the future light rail station in downtown Bellevue, creating a safe and seamless connection between them for people who walk, roll and bicycle is absolutely critical. This funding will help us do that and more. With rapid growth expected downtown, literally millions of transit riders each year will benefit from the investment. I whole-heartedly urge the full Congress to pass the infrastructure package of which this funding is a part.”

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.

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

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding to Improve Safety and Accessibility on MLK Jr. Way S in Seattle

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $750,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the Seattle Department of Transportation’s MLK Jr. Way S Safety and Accessibility Improvements Project.

“We can save lives with safer streets as part of the Invest in America Act,” said City of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan. “Seattle has implemented a series of improvements along Rainier Ave S – Seattle’s most crash prone, high-injury street, but our work to improve this corridor is far from done. This project will help reduce the disproportionately high rates of speeding and head-on and off-the-road collisions that now plague this segment of Rainier and MLK Way, providing a safer connection to the Judkins Park and Mt Baker light rail stations, the I-90 trail, Franklin High School, and the Metro Transit Center.”

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.

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

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Tukwila’s 42nd Ave S Bridge Replacement Project

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $1,270,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the City of Tukwila’s 42nd Ave S Bridge Replacement Project.

“The City of Tukwila appreciates Congressman Smith’s understanding of how critical the replacement of the 42nd Avenue Bridge is for Tukwila and surrounding communities,” said City of Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg. “This vital piece of infrastructure serves not only the Allentown neighborhood and as a key east-west crossing over the Duwamish river, but is also the current route into the BNSF intermodal yard, which supports freight going in and out of the Port of Seattle.  We are hopeful that the House infrastructure bill is ultimately successful and, with this member-directed funding from Congressman Smith, the City will continue toward 100% design of the new bridge with the goal of beginning construction in 2024.” 

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.

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

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding to Replace the Duwamish River Bridge Grid Deck

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $2,000,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the Duwamish River Bridge grid deck replacement.

“The State Route 99 Duwamish River Bridge is a vital lifeline in the city of Seattle,” said Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Roger Millar. “I appreciate Representative Smith’s support to invest in transportation infrastructure that is essential for a strong local economy while keeping our bridges and roadways safe and reliable. Our maintenance crews have worked tirelessly to keep the steel deck together, making emergency repairs to weld worn portions until panel replacements are funded. This much needed investment will help us keep this structure safe and reliable for the people who depend on it each day.”

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.

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

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Rep. Smith Secures Funding to Assist King Country Metro Achieve a 100% Zero-Emission Fleet by 2040

June 30, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $3,000,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for King County Metro’s South Campus Interim Base Electrification Project.

“Our work toward fully transforming King County Metro to a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2035 will take a big step forward with the construction of the electrical charging infrastructure at our South Campus base that Congressman Smith is helping to make possible,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Once built, Metro will be able to maintain and operate 125 battery electric buses. This investment will help combat the global climate crisis and reduce local pollution. The new buses will serve riders in south King County, where residents are disproportionately affected by pollution.”

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.

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

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