Sammamish receives stimulus money to continue contentious parkway project

The City of Sammamish yesterday received $3.5 million in stimulus package money, which it will use to continue work on East Lake Sammamish Parkway.

City Public Works Director John Cunningham this morning confirmed the money would allow the construction of 'Phase 1b', an extension to 'Phase 1a.'

Phase 1a was itself a shortened version of the original plan for improving the parkway, which was amended amid a great deal of public criticism of the extensive cost and scope of the work.

At the time of its approval, some residents expressed concerns that Phase 1a would just be a precursor to future stages of improvement.

With this in mind, Cunningham said that he did expect some eyebrows, and voices, would be raised in city hall when the council begins to consider Phase 1b plans.

"I would expect that would be the case, yes," he said.

Cunningham said that Phase 1b plans were complete and ready, although it will be up to the council to decide what portion of Phase 1b they want to build, a decision which will no doubt be influenced by the objections of groups like the Citizens for Sammamish, who were very vocal in their opposition to the extended parkway plan.

The cost of the complete Phase 1b project is estimated at about $7 million.

Paul Pottorff of Citizens for Sammamish said that the fact the project had received federal funding did not change his group's objections to Phase 1b, or Phase 1a.

"The city council is spending our money on a road project that is very expensive and doesn't have a substantial return on investment," he said via email on Friday.

"It doesn't improve traffic flows substantially, and it is entirely debt financed.

"Our hope would be that stimulus funds be directed to investments that improve our economy now and in the future."

Cunningham said he expected that the lean times being experienced in the building industry would result in a favorable bidding environment, as was the case with the contract for Phase 1A.

"Most of the other projects we are seeing going to bid at the moment are coming back around 25 percent below estimates," he said.

He said that Phase 1B would be a very similar project to Phase 1A, in terms of construction elements, the only difference being some bridge widening work over a creek just north of Northeast 18th Place.

Council received word that their stimulus package bid had been successful after the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) signed off on the project lists in Seattle on Thursday, March 12.

The PSRC selected projects to receive an estimated $78 million in Federal Highway Administration funding and $136 million in Federal Transit Administration funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

"Here in central Puget Sound we are ready to proceed with meaningful projects that will put people to work quickly and get these dollars circulating in our overall economy," said Auburn Deputy Mayor Sue Singer, President of PSRC. "These projects will not only produce jobs in the near term, but will also provide a foundation for future growth."

The $214 million in economic recovery funding available via the PSRC supports the completion of projects representing a combined transportation investment in the region of $4 billion.

For more information, and to download full project description lists, www.psrc.org

Project's receiving Federal Highway Administration funding:

KING COUNTY

Redmond - NE 36th St Bridge $11,000,000

Renton - Rainier Ave S (SR 167) $2,000,000

Seattle - S Spokane St Viaduct $15,443,000

Bothell - North Creek Trail $500,000

Burien - 4th Ave SW Pedestrian Safety $625,000

King County Roads - SW 98th St - Phase I, Pedestrian Corridor $1,498,000

Kent - East Valley Hwy - SR 167 to S 212th Street $2,000,000

Normandy Park - 1st Ave - Phase IIA, between SW 192nd St and SW 200th St $3,834,000

Sammamish - E Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE - NE Inglewood Hill Rd to NE 28th Pl $3,500,000

KITSAP COUNTY

Poulsbo - Viking Ave Improvements Phase II (McDonalds to SR 305) $3,800,000

Bainbridge Island - Core 40 Shoulder Widening Program - Blakely Non-Motorized Project Phase II $150,000

PIERCE COUNTY

Orting - SR 162 Rechannelization $420,000

Puyallup - Shaw Rd Extension Phase III $2,000,000

Eatonville - Rural Town Centers and Corridors Program $825,000

Port of Tacoma - Lincoln Ave Grade Separation $15,408,000

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

Lynnwood - 1-5/196th St SW Interchange Bridge/Pedestrian Improvement Project $1,250,000

Snohomish County - Granite Falls Alternate Route $3,500,000

Stanwood - 68th Road Realignment and School Safety Improvement Project $750,000

Port of Everett - W Marine View Dr Roadway Ped/Bike Corridor Improvements (11th to 16th) $1,900,000

Everett - Holly Drive Non-Motorized Improvements $750,000

Arlington - 188th Street Pedestrian Trail $122,000

Community Transit - Mountlake Terrace Park-and-Ride (Upper Parking Area) $425,000

Bothell - North Creek Trail (various sections) $600,000

Edmonds - Annual Asphalt Overlay Maintenance Contract $1,000,000

Tulalip Tribes / Snohomish County - 116th / 34th Ave NE Fish Passage Culvert $2,000,000

Mukilteo - Harbour Point Blvd Street Rebuild $1,100,000

Mountlake Terrace - 52nd Ave Reconstruction Project - Overlay $ 1,000,000

Marysville - Street Overlay Project $500,000

The Federal Transit Administration funds will go to:

KING COUNTY

King County Ferry District Maintenance Barge & Equipment $1,314,011

King County Metro Vehicle Maintenance $25,000,000

King County Metro Acquisition of 40-foot & 60-foot Hybrid Buses $45,940,537

City of Seattle South Lake Union Streetcar (PM) $314,011

City of Seattle Monorail Train Safety Improvements $1,000,000

Sound Transit University Link Light Rail Construction (accelerate light rail to Northgate) $4,612,221

Sound Transit Clean Fuels Buses (East King) $ 4,612,221

Sound Transit Tukwila Commuter Rail Station - Accelerated Final Design and Construction $ 4,612,221

KITSAP COUNTY

Kitsap Transit Small Vessels, for Bremerton-Port Orchard POF service $875,000

Kitsap Transit Purchase Vans $1,890,493

Kitsap Transit Main Base Expansion $95,889

PIERCE COUNTY

Pierce County Ferry Opns. M/V Christine Anderson Preservation/Electrical System Upgrade $1,274,011

Pierce County Ferry Opns. Anderson Island Ferry Terminal Preservation $25,000

Pierce County Ferry Opns. Ketron Island Ferry Terminal Preservation $15,000

Pierce Transit Preventive Maintenance $4,400,000

Pierce Transit Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Compressor, Filter and Backup Power Upgrade $ 1,571,075

Pierce Transit Acquisition of Alternative Fuel (Hybrid-Electric or CNG) Buses $5,400,000

Sound Transit Lakewood-Tacoma Commuter Rail (M Street - Lakewood New Track and Signal) $ 4,612,221

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

Community Transit Bus Replacement (40-foot & Double Decker Buses) $13,024,814

Community Transit Preventive Maintenance $1,109,645

Everett Transit Transit Stop Enunciators Purchase and Installation (73 Vehicles) $450,000

Everett Transit Everett Preventive Maintenance $862,285

Sound Transit Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station Construction $ 4,612,221

WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES

Washington State Ferries Systemwide Vessel Preservation (Jumbo, Super, Issaquah, and E-State Class) $4,246,042

Washington State Ferries Systemwide Terminal Preservation Projects $4,246,041

Contact Sammamish Reporter Editor Jake Lynch at editor@sammamish-reporter.com.

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