Transportation
Murray's Work
Transportation Projects for the Olympic
Peninsula
Note: Sen. Murray has funded more transportation projects
in this region than are listed below. This list only includes specific
projects that local community leaders asked Sen. Murray to fund in FY
2006.
.........................................
Bremerton Community Services Center -- $500,000 - For
more than 40 years Kitsap Community Resources (KCR) has provided a number
of “safety net” services to low-income individuals and families
living in Kitsap County. Many of these services are currently housed
in leased buildings, but with Bremerton’s revitalization property
values are increasing and rents are becoming unaffordable. The funding
secured by Senator Murray will support KCR’s efforts to consolidate
all its services in a new 20,000 square foot building. This new building
will house the Bremerton WIC clinic, a commercial kitchen to prepare
meals for low-income seniors and children, all of KCR’s employment
and training programs, and KCR administration.
Clallam Transit -- $220,000 - The funding provided
will enable Clallam Transit to purchase two new vehicles to support
rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $400,000 for Clallam Transit
last year.
Grays Harbor Transit Aberdeen Station -- $780,000 - The
main Grays Harbor Transit station is located in Aberdeen. The funding
secured by Senator Murray will help ease traffic around the station
and create more off-street parking by demolishing a structurally unsound
building and paving it. The project will create more parking spaces
and give buses that now have to cross three lanes of congested traffic
a safer, more pedestrian-friendly route to enter the roadway.
Grays Harbor Transit -- $65,000 - The funding provided
will enable Grays Harbor Transit to purchase a new vehicle to support
rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $600,000 for Grays Harbor
Transit last year.
Jefferson County Transit -- $365,000 - The funding
provided will enable Jefferson County Transit to purchase two new vehicles
to support rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $400,000 for
Jefferson County Transit last year.
Kitsap Transit, Rich Passage Wake Impact Study -- $2.3 million
- The funding secured by Senator Murray will continue work
already underway in Rich Passage to better understand the impact of
wake energy on shoreline property and to develop technologies and vessel
design features to minimize it so that fast ferry service between Bremerton
and Seattle may someday resume. Senator Murray provided $1.75 million
for this project last year.
Lower Elwha Tribe Access Road Project -- $1 million - The
funding secured by Senator Murray will help complete construction of
an all-weather primary access road connection from the Lower Elwha Klallam
reservation to the Clallam County road system adjacent to the flood
plain. Senator Murray has previously secured $2.3 million for this project.
Makah Indian Tribe “200 Line” Road Project -- $1.5
million - The Makah Tribal Council has identified a plan for
relocating their health clinic above the floodplain. The funding secured
by Senator Murray will upgrade and extend the existing road to connect
it to the new clinic site. The new road will also become the preferred
school evacuation route in case of a tsunami.
Mason County Transit -- $150,000 - The funding provided
will enable Mason County Transit to purchase a new vehicle to support
rural mobility needs. Senator Murray secured $400,000 for Mason County
Transit last year.
Port Angeles International Gateway Project -- $800,000 -
The funding secured by Senator Murray will help build a multi-modal
facility, public plaza, visitor center, park and ride and parking facility
in downtown Port Angeles. This facility will be the downtown hub for
transit buses, taxis, bicyclists, pedestrians, ferry passengers, and
tourists. Senator Murray has previously secured $1.5 million for this
project.
Port Townsend Streetscape and Transportation Improvements
-- $500,000 - The funding secured by Senator Murray will support
streetscape and transportation improvements in Port Townsend’s
historic district. These improvements will also support further development
of the Northwest Maritime Center, which will showcase the regional significance
of marine trades and maritime activities. Senator Murray secured $250,000
for development of the Northwest Maritime Center last year.
Quinault Indian Nation Taholah School Access Road Project --
$2.5 million - The Taholah School is a public school located
on the Quinault Indian Reservation. The existing school is in need of
critical improvements to repair flood and earthquake damage. The Quinault
Indian Nation has donated land above the natural floodplain and tsunami
zone to build a new school. The funding secured by Senator Murray will
pay for the access road and related infrastructure improvements to the
new school site.
Washington State Ferries -- $6.7 million - Funding
provided in the bill includes the $5 million set-aside for Washington
State Ferries from the federal Ferry Boats and Ferry Terminal Facilities
Program, which Senator Murray worked to secure in the highway authorization
bill that was signed into law in August. An additional $1.7 million
is provided for the procurement of propulsion systems and generators
to be used on new vessels.
Washington State Ferries Wireless Over Water Project -- $1
million - Technology does not exist to transport security and
surveillance data off vessels in real, or near real time. Fast, high-volume
data transport and storage would safeguard data that could be destroyed
as the result of an on-board incident. This project will build upon
the work already underway to provide passengers with wireless internet
access – that technology does not meet the bandwidth necessary
to transfer video from ship-to-shore. The funding secured by Senator
Murray will support a demonstration project on two ferry routes.