(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Transportation,
Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee announced that she has
included funding to boost King County transportation and economic development
in the Fiscal Year 2011 THUD Appropriations bill. The funding will create
construction jobs that support community projects, make critical transportation
safety improvements, and improve access to local transit.
The key
spending bill passed through the THUD Appropriations Subcommittee today, and
will now move to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.
“Especially
now, it is critical to steer funding into transportation projects that create
jobs and boost local economies in our own backyard in King County,” said Senator Murray. “This
funding will go to support community projects like a regional business
incubator and the expansion of the Bellevue Boys and Girls Club, and I’m
committed to continue securing investments for these and other local needs.”
The
following projects were included in the bill for King County:
Sound
Transit, University Link LRT Extension, Seattle – $110,000,000
Sound
Transit will receive funding to support the construction of the University Link
light rail extension from downtown Seattle to the University of Washington.
University Link is a 3.1-mile underground light rail extension from downtown
Seattle to the University of Washington.
This
$1.9 billion project is funded through local revenues and an $813 million
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant. This project will help relieve
traffic congestion in the Puget Sound area and provide a safe and reliable form
of transportation to the University of Washington.
“Sound
Transit and the Puget Sound region once again thank Senator Murray for her
continued commitment to building a world-class rail system,” Sound Transit CEO Joni Earl said. “The University Link project
will cut through the region’s worst traffic, serve the densest neighborhoods
and connect thousands of jobs at UW.”
Interstate
5 West Coast Green Highway Electrification Demonstration Project – $1,000,000
The
Washington State Department of Transportation will receive funding that will
provide for the construction and placement of 11 electric vehicle charging
locations along the Interstate 5 corridor.
This
project will provide clean transportation and emerging technologies to a
regional market of 10 million consumers travelling throughout the Interstate 5
corridor. The project will also attract commuters and green-technology
industries that are looking to locate or expand their business opportunities in
an electric vehicle-ready region.
“This
is good news for Washington as we continue our efforts of creating the nation’s
first electric interstate highway,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “These federal
funds will help our efforts to create green jobs while reducing our greenhouse
gas emissions. I thank Senator Murray for her commitment to a clean
economy and her efforts to make sure we have a partner in the federal
government to build the west coast green highway.”
“We
appreciate Senator Murray’s dedication and unwavering support for funding
transportation improvements,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation
Secretary. “Senator Murray has brought millions of federal transportation
dollars to Washington state to help with our mission to keep people and
business moving. This project will bolster Washington’s electric vehicle
readiness by completing the charging infrastructure along I-5, one of our
busiest highways and the backbone of Western Washington’s economy.”
West
Seattle Bus Rapid Transit – $21,274,000
King
County will receive funding to support RapidRide bus service, which is
scheduled to begin in the fall of 2012. It will operate between West Seattle
and Downtown Seattle.
In
addition to improving transit service between the West Seattle area and
downtown Seattle, RapidRide service through use of new hybrid buses will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and automobile dependence. This project will also remove a barrier in transit service for the
elderly and disabled because the new hybrid buses have a low floor design. This
design increases the safety and speed by which passengers can board and
disembark, thus removing an existing impediment on the routes where these buses
will be added.
“Transit
use between West Seattle and downtown Seattle has increased steadily in recent
years, and there is high demand for more,” said King County Executive Dow
Constantine. “This
funding will help King County deliver on our Transit Now promise to voters and
bus riders with more frequent service, better passenger amenities, and more
climate-friendly hybrid buses.”
South
Park Bridge Replacement Project – $3,000,000
King
County will receive funding to support the design and construction of a new
replacement bridge immediately west of the existing South Park Bridge. Funding
will also support the demolition and removal of the existing bridge and
realignment of local streets located south of the bridge, and environmental
improvements to the area.
“Safe, reliable bridges are part of the basic
infrastructure King County residents rely on for every day travel, and the
South Park Bridge replacement has been a priority for some time. This funding
will help us make progress in preserving a key bridge used by more than 20,000
vehicles a day in this busy industrial corridor – a route that is vital in
moving commuters and freight,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine.
Advanced
Materials in Transport Aircraft Structures – $750,000
The University
of Washington will receive funding that will support and improve ongoing
composite and advanced material research at the Advanced Materials in Transport
Aircraft Structure Center (AMTAS) in Seattle, WA.
The work of AMTAS will continue to provide leading
research and cutting edge materials to advance aerospace design and
construction in the United States.
“Since being founded in 2003,
AMTAS has become an important part of the technical community within Washington
State and the greater Pacific Northwest. Activities sponsored by AMTAS have
included the development of composite short courses for practicing engineers,
sponsoring research studies at colleges and universities, and hosting
semi-annual meetings of all industrial and academic partners of AMTAS. These
activities have helped insure that the Washington state workforce is
well-educated and well-prepared for 21st-century jobs in engineering
design and manufacturing,” said
Mark E. Tuttle, Professor and Chair, Dept Mechanical Engineering, University of
Washington.
Bellevue
Boys and Girls Club Community Center Improvements – $500,000
Boys and
Girls Clubs of Bellevue will receive funding to provide for the expansion of
existing community facilities to accommodate the growing needs of very low-income
residents from the Eastside Terrace, Hidden Village, and Spiritwood Manor
public housing sites in east King County.
There
is also a growing need for program additions to assist very low-income adult
tenants in their efforts toward self-sufficiency and employment goals. A large
percentage of current residents are from ethnic backgrounds where English is
not their primary language and this poses a significant barrier to people
looking for and obtaining jobs that pay a living wage. Additional community space
is necessary in order to accommodate the growing needs for services.
“It
is common knowledge that Bellevue has a great school system. What’s not
commonly known is that there are very poor children in this school district
that don’t get the same chances as some of their peers. Expanding the capacity
at these three community centers is a chance to level that playing field,” said Kathy Haggart, President and
CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Bellevue.
Eritrean
Community Center Expansion – $600,000
The Eritrean
Association will receive funding that will support the improvements to and
expansion of the current Community Center facility with a 4,
English 
Spanish