Senator Murray: “When we invest in transit, we’re investing in our supply chains and getting goods where they need to go. So I’m going to keep pushing for more awards like these to make life easier for people everywhere in Washington state.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced nearly $14 million in federal funding for rail transit projects in Washington state. The funding comes as part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, which helps to modernize the nation’s rail infrastructure by advancing passenger and freight rail projects, mitigating congestion, and strengthening supply chains while reducing carbon emissions. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Senator Murray helped to pass last year invests has almost tripled the funding secured for the program in Fiscal Year 2021—totaling $1 billion a year spanning the next five years.
“When we wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I fought to make sure our state’s transit and rail infrastructure a top priority. That’s why I’m very glad to see our state’s transit authorities receive critical funding to get people and goods where they need to go and keep our freight moving forward,” said Senator Murray. “These federal dollars are going to improve our rail infrastructure in a big way, all while strengthening our economy, and creating good-paying jobs. When we invest in transit, we’re investing in our supply chains and getting goods where they need to go. So I’m going to keep pushing for more awards like these to make life easier for people everywhere in Washington state.”
Washington state will be receiving funding for the following transit projects:
- The Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority will receive up to $10,000,000 for its Pierce County Rail Capacity and Reliability Improvement Project. The proposed project will complete preliminary engineering and environmental review for track and signal improvements to increase passenger and freight rail capacity, including double-tracking and other track and signal improvements, in the Pacific Northwest High Speed Rail Corridor between Tacoma, Lakewood, and DuPont, Washington.
- The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will receive up to $3,837,000 Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor Reliability Landslide Mitigation Phase IV Project. The proposed project will reduce landslide blocking events by installing catchment walls along BNSF’s Scenic Subdivision at three locations between Seattle and Everett, Washington. In addition to constructing catchment walls to reduce the risk of slide debris reaching the tracks, the project also improves the existing slide fence alert system that notifies dispatchers and train crews of possible track intrusion and improves drainage along the track. The project addresses landslide hazards at these locations and builds on prior investments to enhance the safety, reliability, and predictability of passenger rail service on the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor.
A full list of the Fiscal Year 2021 CRISI grant awards can be found here.
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