ICYMI: Washington to Get Nearly $133 Million in Infrastructure Investments Through RAISE Grant Program Created by Murray—Most Awarded to WA State in History
Senator Murray: “Access to public transit is critical to getting people to where they need to go—whether it’s a job or classes at Shoreline Community College—and we’re opening doors and creating real opportunities for folks.”
***PHOTOS AND B-ROLL of today’s event HERE***
Shoreline, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited Shoreline to tour the site where a bicycle and pedestrian bridge will be constructed across I-5, connecting an affordable housing complex to the nearby light rail station. Senator Murray secured $20 million for this project under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program, a grant program Murray first established back in 2009. RAISE grants—originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants—can be used for a wide variety of infrastructure projects with local or regional impact.
During her visit, Senator Murray was joined by King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine; City of Shoreline Mayor Chris Roberts; Laura Mork, Deputy Mayor for the City of Shoreline; and Tricia Juhnke, Public Works Director for the City of Shoreline.
The $20 million RAISE grant secured by Murray will go towards a variety of bike and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades to improve access to Sound Transit’s new Shoreline South/148th Link Station, which is expected to open in 2024. This project will fund a series of improvements including a bicycle and pedestrian bridge—bringing 70 acres of neighborhood together—across I-5, ADA-accessible sidewalks and curb ramps on 145th Street, and a series of bicycle boulevards. The project will improve overall traffic flow and safety along 145th, a bustling freight corridor, and improve access to the future light rail station—all of which will allow people, vehicles, and freight to move more efficiently throughout the region.
“I created the RAISE grant program because infrastructure connects people and brings communities together all while strengthening our economy,” said Senator Murray. “The $20 million I secured for Shoreline is going to do just that—making the Link station more accessible and connecting nearby affordable housing to public transit. Access to public transit is critical to getting people to where they need to go—whether it’s a job or classes at Shoreline Community College—and we’re opening doors and creating real opportunities for folks.”
The Shoreline grant was a part of a nearly $133 million announcement for RAISE grants across Washington state last year, which was awarded the most grants of any state and received the most in total funding. Senator Murray notably helped secure $7.5 billion for the RAISE program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program is funded via the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee Murray leads. As Senate Appropriations Chair, Senator Murray has advocated strongly for Washington state’s RAISE grant applicants in conversations with the Biden administration and has consistently fought to fund the RAISE program in the annual funding bill. The draft Senate Transportation Appropriations bill she wrote for Fiscal Year 2024, which passed the Senate in a bipartisan 82-15 vote in November, includes $800 million for RAISE. Fiscal Year 2024 funding bills are still being negotiated between the Senate and House.
“Thanks to Sen. Murray’s leadership, the funds from the RAISE grant will transform our region by helping to complete essential improvements to the Shoreline South/148th Station Regional Transit Hub as we get close to the opening of light rail later this year,” said King County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dow Constantine. “The improvements that this grant enables will make public transit an easier and safer choice, helping reduce greenhouse gases and providing alternatives to time-consuming traffic. Combined with the investments that the City of Shoreline is making in housing nearby, especially affordable and senior housing, this area promises to be a shining example of how government and transit agencies can work together to support economic development and regional access.”
“We are grateful for Senator Murray’s tireless efforts to bring our federal tax dollars back to Washington and to ensure that smaller cities like Shoreline get a chance at receiving some of it,” said Shoreline Mayor Chris Roberts. “The $20 million RAISE grant is huge for us. It will allow us to complete our 145th corridor improvements much faster than anticipated, helping us to fulfill our vision for a dense, walkable community, with affordable housing, built around transit.”
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