Pavement, sidewalk projects top city’s transportation plan SNOHOMISH - Pavement preservation and sidewalk repair tops the newly adopted six-year Transportation Improvement Program list for years 2013-2018. The priority list for the first time also includes projects that will be funded through the city’s Transportation Benefit District (TBD).
Two TBD projects listed for year 2013 include the Avenue D/15th Street roundabout and sidewalk improvements and the addition of a through and turn lane at the 30th Street/Highway 9 intersection.
The Second Street and Maple Avenue signal rebuild project is listed for 2014.
Steve Schuller, city interim public works director, presented the list to the City Council last week just before a brief public hearing and adoption of the plan, which passed through council unanimously.
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) is the city’s planning list for all sorts of transportation improvement projects, including vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian.
“The TIP represents 10 years of different ideas — it’s made up of a lot of people’s input,” Schuller said.
This year’s TIP is nearly identical to last year’s. The only change was deleting two projects because they are currently underway or slated to begin shortly. The two include the traffic signal at First Street and Avenue D, and the Bickford Avenue and U.S. 2 overcrossing, which is scheduled to begin this month.
These two projects were ranked No. 3 and No. 7, respectively. With those two projects gone, the projects that were below them will move up in ranking to fill the empty slots. No new projects were added.
Snohomish resident Morgan Davis, present at the July 3 hearing, said adding pedestrian signs should have been included in the plan — in particular ones that say, “Stop for me — it’s the law.”
“You’ve done enough for bikes,” Davis said, referring to the city-added signs for bicycles but not pedestrians, “it’s time to do something for pedestrians.”
Schuller said the city is “doing really well” in funding the projects.
“In the last three years, staff has gotten more federal transit dollars than in the previous 15 years,” Schuller said.
Funding for the Transportation Benefit District, a 10-year 0.2 percent sales tax, started being collected by the city in March.
The tax will collect about $660,000 a year. Before the recession, the city used to set aside $500,000 for streets.
Voters approved the tax last August.
