Sammamish hopes for piece of federal pie
January 24, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
New: Jan. 24 3 p.m.
It may all be for naught, but the Public Works Department has filed the proper paperwork in case federal stimulus money ever makes its way to Sammamish.
While President Barack Obama’s administration has discussed the possibility of using federal tax dollars to fund transportation infrastructure projects across the nation, no one knows exactly how the funding would be dispersed, or by whom.
“I don’t know at this point of time that anyone knows that,” said John Cunningham, Public Works Director.
Since December, the Puget Sound Regional Council has been requesting projects from various state and local public agencies, all of which must be ready for construction within 90-180 days or within 1-2 years.
Cunningham submitted a list of four roads projects to the council.
Those include:
u The $8.7 million East Lake Sammamish Parkway revamping.
u The $13.5 million connection for 244th Avenue.
u The $3 million sidewalk and bicycle lane additions on Southeast 20th Street.
u The annual $1 million road rehabilitation program.
If the city did receive funding for one or more of its projects, the City Council would then decide how to deal with the expenses it saved, Cunningham said.
Mayor Don Gerend is also a member of the Puget Sound Regional Council’s transportation policy board and will be involved in deciding which projects are approved for recommendation.
Gerend told the City Council Jan. 6 that Puget Sound Regional Council believed as much as $500 million could trickle down from the federal government to state and local transportation projects. A portion of that money, about $60 million, would be available to counties, cities and other local agencies, Gerend said.
Counties, transit agencies, ports and tribes also submitted projects for regional council’s list, including some that might indirectly impact Sammamish.
King County requested $6.4 million for paving an 11-mile segment of a multi-use regional trail on the east side of Lake Sammamish.
Redmond requested $1 million to repave part of East Lake Sammamish Parkway (in Redmond, not Sammamish).
Issaquah requested $3.2 million for a roundabout it plans to build at the intersection of East Lake Sammamish Parkway and Southeast 43rd Way (in Issaquah).
So far, the list includes about $3.8 billion worth of projects, including $13.5 million from Sammamish’s Public Works Department.
“It’s clearly going to be competitive, but we’re giving it our best shot,” Gerend said.
Of Sammamish’s four suggested projects, the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project was most likely to receive funding, Gerend said.
That project has undergone a National Environmental Protection Agency review, unlike most city projects, which are only reviewed by a state agency, Gerend explained.
To see the Puget Sound region’s total project list, go to http://psrc.org/projects/tip/WEB%20RPEC%20List.pdf.
The regional council will cull through the list for its top choices, in case the state or federal government requests recommendations, according to Karen Richter, program manager for the Transportation Planning Department of the regional council.
The regional council could have recommendations ready by mid-February, she said.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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