Summary
City staff said they reduced the scope of Main Street Phase 2 to a shorter segment, removed planned new signals from the immediate phase, and applied for a Transportation Improvement Board grant; final design documents are expected by September if funding comes through.
City of Mountlake Terrace officials said they have reduced the scope of the Main Street Phase 2 revitalization after repeated setbacks securing federal funding, and are pursuing a state Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) urban arterial grant to fund a shorter construction segment.
Rich, a city staff member, told attendees the city “didn't get our federal funding again. And so, we're trying to, down scope the project a little bit to be a little more competitive for, funds that we're we've applied for.” He said the city applied to the TIB urban arterial program and expects to learn whether it was successful in November.
If the TIB grant and other funding come together, staff said they currently estimate they can build a reduced Phase 2 that focuses on a four-block portion of the corridor and prioritizes intersection work, curb and gutter, ADA-compliant pedestrian routes and space for utilities undergrounding. Rich said the city will “rebuild the curb and gutter on both sides of the street, between 230 Second and 230 Fourth” and will rebuild sidewalks on both sides of that block; north of 230 Fourth the city plans work only on the west side because budget limits prevent doing both sides in this phase.
As part of the reduced scope, staff removed planned new traffic signals at certain intersections from the next construction phase. “We had to eliminate traffic signal new traffic signals at 230 Fourth and 2 thirtieth from our scope,” Rich said, and indicated the city will install a rectangular rapid flashing beacon at 230 Fourth as an interim pedestrian treatment while keeping infrastructure in place for a future signal if warranted.
Officials described additional design elements: an upsized water line extending to the north limit still under consideration, realigned sewer, updated traffic signal controllers at the existing 230 Second signal, wider sidewalks intended to be completed in part by future development (the city would construct the first 5 feet of amenity zone and 5 feet of clear path), and a continuous center turn lane to improve truck-route operations.
On schedule, Rich said the city is actively acquiring right-of-way needed for the reduced scope, hopes to have final plans by September and is aiming to advertise the project for construction in the first quarter of the next year so work could occur in summer — contingent on receiving the TIB grant and completing right-of-way. “If we can wrap up our right away acquisition, that we'll be able to, advertise this project for construction in the first quarter of next year and go to summer,” he said.
Developers proposing work ahead of the city may be eligible for reimbursement when their improvements are capacity-related and on the city’s traffic impact fee project list. Answering a question about frontage work in front of the old Rogers Market, Rich said the city would reimburse portions tied to capacity improvements and conduit or vault installation that the city will use later: “So we would reimburse him for some of it,” he said.
Staff emphasized that the reduced Phase 2 depends on the TIB decision and other grants; if the TIB award is not received, the city will not be able to fund the intersection rebuild that is part of this phase. The city encouraged further questions and said staff will continue outreach while finishing right-of-way negotiations.
