Kent staff nominate Pacific Highway crossing for Sandy Williams Connecting Communities grant

David Payne of Public Works presented a nomination for the WSDOT Sandy Williams Connecting Communities grant program for an enhanced crossing of Pacific Highway South (SR 99) at South 260th/8th Street. Payne said the program requires projects that have advanced community engagement, concept documentation and that primarily benefit an equity focus area; the intersection is near Woodmont Library and roughly a mile walking distance from the new Star Lake Station opening in December. Staff said the proposed project would add a marked crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge and pedestrian hybrid beacon (which, when activated, would stop motor-vehicle traffic), and would seek construction funds under the grant. Payne said other crossings north on Pacific Highway are already in design and that bus-stop pairing and marked crosswalks at the intersection would improve pedestrian access to transit. Council members had no objections and staff said they would pursue nomination and application steps.