Tumwater council adopts 2026–2031 Transportation Improvement Program, residents press for alternate East Street alignment

The Tumwater City Council on June 3 adopted Resolution R2025-010 approving the city’s 2026–2031 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), a six-year project list the city must file to be eligible for many state and federal grants.

The TIP adopted by council includes capacity, multimodal and preservation projects. New or highlighted items in the plan include design work for a roundabout at the Tumwater Boulevard and Henderson Boulevard intersection, a proposed roundabout at the Pioneer Park entrance to address severe parker egress and pedestrian/bicycle access, continued work on the Deschutes Valley Trail, the X Street roundabout (design under way), Somerset Hill culvert replacement design, and multimodal improvements on Second Avenue including a noncircular roundabout. The plan also adds a project at 90 Third Avenue to lower a steep hill by 7–12 feet to improve sight lines, accommodate water-main work and add pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

The TIP presentation came from Brandon Hicks, the city’s transportation and engineering director, who told council the TIP is required by RCW 35.77.010 and must be adopted by June 30 each year for submittal to the Thurston Regional Planning Council. Hicks said the list is principally a programmatic document to ensure projects are eligible for grants and noted that including a project in the TIP does not guarantee construction funding; many projects will require survey, cultural review, design and value engineering before construction and some construction funding may arrive years later.

Residents from Roberts Road Southeast strongly objected to the alignment shown for the “East Street connection,” a long‑discussed route intended to improve crossings across the valley and to relieve congestion in the Brewery District. Patricia Riley, who identified herself as a Roberts Road resident, said the neighborhood has repeatedly seen the same alignment on maps and asked for a clear meeting with staff to review alternatives. "We would just like some clarity," she said.

Tom Donitz and other neighbors told council they believe an alternative alignment that shifts the connection to intersect at South Street would be less disruptive, require fewer retaining walls and avoid slicing the hillside. Donitz said he had shared alternatives with staff and urged the city to include neighborhood input in early design. Javier Cruz, another Roberts Road resident, said the neighborhood needs clearer communication about what the project would include before decisions move forward.

Hicks responded that the alignment shown in planning documents is not set in stone. He described a new alternative that preserves the same river-and-rail crossing but curves north to meet South Street, and he said the city will verify feasibility through field survey, cultural studies and value engineering when design funding is secured. "The alignment is not set, and it is something we will determine by going through value engineering at the beginning of design," Hicks said. He emphasized that projects must be on the TIP for the city to apply for many state and federal grants, and that including the East Street connection in the TIP preserves the option to pursue funding in the future.

Councilors and staff repeatedly told speakers the TIP is a planning and eligibility document rather than a commitment to immediate construction. Council discussion emphasized staff follow‑up: staff said they would meet with Roberts Road residents to review alternatives and next steps.

Council action: following the public hearing and discussion, a council member moved to adopt Resolution R2025-010 to update Tumwater’s 2026–2031 TIP. The motion was seconded and carried on a voice vote. The resolution sets the TIP as the city’s project list for regional and state grant eligibility; design, right-of-way and construction steps will proceed subject to funding and future council action.

Context and next steps: Hicks said early steps for major corridor projects are survey and value engineering; the city has already secured federal funds for some projects (for example, he said the X Street roundabout has over $5,000,000 in federal funding and some Deschutes Valley Trail segments received roughly $2.5 million). For projects like the East Street connection, which Hicks estimated could exceed $50 million in total, staff warned there is no guarantee of construction funding within the six‑year window but that keeping the project in the TIP preserves eligibility to apply if funding opens up. Residents seeking clarification were told staff would follow up with focused neighborhood meetings.

Ending: Council members urged residents to meet with staff and noted that alternatives identified during future design phases could change alignments and impacts; council’s adoption of the TIP enables the city to continue pursuing design and funding opportunities when feasible.