City summarizes $8.6 million in 2024 transportation grants, accepts two TIB sidewalk awards and kicks off 2026 TIP update

City transportation staff on Jan. 21 summarized the city’s 2024 transportation grant awards, presented potential 2025 grant opportunities and obtained council acceptance of two Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grants.

David Payne, city transportation planner, told the council that the city received funding across three major grant sources in 2024: the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Transportation Improvement Board. The total value of grants reported in the presentation was about $8.6 million, with a number of awards still pending formal acceptance.

PSRC awards described included a Meet Me on Meeker project ($2.5 million award for the segment from Interurban trail to 6th Avenue South), an Earthworks Park to downtown connection ($375,000 for planning and preliminary engineering), and two preservation projects that each received the regional maximum ($1.5 million each) for South 212th Street and South 196th Street repaving. WSDOT funding included an SR‑99 Pacific Highway pedestrian hybrid beacon award (approximately $1.16 million) accepted by council in December 2024.

At the Jan. 21 meeting council acted to accept two recent TIB awards and amend the budget: $490,000 for the 132nd Avenue SE sidewalk project (to close a sidewalk gap north of SE 278th Place) and $625,000 for the 83rd Avenue South sidewalk project (to close a west‑side sidewalk gap between SE 224th and SE 228th). Both motions authorized the mayor to sign necessary agreements subject to final terms acceptable to the public works director and city attorney; both motions passed on voice votes.

Payne also recapped a TIB project that advanced and was delivered in 2024 — a section of 132nd Avenue SE multi‑use path that received $500,000 and proceeded to design and construction within the same year.

Payne reviewed the schedule for the 2026 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) update: January briefings and project nominations, March public outreach on proposed TIP additions, April revisions, Committee of the Whole review in April and adoption in May, followed by submittal to WSDOT for inclusion in the State Transportation Improvement Program. He highlighted grant selection criteria emphasizing safety, equity, connections, right‑of‑way readiness and partnerships.

Payne reported select performance metrics used in TIP reporting: the share of commute trips by modes other than single‑occupant vehicles increased from about 31% to 35%; transit mode share rose from about 3.7% to 4.0%; the city exceeded its target for average annual grant awards set in 2020 (goal $4.5 million; 2024 total ~$8.6 million) but fell short of a target for average TIP collected annually ($2.8 million actual vs. $3.2 million target). Potential 2025 funding opportunities include PSRC Transportation Alternatives and a second opportunity under USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A); staff said they will return with potential project nominations for council consideration.