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Woodinville council authorizes $5M federal RAISE grant to plan Eastrail corridor
Summary
The council unanimously authorized the city manager to execute a $5,000,000 RAISE grant agreement to fund planning for the 1.7-mile Eastrail corridor. Staff said the grant will fund corridor planning and biddable packages for priority segments within an overall $7.1 million project budget.
The Woodinville City Council on Jan. 7 authorized the city manager to execute a $5,000,000 grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation to plan the city’s 1.7-mile Eastrail multi-use corridor.
Mister Herzog, the staff presenter, told the council the federal RAISE award covers the planning phase for the corridor and that the total project estimate is about $7.1 million, with the remaining funds expected to come from the city. “Total project cost is $7,100,000,” Herzog said, and he described the grant as funding environmental and engineering studies, public engagement and preliminary, biddable design packages for the highest-priority segments rather than full design for the entire corridor.
Council members pressed staff about what the grant will deliver and how quickly work will move forward. Council member Taylor asked whether the city would end up with a finished product or mostly planning documents; Herzog replied the grant will produce conceptual plans and likely biddable packages for priority pieces but “the 7.1 won’t get us there” for full corridor construction. Staff also said a federal permitting process—especially for linked projects such as the trestle—could add time, with certain reviews potentially taking two to three years.
Deputy Mayor Randolph and others asked whether USDOT and WSDOT would sign the agreement in time to meet program deadlines. Herzog said staff will submit the executed agreement promptly and work with WSDOT and USDOT to get signatures, but cautioned that political timing and federal review processes could cause delays.
Council member Evans urged early and robust community engagement. Herzog said the city’s new community engagement coordinator is due in February and that engagement expertise will be a criterion in selecting a consultant for the work.
The motion to authorize the city manager to execute the RAISE grant agreement passed by unanimous voice vote.
The next steps are final execution of the grant agreement with USDOT and WSDOT, preparation and advertisement of an RFQ for consultant services, consultant selection, and staged planning including environmental review and preliminary design. Staff said they expect to return to council with a professional-services contract for the selected consultant following the RFQ process.
