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County outlines Safe Routes to School projects and grant requests totaling millions
Summary
Transportation planners reviewed current Safe Routes to School projects near elementary and middle schools, and listed grant applications with proposed budgets — including a roughly $7.6 million Highway 99 package and other projects using TIF matches — aimed at improving sidewalks, crossings and bike access.
A county transportation planner briefed the Schools Advisory Council on active Safe Routes to School projects and pending grant applications that could fund sidewalks, bike lanes and enhanced crossings near schools.
The planner described the program’s goals and the six guiding “E”s — evaluation, education, encouragement, engineering, engagement and equity — and said WSDOT is expected to award roughly $56,950,000 in the 2027–29 biennium for related grants. “These projects can either be for infrastructure improvements within 2 miles of a school that serves grades K through 12, or design-only projects that do community engagement and planning for future efforts,” the planner said.
On county projects, the planner reviewed several under way: the Truman Elementary sidewalk infill (preliminary engineering, funded through a WSDOT Safe Routes grant), Northeast 52nd Avenue at Padden Parkway (road widening and added flashing pedestrian beacons; under construction with TIB and STPUL funding), and a Highway 99 sidewalk project (under construction with TIB/TAP funds) serving Sarah J. Anderson Elementary and Geyser Middle Schools. The Northwest Bliss Road/NW 39th School Safety Zone project would reduce a five‑lane cross section to a single through lane each way with a center turn lane to shorten pedestrian crossings; it is in engineering using Transportation Alternatives Program funds.
The county listed pending grant applications and proposed budgets: a Highway 99 pedestrian/bicycle safety package (about $7.6 million total; $4.5 million requested), Northeast Covington pedestrian crossing (just over $1.0 million; $800,000 requested), Phyllida School safety improvements (about $8.0 million; $4.5 million requested), Harmony Elementary/Pacific Middle safety work (about $3.0 million; $2.25 million requested), and a NE 131st Avenue project (about $2.2 million total; $1.5 million requested). Staff said engineering for many projects is planned in the 2027–2032 window with construction expected in later years (projects named with multi-year engineering/construction timelines).
The planner highlighted partner resources such as the Washington Traffic Safety Commission and noted regional traffic‑safety data: “there were a significant number of fatal injuries in Clark County in 2025, and it reached a 30 year high for our county,” which the planner used to justify the safety-focused funding requests.
Council members were given links and contact names for grant programs and encouraged to consider school‑zone grant windows (many open annually in January) and the Bicycle Education program that served 67,000 students statewide in 2024–25. No action was taken at the meeting; staff said grant awards and project schedules depend on external funding decisions.
