Gig Harbor staff to send proposed 2027–2032 TIP to June 22 council meeting; requests two TIB grant applications

City staff recommended the Gig Harbor City Council move the draft 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) forward at the June 22 meeting and authorized staff to apply for two Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) grants.

Public Works Director Jeff Langham turned the presentation to City Engineer Aaron Holst, who described the TIP as a six‑year, near‑term capital project list that is updated annually and required under state law. "It's required by the RCW, and it is required to be adopted annually for the next year, so for 2027 through 2032," Holst said, describing the TIP deliverables as a map and a detailed report that will appear in the June 22 packet.

The proposed 2027 TIP makes only a few changes from the 2026 list: a completed signal project was removed, two interchange projects were consolidated into SR‑16 Wlachuk Drive Safety Improvements, and an Oregon Boulevard (SR‑16) westbound rate‑metering study was added, staff said. Staff displayed renderings for several projects (a future roundabout on Scansy Avenue, pedestrian improvements at Harborview and Soundview, and a signal at Stanzy and Rosedale) and reviewed how the TIP is pulled from the comprehensive plan's near‑term list.

Staff asked council to authorize applications to TIB for TIP project number 5 and TIP project number 4. According to staff, project number 5 (Peacock Hill) is about 90% through design; the TIB maximum award for the project would be about $1,500,000 while the engineer's estimate was described in the presentation as roughly $6,000,000, indicating a funding gap to be resolved through budgeting and other sources. Project number 4 (Olympic Pointe Plaza right‑turn lane) is fully design‑ready and described as a lower‑cost, incremental improvement; staff cited a likely city match near $8,000 and a maximum TIB award around $300,000.

Several council members asked for clearer project descriptions and prioritization criteria before final adoption. "It's very hard for us to do that when it just says, 50th Street Street Improvements. What is that? Why is that? How do you prioritize those things?" Council member Rosenberg said, urging staff to provide more explicit scopes so new council members can weigh trade‑offs. Staff responded that the 2024 comprehensive plan (transportation element) contains detailed project descriptions and that the June 22 packet will include the full TIP report, the map, an Excel funding spreadsheet and links to the story map for project‑level detail.

Council members also sought clarity on how smaller pedestrian projects — such as rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) and standalone crosswalks — are funded and prioritized when they do not rise to the TIP level. Staff said the city maintains a pedestrian‑safety fund and is preparing a road safety plan that would identify and rank smaller projects; RRFBs were discussed as costing roughly $50,000 each on average, higher if ADA ramps or additional construction are required.

Staff said the public TIP map and the capital improvement project story map are posted on the city's website and generally updated every two weeks; staff offered to add clear links in the June 22 packet and agenda materials to aid public access.

The council generally agreed to advance the TIP to the June 22 meeting and to allow staff to submit the two TIB grant applications while reserving the right to revisit priorities and seek a follow‑up study session if members want more detail before final adoption.

What happens next: staff will include the full TIP report and funding spreadsheets in the June 22 council packet, publish links to the comprehensive plan and story map, and proceed with the TIB grant applications (TIB call for projects deadline noted by staff as July 31).