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Point Roberts advisory group narrows priorities for Transportation Benefit District funds toward road safety
Summary
The Plant River Community Advisory Committee identified road- and pedestrian-safety projects — including culverting Benson Road ditches, widening shoulders, signage and a potential Lighthouse Park crosswalk — as top candidates for limited TBD funds and discussed pairing local contributions with county funding to leverage larger projects.
The Plant River Community Advisory Committee on Aug. 15 focused its TBD fund discussion on road and pedestrian safety projects that committee members say would best use the district's limited resources.
"I think the what has boiled to the top from lots of conversations, is probably widening the roads and making the roads safer for pedestrians," a committee member said during the meeting, listing culverting ditches on Benson Road, improved shoulders and pedestrian facilities as priorities. Members cited prior joint projects as models: when Johnston Road was built, the county covered most costs and the local fund supplemented about $200,000.
Committee members discussed other candidate uses, including signage, rumble strips, a pier and a crosswalk at Lighthouse Park, but emphasized that any project the committee supports must be on Whatcom County's transportation plan to qualify under state law. "Now is our opportunity to get it into public works plan," the chair said, urging a meeting with Public Works to clarify feasible projects and budget expectations.
Several participants warned against committing TBD funds to work that the county is responsible for, and urged the committee to seek joint-funding arrangements that leverage county capital dollars. One example discussed was a hypothetical split in which the county would provide $1,000,000 and the TBD would contribute $200,000 to secure a larger project.
The committee agreed that the next step is for two members to meet with Whatcom County Public Works to identify projects that both fit the statutory definitions for TBD spending and the county's priority list. If a project is not currently on the county plan, members said they want to act quickly to have it considered during Public Works' planning cycle.
Background: Transportation Benefit District (TBD) funds must be spent on projects qualifying under state transport statutes and usually require alignment with the responsible agency's transportation plan. The committee plans public outreach after clarifying the county's options and preparing a prioritized list to present to residents.
