|
Transportation Projects
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will fund projects that modernize roads, bridges, transit and waterways.
Supporting Bike Commuters & Clean Air
The Energy Efficiency through Transportation Planning (EETP) grant is a new grant funded from the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program (EECBG). The EETP is a subgrant created by the Washington State Department of Commerce with funds the state will receive from the EECBG program. The focus of the EETP grants is to reduce transportation-related energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and vehicle miles traveled. A total of approximately $770,000 will be available for distribution through competitive grants. Maximum grant amounts will be $75,000 for a single city or county, and $150,000 for a collaborative proposal. Seattle submitted its proposal on October 26, 2009.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
|
Funding Source |
Status |
|
Seattle Center City Bicycle Facilities Assessment and Planning Program
Seattle is committed to greenhouse gas emission reductions through promoting attractive transportation choices, such as bicycling. EETP funds would be used to complete an inventory of bike facilities (racks, storage, showers etc.) in downtown; understand cyclists' barriers to commuting, and plan for the subsequent levels of future investment in destination facilities or in education and encouragement programs.
|
$75,000
|
Washington State Department of Commerce |
Approval of Seattle's Proposal Pending
|
High-Speed Intercity Rail Program
The ARRA provides the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) $8 billion for the High-Speed Intercity Rail program. State departments of transportation (DOTs) were designated as the eligible applicants for these funds for improvements to 11 designated high-speed rail corridors. Deadlines were identified for four different tracks of projects, including August 24, 2009, for Track 1 projects ("Ready to go projects") and October 2, 2009, for Track 2 projects (longer-term projects that benefit a corridor overall).
For Washington state, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is the lead agency for applying for these funds. On August 24, 2009, WSDOT submitted its final proposal for Track 1 projects totaling $435 million. Included in this final proposal was $13.6 million for the City of Seattle to seismically retrofit King Street Station. It also included $8.4 million for WSDOT to conduct preliminary engineering and environmental review of upgrades to the railroad tracks at the King Street Station.
On October 2, 2009, WSDOT submitted its final proposal for Track 2 of the High-Speed and Intercity Rail program. It included $17.5 million for Seattle to seismically retrofit King Street Station and restore the station itself, making improvements to the Amtrak office and passenger area.
The outcome of WSDOT's applications should be known by February 17, 2010.
Fixing the Mercer Mess
The ARRA provides the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) with $1.5 billion for Supplementary Discretionary Grants for a National Surface Transportation System. These grants -- known as "TIGER Discretionary Grants" (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) -- will be awarded on a competitive basis for capital investments in surface transportation projects that will have a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan area or a region. Seattle submitted its proposal on September 4, 2009. Projects selected for TIGER Discretionary Grants will be announced as soon as possible after September 15, 2009, but not later than February 17, 2010.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
|
Funding Source |
Status |
|
Mercer Corridor Project
The Mercer Corridor Project will keep cars, transit and freight moving while improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. While more than three-quarters of the $200 million total project funding has been secured, the City is actively pursuing funding for the remaining $50 million. The Mercer Corridor project is "shovel ready" with secured funding, design complete, all environmental approvals and agreements for right-of-way and private contributions. More than 1,200 direct construction jobs will be created immediately upon award of the funding and the project will support the creation of more than 22,000 jobs in the South Lake Union neighborhood.
|
$50 million
|
USDOT |
Approval of Seattle's Proposal Pending
|
Modern Climate Control -- Energy-Efficient Historic Rehabilitation
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technologies Program works in partnership with U.S. industry to establish geothermal energy as an economically competitive contributor to the U.S. energy supply. The ARRA provides the DOE with $50 million to increase the deployment of ground source heat pumps by funding innovative commercial-scale or residential community technology demonstration projects; data gathering and analysis; and developing national certification standards. Demonstration project grants are capped at $5 million and the DOE expects to award up to10 grants within this category. On August 6, 2009, Seattle submitted its demonstration project for consideration.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
|
Funding Source |
Status |
|
King Street Station Ground Source Heat Pump project
Amtrak uses King Street Station for its Cascades, Empire Builder and Coast Starlight passenger routes, with more than 600,000 passengers boarding trains at the station annually. This project will install a complete ground source heat pump system, utilizing a borefield array connected to water-air heat pumps that will heat and cool the building. These improvements will help Seattle attain a minimum LEED Silver certification* for the King Street Station. It will also ensure King Street Station remains Washington's premiere passenger rail terminal. The total estimated cost of the proposed project is $2.2 million, half of which the City of Seattle will provide as a local match as required under the grant conditions.
|
$1.1 million
|
DOE |
Approval of Seattle's Proposal Pending
|
- Learn more about Seattle's King Street Station Project
- Read the DOE news release
- Learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program
*LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized certification system created and administered by the US Green Building Council that measures how well a building or community performs across a number of green building metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, site selection, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources.
Improving Energy Efficiency at a Historic Train Station
The ARRA provides the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) with $100 million for a discretionary program to support transit capital projects that result in greenhouse gas reductions or reduced energy use. More than 200 transit systems and coalitions -- including Seattle -- submitted proposals with a total value of more than $1 billion by the May 22, 2009, deadline. The FTA is currently reviewing the proposals and expects to announce project selections in the Federal Register by the end of the fiscal year, September 2009.
Proposal |
Amount
Requested
|
Funding Source |
Status |
|
King Street Station Energy Efficienty Improvements
Amtrak uses King Street Station for its Cascades, Empire Builder and Coast Starlight passenger routes, with more than 600,000 passengers boarding trains at the Station annually. This project will improve the energy efficiency of the King Street Station, not only fulfilling the City of Seattle's Sustainable Building Policy, but also proving that a historic building can also be a sustainable symbol and an important, functioning part of the transportation system serving the city, the region and the state. The City of Seattle's Sustainable Building Policy mandates that any renovations or new construction of more 5,000 square feet of occupied space will attain a minimum LEED Silver certification.* LEED certification of historic buildings is unusual in general, but crucial to maintaining the usefulness, relevance, and sustainability of these buildings.
|
$4.2 million
|
FTA |
Approval of Seattle's Proposal Pending
|
- Learn more about Seattle's King Street Station Project
- Read the FTA news release
- Learn more about the FTA's Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) grant program
*LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized certification system created and administered by the US Green Building Council that measures how well a building or community performs across a number of green building metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, site selection, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources.
Keeping Seattle Moving (Highway Infrastructure Investment Funds)
The State of Washington received $492 million of stimulus funding for highway improvements from the federal Department of Transportation. The State Legislature distributed approximately $341 million to Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) projects around the state. An additional $78 million was distributed through the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) March 12, 2009. Seattle submitted five projects for consideration for ARRA funds; one project – the South Spokane Street Viaduct project – was selected for funding.
Proposal
|
Amount
Requested
|
Amount
Awarded
|
Status
|
|
South Spokane Street Viaduct
This project, part of the City's Bridging the Gap funding package, builds a new structure parallel and connected to the existing one, which will widen the existing viaduct by approximately 41 feet. The project includes construction of new ramps at First Avenue South and an eastbound Fourth Ave. off-ramp. This project improves the safety of the Spokane Street Viaduct through the addition of shoulders, a wider median, and a westbound "weave-lane." The entire structure will also become more transit accessible by bringing it up to current engineering configuration standards. The new ramps will be configured to provide for transit/HOV lanes, as well as other uses, and are considered critical to intracity transit and freight circulation and freeway access during Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement activities. This money helps fund this project. |
$25 million
|
$15.4 million
|
Recommended for funding
|
|
Arterial Asphalt & Concrete (AAC) 2010 - Second & Fourth Avenue South
The City's AAC Program rebuilds several streets each summer with the larger goal of enhancing both mobility and safety citywide. The projects are prioritized and selected by City staff based on pavement condition, volume and type of traffic, identified needs of residents and businesses, opportunities for coordination with other capital projects, and identified maintenance and liability concerns. This funding would have been used to reconstruct these streets earlier than originally scheduled.
|
$12.6 million
|
$0
|
Not recommended for funding
|
|
Northgate Transportation System Management Improvements
Transforming Fifth Avenue Northeast into a safe, pedestrian-friendly street that accommodates all types of transportation, is part of the grand vision for revitalizing Northgate. This money would have been used to make additional improvements to improve traffic flow.
|
$2.5 million
|
$0
|
Not recommended for funding
|
|
Greenwood Ave. Corridor Improvement
The City is widening this street and adding sidewalks and landscaping. Signal and street lighting improvements are included, as well as storm system improvements, all of which will enhance pedestrian safety and transit access. This money would have funded a protion of this project.
|
$600,000 |
$0 |
Not recommended for funding |
|
Mercer Corridor
The Mercer Corridor Project will keep cars, transit and freight moving while improving pedestrian and bicycle safety. While more than three-quarters of the $200 million total project funding has been secured, the City is actively pursuing funding for the remaining $50 million. Seattle is seeking federal grant funds through annual appropriations, the Puget Sound Regional Council's Surface Transportation Program/Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Grant process, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act "Supplemental Discretionary Grants for a National Surface Transportation System" and other grant processes.
|
$50 million
|
$0
|
Not recommended for funding
|
For more information, please follow these links:
Keeping Seattle Moving (Transit Capital Investment Funds)
The Puget Sound region received $136 million of stimulus funding for transit capital improvements from the federal Department of Transportation. The PSRC distributed these funds March 12, 2009. Seattle submitted four projects for consideration for ARRA funds and two projects were selected for funding: Monorail Train Safety Improvements and South Lake Union Streetcar Preventative Maintenance.
Proposal
|
Amount
Requested
|
Amount
Awarded
|
Status
|
|
Seattle Monorail Train Safety Improvements
This project continues renovation of the Seattle Center Monorail. This money will pay for the highest-priority unfunded element of the Monorail Deferred Major Maintenance Program (DMMP) -- renovation of the power conductor rails on both guideways.
|
$1.25 million
|
$1 million
|
Recommended for funding
|
|
South Lake Union Streetcar Preventive Maintenance
This money will be used for preventive maintenance of three streetcar vehicles, 2.8 miles of track, four track switches, two traction power substations, and the 2.8 mile overhead contact system.
|
$250,000
|
$314,000
|
Recommended for funding
|
|
Restoration of the King Street Station Historic Waiting Room & Ticket Area
Under city ownership, King Street Station will undergo a $26.5 million renovation to transform the station into a modern transit hub. This money would have been used for the restoration of the grand waiting room, including the ornamental plaster ceiling, marble walls and terrazzo floor, and the relocation of the ticket counter.
|
$1 million
|
$0
|
Not recommended for funding
|
|
Rainier Transit Corridor Improvements
Seattle is investing Bridging the Gap Transit funds in capital and service improvements to bus Route 7 from Rainier Beach to Link light rail stations and downtown. Route 7 is the busiest route in the Metro system, and goals include improvements to service levels, reliability, travel time, comfort, and passenger waiting areas. This award would have helped fund additional signal and technology improvements and added amenities at major bus stops.
|
$500,000 |
$0 |
Not recommended for funding |
For more information, please follow these links:
Reporting and Accountability
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress adopted strict certification and reporting requirements. Mayor Nickels is required to sign a certification form for projects receiving funding.
The Seattle Department of Transportation is providing project reporting on all three PSRC-funded projects to the WSDOT, the Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration and the House of Representative's Transportation Infrastructure Committee.
Links will be provided to reporting Web sites as they become available.
We will update this page with information regarding additional specific transportation proposals as they are submitted.
Bids for federal stimulus projects are posted on the City Purchasing Bid Advertisements & Announcements Web site.
Updated: November 18, 2009
|
 |
