Submitted by Intercity Transit
Olympia/Thurston County, WA – Intercity Transit, the public transportation agency for Thurston County, invites public comment on potential federally funded transit projects proposed in the agency’s 2014-2016 Transportation Improvement Program and its 2013 revised project list. The Intercity Transit Authority, the governing board for the agency, will review all comments made prior to and any made at the public hearing on Wednesday, July 3, 2013. The public hearing will occur at Intercity Transit’s business office, 526 Pattison Street SE, in Olympia (just off Pacific Avenue and I-5 exit 107). Routes 62A, 62B, and 66 serve this location.
Once the Transit Authority approves the projects outlined in its Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the projects are subject to review by the respective regional planning organizations (Thurston Regional Planning Council-TRPC and Puget Sound Regional Council –PSRC) that have responsibility for integration in their Regional Transportation Improvement Programs (RTIP). Projects in RTIPs become part of the State Transportation Improvement Program, which is subject to federal transportation agency review.
The currently proposed TIP projects total more than $25 million in combined federal and local funds for the revised 2013 and 2014-2016 time frame. Projects for which Intercity Transit has programmed potential funding for 2014-2016 and project revisions for 2013 are:
- Preventive maintenance of buses and vans which helps extend the life cycle of vehicles;
- Purchase of hybrid, biodiesel-electric coaches to replace older buses;
- Federal funding to continue Walk-n-Roll youth transportation partnerships;
- Purchase of vanpool vans;
- Bus stop enhancements to improve accessibility and safety;
- Additional funding for the engineering and construction of the Olympia Transit Center expansion, in order to address current capacity issues, and
- A Smart Corridor Project related to regional traffic signal prioritization to enhance operational efficiency for the transit system.
The draft TIP represents Intercity Transit’s complete program of potential federally funded projects for 2014 through 2016 plus a revised project list for 2013 including projects programmed through both TRPC and PSRC.
Copies of the draft Intercity Transit TIP for federally funded projects are available at Intercity Transit’s business office, 526 Pattison Street SE, Olympia. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information is also available online at www.intercitytransit.com.
Members of the public may comment at the public hearing or by writing, calling, or emailing Intercity Transit. All advance comments must be received by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, 2013. Send comments to tellsus@intercitytransit.com, 360.705.5852, or to Grants Program Administrator, Development Department, Intercity Transit, P.O. Box 659, Olympia, WA 98507-0659l. Questions may be directed to Bob Holman, Grants Program Administrator, by mail to the above address, at (360) 705-5885, or by email at bholman@intercitytransit.com.
