For those who want to know what transportation projects are in store for their community, now is the time to find out. The Washington State Department of Transportation has released a statewide listing of upcoming local and state transportation improvement projects scheduled in the next four years.
WSDOT is asking for public review and comment, now through Wednesday, Dec. 20, on the draft 2018-2021 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.
The online program of projects have been identified through state, metropolitan, regional, tribal and local planning processes, and are the highest priority for the available funding to preserve and improve the state’s transportation network.
About the STIP
The STIP is a multimodal, four-year, fiscally constrained, prioritized program of transportation projects compiled from local transportation programs, metropolitan and regional transportation improvement programs. Federally funded projects must be included in the STIP before the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration can authorize the expenditure of federal funds.
More than 1,400 statewide transportation improvement projects using $3.5 billion in federal funds are included in the 2018-21 STIP. The projects include state, tribal and local roadway, bridge, safety, bicycle, pedestrian and public transportation (transit) improvements, funded with revenues from federal, state, tribal and local sources.
The STIP is developed annually by WSDOT in coordination with statewide metropolitan and rural transportation planning organizations. This collaborative effort ensures that projects are consistent with local, regional and state long-range plans. Several projects may carry over as they move from design, to permitting and, finally, to construction. Some county projects are not included in the draft STIP because state law requires counties to complete their transportation programs by the end of the year; those projects are amended into the final STIP in January.
The current 2017-20 STIP can be viewed online and a similar, searchable database of the 2018-21 STIP will be created in early 2018, following FHWA and FTA approval.
How to comment
The public comment period for the draft STIP is Tuesday, Nov. 21, to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 20. Written comments can be sent to: Nancy Huntley, WSDOT, P.O. Box 47390, Olympia, WA 98504-7390, email: Huntlen@wsdot.wa.gov, or by fax at 360-705-6822.
The comment period is the final step of the community engagement process that began locally. Comments received will be sent to the local or regional planning organization for their consideration.
