PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend City Council has approved a six-year Transit Improvement Program, which identifies priorities.
The Transit Improvement Program must be updated and approved by the city council annually so that city transportation projects are eligible for state and federal funding.
No one commented on the plan during a public hearing Monday evening.
This year’s plan has only minor changes from the plan approved for 2017-2022, said Ken Clow, director of the city’s Public Works Department.
The top priority project from 2017, the Howard Street connector, is scheduled to be completed this year and so was removed from the list.
The Public Works Department also updated the costs for future projects, including the Water Street overlay. The project is now estimated to cost $1,450,000 and is the top priority for 2018. It will be funded through both state and local funds.
After the Water Street overlay, the top priority projects for 2018-2022 are pedestrian walkways along state Highway 20 and Jefferson Street, parking improvements for the Visitor Information Center and updates to Discovery Road.
Aside from those small changes, the plan remains relatively unchanged from last year’s approved Transit Improvement Program.
However, the plan is a six-year plan so, according to Clow, it is unlikely that even some of the top priority projects will be completed in 2018.
“A large driver in that timeline is the federal dollars we get through the county,” Clow said. “We really save those up until we have enough to do a project. Generally one year’s worth isn’t enough to do a major project.”
All of the projects listed in the Transit Improvement Program are major projects, according to City Manager David Timmons.
“Most of these project are reconstructive projects,” Timmons said. “They’re not just pavement maintenance, so our rule of thumb has been about every five years we get a good amount of funding.”
The current plan has 33 project listed on it. Clow said that doesn’t mean it is a complete list.
“It’s not intended to be a detailed inventory of all the work that needs to be done,” Clow said. “Our transportation plan goes into greater detail with that, but even our transportation plan doesn’t cover everything that needs to be done with our transportation network.”
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@peninsuladailynews.com.
