LYNNWOOD—Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) met with several Snohomish County leaders Wednesday, April 16, to discuss the region’s current surface transportation projects, how funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is being utilized and hear the county’s priorities for the surface transportation reauthorization bill.
Participating in that roundtable discussion with Larsen was Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine, Community Transit CEO Ric Ilgenfritz, Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder, Puget Sound Regional Council Director of Government Relations Robin Koskey, Lynnwood City Engineer David Mach, City Administrator for the City of Stanwood Shawn Smith, and the City of Edmonds’ Engineer Robert English.
As top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is beginning its work to reauthorize federal surface transportation programs, Larsen has helped secure $386 million in BIL funding for second district transportation projects thus far.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) was the largest investment in the country’s infrastructure in a generation when in passed in 2021—which has delivered $9.89 billion in transportation infrastructure projects throughout the state of Washington since.
Projects in Snohomish County that have benefitted from these dollars include but are not limited to; $25 million to construct a new six-lane multimodal bridge over Interstate 5 in Lynnwood, $400,000 to the City of Everett to develop a supplemental Speed Management Plan, and a whopping $341.4 million toward the Sound Transit Link light rail expansion to Lynnwood.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law every day is infrastructure day in Snohomish County,” Larsen said Thursday. “You can’t have a big-league economy with little league infrastructure so it’s important we used these dollars to make things happen. When we do that we know that transportation means jobs and long-term investment is key to growth.”
Congress is currently working on its 2026-2031 transportation budget. Larsen informed the Lynnwood Times that, while the Trump administration has shifted some of its priorities, the Department of Transportation is still inclined to fund projects. The priority, however, is more on roads, bridges, and highways and less about transit, buses, and rail.
“But we’re still going to have that debate and have that ability to drive the administration to those priorities,” Larsen added. “Secondly, the [Trump] administration does not want to use transportation funding in order to fight climate change. They don’t think that using transportation funds to reconnect communities that were split up by the interstate highway system to reconnect those communities. We’re also going to continue having that debate, but I don’t have the magic words that communities need to use but I do know that building sidewalks and building bike lanes is as much about highway safety, roadway safety, and preventable deaths as it is giving people a healthy, and safe, place to walk.”
Following the roundtable discussion Rep. Larsen visited Lynnwood’s Scriber Creek Trail to witness, first-hand, how the $500,000 in earmark funding he helped secure is being used for its phase 3 renovation efforts. Once completed the trail will feature an elevated walking trail over wetlands and streams, reducing the risk of flooding, and broaden its trail 10-15 feet with two-foot shoulders for increased accessibility. The trail will also be realigned to allow for wider turns.
“The upgrades make it accessible for more people,” Lynnwood Mayor Christine Frizzell told the Lynnwood Times. “I remember walking the trail in just the last two years and it felt foggy, the peat moss had really bogged down, it was muddy, it was just difficult to walk on. And now with the boardwalk, people can ride bikes, bring a stroller, take their kids, take an older relative that may have some walking challenges, and they can actually enjoy this property that’s in the middle of the most beautiful city in South Snohomish County.”
Larsen previously helped secure $1 million for Scriber Creek Trail’s second phase. Phase three of construction begins in the next two weeks.
After that, Larsen met with Amtrak representatives in Edmonds to get an update on Amtrak Cascades and discuss their priorities for surface reauthorization.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
One Response
One of the best uses of federal transportation grant funds is to support WSDOT in completing the Snohomish County portions of the unfunded I-405 Master Plan projects included in the PSRC’s Transportation 2050 Plan which has a federal ROD.
Listed projects include an upgrade to the SR 527 interchange at I-405 and north to SR 524, an add lane on I-5 NB from I-405 to 164th Ave. SW, and additional general-purpose lanes on I-405. Daily congestion at these hot spots can be effectively reduced with very good benefit/cost ratios at minimum cost and are part of the long range I-405 Master Plan that was approved in 2002 and currently sits at about 65% constructed or funded.