A significant chunk of money needed to build a new ferry terminal and Sound Transit train and bus hub on the Mukilteo waterfront is now in place.
The city didn’t always want the traffic that the ferry, Sounder train and bus hub will bring to its Old Town district, but a recent decision to park the cars on an over-the-water parking pier has city leaders much more accepting of the transportation station plan.
Last week Mukilteo received word that it will receive $5.8 million in federal funding for the $156 million project.
“That’s the margin of victory,” said Mayor Don Doran. “That’s what we need to be able to pull off all these projects unencumbered.”
Parking cars over the water will free up land for Mukilteo to build a retail district and a pedestrian promenade.
“This will allow us to keep Mukilteo from being a parking lot,” said Councilwoman Cathy Reese.
The $156 million total doesn’t include the $18 million Sound Transit plans to spend to build a Sounder commuter rail station at the site, money the agency already has lined up.
The federal funding is being funneled Mukilteo’s way by a group called the Puget Sound Regional Council.
The council announced last week that Snohomish County will receive $38.6 million in federal transportation dollars over the next two years, with Mukilteo getting $5.8 million of that. The money is the county’s piece of $326 million being divvied up among the four counties in the Puget Sound region.
Everett will use half of its $4.8 million allocation to help it rebuild the 41st Street intersection with I-5. The second half will go to help widen the 112th Street SE bridge over I-5, part of a Sound Transit project to build a park-and-ride lot between its north- and southbound lanes.
“These are extremely critical funding sources for those projects,” said Everett Councilman Bob Overstreet who is on the regional council’s voting board. “We’re making tremendous progress with 41st Street in particular.”
Community Transit will use its money to buy new buses and vans, to upgrade services to the disabled and to double parking capacity at the overcrowded Mountlake Terrace park-and-ride lot, said Martin Munguia, an agency spokesman.
“This is a big deal,” he said. “What this allows us to do is create better service for our customers.”
The money approved and the projects the money will fund include:
$5.8 million for the Mukilteo rail and ferry terminal, Washington State Ferries and Sound Transit.
$5.3 million for preventative maintenance for Community Transit.
$5.2 million for Americans with Disabilities Act paratransit operations for Community Transit.
$4.2 million for replacement bus purchases for Community Transit.
$3.2 million for the I-5 Mountlake Terrace commuter station for Community Transit.
$2.4 million for 112th Street SE at I-5 bridge widening in Everett.
$2.4 million for 41st Street interchange improvements in Everett.
$1.8 million for the 44th Avenue W. Interurban Trail and bridge in Lynnwood.
$1.5 million for the I-5 Mountlake Terrace commuter station for Sound Transit.
$1.3 million for Americans with Disabilities paratransit operations for Everett Transit.
$1 million for State Avenue in Marysville.
$792,358 for preventative vehicle maintenance for Everett Transit.
$700,000 for 196th Street SW, Filbert Road and Highway 524 in Bothell.
$650,000 for countywide synchronization of traffic lights and other transportation technology updates in Snohomish County.
$600,000 for the North Creek Trail in Bothell.
$500,000 for Sultan Basin Road and U.S. 2 in Sultan.
$380,750 for Highway 532 and 72nd Avenue intersection in Stanwood.
$343,250 for 51st Avenue NE and 122nd Place NE in Snohomish County.
$311,308 for Rideshare van purchases for Community Transit.
$200,000 for the Fifth Street and U.S. 2 intersection traffic signal in Sultan.
Reporter Lukas Velush: 425-339-3449 or lvelush@heraldnet.com.
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