EDMONDS — A decade of planning and paper shuffling finally came to a head Nov. 10 when several federal and state agencies issued the Final Environmental Impact Statement regarding moving the Edmonds ferry terminal just south of Main Street.
The Edmonds Crossing Project now is one step closer to becoming a reality, Edmonds Community Services Director Stephen Clifton said in a press release. He added that with the final EIS, full design, permitting and property acquisition and grant writing can begin.
The next step, Clifton said, is securing funding. Total cost of moving the ferry terminal, which is part of a trimodal project to link Sounder and Amtrak into downtown Edmonds by 2015, is estimated to be about $165.3 million.
According to city staff, there are several funding scenarios that could occur: if voters in Snohomish, King and Pierce counties chose to support the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID), the Washington State Transportation Commission could provide approximately $67 million, in addition to receiving various grants and federal appropriations.
“But it really depends on the RTID vote,” Clifton said.
The issuing of the final EIS was a big accomplishment for the city, Clifton said, but the move would be a positive change for the community.
“Once constructed, one of the most significant benefits to the community will be the integration of the downtown core with the city’s waterfront, a long established goal of the city,” Edmonds Mayor Gary Haakenson said.
Other benefits, Clifton added, include eliminating traffic congestion on SR 104 by providing off-street queuing for ferry-bound vehicles and enhancing Brackett’s Landing North and South by removing the wooden portion of the existing Main Street ferry pier.
“This is very exciting,” Clifton said.
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