Road plan adopted

A traffic signal in a popular area of Mill Creek could be in place sooner than expected after the City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2006-2011 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) at the Tuesday, July 12, regular meeting.

If adequate funding is attained, the Council hopes the traffic signal can be installed before 2007, which is the year the project is targeted in the TIP.

During the study session held prior to the meeting, Donna Michelson, Mayor Pro Tem, stressed the need for construction of a new traffic signal at the intersection of 148th Street SE. and 35th Avenue SE. to be moved up from a proposed 2007 construction year to a 2006 time slot.

“I hear there was a need two years ago,” Michelson said, adding that she has been approached by a number of concerned citizens about the intersection.

Doug Jacobson, director of public works, said that he would not be surprised if the possibility of moving construction of the traffic signal to 2006 presented itself and told the Council that amendments to the TIP and the budget could be made after an initial approval.

He said that if the $250,000 budgeted for the signal could be obtained before the planned project date of 2007, the option of moving construction up to 2006 would be brought before the Council.

Under the state mandated resolution, the projected budget and years of construction for projects including traffic safety, road widenings and pavement improvements were prepared and listed for the city.Every city is required to annually update and submit its TIP to the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Washington Department of Transportation Local Programs for inclusion in their documentation of Puget Sound area transportation projects. A required public hearing was held before the adoption of the TIP and no public comments were brought before the Council.

“The city adopts every other year, a Capital Facilities Plan so our transportation improvement plan is nothing but a reflection of the adopted Capital Facilities Plan,” Jacobson said at the start of the public hearing. In the council study session he explained that for the purposes of the TIP, transportation projects that have been completed or are in the process of being completing in 2005 were removed from last fall’s Capital Facilities Plan, leaving all other items set between 2006-2011 to be forwarded to the state.

As adopted, the TIP lists 12 projects, with prices ranging from $15,000 to $750,000 in set years. Further discussion about the projects will be held by the Council at a later date.