MARYSVILLE – Everybody hates traffic when it’s bad. We don’t seem to notice as much when it’s good.
The city hopes the latter is more evident in the future as city engineer Jeff Laycock discussed the six-year Transportation Improvement Plan at the City Council meeting Monday night.
The overall plan is $409 million, with $30.5 million to be spent this year, led by the state Department of Transportation at $13.9 million. Developers would pay $2.75 million, grants $2.6 million, the city $2.3 million and $1.6 million from the local Transportation Benefit District.
Some of the major projects include: •Non-motorized
Grove Street pedestrian and bike improvements
Sunnyside and Marshall Elementary Safe Routes to School
•Traffic safety and intersection improvements
State Avenue from 1st to 80th Citywide intersection safety improvements
Soper Hill Road and 83rd Avenue NE roundabout
•Widening/lane addition projects
State Avenue from 100th to 116th Street NE
•New alignment projects
First Street Bypass
•New/modified projects
47th Avenueat Highway 528 intersection Improvements to support First Street Bypass and Highway 529 interchange projects.
53rd Avenue and 52nd Street Sunnyside Boulevard intersection improvements
Sunnyside Boulevard intersection improvements at 71st Avenue and Soper Hill
•I-5 Northbound Peak Use Shoulder Lane from Marine View Drive to Highways 528 and 529 interchange projects •Bridges
Grove Overcrossing needs $22 million over the six-year period, but grant money is needed.
Also in the plans are: Widening 88th from State to 67th to three lanes; widening 172nd from 27th to 19th from three to four or five lanes; widening Sunnyside from two to five lanes from 47th to 52nd; and widening 87th from 35th to 40th from two to for or five lanes.
Council Member Donna Wright called the First Street Bypass project exciting, but also pointed out the much-needed improvements at 100th and Shoultes Road and State.
In other news:
•$5,000 was approved for fencing at Ebey Waterfront Park.
•Annual janitorial service was OK’d for almost $141,000.
•A new city in-house emergency management program was approved.
•The Marshall Elementary Safe Routes to School project was awarded, at a cost of $575,000.
•Volunteers will direct traffic after the Marysville Strawberry Festival Grand Parade, so police can do their jobs on the streets.
•During public comment, Ron Friesen asked the city to get tough on hoarders who create unsafe environments turning their property into junk storage and wrecking yards.
•A building inspector is now available at the counter to answer questions for small businesses or residents who want to do such work as building a deck.
