Each year the City is required by state statute to update its Six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TlP) for submittal to the Washington State Department of Transportation. This plan must include all transportation projects for which state gas tax revenue or federal revenue will be used. The current plan for 2020 - 2025 contains eleven funded projects that have yet to be constructed. The eleven projects include:
1. North 1st Street Revitalization, Phase 2
2. North 1st Street Revitalization, Phase 3
3. Yakima Valley Transportation Company Preservation
4. Cowiche Canyon Trail
5. N. 34th Avenue/Fruitvale Boulevard & N. 34th Avenue/River Road Roundabouts
6. S. 80th Avenue Box Culvert
7. Wide Hollow Road Box Culvert in the Vicinity of 89th Avenue
8. West River Road Improvements
9. 64th Avenue and Ahtanum Road Intersection Improvements
10. 34th Avenue/Fruitvale Boulevard and 34th Avenue/River Road Roundabouts
11. McClure Elementary School Vicinity Safety Improvements
Funding for the remainder of the projects will continue to be sought. A Public Hearing will be held to consider adoption of a Resolution approving the Six-year TlP and amending the Transportation Systems Plan 2040 and Comprehensive Plan Capital Facilities Element.
Projects must be listed in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) in order to be approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to utilize federal funds by the State of Washington for approved State funding agencies. The STIP is a prioritized program of transportation projects, compiled from local and regional plans, along with the Washington Transportation System Plan (WTP), which provides a backbone for developing projects for the intermodal transportation network in the State of Washington.
The STIP contains federally funded projects plus state and local projects that are regionally significant. These projects have been identified through the planning process as the highest priority for the available funding to the state's transportation program. Project ranking has been performed utilizing data supplied by the Street and Traffic Division. The ranking will be integrated with other project needs and the total list will be reviewed and adjusted to the particular need of the City of Yakima.
The City needs to amend the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan Capital Facilities Element to incorporate the adopted Six-year TlP for 2020 to 2025. This will ensure that we are in compliance with the Growth Management Act and that we are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan as required. The amendment is limited to incorporate only those projects that are adopted in the STIP and is not subject to the "once a year'' change required under the laws of the Growth Management Act. |