Each year the City is required by state statute to update its six-year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) 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 a list of seven (7) funded projects that have yet to be constructed. The seven projects include:
1. Spring Creek Road Reconstruction; Phase 2
2. South 36th Avenue Reconstruction
3. Bravo Company Boulevard Extension
4. Cowiche Canyon Trail; Phases 1 and 2
5. 34th Avenue/Fruitvale Blvd. & 34th Ave./River Road Roundabouts
6. East Nob Hill Boulevard and Fair Avenue Intersection Improvements
7. McClure Elementary School Vicinity Safety Improvements
Two more projects have just recently been funded and will be added to the 2021-2026 STIP:
8. Spring Creek & Washington Avenue Intersection Improvements
9. 72nd Ave. & Washington Avenue Roundabout
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 TIP and amending the regional Metropolitan Transportation Plan 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 an annual prioritized program of transportation projects compiled from local and regional plans that can be updated as needed any time from January through October. The STIP, along with regional plans, provide a backbone for developing projects for the inter-modal 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 is subjective but 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.
Planning activities of state and local governments are essential parts of integrated regional planning processes. Long range transportation planning is a part of the comprehensive land use planning carried out by local governments and citizen participation is an integral part of the planning process at all levels. All local agencies are required to hold at least one public hearing during the development of the six-year transportation program.
The City needs to amend the Yakima Urban Area Comprehensive Plan Capital Facilities Element to incorporate the adopted six-year TIP for 2021 to 2026. 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.