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39th District lawmakers support House transportation plan, say Granite
Falls addition is critical
Reps. Dan Kristiansen and
Kirk Pearson today helped pass the House supplemental
transportation budget. In an 85 – 10 vote, lawmakers approved Engrossed
Substitute House Bill 2474 to keep important existing roadway and
transit projects moving forward and funded, and add new high priority
activities.
One of those high priority projects, say the 39th District lawmakers, is
the Granite Falls local freight mobility plan.
“The majority of gravel products being used for highway projects in
Western Washington are being trucked through downtown Granite Falls. In
fact, up to 50 percent of the traffic during peak travel times is
represented by these gravel trucks rumbling through with their
trailers,” said Kristiansen, R-Snohomish. “The two-lane road can’t
continue to withstand the damage and safety hazards created by this type
of congestion.”
The Granite Falls local freight mobility plan would receive $1.8 million
in funding for the purchase of land necessary to obtain rights of way
and construct a bypass.
“This is something we’ve been working on for years to relieve traffic
congestion in downtown Granite Falls. It would bypass the high school
and the main core of downtown, which has a four-way stop,” said Pearson,
R-Monroe. “It’s one of the biggest safety issues in rural Snohomish
County and I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to support it.”
“As we continue to build more highway projects, we’re going to see this
transportation problem in downtown Granite Falls worsen. A bypass is
long overdue,” added Kristiansen, a member of the House Transportation
Committee. “Now is the time to deal with this so that we can curb future
problems.”
The 2004 House Transportation Supplemental budget supports the 2003-05
biennium Transportation Budget passed last year by the Legislature, and
addresses new critical projects, recent developments and associated
funding shortfalls of nearly $42 million.
The budget now goes to the Senate for consideration. The Senate will
produce its own transportation budget and send it to the House for
review. Both chambers then must work through differences and pass the
final version in the remaining 10 days of the regular 2004 legislative
session.
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer:
(360) 786-7252
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