State Highway Corridor planning funding enabled for LFP

From the City of Lake Forest Park

On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, the cities of Lake Forest Park and Kenmore held a meeting with 46th District legislators Senator David Frockt and Representatives Jessyn Farrell and Gerry Pollett to thank them for their work in Olympia.

Among their successes in the session, the legislators introduced an amendment to the State Transportation Budget that will repurpose the long-time allocation for a surface park and ride lot lease in Lake Forest Park to allow those monies to instead fund state highway corridor planning in the City.

After trying for six years to fulfill the short-term promise of a surface lot to improve access to the transit corridors, City leaders determined that the money, originally a $500,000 mitigation grant for SR 520 toll avoidance, was better spent planning all aspects of access related to the two state routes that divide our city.

The planning effort is timely, considering the hope for significant SR 522 improvements in the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) plan that is now out for public comment.

City leaders realize the value of the ST3 investments and, at the same time understand that SR 522 must be a better and less divisive neighbor through future local improvements. 

“We have only one chance at an investment of this magnitude,” said Mayor Jeff Johnson, “and we need to work with our citizens to create the best possible plan.”

Watch the City webpage for future news on this planning process, which is expected to take up to two years.