City of Tacoma officials announced Wednesday the Washington State Department of Transportation has awarded three grants totaling more than $1.9 million for three public works projects in Tacoma.
The Quick Response Safety Program grants will be used to help pay for the following projects:
South 25th Street Corridor Signal Improvement Project — This project will install a traffic signal and add pedestrian curb bulbs at the intersection of South 25th Street and J Street, interconnecting five nearby traffic signals. The project will also improve curb ramps and signal detection at the intersections of South 25th Street and Yakima Avenue, and South 25th Street and Tacoma Avenue;
Mildred Street Improvement Project — This project will rehabilitate Mildred Street from South 19th Street to South 12th Street. In conjunction with the repaving, the project will reduce the number of travel lanes from five to three in order to provide bike lanes, improved transit access, landscaped medians, pedestrian refuge islands, and a new mid-block crosswalk with flashing warning beacons;
Citywide Safety Improvement Project — This project will make low-cost safety improvements at intersections throughout the City of Tacoma. Most improvements will be conducted at signalized intersections, with priority given to the busiest intersections with the most collisions. The work will include installation of durable reflective pavement markings and improved signage, as well as new crosswalks, stop bars, arrows, and lane lines.
A total of 92 grant applications were submitted to Washington State Department of Transportation; 54 projects received funding.
According to City of Tacoma officials, the grants were awarded based on the cost-effectiveness of proposed safety improvements and the city’s ability to deliver the projects quickly.
The grant program was created in an effort to reduce fatal and serious collisions on roads, streets, and highways in Washington State. Funding must be used for projects that aim to eliminate fatal and serious injury collisions by the year 2030. This program also serves to get safety projects on the ground quickly. This program funds only the construction phase of a project.
