5 carbon reduction projects approved for recommendation by Thurston Transportation Policy Board

The state is responsible for developing a carbon reduction plan due on November 15, 2023 and providing most of the funding to local projects.

During the Wednesday Transportation Policy Board meeting, Katrina Van Every of Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) said the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) project aims to reduce transportation emissions, primarily carbon dioxide. It aligns with the infrastructure investments and jobs act, also known as a bipartisan infrastructure law signed by the President in November 2021.

“So 65% of the funding is required to local entities for projects that reduce transportation emissions, and there is a 13.5% match required for using the grant funds,” Van Every explained.

There are concerns about the limited funding and staff available to implement the CRP, the board has approved a recommendation to award a total of $1.06 million in CRP funding to five projects.

The board recommendation will be forwarded to the TRPC on Friday, July 7 for a final decision.

The eligible project categories that can utilize CRP funds include:

• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Energy-efficient street lighting and traffic control devices
• Projects that support deployment of alternative fuel vehicles (ex. EV charging stations)
• Public transportation projects
• Advances in transportation and congestion management technologies
• ITS (intelligent transportation system) capital improvements and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications equipment

Van Every said that over the next five years, from 2022, about $2.6 million will be available for allocation for carbon dioxide emissions reduction projects. “This is a new part of funding. We don’t know how long the funds will be guaranteed. We know we have five years, but we assume they will continue past 2026,” Van Every told the board.

Van Every mentioned challenges in urban small and rural funding because of a few existing projects that qualify for funding. The amount of funding available is limited, making it not feasible to federalize projects as it would require additional overhead to administer. She said many jurisdictions face staffing and contracting challenges that hinder the completion of existing projects.

With these obstacles, Van Every commented that creating new projects from scratch in the short term is unrealistic, meaning the next year or two.

“Thurston County has been willing to put these funds on a project for the rural communities, but they don’t have the capacity right now. In other words, they don’t have a real project that they can put this type of funding on immediately,” Van Every said.

Staff recommendation

According to Van Every, the staff has a two-part recommendation. The first is to award 1.06 million in CRP funding to five projects for obligation by June 30, 2024.

Staff recommendations for funding obligations include:

• Lacey – College Street Corridor Improvements Phase 3, with $210,404 funding recommendation and a required match of $32,838.
• Olympia – Fones Road – transportation, with $210,404 funding recommendation and a required match of $32,838.
• Tumwater – Israel Road and Linderson Way pedestrian and bike improvements, with $210,404 funding recommendation and a required match of $32,838
• Intercity Transit – East Martine Way Roundabout – with $210,403 funding recommendation and a required match of $32,837
• Nisqually Tribe – Nisqually Tribe Fleet Electrification and Resilient Energy Project, with $225,000 funding recommendation and a required match of $35,116.
• The second part of recommendation is to issue a call for projects for remaining allocations for obligation between 2025 and 2027 – approximately $1.5 million.

According to Van Every, the second part of the recommendation is to issue a call for remaining allocations for obligation between 2025 and 2027, about $1.5 million.

Board members’ concerns

Board member Pete Kmet raised concerns about the limited funding. Although he had no objection to the recommendation, he suggested that the small amount of available funding should be reallocated to one specific project rather than being spread around.

Kmet believed that focusing the money on a narrower list of projects or supplementing existing federalized projects is the only way to spend the limited resources efficiently. He wanted to see the funding directed toward pedestrian and bicycle projects.

Kmet also highlighted the region's staffing capability problem, saying it is hard to find people even if there is money to pay for staff.

Another board member, Dani Madrone, emphasized the need for additional staff to prepare projects for funding opportunities. She expressed interest in continuing the conversation about staffing and collaboration for regional projects.

Board Chair Andy Ryder emphasized the importance of collaboration and staff support, particularly for smaller jurisdictions. He expressed willingness for more conversations and potential recommendations to address the staffing and limited funding issues.