Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Transportation Policy Board approved the draft 2027-30 Regional Transportation Improvement Program (RTIP), moving more than two dozen projects one step closer to state and federal funding.
In a presentation at the TPB meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 9, Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) Planner and Transportation Modeler Theresa Julius said the annual program update identifies projects ready to advance to the Washington State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
The draft includes 25 projects that meet the criteria for inclusion in the program and will be forwarded to the state for consideration in the STIP. The draft also lists an additional 119 projects, providing an overview of other transportation projects from the region.
The 25 RTIP projects include projects that have received federal funding through TRPC, projects funded through state or federal sources, and Washington State Department of Transportation projects.
According to Julius, inclusion in the RTIP is an important step because eligible federal funds cannot be released until projects are approved in the STIP.
Among the projects highlighted during the presentation was Tumwater’s Deschutes Valley Trail segment, which received $2,595,000 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funding for construction. TRPC’s funding records identify the project as a paved walking and bicycling connection between trail segments.
Another project is Intercity Transit’s Dial-A-Lift bus purchase, which received $316,149 through Carbon Reduction Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funding for the purchase of 14 buses.
While the 119 projects are not part of the 25 being advanced to the STIP at this time, Julius said listing them provides visibility for projects that could later receive federal funding and potentially qualify for an expedited amendment process.
Julius said the RTIP represents the culmination of years of planning by local jurisdictions, transit agencies and regional partners.
Projects are identified through local comprehensive and long-range plans, capital facilities plans, transit development planning, the Regional Transportation Plan and Regional Trails Plan.
The draft RTIP has also undergone public review, with public comments and policy board recommendations to be forwarded to the planning council.
The planning council is expected to consider adoption of the 2027-30 improvement program at an October meeting. If approved, the program continues through the state process, bringing the region’s transportation projects closer to implementation.
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MrCommonSense
How about a link in the article to a list of all the projects. Your readers would be interested in being able to look at them to see what might be impacting their lives and if their tax dollars are being well spent. Article lacks lots of details.
Friday, September 11 Report this
MrCommonSense
How about a link in the article to a list of all the projects. Your readers would be interested in being able to look at them to see what might be impacting their lives and if their tax dollars are being well spent. Article lacks lots of details.
Friday, September 11 Report this
Wesley
Hopefully most of the money is spent on single occupancy vehicle infrastructure.
Friday, September 11 Report this