TRPC approves roughly $786,000 in supplemental federal funding

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) approved about $786,000 in supplemental federal funding for four projects to help ensure the region remains eligible for millions in additional funds down the line.

The council took action on Friday, April 3, endorsing recommendations tied to the Carbon Reduction Program and Surface Transportation Block Grant program.

The approved funding is intended as a safeguard, helping TRPC meet a deadline even if some large construction projects face delays due to right-of-way issues, environmental concerns or other uncertainties.

TRPC staff and the Technical Advisory Committee backed the following projects:

Dial-A-Lift propane vans for Intercity Transit

The project was added to the contingency list in 2020 after only three of six requested vans were funded. Staff recommended adding funding to Intercity Transit existing project to purchase 14 Dial-A-Lift vans. Combining the projects would streamline the process and avoid delays that could occur if a separate project were created.

Chehalis Wester Trail Preservation Phase I

The project was added to the contingency list in 2024 after receiving $1.6 million of a $2.6 million request. Recent updates show the project scope will expand after Puget Sound Energy installs a new gas line and repaves part of the trail. The change will be handled as an administrative modification, and Thurston County still expects to obligate funding and complete the process by June 30.

Tenino Trail design

The design-phase project will receive additional funding to complete preliminary engineering work. The project is already obligated and does not require changes to regional or state transportation plans.

Yelm’s Rhoton Road NW reconstruction

The design-phase project will also receive additional funding to complete preliminary engineering work. Like the Tenino project, it is already obligated and can proceed without changes to regional or state plans.

According to Transportation Manager Katrina Van Every, TRPC is required to obligate a set amount of federal transportation funding each year through the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The obligation target is now firm at $6.6 million. TRPC has already obligated nearly $1 million and must commit about $5.6 million more by June 30. Local jurisdictions are working to finalize projects and secure approval through the WSDOT.

TRPC expects to exceed the target as additional projects move forward. That includes major construction efforts, such as the Deschutes Valley Trail Segment C, Thurston County’s trail preservation work, the X Street roundabout in Tumwater, and intersection improvements along Old Highway 99.

“One of the key reasons that we are interested in making sure we obligate projects as we are required by the state, is that when we meet our target, by June 30, we are eligible for redistributed (federal) funds,” Van Every told the council. “Over the last three years, our region has done a very good job of bringing those redistributed funds into Thurston County.”

Van Every noted Thurston County has received nearly $8 million through the process, allowing the region to secure additional funding that would not otherwise be available.