Contact:
Catherine Breault Fay Lim
Communications Specialist II Communications Supervisor
Catherine.Breault@snoco.org Fay.lim@snoco.org
425-388-3053 425-388-6413
Snohomish County Awarded Nearly $1M in Grants for Three Safety Projects
Enhancements include pedestrian crossings at 52nd Ave W and Center Rd, and guardrails on Marsh Rd
EVERETT, Wash., November 15, 2017 – Snohomish County continues to focus on measures that prevent or reduce fatal crashes and serious-injury collisions. In October, three county-engineered safety enhancement projects were awarded $935,000 in grant funds from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The program awards funding for data-driven, strategic approaches to improving safety on public roads.
“We are working to create a more livable Snohomish County by enhancing transportation alternatives and improving safety on our county roads,” said Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive. “We can stretch local dollars by successfully pursuing federal and state grants.”
To improve safety and increase transportation options in the county, WSDOT awarded funding for eight enhanced pedestrian crossings. The crossings will include raised pavement markers, advanced crossing signs and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs). South Snohomish County’s 52nd Ave W will receive four enhanced crossings to aid pedestrians to bus routes along the road. Center Rd will also receive four enhanced pedestrian crossings to support students walking to and from one of the four public schools within a half mile of the road.
Additionally, the HSIP program awarded funding for Marsh Road in rural Snohomish County. Marsh Road will have additional guardrails installed along the curved sections of the road. The new guardrails will prevent cars from crossing into the steep, wetland embankments that line the road.
“As transportation demands increase on our county’s roads, funding and engineering preventive safety measures becomes a top priority, “ said Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County Public Works Director. “We are pleased that our grant request for HSIP funds was selected to help continue those efforts.”
Last year, Snohomish County received grant funding for the application of High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) to 17 locations county locations, including some of the curved sections along Marsh Rd. The HFST project was completed in July 2017. In the past five years, Snohomish County Public Works has been awarded almost $5 million in HSIP grants.
About Snohomish County Public Works
The Snohomish County Public Works Department constructs and maintains county roads; controls and manages surface water quantity, quality, and fish habitats; and oversees the recycling and disposal of solid waste. The department’s main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201. For more information about Snohomish County Public Works, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks.