NEWS

(OLYMPIA)– A compilation of prioritized transportation improvement projects is now ready for public review and comment through Tuesday, Dec. 19. More than 1,200 statewide transportation improvement projects using $3.8 billion in federal funds are included in the 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP for short, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The draft 2024-2027 STIP is a four-year program of multimodal transportation projects identified through state, metropolitan, regional, tribal and local agency planning processes. Projects identified as using Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration funds must be included in the STIP to authorize the expenditure     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)– The public will have an opportunity to ask questions and comment on the draft 2024 Highway System Plan during a virtual public meeting hosted by the Washington State Department of Transportation on Thursday, Nov. 30. The online meeting will be hosted on Microsoft Teams and the meeting link can be found on the Highway System Plan website, according to a news release from WSDOT. The draft 2024 Highway System Plan outlines investment recommendations for preserving, maintaining, improving and operating state highways for the next 20 years, and is available for public review and comment through Monday, Dec. 18. WSDOT last published the plan in 2007.     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)— Secretary of State Steve Hobbs on Thursday sent a letter formally asking what steps the United States Postal Service will take to prevent out-of-service mail collection boxes from being left in public spaces during Washington elections. Disused collection boxes in public spaces in King and Pierce counties have been found to contain at least 124 voted ballots from the Nov. 7, 2023, General Election, according to a news release from the Office of the Secretary of State. Because the ballots were found days after Election Day, they were delivered late to the appropriate county elections offices. Under the provisions of state law     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)- The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) is seeking public comment through Jan. 12, 2024 on proposed changes to its public works contracting rules to align with recent changes to the state small works contracting process. The rulemaking is limited in scope. The proposal aligns DES public works rules under WAC 200-330, Small Works Roster, with changes to state law (ESSB 5268), according to a news release from DES. The proposal also updates requirements for state agencies and local governments to use when awarding contracts under the small works contracting processes established in state law (RCW 39.04.151). This includes: - Adding definitions. -     (read more)

(OLYMPIA)- The Washington State Department of Ecology will use $30 million to help restore and protect streamside habitat. In areas where native trees and vegetation are allowed to thrive along a riverbank, streams typically have better water quality, provide more suitable habitat for salmon and are more resilient to climate change, according to a news release from Ecology. To boost the health of streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Ecology up to $30 million to be disbursed over the next six years. The funding comes through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. †    (read more)