Rep. Smith Secures Funding for Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project

Press Release

Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) secured $2,500,000 as part of the INVEST in America Act for the City of Kent's Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project.

"Meet Me On Meeker is a public-private partnership that is reconstructing an auto-centric thoroughfare into a multi-modal complete street one segment at a time," said City of Kent Mayor Dana Ralph. "The Meet Me on Meeker effort has been a catalyst for both significant urban redevelopment and increased quality of life for people who call Kent home. As one of the most diverse cities in the nation and the most diverse city in Washington, Kent is committed to developing an equitable, multimodal transportation system. Due to budgetary pressures for essential services, capital investments are hard to come by and the federal participation championed by Representative Smith is vital to keeping the Meeker Complete Street/Safe Routes to School Project and the community moving forward."

The project would convert Meeker Street (64th Avenue S to just east of Kent Elementary School) from a congested 5-lane roadway to a 3-lane roadway with on-street parking on both sides of the street and a separated 2-way cycle track on the south side of the street. The complete street project also includes decorative street lighting, landscaping, and other sidewalk and median improvements to create a more comfortable experience for vulnerable users and to increase safety for all modes. The design is projected to reduce the likelihood of speeding and fatal and severe crashes. The roadway will also be repaved, extending the life of this minor arterial, and providing much-needed maintenance in this mixed-use area near the City Center.

The Meeker St project extends the Meet Me on Meeker promenade converting Meeker into a multimodal, complete street leading to Downtown Kent and the Central Business District. This critical segment fronts a retail shopping center and Kent Elementary School, providing an important connection to support safe routes to school efforts. The improvements support an existing frequent transit route and a planned King County Metro Rapid Ride route. This critical bus rapid transit route will connect communities in Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Seattle with employment opportunities throughout the region.

Click here for more information about member-designated transportation and infrastructure projects.

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