PSRC is helping local transportation projects advance to construction this spring through federal economic recovery funding. PSRC selected projects in March to receive an estimated $78 million in Federal Highway Administration funding and $136 million in Federal Transit Administration funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“Here in central Puget Sound we are ready to proceed with meaningful projects that will put people to work quickly and get these dollars circulating in our overall economy,” said Auburn Deputy Mayor Sue Singer, President of PSRC. “These projects will not only produce jobs in the near term, but will also provide a foundation for future growth.”

The $214 million in economic recovery funding available via the PSRC supports the completion of projects representing a combined transportation investment in the region of $4 billion.

“With these economic recovery funds we are leveraging with other state, federal and local funding to put people to work,” said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson, Vice President of PSRC. “We welcome federal policies that place priority on transparency and accountability and will do our best to track progress and report on progress at every step of the way.”

PSRC is updating its website regularly with news about the stimulus projects. The NE 36th Street Bridge over Highway 520 in Redmond was the first to seek bids. This bridge will accelerate the implementation of the Overlake neighborhood plan, a notoriously congested area which is home to more than 600 information and high technology firms such as Nintendo, Honeywell, and Siemens, as well as Microsoft. The City of Orting is moving forward with its downtown revitalization thanks to recovery funds, estimating that they will employ 60 people to rechannelize Highway 162, updating the town’s main intersection.

PSRC has been working since November with cities, counties, ports, transit agencies and the state on developing a list of ready-to-go projects that would be candidates for economic recovery funds. All projects receiving funding have been deemed capable of securing approvals for federal funds within the next three months – following rigorous peer-to-peer scrutiny.

Complete project descriptions, total construction costs, as well as maps showing project locations are available on the web at psrc.org.

The Prosperity Partnership has also taken a role in helping the region to effectively compete for other economic development recovery funds, highlighting multi-jurisdictional and cross-disciplinary efforts that not only create jobs and stimulate the economy but also invest in projects that can have a long-term, transformative effect on our region. The Prosperity Partnership will serve as a clearinghouse of projects of regional significance, working to build opportunities for collaboration and connect disparate stakeholders to maximize successful American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding applications. Find out more at prosperitypartnership.org.

For more information, contact Karen Richter at 206-464-1289 or krichter@psrc.org. For more information about economic development recovery funding, please contact Eric Schinfeld at 206-971-3053 or eschinfeld@psrc.org.