(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that $1,778,400 has been released by the U.S. Department of Transportation for the A-B Street Corridor Connector Project in Auburn, WA. Senator Murray secured funding for this project in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, which provides funding for most federal government programs and targeted community projects for Fiscal Year 2009.
“Investing in our transportation infrastructure is one of the best ways to help our communities, create jobs, and boost the economy,” said Senator Patty Murray. “The A-B Street Corridor Connector Project will put people to work today, help our commuters, and keep businesses moving to sustain economic growth in the future.”
“The A-B Corridor is one of the few opportunities identified in the last decade for an additional north-south corridor in the Valley Cities area for both freight and commuters," said Peter Lewis, Mayor of Auburn. "Senator Murray’s longstanding support for this project has enabled the City to successfully address the economic and traffic needs of its citizens.”
The A Street NW project will connect a major north-south corridor by constructing a 1.47 mile missing link that is part of the 3.5 mile A-B Street corridor. The project begins at the Auburn Transit Station and terminates at S. 277th Street on the northern city limits. The new segments of the A-B Street corridor will consist of a 3-lane and 5-lane road with sidewalks between 3rd Street NW and 14th Street NW.
The A Street NW corridor will establish a major “inter-modal connector” to the Puget Sound Region’s freight system which is essential to the reliability and predictability of the transportation system. Without reliability and predictability shipping costs may increase, which can lead to reductions in productivity and competitiveness of U.S. businesses.
The completion of this significant inter-modal connector will result in reducing long lines of idling trucks, improve air quality, and decrease consumption of energy. It also provides a parallel route to Auburn Way and SR 167, potentially reducing traffic congestion and improving multi-modal transportation.
It will promote safe, inter-modal travel by linking three grade separated arterials from the northern city limits to the Auburn Transit Station, a regional Sounder rail and bus hub.
This 3.5 mile corridor from downtown Auburn to S. 277th Street accounts for 70% of Auburn’s projected job growth and supports the growth of over 5,000 projected new jobs, for a total of 10,000 projected and existing jobs. It also supports the development of over 200 vacant and underdeveloped parcels along the corridor and in the downtown core.
It will increase access to the south county’s only Level 3 trauma center, Auburn Regional Medical Center, with 149 beds and 600 employees. Auburn Regional Medical Center is one of only three Level 3 trauma centers in King County. The nearest Level 2 trauma centers are each 10 miles distant, with one located north on SR 167 and the other south on SR 512. It also allows for the expansion of a medical complex in the downtown core.
The completion of this significant inter-modal connecting corridor will facilitate growth of areas predominately designated for industrial land uses that support the regional and national economy.
As the Chairman of the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing funding for the Department of Transportation, Senator Murray worked to ensure that investments in transportation were included in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
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