The Washington State Department of Transportation has announced a $15.8 million boost for active transportation projects under the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program, per a recent release. This fund aims to support safer walking, biking, and other non-motorized travel across the state, with a focus on communities most impacted by environmental health disparities and structural barriers to mobility, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
In it's third year, the program continues to align closely with the state's Active Transportation Plan, targeting especially the areas cleaved by infrastructure like highways, which historically divided neighborhoods and imposed travel difficulties. Barb Chamberlain, director of the Active Transportation Division, emphasized the larger mission of the fund, stating, “To build and maintain a transportation system that serves everyone, we have to fund safe active travel where people need it most,” as stated by the Washington State Department of Transportation. Efforts to encourage applications for the fourth round of funding are underway, with a deadline of September 19, for communities to propose their projects.
Initial allocations from the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program include a mix of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure developments. Projects range from linking rural towns with their educational institutions, to enhancing traffic safety on former state highways now threaded through the heart of communities, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation's announcement. Specific plans feature improvements like a pathway between Twisp and Winthrop to their elementary school and upgraded pedestrian networks for safer access to the Apple Capital Loop Trail in Wenatchee.
The newly-permanent program, which found its lifeline through the Climate Commitment Act, sets a sustainable pattern for future transportation endeavors by securing $12.5 million annually post-2027. These investments are seeding essential growth not only in terms of mobility but also fostering local economies and creating jobs—as illustrated by a project in Airway Heights designed to reenvision community spaces along US-2, as stated by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
In total, the program has now awarded 41 projects with over $37 million in grants during its first three cycles. This aligns with the overarching objectives of the Active Transportation Division, which has collectively directed over $480 million towards enhancing the transportation landscape of Washington since 2005. This includes collaborative ventures like the Safe Routes to School and the Pedestrian Bicyclist Programs which, similar to SWCCP, aim to cultivate an inclusive and environmentally responsible transportation framework for all Washingtonians, as per the Washington State Department of Transportation.
