Transit connections in the Mountlake Terrace Town Center received a major boost earlier this month when President Joe Biden signed into law the 2022 federal budget.

Within the budget, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen secured $2 million to support the City of Mountlake Terrace’s Transit Connection Corridor Project which will construct a pedestrian plaza next to the new light rail station and also add well-lit, paved trails throughout Veterans Memorial Park.

The project will provide important links from the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center to the Civic Center, 58th Avenue West and 60th Avenue West, along with a primary trail that’s ADA-accessible, the city said in a news release. The federal investment of funds locally comes as the region prepares for the Lynnwood Link light rail extension to begin service to South Snohomish County in 2024.

Long in the works, the pedestrian plaza and trails have drawn funding from a variety of sources, including $2.5 million from Sound Transit and another $577,581 federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant awarded by the Puget Sound Regional Council. The additional $2 million is the final funding needed to complete the project and construction is expected to begin in 2023.

Gateway Plaza is designed as a 2,000-square-foot space that will welcome light rail passengers to Mountlake Terrace. It will be the first stop for light rail in Snohomish County and serve as a “gateway” to the area. The City of Mountlake Terrace will construct and also maintain the plaza after the project is completed.

Veterans Memorial Park is an 8.3-acre urban forest with a playground, gazebo, veteran memorial and other amenities. In addition to the trail upgrades, future improvements also include adding restrooms and replacing the playground and gazebo with new structures.