Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today?
Yes, I want to support My MLTnews!
Mountlake Terrace staff held an open house last week at City Hall to give updates on the City’s Transportation Impact Fee program and Main Street Phase II.
Between online and in-person attendance, almost 20 people showed up for the Aug. 20 event, hosted by City Engineer Rich Meredith and Traffic Engineer John Marek.
Marek said that the city is moving toward a multimodal system, which plans for diverse modes of transportation, not just cars. Some of the projects include:
- A roundabout or signal installed at 220th Street Southwest and 58th Avenue West.
- Buffered bike lanes on Van Ry Boulevard from Mountlake Drive to 244th Street Southwest, and rebuilding the street and widening sidewalks there.
- Adding bike lanes on 56th Avenue West from 230th-236th Streets Southwest.
The plans for Main Street Phase II have shifted in priority after the city wasn’t selected for federal funding from Congress, Meredith said. One of those shifts is focusing on major arterials.
Meredith said the city is looking for possible state funding to fill in the gaps created by the lack of federal funds, and has applied for an Urban Arterial Program (UAP) grant.
“Federal funds are pretty tenuous,” Meredith said.
He said that if the city is awarded a UAP grant, the money will be added to the federal funding the city received in 2024, allowing for improvements on 56th Avenue West from 236th to 232nd Streets Southwest.
Meredith said the city is still looking for funds and will know if they will receive the UAP grant in November.
Some of the changes in Main Street Phase II planning include replacing the traffic lights on 234th Street Southwest and 230th Street during a later phase.
Meredith said the curbs, gutters and sidewalks on 232nd Street Southwest and 234th Street on both sides of the road will be updated as planned.
The traffic light planned for 234th Street Southwest will be installed later. Meredith said that until funds are available, a rapid flashing beacon will be installed instead to alert drivers to pedestrians crossing. He explained that the traffic control system is flexible and can be used for a traffic light when it’s time for a “higher level of control.”
Meredith said that the focus for 234th and 236th Streets Southwest is only on the west side. The reason for the asymmetry, he said, is to use those funds to rebuild the intersection of 232nd Street Southwest and 56th Avenue West.
“It’s more complicated to rebuild an intersection,” Meredith said. “The middle of the block is easier.”
Meredith also said that the new intersections will resolve any transition issues from misalignment and allow developers to connect to arterial roads.
However, without the UAP funds, Meredith said the city won’t be able to rebuild the intersection of 232nd Street Southwest and 56th Avenue West.
To watch the presentation in its entirety, click here.
The presentation materials can be seen here.
I am very pleased to be a citizen of Montlake Terrace. Other than losing our carnival which I’m hoping we’ll really get replaced someday soon. We have a wonderful tree filled animal filled city that I’m very proud of. I’m sorry we lost some of the funding. We Needed. Keep up the good work.
Please stop taking away parking for bike lanes !! When they took the parking away on the south side of 236th years ago for bike lanes, which by the way I see about 5 bikes go by a month ? It destroyed parking and that was before all these new apartments and condos that are being built like crazy now !!! None of those people pay the fees to park there cars at their building and they are parking in front of everyone else’s house’s for blocks !! Cigarette butts and garbage in front of are houses they don’t care it’s not there house !! There is not that many bicycle riders in MLT to disrupt all the streets !!!!!!
I am very pleased to be a citizen of Montlake Terrace. Other than losing our carnival which I’m hoping we’ll really get replaced someday soon. We have a wonderful tree filled animal field city that I’m very proud of. I’m sorry we lost some of the funding. We Needed. Keep up the good work.