Intercity Transit outlines budget for new transit facility in West Olympia, other projects

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Intercity Transit’s board of directors adopted updated plans for the agency’s capital projects on Wednesday, June 5. The plans, packaged in its 2025-2029 capital improvement plan, contain a $9 million draft budget for a new transit facility in West Olympia.

IT staff mentioned in a previous meeting that the $9 million budget item was merely a placeholder and that IT has not officially decided what the money would specifically fund. Staff stated that the proposed budget could be used to acquire land, design the facility, or conduct a feasibility study. According to the capital improvement plan, IT aims to fund most of the project through federal grants.

The document mostly outlined ongoing projects, but other new items include a $150,000 budget to improve the sound and camera system in the boardroom and $12,000 to buy plotting and printing equipment for the marketing and communications team.

Brown clarified that funding for projects listed in the capital improvement plan will not be officially allocated until the board completes the budgeting process in fall.

The board also adopted its 2025-2029 transportation improvement program, a document listing the agency’s federally funded projects.

The updated list includes two new items.

The first is a $4.7 million project to install electric signages that would help passengers navigate around regional public transportation. According to the document, the signages will be installed in two to five locations where IT routes connect with regional transit routes. The electric signages will contain “real-time traveler information” and provide wayfinding tools.

The second item is the fourth phase of the Smart Corridors project, which aims to upgrade traffic signals at 83 intersections. This phase of the project will cost $1.4 million, according to the document.

With the IT’s new transportation improvement program approved, the agency will forward its plans to the state government for inclusion in the statewide transportation improvement program.

Both the capital improvement plan and transportation improvement program are updated annually.

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