Intercity Transit targets 2028 for Martin Way, Meridian roundabout construction 

Peter Stackpole, Development Director of Intercity Transit, said during the Lacey City Council work session on July 9 that the construction of the Intercity Transit Roundabout at Martin Way and Meridian is targeted to begin in 2028.  

The project, officially named the Northeast Lacey Operational Transit Terminal, aims to establish a turnaround facility to support high-capacity transit service along the parkway and implement other speed and reliability treatments in the corridor. 

Stackpole said the choice of the Martin Way and Meridian location is strategic due to the corridor's high ridership, 30-40% of the total system ridership, and frequent 15-minute service intervals.  

The corridor is also slated to receive various high-capacity transit incentives, including transit signal priority and queue jumps at intersections. 

“The traffic counts are going to account for not only the existing traffic but all future development that's occurring there,” said Stackpole. 

Stackpole detailed that the project's funding, approximately $798,000 for the initial phase, comes from a combination of the state's bus and bus facility grant program and the FDA carbon reduction program.  

The federal grants were secured through a competitive regional process conducted by the Thurston Regional Planning Council in 2022. 

Stackpole emphasized the financial efficiency of truncating the route within the urban corridor to save millions in operational costs that would otherwise be required to extend the route without corresponding demand. 

The project will unfold in three phases: preliminary engineering and design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction.  

No construction funding has been authorized, and the preliminary phase is expected to extend until around 2025. The construction phase, contingent on securing additional funding, is projected to begin in 2028. 

According to Stackpole, community feedback has played a significant role in shaping the project.  

Concerns from the Ridgeview and Squali Bluff communities about traffic ingress and egress, potential accidents, visual obstructions, and business access have expanded the project scope. This includes considering alternative treatments that maintain the existing intersection configuration while allowing for a transit turnaround. 

Stackpole said the project's expanded scope now covers further traffic analysis, increased public outreach, and evaluation of various treatment options based on safety, traffic operations, environmental impacts, right-of-way impacts, financial feasibility, and stakeholder support.