Thurston council approves five carbon-reducing emissions projects

Thurston Regional Planning Council member Clark Gilman wants to focus on smaller projects that can impact carbon reduction.

On Friday, July 7, the TRPC approved awarding $1,066,615 in the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP) funding to five projects for obligation by June 30, 2024.

The projects include:

• Lacey's College Street Corridor improvements - $210,404
• Olympia's Fones Road – transportation - $210,404
• Tumwater's Israel Road and Linderson Way pedestrian and bike improvements - $210,404
• Intercity Transit's East Martine Way roundabout - $210,403
• Nisqually Tribe Fleet Electrification and Resilient Energy Project - $225,000

The CRP aims to reduce transportation emissions from on-road highway sources. Its funding can be used on various projects that reduce emissions, including transportation alternatives such as congestion mitigation and air quality.

Before approving the project funding, Gilman noted that the CRP projects mostly focus on larger road transportation projects, which he said may have a limited impact on carbon reduction. He expressed his desire to prioritize smaller projects that can significantly impact decreasing carbon emissions.

TRPC's Katrina Van Every said the projects presented are good initiatives, including the transportation work.

However, Van Every recognized the need for different types of projects. She told the TRPC members that, as a council, they have the authority to decide the priorities during the call for the project process.

Van Every encouraged them to identify projects that can significantly impact carbon reduction, such as trail or sidewalk projects.

Van Every also mentioned that many jurisdictions face staffing and contracting challenges that make it difficult to finish existing projects and get new ones lined up.

"New projects that make a push towards carbon reduction are not necessarily in the works right now," Van Every said. "Given those staffing and contracting constraints, creating new projects that can use CRP funding immediately is not realistic in the short term."

Van Every added that the next call for projects is in 2024 to program dollars for 2028 to 2030, which would apply to transportation alternatives.

The TRCP also approved a staff recommendation to issue a call in 2024 for remaining CRP allocations for obligations between 2025 and 2027.

The remaining fund to be obligated is $1,560,204.