Mill Creek Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

The City of Mill Creek is required to update its Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) annually. The City Council conducted a study session Oct. 8 to discuss potential projects in Mill Creek.

Director of Public Works and Development Services Gina Hortillosa presented the TIP draft. A public hearing for council adoption will take place Oct. 22. 

Hortillosa said the total six-year TIP will cost $52.7 million.

The projects identified in the TIP directly mirror both the funded and unfunded portions of the transportation element of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which is aligned with the City of Mill Creek 2015 Comprehensive Plan.

The TIP identifies transportation projects that the City would like to build sometime in the future. While funding may be limited, some projects are eligible for state and federal transportation funds or private development. Unlike the City’s CIP, the TIP is not financially constrained. 

According to the TIP draft, pavement preservation will take place at Seattle Hill Road. This includes updating Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards, repaving streets, updating curbs and ramps, and the addition of traffic signals. The Pavement Preservation and Rehabilitation Program will analyze approximately 106 miles of roadway.

Various projects will work toward improving intersections, upgrading citywide traffic signals, and replacing outdated technology. The Mill Creek Boulevard Corridor Improvements Study aims to enhance economic vitality, while addressing zoning and land use.

State Route 96 at Dumas Road and 35th Avenue SE need additional left-turn lanes to improve traffic delays. SR 527 at both 164th Street and SR 96 will require intersection improvements to allow for bus line operations and reduced delays. 164th Street SE at Mill Creek Boulevard also needs another left-turn lane and optimized signal timing to decrease traffic. 

The Traffic Safety and Calming Program is an ongoing project to install traffic calming devices to improve neighborhood livability and pedestrian safety. The addition of Silver Crest and North Creek Drive sidewalks will likely receive improvements for pedestrians to safely travel between schools, parks, fields, bus stops, and apartments.

Approximately 75 miles of public sidewalks and more than 1,000 curb ramps will be assessed with the Concrete Sidewalk Replacement Program. The Street Pavement Marking Program will maintain travel lanes for cars, bikes, transit, and pedestrians.

Other projects include the Bridge Monitoring and Improvement Program, Trail Preservation Program, and North Creek Trail Study. The trail projects aim to access current conditions and analyze future development, upgrades, and improvements.

The state Department of Transportation and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) use local TIPs as tools for coordinating the transportation programs of local jurisdictions with those of regional agencies. 

The TIP usually includes projects valued at $25,000 or more and, in accordance with state law, must cover a six-year period.