Kenmore council unanimously accepted $2.5M state grant to finish 61st Avenue NE sidewalks

What the records say

At its Dec. 9, 2024 meeting, Kenmore's City Council approved a consent agenda item to accept $2,500,000 in state funding from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) to complete construction of the 61st Avenue NE Sidewalks Replacement Phase 1 Project (T-44), and to authorize the City Manager to execute the appropriate agreements with the TIB ¹. The agenda record shows the consent agenda minus Item E was approved by unanimous consent, and Item E was approved 6-1; Item F, the TIB grant acceptance, fell within the unanimously approved portion ¹. According to the agenda bill, staff applied for the TIB Urban Arterial funding in August 2024 to accelerate replacement of the west side sidewalk concurrently with the east side along 61st Avenue NE between NE 190th St and the northern city limits, and TIB notified the city of the award on November 22, 2024 ¹. The grant covers 57.17% of eligible construction costs, with the city's match coming from a secured WSDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle grant and local funds; no budget amendments are required ¹.

• The council approved accepting $2,500,000 from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) for the 61st Avenue NE Sidewalks Replacement Phase 1 Project (T-44) as part of the consent agenda approved by unanimous consent ¹.
• The item also authorized the City Manager to execute the appropriate agreements with the TIB ¹.
• The TIB grant covers 57.17% of eligible construction costs; the city's match comes from a secured WSDOT Pedestrian and Bicycle grant and local funds, and no budget amendments are required ¹.
• Per the TIB award letter dated November 22, 2024, the project must advertise for bids no later than May 1 and begin construction no later than July 1 of the scheduled construction year, and the city must certify full funding by November 22, 2025 or the grant may be terminated ¹.

Why it matters

The grant completes funding for rebuilt sidewalks on 61st Avenue NE between NE 190th St and the northern city limits, a corridor used by pedestrians and drivers alike ¹. The project also includes minor drainage replacement, an asphalt overlay, re-channelization to add bike lanes and a left turn lane from NE 193rd Street, curb extensions to shorten pedestrian crossings, additional street trees, traffic calming, and multiple Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon pedestrian crossings at neighborhood side streets ¹. Design is approaching 100 percent and construction is expected to begin in Q2 2025 ¹.

What changed / what's next

• Kenmore accepted $2.5 million in state TIB funding to complete construction of the 61st Avenue NE Sidewalks Replacement Phase 1 Project ¹.
• The City Manager was authorized to execute the grant agreements with the TIB ¹.
• Construction is expected to begin in Q2 2025; residents along the 61st Avenue NE corridor can expect sidewalk, drainage, overlay, and crossing work between NE 190th St and the northern city limits ¹.
• Under the TIB award terms, reimbursable expenses may only be incurred after TIB approval, and the grant can be rescinded for unreasonable project delays ¹.
• The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.