08.16.22

Cantwell Hails Bothell Way Project Made Possible by $19M Federal Grant, The Largest in Bothell History

Cantwell: “This kind of capacity for buses, cars, and individuals and roadways will all connect this region.”

BOTHELL, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined local leaders to celebrate the upcoming improvements to Bothell Way made possible by a $19 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant.

Speaking at Bothell City Hall Plaza, Cantwell noted this historic nature of the investment.

“Of the $100 million dollars that the State of Washington got out of the federal infrastructure bill, and seven projects, this $19 million that we're talking about here is the biggest investment that Bothell has ever had in transportation infrastructure from the Federal Government,” said Senator Cantwell.

Senator Cantwell emphasized Bothell’s historic role as a commerce hub for the Pacific Northwest. “This has always been a pioneering place and now you're pioneering how to have education, how to have a growing tech sector, and how to integrate a livable community,” said Sen. Cantwell. “So I just want to thank the Mayor, and the Council, and everybody here for continuing to help us grow within Puget Sound, and yet make the right choices.”

Later, Sen Cantwell added: “This kind of capacity for buses, cars, and individuals and roadways will all connect this region in a much more safe, secure and easy mobility way that is so critical to having vibrant communities today.”

Mayor of Bothell Mason Thompson noted: “When we can move more people in and out of a city, that’s more people coming into town to have dinner, that’s more people coming into town to shop, that’s more people coming into town to have fun, do business, and create a vibrant, but also more economically sustainable Bothell.”

The $19 million dollar Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant will provide vital improvements to the Bothell’s transportation system and address key safety concerns in the communities. The project will reconstruct and widen roadways, install bus rapid transit lines, and construct protected bike lanes to reduce interaction between motorists and bikers. It will also help install adaptive traffic signals to enhance safety and improve traffic flow, and well as provide for the construction of new sidewalks to connect residential and retail areas.

This award is one portion of the nearly $100 million in grant funding for Washington state announced earlier this week. RAISE grants, which were originally created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as TIGER grants, can be used for a wide variety of infrastructure projects with local or regional impact.

As chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee, Sen. Cantwell worked to authorize the RAISE grant program for the first time ever in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided the program with $7.5 billion over five years, a 50 percent increase in funding.

Video of Senator Cantwell’s remarks is available HERE; a livestream of the event is HERE.