Transit connections in the Mountlake Terrace Town Center received a major boost earlier this month, when President Joe Biden signed into law the 2022 federal budget.
Within the budget, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen secured $2 million to support the Transit Connection Corridor Project. This City of Mountlake Terrace project will construct a pedestrian plaza next to the new light rail station, and add well-lit, paved trails throughout Veterans Memorial Park.
This initiative provides important links to the Civic Center, 58th Avenue W and 60th Avenue W, with a primary trail that’s ADA-accessible. The federal investment comes as the region prepares for light rail to begin service to south Snohomish County in 2024.
Long in the works, the plaza and trails have drawn funding from a variety of sources, including $2.5 million from Sound Transit and another $577,581 federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program grant awarded by the Puget Sound Regional Council. The additional $2 million is the final funding needed to complete the project, and the city expects to begin construction in 2023.
“Gateway Plaza” is designed as a 2,000-square-foot space that will welcome light rail passengers to Mountlake Terrace, their first stop in the county.
Nearby, Veterans Memorial Park is an 8.3-acre urban forest with a playground, gazebo, veteran memorial and other amenities. Future improvements include adding restrooms and replacing the playground and gazebo with new structures.
For more information, contact Jeff Betz, Recreation and Parks Director, at 425-640-3101 or jbetz@mltwa.gov.
###
From left: City Manager Scott Hugill, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, Mayor Kyoko Matsumoto Wright, and Recreation and Parks Director Jeff Betz pause on the roof of the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center garage during an August 2021 tour. The tour focused on the future light rail station, pedestrian plaza and trail connections through Veterans Memorial Park, all of which are taking shape in the Mountlake Terrace Town Center.
