Anacortes council adopts 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program, hears safety concerns over Kansas Avenue timing

Public Works Director Logan Lee presented the city’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) update for 2027–2032 as a planning document the city must file with the state. Lee described roughly 20 capital projects and three annual programs: a $1.8 million annual pavement/maintenance program, a combined sidewalk/ADA program, and a proposed $200,000 annual downtown commercial-corridor program beginning in 2028 to address aging sidewalks and trip hazards.

Council members asked about specific projects (R Avenue beautification, Sixth Street corridor channelization and sidewalk widening, and Kansas Avenue scope and schedule). Lee said the TIP is a planning-level submission (design funds or planning allocations in some cases) and that construction funding will depend on later grant awards; staff and consultants help identify opportunities but the city does not have a dedicated full-time grantwriter.

Public commenters pressed for interim safety work on neighborhood feeder streets while the larger Kansas Avenue project is phased. Theresa Baker asked for clarification of a K Avenue line-item that showed two different cost figures; Ron Johnson requested more detailed project descriptions; Dave Duff and Clara Duff urged attention to safety on West Third Street, describing it as a residential street that has become a de facto feeder and suggesting low-cost “band-aid” traffic-calming measures while the Kansas project remains scheduled years out.

Council discussed the timeline and options for accelerating Kansas Avenue work, including classification and grant-strategy approaches; staff said initial design or intersection improvements could be pursued first and the corridor could be advanced in phases once classification and grants are addressed.

With public hearing closed, the council adopted Resolution 3221 to file the 2027–2032 TIP with the state (vote recorded in favor). Mayor Walters and council noted the plan will be revisited during the capital facilities plan update this budget season and that funding gaps remain for later-year projects.