Gov. Gregoire highlights Recovery Act projects

For Immediate Release: October 29, 2009

WHITE CENTER � Gov. Chris Gregoire, along with community leaders and elected officials, highlighted projects funded by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act while touring the new 98th Street pedestrian bridge now under construction in White Center.

Washington state has saved or created more than 30,000 jobs since the Recovery Act was signed into law by the president in February, according to preliminary data released today by the state Office of Financial Management.

�Since early this year, states have been putting residents to work to rebuild their communities and their lives,� Gregoire said. �More than 30,000 Washingtonians have jobs, thanks to this landmark legislation. These individuals are able to buy groceries from local businesses and put food on the table for their families, a key to getting our sluggish economy moving again.�

In addition to providing relief through immediate reductions in payroll taxes, one-time payments to Social Security recipients and emergency unemployment compensation, the Recovery Act also has provided funding for projects that create or retain jobs. For example, Washington state agencies are estimated to receive $4.2 billion in federal grants. So far, state agencies have been awarded $2 billion, with $565 million already put to use for repaving roads, upgrading wastewater treatment systems and hiring law enforcement officers, among other areas.

Another nearly $2 billion has come into the state to clean up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, which has generated an additional 2,900 jobs as of Sept. 30, 2009.

These preliminary figures are based on data that will be released by the federal government Oct. 30 on www.recovery.gov. Providing this information is part of the unprecedented transparency and accountability requirements included in the Recovery Act.

�While we still have a long way to go to before our families and communities have fully recovered from the worst economic conditions since the great depression, it is clear that the recovery package has helped keep so many Washingtonians employed and put others back to work,� said Senator Patty Murray. �I will continue fighting to create jobs and invest in our state, and I thank Governor Gregoire for her great work getting recovery funds into communities quickly and efficiently so we can begin to recover.�

Total construction cost for the White Center bridge is $1.4 million, with $1.27 million coming in federal recovery dollars. So far, 168 people have been employed on the project.

The 98th Street pedestrian bridge replaces a steep staircase and better connects the new Greenbridge housing development and community facilities with the White Center Business District. The bridge is expected to reduce automobile dependency, improve air quality and spur economic growth. Construction should be complete by the end of November.

�The pedestrian bridge that will benefit the community of White Center is a perfect symbol of how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is helping to bridge the divide between a deep recession and a stronger and revitalized economy that is ahead,� said US Rep. Jim McDermott.

"The SW 98th Street walkway project is a great example of how well we have utilized federal dollars to enrich our communities," said Council Chair Dow Constantine, who represented King County at the event. "Because the county received a favorable construction bid for this project, we�ve been able to reassign grant savings to fund an additional project. That�s an investment that will help boost our local economy and support living wage jobs."

Gregoire and her administration are highlighting several Recovery Act-funded projects this week. On Monday, the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor Kiewit Pacific Co. broke ground on a $19.3 million, stimulus-funded project to add a northbound lane on Interstate 405 between N.E. 195th Street and State Route 527 in Canyon Park. The new 1.8 mile-long lane will help drivers to reduce travel time and reduce congestion and collisions for northbound I-405 commuters.

Tomorrow, Gregoire will tour construction of the new HOV lanes along Interstate 5 from the Port of Tacoma interchange to the King County line. The project received $35.3 million in Recovery Act funds and supports 130 jobs.

Other examples of how Washington state is using its Recovery Act funds include:

� Workforce development councils are working with community colleges to provide job training for 1,960 students looking for careers in high-demand fields. ($7.8 million)
� Six community development projects have been certified as ready to begin. Contracts to start work will be signed this fall. ($3.7 million)
� Laid-off workers received supplemental unemployment insurance benefits from Recovery Act funds ($25 per week) and through the state Economic Security Act ($45 per week, and higher minimum weekly payments). ($176.9 million)
� Local infrastructure construction projects that improve drinking water systems, increase the safety and efficiency of wastewater treatment operations, and enhance our transportation corridors have begun.
Washington currently ranks second in the nation for number of jobs created or saved, based on federally awarded contracts.

Also today, Gregoire unveiled new tools on www.recovery.wa.gov that will allow the public to more easily �follow the money� in the state. The Web site features an interactive Washington state map that displays the type and amount of federal grants awarded to state agencies, plus the amount of funding spent, by county, as of Sept. 30. Like the federal Web site, the state site also has a �download center� with reports on grants and jobs. More detail will be added to the site after information is released by the federal government.

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