Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced today that he secured $500,000 in federal funding for U.S. 2 Safety Improvements in the spending bill for the Departments of Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (TTHUD) for Fiscal Year 2007.  The bill is now headed to the Senate for approval.

“We need to make serious safety improvements and upgrades to U.S 2 not only to reduce congestion, but to prevent tragic traffic accidents that have claimed the lives of 41 people since 1999,” said Larsen.  “The communities along Highway 2 have seen too many preventable deaths caused by car accidents,” he continued. 

“The deadly accidents over the past few years serve as a reminder of the work that needs to be done on this treacherous stretch of road,” said Larsen.

The $500,000 will enable the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to make urgent and immediate safety enhancements such as guard rails, centerline rumble strips, and left-turn pockets along U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Skykomish.

“I am working to make this important transportation corridor safer,” he concluded.

Larsen also secured $1 million for the City of Oak Harbor Municipal Pier project, $650,000 for the Mukilteo Multimodal Terminal Redevelopment project, and $100,000 for land acquisition to help relocate the town of Hamilton, WA in the TTHUD spending bill. 

Larsen is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

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