Council reviews transportation improvement plan; underpass and regional trail items stay under long‑term funding

Leavenworth city staff reviewed the current Transportation Improvement Plan and sought council feedback on projects carried forward in the updated list, including a pedestrian underpass and several multiuse trail items.

Staff said the pedestrian underpass that appears in the plan is pushed far into the future — funding has been scheduled in some scenarios as late as 2035—2040 — so it remains on the list to preserve eligibility for non‑vehicular project grants but is not ready for immediate construction. Council members asked whether the underpass location had been fixed; staff said the plan lists a general area east of Ninth Street and that earlier studies identified alignment options (including a conceptual link to the Icicle train station) but no final design or funding package exists.

Council and staff also discussed a multiuse trail item that had previously been described as a North Road segment; staff said the line item should be clarified in the published plan because the intent is to encompass the broader pathways plan and regional trail connections. Council members referenced ongoing regional trail coordination efforts and asked staff to update the plan language so it would clearly match the regional trail work managed by neighboring jurisdictions and councils.

Staff and council discussed whether to remove long‑range items that are unlikely to be built in the six‑year window. Staff cautioned that removing an item from the plan can eliminate its eligibility for certain state or federal funding, so the item remains on the draft plan unless council directs otherwise.

No formal action was taken; staff said they will revise language for unclear line items and return drafts to council before the formal adoption of the updated improvement plan.