APPENDIX C. Letters of Support - July 2021 - 2021 RAISE Grant - City of Fife
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2021 RAISE Grant
APPENDIX C. Letters of Support
Submitted to
July 2021
US Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590
July 6, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Secretary
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
I am writing in support of the City of Fife’s 2021 U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT)
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for
Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project).
This project completes the final phase of a transformational effort by the City of Fife, the Port of
Tacoma, and the Washington State Department of Transportation to address significant traffic and
backups experienced at this interchange, and to dramatically improve the movement of freight and
goods.
Included in this project are road and intersection improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road
interchange that will greatly enhance a critical connection to the Port of Tacoma, which combines
with the Port of Seattle to form the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation.
Additionally, these interchange enhancements include innovative traffic engineering solutions that
will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the Central Puget Sound region. This
ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access
to jobs, education opportunities, and other resources that improve quality of life.
For these reasons, I urge your full and fair consideration of the City of Fife’s RAISE grant
application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project).
Should you have any questions, please contact Evan Smith in my Tacoma district office at 253-272-
3515 or Evan.Smith@mail.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Derek Kilmer
Member of Congress
July 1, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation U.S Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: I am writing in support of the City of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project. This critical and much needed infrastructure project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area. Residents as well as businesses rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people. The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma which, with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. These interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life amenities. The City of Fife is a diverse and growing community that needs these improvements to achieve its responsible growth goals and ensure jobs for now and for the future at the Port of Tacoma. My work in Congress has emphasized the importance of infrastructure enhancements to address long- standing issues of equity and economic opportunity and to ensure jobs for today and tomorrow in the 10th Congressional District. This district is integral to success of national and international trade and helping the U.S. to remain economically competitive. I am committed to supporting the City of Fife’s effort to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire region. I ask that you give this application full and fair consideration. Sincerely, Marilyn Strickland Member of Congress
July 1, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: We, the 25th Legislative District delegation, are writing in strong support of the city of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project. This phase will complete a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people. The project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma, which, with the Port of Seattle, is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life amenities. Over the years, the 25th Delegation and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. We are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire region. Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds. Sincerely, Senator Chris Gildon Representative Kelly Chambers Representative Cyndy Jacobsen 25th Legislative District 25th Legislative District 25th Legislative District
June 30, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) supports the city of Fife’s 2021 application to the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people. The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life amenities. Over the years, WSDOT and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. We are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire region. We hope you’ll give this project full and fair consideration. Sincerely, Roger Millar, PE, FASCE, AICP Secretary of Transportation
July 7, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Secretary
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington DC 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
On behalf of The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), I am writing in strong support of the city
of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant
application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project
(Project). This Project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife,
the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro
area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people.
The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of
Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of
Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in
our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering
solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as
well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock
and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life
amenities.
Over the years, NWSA and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure
enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. We
are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion,
benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the
economic growth of the entire region.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding my support of this necessary project
for 2021 RAISE funds.
Sincerely,
John Wolfe
Chief Executive Officer
P.O. Box 2985 | Tacoma, WA 98401-2985 | 800-657-9808
The Northwest Seaport is a marine-cargo operating partnership of the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma.Washington State
Transportation Improvement Board
TIB Members
Chair
Councilmember Sam Low July 6, 2021
Snohomish County
Vice Chair
Mayor Glenn Johnson
City of Pullman The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Amy Asher Secretary
RiverCities Transit US Department of Transportation
Aaron Butters, P.E. 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
HW Lochner Inc.
Washington, DC 20590
Barbara Chamberlain
WSDOT
Elizabeth Chamberlain
City of Walla Walla Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
Chad Coles, P.E.
Spokane County On behalf of the Transportation Improvement Board (TIB), I am writing in strong support of the
Mike Dahlem, P.E. City of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)
City of Sumner
grant application for Phase II of the I‐5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project.
Commissioner Al French
Spokane County
Funding and completion of Phase II will greatly enhance a critical connection to the Port of
Commissioner Scott Hutsell
Lincoln County Tacoma, which combines with the Port of Seattle to form the fourth largest gateway for
John Klekotka, P.E.
containerized cargo in our nation.
Port of Everett
David Ramsay TIB recognizes the importance of the I‐5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange and its critical
Feet First
connection to the Port of Tacoma. TIB and the City of Fife just completed $7.6M in partnership
Les Reardanz funds or nearly twenty percent of the Board’s competitive regional allocation in the first phase
Whatcom Transportation Authority
of this project. These funds are paired with $8.2M of previous investments throughout the rest
Steve Roark, P.E.
WSDOT
of the corridor.
Ruth Robertson
Budget Assistant of the Governor The RAISE grant will get this critical national, state, regional, and local project to the finish line.
Peter Rogalsky, P.E. The City of Fife at population 10,000, and limited MPO and state grant funding, cannot package
City of Richland enough funding for the completion of this project.
Councilmember Jan Schuette
City of Arlington
Please feel free to reach out to me at (360) 790‐5472 or email ashleyp@tib.wa.gov if you have
Jennifer Walker
Thurston County
any questions regarding our support of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds.
Jane Wall
County Road Administration Board
Sincerely,
Ashley Probart
Ashley Probart
Executive Director Executive Director
P.O. Box 40901
Olympia, WA 98504‐0901
Phone: 360‐586‐1140
Fax: 360‐586‐1165
www.tib.wa.gov
Investing in your local communityFREIGHT MOBILITY STRATEGIC INVESTMENT BOARD
505 Union Avenue SE, Suite 350 • PO Box 40965 • Olympia, WA 98504-0965 • (360) 586-9695
Dan Gatchet, June 30, 2021
Chair
Brian Ziegler,
Director
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Board Members Secretary
Leonard Barnes US Department of Transportation
Matthew Ewers
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Erik Hansen
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
Johan Hellman
Temple Lentz On behalf of the Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board (FMSIB), I am writing in strong
support of the City of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and
John McCarthy Equity (RAISE) Grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange
Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final phase of a transformational
Anne McEnerny-Ogle
project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater
Roger Millar Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods
and people.
Arthur Swannack
The project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of
Bob Watters
Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of
Ben Wick Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo
in our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic
engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the
Website
www.fmsib.wa.gov
City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are
unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities,
and other quality of life amenities.
Over the years, FMSIB and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various
infrastructure enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road
Interchange Project. We are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring
this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this
interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire region.
Please reach out to me at 360.586.9695 if you have any questions regarding FMSIB’s support
of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds.
Sincerely,
Dan Gatchet
ChairPIERCE COUNTY
Office of the County Council Office of the County Executive
Hans Zeiger, Councilmember, District No. 2
July 8, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20590
RE: Strong support for Fife’s RAISE grant application for Interstate 5 (I-5)/Port of Tacoma Road interchange Phase 2
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
We are writing to share our strong support for the $25 million RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure
with Sustainability and Equity) grant being sought by the City of Fife.
This project lies within Pierce County Council District 2, but our reasons for supporting it so strongly go well
above and beyond the physical location of it. Fife is a key “front door” for freight movements in and
out of the Port of Tacoma, and this project will greatly enhance freight mobility in and out of a Port
that is one of North America’s busiest in processing container cargo volumes.
This project also makes a major difference for our county, our region, the State of Washington and the
nation by dramatically improving connections to and from the mainline I-5 system. Given the
amount of commerce carried on I-5 and the Port of Tacoma’s role as major export shipper, this is a
significant benefit nationally.
What we’re just as proud about is how well the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Phase 2 fits with the
“sustainability” and “equity” components of the RAISE grant. It will achieve major carbon reduction
goals by reducing vehicle emissions.
Further, it will provide the first safe access across Interstate 5 in Fife in many decades, which will enable
the Tacoma Rescue Mission to finalize negotiations on locating a transitional housing facility adjacent to
where the new interchange connections will be built. That is particularly important to those of us at
Pierce County, as we are working with Fife to provide a portion of the County’s American Rescue Plan
Act (ARPA) funds toward this transitional housing a facility as well as a separate ‘tiny homes’ project.
We sincerely hope you will see the multiple benefits of providing federal funding for this project. Thank you
for your time, attention, and consideration.
Sincerely,
Hans Zeiger Bruce F. Dammeier
Pierce County Councilmember Pierce County Executive
District 2
Council Address: 930 Tacoma Avenue, South, Room 1046, Tacoma WA 98402 Tel: (253) 798-2222 Email:Hans.Zeiger@piercecountywa.gov
Executive Address: 930 Tacoma Avenue, South, Room 737, Tacoma WA 98402 Tel: (253) 798-7477 Email: pcexecutive@piercecountywa.govJune 30, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
U.S. Secretary of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
On behalf of the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County, I am writing in
strong support of the city of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability
and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road
Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final phase of a
transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry
in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the
movement of goods and people.
The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of
Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of
Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in
our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering
solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as
well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock
and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life
amenities.
Over the years, the Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County and the City of
Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure enhancement projects, including
Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. We are committed to continuing
our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities
and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire
region.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this necessary project
for 2021 RAISE funds.
Sincerely,
Bruce Kendall
President & CEO
Page 1 of 1July 6, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: On behalf of the Tacoma Rescue Mission, I am writing in strong support of the City of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project. This Project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people. The Project specifically addresses equity issues, which are the basis of the Tacoma Rescue Mission’s support. The Tacoma Rescue Mission and the City of Fife have partnered for several years to address the needs of the homeless in Fife. The city has provided direct financial support and has coordinated with Tacoma Rescue Mission staff as our staff has conducted outreach in Fife. Fife staff members have volunteered in our kitchens and have provided other personal support. Our relationship has grown to the point that the Tacoma Rescue Mission is in active negotiations to expand our services with a transitional housing facility in Fife. We are in negotiations both with a private property owner and with the city regarding potential sites. Both sites under consideration are within a short walk of the Project site. Residents of the proposed facility will certainly walk along the pedestrian improvements that are integral to the Project. The Project will help to reconnect Fife with a safe pedestrian crossing of I-5, reconnecting a community that was disconnected when I-5 was built, nearly 60 years ago. Low-income residents in this part of Fife will for the first time since then be able to safely walk to public transit, employment, food, health and other services on the opposite side of I-5. We also see this interchange more easily connecting service providers to low- income residents who will need those services. The Tacoma Rescue Mission serves people such as the homeless individual who was killed attempting to jaywalk I-5 in 2016. We support Fife in its efforts to prevent a repeat of that tragedy. Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding my support of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds. Sincerely, Duke Paulson Executive Director The Rescue Mission 425 S Tacoma Way Tacoma, WA 98402 (253) 383-4493 X1129
325 Washington St NE, Box 302 • Olympia, Washington 98501
Phone (253) 228-1590 • Info@WashingtonWineInstitute.org
July 1, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary
U.S Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
On behalf of the Washington Wine Institute, representing 98% of all Washington State wine produced and distributed
throughout our state, nation, and the world, I am writing in strong support of the city of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American
Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road
Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the
City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely
on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people.
The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road interchange
that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth
largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern
traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as
the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced
access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life amenities.
Over the years, the Washington Wine Institute and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure
enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. These partnerships are key
to why the Washington wine industry has successfully shipped overseas a significant amount of wine each year through
the Port. To remain healthy as an industry, our largest wineries as well as those that have found success in foreign markets
MUST have a stable and expedited way to move wine from our state to foreign countries, which makes the need for
completion vital to our industry’s current and future success. We are committed to continuing our support for the City of
Fife to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well
as the economic growth of the entire region.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds.
Sincerely,
Josh McDonald
Executive Director
Washington Wine Institute
Marty Clubb, L'Ecole No. 41 • Wade Wolfe, Thurston Wolfe Winery • Julie Grieb, Treveri Cellars • Craig Leuthold, Maryhill Winery • Beau Hickman, Figgins
Family Wines • Ryan Pennington, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates • Jess Zander, Fidelitas Wines • Tom Dugan, DeLille CellarsJuly 5, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: On behalf of the Washington Farm Bureau (WFB), I am writing in strong support of the city of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods and people. WFB is a voluntary, grassroots advocacy organization representing the social and economic interests of farm and ranch families at the local, state and national level. WFB has 47,000 members and represents farmers who grow some 300 different crops. Apples, milk, potatoes, cattle, wheat, cherries are just some of our major crops that require a robust transportation system to provide a safe, reliable and timely movement of Washington-grown crops to our vital export markets. Agriculture is the state’s second largest export category totaling some $15 billion in annual export value. That is why we support the City of Fife’s grant application that will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma, which with the Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. Additionally, these interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education opportunities, and other quality of life amenities. Over the years, WFB and the City of Fife have successfully partnered on various infrastructure enhancement projects, including Phase I of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Project. We are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion, benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth of the entire region. Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this necessary project for 2021 RAISE funds. Sincerely,
Tom Davis Director of Government Relations
July 8, 2021 The Honorable Pete Buttigieg Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Secretary Buttigieg: On behalf of the Washington Winegrowers Association, we support of the city of Fife’s 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This effort finishes the final phase of work by the city of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and the Washington State Department of Transportation to address a long- standing bottleneck causing significant backups at a critical crossroad. The project improves the movement of freight and goods (not to mention traffic) in the area. It should be noted that these improvements enhance a critical connection to the Port of Tacoma, which combined with the Port of Seattle, forms the fourth largest gateway in the country for containerized cargo. Winegrowers is member-based public policy trade association focused on supporting programs, projects and policies that benefit winegrape growers and vintners. Our job is to vocally support projects like this that will help protect and keep the Washington wine industry sustainable. We are recognized globally for quality wines but we have to effectively and efficiently get our world- class wines to markets around the world. We understand that these interchange enhancements have innovative traffic solutions to improve the movement of goods and people through the city of Fife and the entire Central Puget Sound region. We fully support this effort as it allows businesses and industries like ours access to jobs, education, amenities—all because they aren’t stuck in traffic. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this project for 2021 RAISE funds. This is a fix that has been desperately needed for a long, long time. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Vicky Scharlau Executive Director
WASHINGTON STATE POTATO COMMISSION
108 INTERLAKE ROAD, MOSES LAKE, WA 98837
Date, 2018 PH: 509 765-8845 FAX: 509 765-4853 WWW.POTATOES.COM
March 15, 2021
June 29, 2021
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary
U.S Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590
Dear Secretary Buttigieg:
On behalf of the Washington State Potato Commission, I am writing in support of the city of Fife’s 2021
Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant application for Phase II of
the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road Interchange Improvement Project (Project). This Project completes the final
phase of a transformational project for the City of Fife, the Port of Tacoma, and all residents and industry
in the greater Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area that rely on the I-5 corridor for the movement of goods
and people.
The Project will provide road, intersection, and interchange improvements at the I-5/Port of Tacoma Road
interchange that will greatly enhance the necessary connection to the Port of Tacoma, which with the
Port of Seattle is the fourth largest gateway for containerized cargo in our nation. Additionally, these
interchange enhancements include modern traffic engineering solutions that will improve the movement
of goods and people throughout the City of Fife, as well as the entire region. This ensures that businesses
and industry are unhindered by gridlock and residents have enhanced access to jobs, education
opportunities, and other quality of life amenities.
We are committed to continuing our support for the City of Fife to bring this project to completion,
benefiting the communities and stakeholders adjacent to this interchange, as well as the economic growth
of the entire region.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions regarding our support of this necessary project for 2021
RAISE funds.
Sincerely,
Matt Harris
Director of Governmental Affairs
Washington State Potato CommissionYou can also read
