No stranger to traffic, Burbidge will head state organization to improve roads

Federal Way City Councilmember Jeanne Burbidge was elected as chair of the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board at its meeting in Walla Walla last week.

The Secretary of Transportation originally appointed Burbidge to the Board in February 2004 after her nomination by the Association of Washington Cities.

The TIB provides grants to transportation projects submitted by local government statewide.

The Washington State Legislature created the TIB to foster state investment in quality local transportation projects.

Funds are awarded on a competitive basis, and usually require local financial participation. Typical projects address congestion, safety and the impacts of economic development.

TIB is funded by 3 cents of the state's gas tax representing more than $100 million annually.

Since 1991, the Legislature has provided more than $1 billion through the TIB program for urban highways and arterials, access to commercial areas, and small city street projects.

The 14-mile segment of Pacific Highway South from Tukwila to Federal Way is TIB's largest single corridor investment since its inception in 1965. TIB recently funded the final segment of the corridor in Federal Way.

"TIB encourages multi-jurisdictional cooperation, providing a competitive process to local governments through rating projects on the basis of sound technical criteria," said Burbidge.

"Many local projects across the state, including several in Federal Way, would not have happened without TIB."

Burbidge has been a Federal Way City Councilmember since 1997, and served as mayor from January 2002 through December 2003.

Locally and regionally, she is a member of the South County Area Transportation Board, the King County Metro Regional Transit Committee, the Joint Recommendations Committee of King County, and an alternate member of the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board. She also chairs the City's Parks, Recreation, Human Services and Public Safety Committee, and is a member of the Finance, Economic Development, and Regional Affairs Committee.

"I am humbled and honored to accept this position," noted Burbidge.