State Senator Marko Liias addresses people at a Walk and Talk.
On Thursday, October 15, Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC) and the Snohomish County Transportation Coalition (SNOTRAC) hosted a Walk & Talk along State Route 99 between 196th St SW and Airport Road in Snohomish County. Due to decades of undersinvestment and rapid development, SR 99 is one of the most dangerous corridors in Washington. It has also rapidly evolved into a major regional transit spine, with the Swift Blue Line running along it, and with connections to the Swift Orange and Green lines and the Lynnwood Link light rail extension. People walking, biking, and rolling along the corridor face significant challenges to access local grocery stores, public schools, healthcare clinics, and transit stops. They encounter long, skewed street crossings, incomplete or narrow sidewalks, an absence of dedicated bicycle facilities, frequent commercial driveways, and high vehicle speeds.
WSDOT recently developed a pre-design study detailing potential infrastructure safety enhancements for all road users along a 6.6-mile section of this corridor. And TCC and Senator Marko Liias have championed a Megaproject for Safety, successfully securing $100 million in the 2027-2029 state transportation budget for dangerous state-owned highways such as this one. These efforts position SR 99 to receive meaningful investment in the coming years.
Our Walk & Talk brought together 30 participants, including state and local elected leaders, regional planners, and community members. Attendees heard from WSDOT officials outlining potential Complete Streets solutions, while Sound Transit representatives discussed the upcoming Everett light rail extension alignment. Local organizations, including the Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI) and North Sound Bicycle Advocates, shared the daily experiences of community members who rely on SR 99’s bus stops, sidewalks, and crossings. This Walk & Talk was supported by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology, which has mapped sidewalks across Washington State to help inform accessibility needs.
The Next Stage for Our Megaproject for Safety Work
State-owned roads running through population centers, such as SR 99 in Snohomish County and Seattle and Division Street in Spokane, are among the most dangerous roads for people to traverse. They’re also some of our state’s busiest transit corridors. To transform these roads into livable streets we can be proud of, TCC has been advocating for a statewide Megaproject for Safety.
In 2026, the state legislature directed WSDOT to define a Megaproject for Safety program, with $250,000 in funding. We believe Washington’s Megaproject for Safety should start with the corridor as the core unit of investment, rather than isolated safety projects. This approach can help bring together sustained funding, multiple projects, and partners around a shared vision for safety and mobility. We’ll also be continuing to advocate for sustained, long-term funding to make this program a reality. Learn more in our NEW one-pager: From Dangerous Highways to Safer Streets.
Stay Engaged With Our Megaproject for Safety Work!
- Sign up for our email newsletter to find out about future Walk & Talks, events, and advocacy opportunities.
- Read more about TCC’s Megaproject for Safety.
- Read about our first Walk & Talk on Division St in Spokane in July 2025 and our Walk & Talk on Aurora Ave in Seattle in June 2026.
- Interested in hosting a Walk & Talk in your town? Contact Iz Berrang, Education and Engagement Manager, at Elizabeth@transportationchoices.org
