Listening Sessions
Between August 2022 and April 2023, the I-5 Study team conducted listening sessions with a wide range of transportation interests. The team heard from 137 different jurisdictions, tribes, agencies and organizations, including those representing underserved communities.
During the sessions, participants shared information about their planning efforts and active projects around the I-5 corridor, current challenges and future opportunities for I-5 transportation system improvements.
Listening session participants throughout the I-5 corridor shared feedback around the following themes:
- Equity, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility.
- Preservation investments.
- Connected communities and accessible I-5 crossings.
- Congestion relief.
- Freight mobility efficiency.
- Improved multimodal operations and transit.
- Seismic and climate-related resiliency.
A detailed report of our listening session efforts can be found in the Listening Sessions Feedback Summary (PDF 4.6MB).
History
The I-5 Study evolved from the work conducted by the I-5 System Partnership. The partnership was a diverse group of stakeholders who recommended the development of an I-5 System Master Plan to identify specific improvements that should be made to each part of the I-5 system.
The partnership worked collaboratively throughout 2018 and 2019 to review the pressing challenges of the I-5 system, and to establish a set of goals and strategies to support future generations and help meet the challenges of continued growth in a way that protects our economy, environment and communities.
The partnership’s goals and strategies are consistent with adopted regional visions of the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) and the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC).
Washington is expecting tremendous growth in the next 30 years with over 2 million new people moving to the state. I-5 requires significant transportation investments to function currently and the challenges on the interstate will only multiply as we grow.
I-5 is the transportation backbone of our economy and we need to keep it resilient. A resilient I-5 will:
- Move people and goods efficiently through the state.
- Provide travel options.
- Perform after a seismic event and other natural disasters.
- Be prepared for transformational advances in transportation.
To address all of this, the Washington State Legislature began proactively planning for our future growth. In Spring 2022, the Legislature initiated the Move Ahead Washington funding package to take steps to develop an I-5 master plan that sets priorities from border to border for a robust north/south corridor and reflects WSDOT’s strategic plan, which includes resiliency, equity, and workforce development goals.
Additional resources
July 2022 - June 2023 | I-5 Study initial phase - COMPLETE.
Developed three legislative reports:
Interim Report on I-5 Master Plan.
- Interim Report I-5 Near-Term and Longer-Term Recommendations on HOV Lane Efficiency.
- Seismic Report and Funding Request.
The next phase of the I-5 planning, which includes launching the Master Plan process, began in early 2024.
July 2022 - June 2023
I-5 Study - Creating a master plan to direct future improvements to the corridor to ensure it meets transportation needs.
2024
Begin the Master Plan process.
The Moving Ahead Washington funding package provided $40 million for planning and environmental linkages studies over the next 15 years. $2.5 million was targeted for the initial phase. In the 2023-2025 transportation budget, the Legislature allocated $11.9 million for WSDOT to launch I-5 system planning and prepare a report to the Legislature outlining next steps.
