Purpose

The purpose of the East Martin Way Gateway Station Roundabout (roundabout) is to establish an integrated bus turnaround facility and station area at the intersection of east Martin Way and Meridian Road. The project will develop an effective station area, roundabout, and pedestrian access design that improves pedestrian safety, meets Transit’s operational needs, and the current and future needs of general purpose and freight traffic that dominate intersection usage today. Martin Way connects some of the region’s most ethnically, racially, and economically diverse neighborhoods to many major transit generators including jobs, medical services, retail and recreation, park & ride facilities, and transit center locations.

Current Service

We currently have service as far east as East Martin Way and Duterow Rd. SE. This serves as an anchor point to our primary east-west urban corridor extending all the way to the Capital Mall on the west side of Olympia. It’s important to note that routes 62A and 62B currently provide 15-minute service on this 6.2-mile corridor and make up 30 to 40 percent of our total system ridership. The current route alignment requires a circuitous, 20-minute, 4.5-mile route through northeast Lacey to travel west instead of a short 1.4-mile, 4-minute, trip between Meridian Rd. and Galaxy Drive.

While we provide outbound service to Meridian, we’re unable to provide inbound service on East Martin Way because we lack an effective way to end outbound service, reverse direction, and begin inbound trips on Martin Way at Meridian.

About the Project

The current service model causes increased trip time and distance which is why we're proposing to establish a transit station and integrated roundabout at this important intersection.

The new roundabout will enable Martin Way corridor service to end and reverse direction at Meridian Road providing more direct service and improving service quality on east Martin Way, while incorporating pedestrian improvements, which will provide a range of future service options for northeast Lacey. This will allow Intercity Transit to improve schedule reliability and maintain frequent service on the corridor. Maintaining 15-minute headways in the corridor without deviations allows for more efficient service with the cost savings being utilized to redeploy services to other areas of need. Conducting this project now will allow us to be well-positioned to deliver future service as promised in our Proposition 1 ballot initiative.

Project Benefits

  • Establishes a reliable endpoint for high-frequency service.
  • Provides a turnaround from which to begin the inbound (westward) trip.
  • Reduces pedestrian exposure to turning cars.
  • Provides a bus station area for passenger loading and layover needs.
  • Eliminates barriers to high-quality corridor service for East Martin Way.
  • Implements a transit-forward intersection design.

Project Phases

We have proposed three project phases:

  • Phase 1: Preliminary Engineering and Design -- Current phase
  • Phase 2: Right-of-Way Acquisition
  • Phase 3: Construction

We are currently in Phase 1, Preliminary Engineering and Design, of a three-phase grant funded construction project which will be followed by a right-of-way acquisition phase and then the construction phase. Phase 1 will include:

  • Topographic survey and ROW mapping.
  • Geotechnical design.
  • Traffic validation.
  • Environmental permitting.

As elements of this phase are complete, Intercity Transit will hold public meetings to share results and solicit feedback on the project design.

The project has support from the City of Lacey, Thurston County and the Thurston Regional Planning Council.

Project Funding

Intercity Transit applied for, and received grants, under Washington State’s Bus and Bus Facility grant program and the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Surface Transportation Program (STP) to provide "end of line" operational staging through the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Martin Way and Duterrow Rd./Meridian Rd.

The Intercity Transit Authority (ITA) has authorized our General Manager to execute a contract with SCJ Alliance for the preliminary engineering, design, environmental and right-of-way planning. The budget for Phase 1 of the project is $798,124.67.

Project Contractors

  • Phase 1: SCJ Alliance
  • Phase 2: To be determined
  • Phase 3: To be determined

For More Information

Peter Stackpole, Development Director
360-357-1795 or pstackpole@intercitytransit.com

News and Updates

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the purpose of the East Martin Way Gateway Station Roundabout project?
    The purpose of the East Martin Way Gateway Station Roundabout is to establish an integrated turnaround facility and station area at the intersection of east Martin Way and Meridian Road.
     
  2. Is there a design for the roundabout?
    Currently, there is no roundabout design. Conceptual designs were submitted as part of the original grant application, but they were theoretical. Design work will begin following environmental review, traffic analysis, and the public review process.
     
  3. Why are you proposing a roundabout at this location?
    The addition of the East Martin Way Gateway Station Roundabout enables Martin Way corridor bus service to terminate and reserve direction at Meridian Road. This allows us to provide more direct service while also incorporating pedestrian improvements and improving the quality of service on east Martin Way. This project also opens a range of future service options for northeast Lacey. Conducting this project now allows us to be well-positioned to deliver future service as promised in Proposition 1.
     
  4. How many phases of construction will there be?
    There will be three phases of construction:
    1) Preliminary Engineering and Design -- Current phase
    2) Right-of-Way (ROW) Acquisition
    3) Construction
     
  5. Where are you at in the project?
    We are in the beginning stages of the project. We have selected a contractor, SCJ Alliance, to help us through Phase 1 of the project to create the Preliminary Engineering and Design for the roundabout and station. This includes work for topographic survey and ROW mapping, geotechnical design, traffic validation, and environmental permitting.
     
  6. Will there be an opportunity to share thoughts on the project and when?
    Yes, as elements of this phase are complete, we plan to conduct public outreach during Phase 1 to provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about the project, ask questions and express concerns. We don't know exactly when the public outreach will occur, but anticipate it to be scheduled in late 2024. When we have firm dates and information to share, we'll update this webpage.
     
  7. When will the roundabout be finished?
    We anticipate Phase 1 of the project will be complete in late summer of 2025. Subsequent phases and their timelines will be established based on what we learn in Phase 1 and what we hear from the community during public outreach.
     
  8. Do you have support from Thurston County and the City of Lacey?
    Yes, we have letters from both the City of Lacey and Thurston County supporting this project.