HomeMy WebLinkAboutPTC RAISE support Letter TCCTCC – Tourism Coordinating Council
of Jefferson County, WA
Council Members –
Diana Smeland, TCC Chair-
Resort at Port Ludlow
Bill Roney, TCC Past Chair-
Olympic Peninsula Gateway VIC
Cleone Telling,
Worthington Park, Quilcene
Dan Ventura,
Cove RV, Brinnon
Amy Neil - Kalaloch Resort, Forks
Marsha Massey, Olympic Peninsula Tourism Commission
Aaron Terada, Fort Flagler State Park, Nordland
Crystie Kisler, Finnriver, Chimacum
Bethany Smith,
Old Alcohol Plant & Inn, Port Hadlock
Heidi Eisenhour,
Commissioner to TCC
Marketing Coordinator -
Steve Shively, S3 Solutions
TCC -
2023 E. Sims Way - #308
Port Townsend, WA 98368
p. 360-440-7006 | f. 360-912-8352
e. tcc@enjoyolympicpeninsula.com
www.EnjoyOlympicPeninsula.com
February 14, 2023
Secretary Pete Buttigieg
US Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington DC, 20590
Re: Expressing TCC’s Strong Support for Puget Sound to Pacific FY23 RAISE Application
Dear Secretary Buttigieg,
On behalf of TCC (Tourism Coordinating Council) of Jefferson County, WA, please accept
this letter of support for the Puget Sound to Pacific FY23 RAISE application to design the
gaps, missing links, community connections and safety improvements to complete the Great
American Rail-Trail in Western Washington.
TCC is committed to providing opportunities for active transportation in communities across
the region. TCC’s East Jefferson County serves as the welcoming “Gateway” to an excess of
20,000 travelers across the Hood Canal Bridge each day. The PS2P will greatly help transform
many of these daily trips from automobiles to non-motorized alternatives.
TCC supports this application because the PS2P will be an innovative active transportation
corridor, providing a safe, non-motorized shared use path connecting communities in three
counties. This multi-use trail project will be an asset not just to the many counties, small towns
and reservations directly served, but also to the wider state of Washington.
Olympic Peninsula visitor spend exceeded $886 million in 2021,
• State and local taxes generated by that visitor spending totaled $71.8 million,
• There were a combined 6,427 jobs in the region supported by tourism,
• This generated $195.4 million in labor income,
• The national 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail will travel from Washington DC
to Washington State, through Western Washington and onto the ODT (Olympic
Discovery Trail) out to Washington’s Pacific coast.
• The Olympic Peninsula is well positioned to welcome trail users from near and far.
Please consider full support for funding this important project to provide the public health,
recreation, community development, and transportation benefits of trails to TCC’s Jefferson
County, Washington and beyond to all of our Olympic Peninsula communities.
Sincerely,
Diana Smeland, Chair
TCC – Tourism Coordinating Council
of Jefferson County, WA