East Lacey Corridor Improvement Project

Where the Project Stands

In August of 2025, staff from the City’s Utilities and Engineering Department provided an update to the City Council on the East Lacey Corridor Improvement Project. The update reflected significant progress on the project, including completion of preliminary design and CEQA clearance in 2023, followed by the award of $7.3 million in federal earmark funding in 2024. In addition to this award, the City secured state and federal funding in 2024 for separate but related corridor and multimodal improvement efforts.

This fall, staff conducted targeted public outreach for the project. Two public open house events were held on October 22 and 23, with strong participation from residents, business owners, and property representatives. Input received during these meetings focused on safety, access to businesses and driveways, parking, and corridor aesthetics, and has played a direct role in informing the ongoing design refinement. This input was then shared with City Council at the November 18 Council meeting (November 18 Staff Report - East Lacey Update and Presentation).

Early design concepts for East Lacey Boulevard were more vehicle-oriented and emphasized maximizing roadway capacity. These concepts generally included two travel lanes in each direction with dual left-turn pockets, shared vehicle and bicycle travel lanes, and sidewalks. As the project advanced, incorporation of the federal earmark funding introduced specific requirements to meet federal Complete Streets and multimodal safety objectives. Meeting these requirements was not optional and necessitated a shift in the project’s design approach.

To ensure the revised approach remained operationally viable, a traffic study completed earlier this year evaluated corridor performance under a Complete Streets configuration. The study confirmed that the corridor can function acceptably with a Complete Streets design while also advancing safety, accessibility, and multimodal connectivity goals.

The Complete Streets design approach presented to City Council reflects these federal funding requirements and balances the needs of drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. The design includes one travel lane in each direction with narrower lane widths, raised landscaped medians, selective on-street parking, protected bicycle facilities, transit-ready infrastructure and amenities, and continuous sidewalks. Design elements vary between the urban core and gateway segments of the corridor to respond to existing land uses and access needs, while emphasizing safety, congestion management, and long-term economic vitality.

In conjunction with the project update, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-64-R, formally expressing support for a joint Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) grant application with the Kings County Area Public Transit Agency (KCAPTA). The resolution affirms the City’s commitment to improving multimodal access, transit reliability, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and regional connectivity along the East Lacey Corridor, and authorizes participation in the joint transit grant effort to help leverage state funding for complementary transit improvements (November 18 Staff Report - Joint Transit Grant for East Lacey).

Community Outreach

Community outreach to date has focused on providing early transparency and creating opportunities for direct dialogue. Two public open house events held on October 22 and 23 allowed residents, business owners, and property representatives to review the proposed Complete Streets concept, ask questions of engineering staff, and share feedback based on their experiences along the corridor.

Key topics raised during outreach included access to individual properties and driveways, on-street parking availability, median placement, construction impacts, and overall corridor safety and aesthetics. This feedback has been documented and is being used to inform design decisions as the project continues to advance.

Building on this initial outreach, staff will initiate targeted coordination with businesses, residents, and property owners along the East Lacey Boulevard corridor as the project moves forward. Future outreach will focus on addressing property-specific access considerations, refining design elements where feasible, and maintaining clear, ongoing communication throughout the remaining design, funding, and implementation phases. Project updates and future engagement opportunities will continue to be shared through the City’s website and communication channels.

Below: City of Hanford Utilities & Engineering Director Frank Senteno speaking at an August 2024 press conference about the East Lacey Project and the $7.3 million earmark secured by Rep. David Valadao