A commuter rail concept that would connect Covington and Maple Valley to Auburn’s Sounder Transit light rail line could potentially receive federal funding.

The House of Representatives passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill July 23 that included a funding request for a feasibility study from Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn for a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) line that would run from Covington and Maple Valley to Auburn.

“Transportation touches all of us, from parents taking a child to soccer practice to the movement of our goods and services,” Reichert said in a press release. “The success of our economy depends upon our ability to move our goods out to global markets and import the goods we need to remain competitive.”

Covington City Manager Derek Matheson said he was pleased with the news and cautiously optimistic about getting the funding as the bill still needs to be passed by the Senate.

“We really appreciate Congressman Reichert’s strong support of our exciting vision for transportation in Southeast King County,” Matheson said in an e-mail. “We’ll watch the budget bill’s progress closely throughout the summer and fall.”

DMU is different than light rail in that each car is individually propelled and they run on diesel fuel which gives them the flexibility of running on biodiesel. This makes it a more environmentally friendly option for commuters.

The goal is to get the feasibility study started this summer. It will look at things like how much demand there is for this type of service. It will also compare it to bus rapid transit as well as evaluate costs to build, maintain and operate the DMU system and look at any environmental impacts.

Gwen Voelpel, city administrator for Black Diamond, said in an e-mail that the she is encouraged by the work being done by the coalition.

“We are very pleased with the additional allocation of federal funds for the DMU project,” Voelpel said. “Our partners in Maple Valley and Covington should be applauded for their efforts to secure the additional $360,000 in funding to move this promising proposition forward. We are glad to continue to play an active role with our neighboring cities and believe diesel multiple units, buses, bikes and all forms of alternative transportation will and should play a significant role in managing the growth of our cities and the strains on our transportation infrastructure well into the future.”

Additional federal funding would go toward paying for the second phase of the study.

This idea was introduced last summer at a joint city council meeting of Black Diamond, Covington and Maple Valley.

Another critical issue that cuts to the heart of the reason behind the concept is to make commuting easier for residents of all three cities, which all are still bedroom communities.

With YarrowBay planning to develop large swaths of real estate in Maple Valley and Black Diamond in the next decade it is vital to officials with both cities to find alternative ways for future and current residents to get around.

“Comprehensive plans for Black Diamond, Maple Valley and Covington estimate 59,000 new residents in these cities over the next 20 years,” said documents accompanying the federal request. “Large master planned developments are expected in Black Diamond and Maple Valley, sending even more unplanned commuter vehicle traffic west on Highway 516 and north on SR 169. A five-city coalition has formed to study the feasibility of utilizing existing infrastructure to handle the expected traffic growth and to explore whether small commuter trains could run between Maple Valley-Covington-Auburn on the Burlington Northern Stampede Pass Line.”

Earlier this year, the state legislature set aside $400,000 for the feasibility study, and the coalition of cities are now working with the state Department of Transportation on the first phase.

“We’ve been working closely with WashDOT to sort out the roles and responsibility and the scope for the $400,000 for the feasibility study,” Matheson told the Reporter in early July. “It looks like WashDOT is going to conduct the study with a mixture of in house staff from their planning office and their rail office with strong oversight from the Southeast King County cities.”

The concept is still in its infancy so moving forward with the feasibility study is a critical first step in a long journey.