Maple Valley city officials want the legislature to focus on passing a transportation package this session.

They hired Jim Hedrick as their representative in Olympia for the third year in a row.

The 64th Legislature is scheduled to convene Monday, Jan. 12.

Road projects that city officials want to see funded include constructing a second north bound lane on state Route 169 between Witte Road South and Southeast 240th Street and making all of state Route 18 four lanes.

The latter, City Manager David Johnston said, is not just a way to divert traffic from the Puget Sound metro area.

“It can be important for economic development as well,” Johnston said.

The 28-mile stretch of pavement connects Interstate 90 with I-5 and Maple Valley sits at the half-way point.

Maple Valley will be among a few cities along SR 18 that will encourage the legislature to fund the project in the next transportation budget.

Another item on Maple Valley’s legislative agenda is to have the state share the marijuana tax revenue. Currently, all of the state excise tax revenue generated from recreation pot sales in Washington goes to the state, not to the cities where the shops are located. However, cities do receive their share of the sales tax revenue from recreation pot transactions.

Maple Valley doesn’t have any prospective pot shops looking to open.

Johnston said because of the law prohibiting pot shops from opening within 1,000 feet of schools, day care centers, parks and libraries, there are only a few places available to a marijuana retailer to open up shop in Maple Valley. And those options are currently barren land with no structures, he said.