NAVIGATE THE FUTURE
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Olympia holds the keys to our future mobility Twenty-nine key legislators determine how road and bridge money gets spent.
Lake Washington bridge, aka I-90 floating bridge, toll takers ca. 1940.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Because of these trends, the overall transportation people. revenue picture has dimmed by $3 billion over the 16The other primary players in transportation include: year, long-term plan of the last transportation budget. • The Washington State Department of Transportation here are literally thousands of people who shape As such, the Legislature must and has been looking for (WSDOT) is an agency of the state and is primarily in the transportation system in our state and region. new ways to pay for bridges, roads and rail transit. charge of roads. They are engineers working out of trucks in the “We have to come up with some new ideas in the next • Th e Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is one field, computer analysts and policy wonks who session of the Legislature to fund transportation in the of the Metropolitan Planning Organizaconduct surveys and open meetings. It is a future. Th e gas tax,” Clibborn said, “is a failing resource.” tions enabled by the state that is required complex system born of classic top-down It has served as a proxy for (highway) user fees, she “to carry out a continuing, coordinated government directive, but has become leavexplained. But now, with more efficient vehicles and even and comprehensive planning process,” for ened with local control and public involvevehicles that do not use any gas, the gas King, Snohomish, Pierce ment. “We’re actually on and Kitsap Counties. tax no longer makes much sense. Yet any such system brings with it an • King County Metro Tolls and some types of user fees have the verge of the assortment of conflicting priorities and (METRO) is a public transmoved to the top of the list. overlapping jurisdictions. Weaving our way busiest transportation portation system “organized “Th e move to tolls is an opportunity to toward understanding what is happening construction season expand not only revenues, but to manage as a locally controlled special with roads and rails means taking a look at ever for Washington traffic during peak times, and send price purpose government to prowho runs the show. vide public transit (primarily state. When you take signals to encourage changes in behavior,” Just who is in charge of transportation bus) services” within the said. They may not be popular, she planning in Washington state and the Puget into account this budget she “The move to tolls is an greater King County area. notes, but are increasingly necessary. Sound region? and the federal stimulus Yet the Legislature forges ahead. opportunity to expand • Sound Transit is in a Maybe surprisingly, it is the law and lawnot only revenues but to category of its own, again set dollars we appropriated Last April, the Legislature presented makers who are the primary drivers of the manage traffic during peak up by legislation, to proearlier this session, the final version of a $7.5 billion 2009-11 look and feel of the patchwork of transportatimes.” vide high-capacity transit state transportation budget, which will tion networks and priorities. Through the we’re looking at Rep. Judy Clibborn, services in various forms for finance more than 400 projects across the passage of bills and mandates, lawmakers chair, House Transportation King, Pierce and Snohomish an unprecedented state, generating 46,000 jobs. enable and fund agencies to set the paCommittee Counties. The final budget represents the comtransportation rameters for planning and construction in At the state level, the Legispromise between the budgets passed by motion. investment.” lature and the Joint Transporthe House and Senate earlier this legislaThe Washington State Legislature, through Rep. Judy Clibborn tation Committee, while retive session. Clibborn said the transporthe Joint Transportation Committee, drives working budgets and priorities, must always tation budget is one area of strength in the budget choices for the state transportation budget keep their eye on what is coming next. Yet, as key highways an otherwise tough budget year amidst the economic submitted to the governor. Representative Judy Clibborn and bridges are now being repaired and high capacity transit downturn. (D-Mercer Island) leads a group of 29 legislators from has been set in motion after years of uncertainty and indeci“The transportation budget is the good news in a badboth the House and the Senate as the head of the Joint sion, the direction of any future transportation investments news economy,” Clibborn said. “We’re actually on the Transportation Committee. verge of the busiest transportation construction season could be slowed signifi cantly by the lack of funds. The role of the Transportation Committee is to work ever for Washington state. with the initial budget proposed by the governor to come oney, Clibborn and others say, is the single “When you take into account this budget and the up with a final number and list of projects. From there, most critical factor in planning for future federal stimulus dollars we appropriated earlier this sesfunds are dispersed to projects, counties and other special transportation needs. sion, we’re looking at an unprecedented transportation transportation districts. The primary source of funding for transportainvestment.” Along the way, the state has added new regulations to tion projects comes from the gas tax. With people driving Mary Grady is editor of the Mercer Island Reporter. She respond to growing concerns about the environment and less and more efficient cars replacing the stock of older, less can be reached at 206-232-1215 or mgrady@mi-reportto accommodate both the movement of goods as well as efficient cars, gas tax revenues have fallen precipitously.
By MARY L. GRADY
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