Most Washingtonians agree: we want to spend less time in traffic and more time with our families. In fact, a Washington Transportation Commission survey was just released that shows that 60% of voters were willing to support increased taxes/fees to address important transportation elements — up from 51% from the same survey question last year.From a list of 12 transportation elements, the 2 that earned top support were (1) maintaining roads/bridges, and (2) expanding public transit service.
We want a transportation system that creates more choices and preserves our existing system of streets, bridges, ferries, and buses.
And while it looks like the state legislature is finally getting close to investing in our transportation system, the Senate proposal will do little to build the vision we all want.
In fact, it will double-down on a failed transportation system by weakening laws that protect our environment and working families. And the proposed $12 billion package will spend less than 2% on giving you and I alternatives to being stuck in traffic. For more information about their proposal check out their bills and balance sheet.
This isn’t our vision. We need your help to turn this package around. The legislature could vote on a transportation package as soon as the end of the week.
Please click here to email your legislators right now.
Want to do more? The Senate is now holding a work session on their transportation proposal on Thursday at 1:30pm in Olympia, Senate Hearing Rm 4 in the J.A. Cherberg Building; Olympia, WA. They will be taking public comments between 1:30-5:30pm.
In addition to a funding the wrong vision, the proposal will also weaken our environmental laws even though they are completely unrelated to our transportation system.The Senate’s proposal diverts $280 million away from our toxic waste cleanup fund, directly benefiting oil and gas corporations at the expense of cleaning up important waterways like the Duwamish waterway and the Bellingham waterfront.That’s bad enough but it gets worse. The proposal also eliminates protections for our shorelines and forces our state to adopt weaker federal protections instead of the stronger laws of the Evergreen State.
Your legislators need to hear from you today. Click here to contact your legislators >>>
