It is the 11th hour for transportation in the legislature, and we need your help one last time to get this transportation package over the finish line.
In political compromise, nothing is perfect. The proposed transportation package released yesterday with agreement from the House, Senate and Governor is still far from our philosophical ideal, but it’s time to move forward across the finish line.
Let’s look at the numbers:
- $15 billion for Sound Transit 3 authority. $15 billion dollars that with voter approval in 2016 will allow for light rail expansion to Everett, Tacoma, Redmond, West Seattle and Ballard. Without this authority there are zero dollars to expand regional transit in the Puget Sound area and we’ll watch the 2016 general election come and go. We’ll have to wait years and potentially decades for another shot at the high capacity transit service our region so desperately needs.
- An 11.9 cent gas tax increase and other fees that will fund $16 billion in multi-modal and roadway investments across Washington State. About half of this includes highway construction (which includes money for projects we support such at $1.6 billion to finish the West side of 520). $1.3 billion will go towards highway preservation.
- $200 million for special needs transit, $100 million for complete streets, and $200 million for regional mobility transit grants. Not to mention $111 million for transit projects, which will fund things like bike share expansion to the east side of Lake Washington, the Spokane Central City line, more Rapid Ride bus service, a new Swift BRT line in Snohomish county, and the Northgate bike-pedestrian bridge.
The two chambers of the legislature, controlled by two separate parties, have banged their heads together for months to reach this compromise. Last night the Senate passed this proposal 39 to 9! It is not perfect. We continue to believe that transportation investments should not be tied to cleaner fuels. Futurewise and TCC are committed to working through this and other important issues beyond the last day of session in Olympia.
It is time. It’s time to give residents more transportation choices. It’s time to reduce emissions by building connected communities where transit, walking, and biking are the first choice. It is time to authorize all of Sound Transit 3 and let us work our tails off to pass it in 2016. It is time for legislators to vote yes.
Please join us in telling them to move forward on this transportation package.
Together, we win.
Andrew Austin Bryce Yadon
Policy Director Statewide Policy Director
