Dear friends,
The 2026 Washington State Legislative Session is already off to the races, with three important bills scheduled for hearings later today and on Wednesday.
Last week, Senator Marko Liias put forward a bill to allow Sound Transit to issue 75-year bonds that supports one of our top priorities this session: Building light rail faster for riders. SB 6148 would give Sound Transit more financial flexibility to avoid cutting Sound Transit 3 projects and to keep projects moving forward. This bill has a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee TODAY at 4 PM. If you haven’t already, we urge you to take two actions right now to support the bill:
1. Send a Letter of Support
2. Sign in PRO on SB 6148
Another top priority bill for us also has a hearing today at 4 PM — this one in the House Transportation Committee. HB 2134 would ensure that regional transportation planning organizations provide for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled to align with Washington’s climate goals. This bill, led by Rep. Davina Duerr, will help ensure that future transportation investments support clean mobility and livable communities, instead of reinforcing car dependence and exacerbating climate pollution. Check out our informational fact sheet to learn more, and sign in PRO to show your support.
Finally, our friends at Move Redmond are leading a push to update Washington’s Commute Trip Reduction law to support more low-income and shift workers. HB 2307 would eliminate a requirement that employees covered under the law arrive at their jobs between 6 AM and 9 AM. This change “reflects the reality of today’s workforce, where flexible and nontraditional schedules are increasingly common, and ensures our state’s CTR program continues to successfully serve those who need it most.”
Last week, both the House and Senate transportation committees held hearings on Governor Ferguson’s proposed transportation budget, including his proposal to bond over $3 billion to pay for investments in preservation and maintenance, bridges, and ferries. We expect to hear a lot more about this in the weeks to come as legislators weigh this proposal against the state’s transportation needs.
Check out our Bill Tracker and the TL;DR summary below for more or what we’re tracking this session.
Ride on!
– Transportation Choices
What’s Coming Up This Week
Today, January 19th
A bill to allow Sound Transit to issue 75-year bonds (SB 6148) has a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee at 4 PM. Send a letter of support and sign in PRO here.
A bill to update regional transportation planning rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled (HB 2134) has a hearing in the House Transportation Committee at 4 PM. Sign in PRO here.
Wednesday, January 21st
A bill to update the Commute Trip Reduction law (HB 2307) has a hearing in the House Transportation Committee at 4 PM. Sign in PRO here.
What Happened Last Week
Supplemental transportation budgets (HB 2306 and SB 6005) were heard in the House Transportation Committee and Senate Transportation Committee.
A bill to protect vulnerable users of public ways (HB 2095) had a hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights and the Judiciary, and is scheduled for executive session on January 23rd.
A bill to establish a passenger rail advisory committee (HB 2092) had a hearing in the House Transportation Committee.
