Today starts a 60 day legislative session. It is an election year, and everyone is focused on getting out of Olympia in 60 days. Don’t expect any special sessions this time. In fact, don’t expect much to come out of the legislature. The Majority Coalition Caucus that rules the Senate, has continually said they are not interested in passing supplemental operating, capital, or transportation budgets. It is not a budget year, so they aren’t required to change the budget, it has just become the norm in the past decade to do so. There has been a lot of reporting on whether they will take on transportation or not. Negotiations have been stalled since the end of 2013, and the House and Senate have not gotten any closer to agreement, and they haven’t gotten any closer to addressing the needs of the voters. Still people still believe that it will be a big part of the session.
Transportation Choices Coalition has a few key priorities that we will work for this session. We will also support many efforts that are underway. Here is the rundown.
Priorities
Authorize a diverse menu of local and regional revenue options for transit and local governments
Transit and local governments require a menu of local options for transit investments that are stable and fair.
Ensure a balanced supplemental transportation budget that meets the following principles
- Keeps current funding levels for important transit, bike, and pedestrian programs.
- Saves multi-modal funding for the use of non-gas tax
eligible projects only.
- Adopts practical design within the department.
Support new revenue that meets the following principles
- Fix our crumbling roads and bridges.
- More transit to reduce congestion, improve freight mobility, decrease pollution, connect people to jobs, connect our rural communities, and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to get where they need to go.
- Build great, healthy communities; an efficient transportation system supports both affordable and healthy neighborhoods.
Road Safety Bill
This bill clarifies the law that governs pedestrian activities on WA roads.
Preserve transit, bike, pedestrian funding and smart transportation policies
Defend against efforts to cut funding for transit, bike and pedestrian programs and projects and prevent any rollback to smart transportation policies that reduce emissions and make our transportation system more efficient.
Support Agenda
The Healthiest Generation– addressing childhood obesity in state policies, including transportation
Infrastructure bank– setting up an infrastructure bank based on marijuana proceeds to fund key infrastructure projects, including transportation
Strengthen Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program– there will be policy and budget efforts to expand and strengthen this key program, we support this.
Environmental Justice in All Policies- there will be efforts to ensure that low income and minority communities are not disproportionately impacted by state policy and infrastructure decisions.
