OLYMPIA—The House today passed a $9.8 billion supplemental transportation budget that creates or sustains about 43,000 jobs over the biennium while addressing urgent needs and making a head start on future projects, such as a fix to I-5 traffic congestion in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord area.
“We’re making smart investments that will mean more jobs now and more jobs in the future as we get started on building the 21st century transportation system Washington needs,” said Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island), who chairs the House Transportation Committee.
The Connect Washington Task Force said in December that declining receipts from gas taxes and other revenues will require Washington to come up with about $21 billion over the next decade to preserve the system and make improvements that are needed to sustain jobs and economic growth.
“The budget we passed today is not the long-term answer to the funding and investment challenges identified by Connect Washington,” said Clibborn. “But it is a good bridge to the future that will keep us moving forward as we search for the best way to fund the transportation system we need.“
The supplemental budget, which passed the House 82 to 16, adds $876 million to the two-year budget enacted last year. The investments are tied to a package of vehicle and driver fees that passed the House on Saturday.
The revenue package in SB 6455 and SB 6150 supports $240 million in investments over three years for critical highway maintenance, road preservation, public transit, ferry and state patrol needs. It also improves support for Safe Routes to Schools and freight mobility.
“In addition to supporting jobs all over the state, our investments will help to prevent devastating service cuts and fare hikes in the state ferry system and public transit systems,” said Marko Liias (D-Mukilteo), a vice chair of the House Transportation Committee.
“Skyrocketing gas prices make it even more important for people to have ferry and transit alternatives to pouring their incomes into their gas tanks,” Liias said.
Ferry funding in the budget will help ferries cope with soaring fuel costs and will allow construction on a second 144-car ferry to begin as the first is being completed. Building the new ferries back-to-back saves millions of dollars in construction costs.
The budget invests $33 million over the next three years to do preliminary work on future projects. The seed money will enable shovels to hit the ground quickly when a consensus is reached on future sources of transportation revenues.
“Getting a head start on the North-South Freeway and other key projects will keep people working and avoid years of expensive delays,” said Rep. Andy Billig (D-Spokane), who is also a vice chair of the House Transportation Committee.
“I’m also very pleased that new investments in Safe Routes to Schools will make a difference right away to the health and safety of schoolchildren,” Billig said. “This is truly a One Washington budget that will bring jobs and improve all kinds of transportation choices everywhere in our state.”
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On the Web:
LEAP details on Supplemental Transportation Budget
Two-page summary of Moving Washington Forward investments