Both chambers of the Washington state legislature passed a transportation budget for the 2013-15 biennium today. The $8.4 billion budget passed on bipartisan votes of 46-1 in the Senate and 72-25 in the House.
“I am pleased with the bipartisan transportation budget that was passed today,” said Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. “This is a good budget for Spokane and the entire state. It will create and sustain tens of thousands of jobs and help our community to keep moving forward.”
“A healthy transportation system is crucial to a strong economy,” said Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, who serves on the House Transportation Committee. “Our businesses need freight mobility, our seniors and kids need transit and safe sidewalks, and everyone needs to be able to get to their jobs. This budget maintains our commitment to transportation and lays the groundwork for additional funding for new projects.”
The budget passed today raises no new revenue for transportation projects. With money already committed to projects in process, limited funds were available for new projects. However, the budget does contain $68 million in additional funding for the North Spokane Corridor, a project crucial to the economic vitality of the Spokane area. This additional funding for the North Spokane Corridor will allow the project to continue to move forward but is still well short of the $750 million it will cost to connect the corridor to I-90. Funding at this higher level will require a new transportation revenue package, which will be voted on in the special session expected to be called later this spring or summer.
“One of my priorities going into this session was to protect transit in Spokane,” said Riccelli. “It was important to me that the budget contain additional support for the Central City Line, a bus rapid transit line that will go through Spokane’s downtown area, connecting Gonzaga University to the Browne’s Addition Neighborhood. I made sure that this budget contained $500,000 towards helping Spokane move forward with this transit expansion.”
“I was glad to have the opportunity to amend the budget to provide additional funding for the Safe Routes to School program, an effective program that promotes health and safety for children in our state,” said Billig. “Safe Routes to School provides resources to local governments for infrastructure improvements that help school kids as well as those that live and work near schools to walk and bicycle safely in their neighborhoods. Since its inception in 2005, the Safe Routes to School program has supported more than 77,000 children at 177 schools. This is a program that’s proven to work.”
“Serving on the House and Senate Transportation Committees, Senator Billig and Representative Riccelli did excellent work fighting for the people of Spokane and Eastern Washington,” said Timm Ormsby (D-Spokane) “I was proud of their work and was proud to support this budget that improves critical components of our transportation system and reflects Spokane priorities and values.”
The budget now moves to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk for his signature.