Dear friends and neighbors
Happy November! As we enter this month of gratitude, we take a moment to recognize two important observances: Veterans Day and American Indian Heritage Month. On Veterans Day, we celebrate the brave individuals who have put country above themselves and served in the military. We are grateful for their sacrifices and their willingness to fight for our freedom.
This month, we also celebrate the rich cultures and traditions of Native Americans. Let us recommit ourselves to creating a more just and equitable society for all Americans and protecting the treaty rights of all tribes in Washington.
The State of Our Bridges
As a Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee, I recently joined my fellow lawmakers on a bipartisan and bicameral tour of several bridges across southwestern Washington and the Oscar B ferry.
Our tour highlighted the need for strong preservation measures or outright replacement for hundreds of aging bridges in our state. One bridge we visited, the I-5 interstate bridge connecting Washington and Oregon, is at risk for collapse in the event of a major earthquake and no longer satisfies the needs of modern commerce and travel.
Replacing the aging interstate bridge with a modern, seismically resilient, multimodal structure is a high priority for Oregon and Washington state. Bi-state legislative involvement is essential to successfully complete the planning and design process and to move to construction. Each state legislature has identified eight lawmakers to provide direction and oversight to shape this work. Based on the program’s current schedule, it is estimated that construction could begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
How Can We Make Roads Safer?
According to the WA Traffic Safety Commission, 2022 year was the deadliest year on Washington roads since 1990. While more total lives have been lost, there have been fewer deadly crash incidents so far in 2023 compared to 2022. This means deadly crashes are resulting in more deaths per crash.
Nine weeks from now, the 2024 legislature will convene, and I plan to advocate for safer roadways by focusing on driver impairment, distraction, speeding, and the use of seat belts. 2024 will be an instrumental year in building off of the $13.5 billion investment in the 2023-24 state biennial transportation budget to fund the state’s transportation needs. By focusing these investments on building a safe and modern transportation system that improves traffic safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, reduces congestion, and improves safety, we can reduce keep Washingtonians safe on our roads.
What Matters to You?
As the 2024 Legislative Session approaches, I encourage you to stay involved, informed, and engaged. Please share your legislative priorities with me in this survey and email me with ideas and suggestions.
You can review the work of the 2023 legislative session in my mailer and follow me on Facebook for updates.
Thank you,
Rep. Brandy Donaghy