Capital and Transportation Budgets Update from Rep. Senn

Last week I updated you on the operating budget, which made strong investments in education and our social safety net (If you missed last week’s e-newsletter, read it here.). The two other budgets we passed this year address our transportation and capital needs. Our state infrastructure is crumbling and it is well past time for us to start fixing roads, bridges, and buildings and making investments in our long-term transportation needs. I’m proud of the work done by our own Rep. Judy Clibborn in leading the House Democrats transportation efforts and Rep. Hans Dunshee for his leadership on our capital budget projects

Our Transportation Package: Long-term Investments & Easing Congestion

One of the very reasons I ran for the legislature was to ensure passage of a transportation package to help meet the needs of our region, economy, state and families. The total size of the transportation package we successfully passed in the last day of session is $16.1 billion and funds much-needed and important projects across our state, creating 100,000 family-wage jobs over the next sixteen years. The demands of our economy mean we need effective and efficient ways to transport goods and services to market. Long commute times mean we are missing valuable time with our families. And as our population continues to grow, we must invest in public transportation and pedestrian safety.

Here are some of the other significant investments in this package:

$1.4 billion for critically needed maintenance and preservation work that will keep our roads and bridges safe to travel.
$1 billion for transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects – a record high investment by the state in multimodal transportation.
$638 million to help cities and counties with local transportation projects.
$602 million to improve reliability and efficiency on the Washington State Ferries.
$220 million for the Washington State Patrol to keep our highways safe.

It’s not just about better roads. One major concern this year was how to reduce pedestrian fatalities. Last year about 70 pedestrians were killed, and about 300 people were seriously injured, on Washington roadways. That number is unacceptably high, which is why we created the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Council to serve as a central, expert body dedicated making our communities safer for all users.

We also created a new Electrical Vehicle Infrastructure Bank, which will help develop a more extensive network of charging stations to make travel by electric vehicles simpler and more practical.

Finally, in an effort to reduce cost and bureaucracy, we are streamlining the permitting process for transportation projects to be built more quickly and efficiently without sacrificing our commitment to protecting our environment or our green spaces.

Projects in our District

In our district, we’ll see over $72 million in improvements to I-90, I-405, and the Issaquah-Fall City Road, reducing congestion and providing some much needed relief to our Eastside drivers. Funding was also provided to improve the 124th Ave/I-520 interchange in Bellevue. This investment paves the way for the continued development of Bellevue’s Spring District. Lastly, but certainly not least, I’m happy to announce that with the passage of the transportation package and full funding for the 520 bridge, tolling on I-90 is now off the table!

senn transpo projects

Tolling Changes Give Drivers a Break

I want to call your attention to another great change. We are now forgiving late fees on certain toll payments. For details, read the article from the Seattle Times.

Capital Budget Projects

– Inspiration Playground, Bellevue – $1 Million

– Lake Sammamish Park Docks, Sammamish – $1.1 Million

– Confluence Area Park, Issaquah – $1 Million

– Island Crest Park, Mercer Island – $500,000

– Sunset Neighborhood Revitalization, Renton – $1.5 million

Capital Budget: Building a Better Washington

Public buildings, parks, and infrastructure not related to transportation often get lumped into the capital budget, and their impact can be long-standing. This year’s budget included major improvements to our state from education to affordable housing.

$1.6 billion for new education construction projects from k-3 classrooms to higher ed.
$100 million for mental health-related construction
$100 million in affordable housing and weatherization/energy efficiency programs
$70 million for state parks
$203 million for cleaner water

Right now there are tens of thousands of empty technology-sector jobs, waiting to be filled by graduates from STEM programs. That’s why this years investment in our intellectual infrastructure is so important:

$750,000 for our own Bellevue College to help jump-start a new computer science 4-year degree program.
$6 million to expand computer science and engineering programs at UW, and $1.6 million at WSU.
$1.5 million to create cyber-security programs at Olympic and Peninsula colleges.
$1.6 million to fund worker training in aerospace and research efforts in Everett
$7.6 million for the Health Professions Loan Repayment program, to incentivize doctors to work in underserved areas of the state. As the House Democrat lead on this issue, I was excited to add mental health providers, an area where we simply do not have enough qualified providers to meet the need.
$5 million to the Cancer Research Endowment Fund, which provides grants to public and private cancer research facilities working toward treatments or cures.
Unfortunately the Life Sciences Discovery Fund, which provides funds to encourage research in the health and life sciences fields, was not extended, and will end in 2017. The R&D tax credit, another source of technological innovation, was also not extended.

Projects in our District

For our district, we have several projects that will receive state funds to move forward. I’m most proud of our success in securing needed funds to build Bellevue’s Inspiration Playground, creating an inviting place for children and caregivers of all abilities to interact and play.

I’m also happy that we were able to secure $17 million for the Renton Technical College Automotive Complex Renovation project and additional funds for the Lake Sammamish Docks, Confluence Area Park, and Island Crest Park.

Contact me during the interim!

Even though session is over, my work as your state representative continues. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you have specific questions or concerns. And thank you for all the emails, phone calls, and letters I’ve received this year about what we need to continue to make the 41st district a wonderful place to live.

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