Washington Senate unveils $15 billion transportation package

A broad transportation package proposed by state Senate leaders on Thursday includes about $160 million for several highway projects in Clark County, plus another $6 million in transit and rail upgrades.

The largest portion of that, $82.8 million, would go toward a new interchange at Interstate 5 and Mill Plain Boulevard in Vancouver, according to a project list released with the announcement. The list also includes:

o $35 million to widen state Highway 14 between Interstate 205 and Southeast 164th Avenue.

o $21.4 million for improvements to the Camas Slough Bridge along state Highway 14.

o $7.7 million for widening Main Street/state Highway 502 in Battle Ground.

o $7.3 million for a rail overpass in Ridgefield.

o $6 million for improvements to state Highway 501 from I-5 to the Port of Vancouver.

The proposal also includes $4.3 million for upgrades at two C-Tran facilities, and another $1.9 million for the Port of Vancouver’s West Vancouver Freight Access project.

Notably missing from the list is money for a new interchange at I-5 and Northeast 179th Street near the Clark County Fairgrounds. That’s a project many local leaders have pushed for, and was among a list of priority projects recently sent to legislators for consideration.

The approximately $166 million in total funding for Clark County projects is far more than the area would have received from transportation proposals that emerged — but ultimately failed — in the Legislature last year. But it’s a lot less money than the region would have received as a result of another doomed transportation package in 2013. That year, $450 million was carved out for the Columbia River Crossing project.

The CRC, a $3 billion I-5 Bridge replacement and light rail extension plan, was also a major reason the 2013 transportation package failed. The CRC shut down for good the following year.

— Eric Florip, The Columbian

OLYMPIA — Senate majority leaders on Thursday unveiled a $15 billion transportation revenue package that includes an incremental gas tax increase of 11.7 cents over the next three years.

Senate Transportation Committee chairman Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, introduced the proposal at a news conference joined by Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn, and Democratic Sens. Marko Liias and Steve Hobbs.

Before the announcement, King said he said was confident that the measure would pass the chamber with bipartisan support. He said he understood that some, including colleagues in his caucus, may oppose the idea of a gas tax increase but said, “we don’t have any other way to do it, without changing our whole system.”

“We don’t have another alternative at this point but we also believe we can’t wait any longer to address our maintenance and preservation issues and address congestion,” he said.

Under the 16-year plan, the gas tax would increase in three stages: a 5-cent increase would take effect this summer, a 4.2-cent increase would follow next year, and then a final 2.5-cent increase would take effect the following year.

The plan also seeks to redirect sales tax money from transportation projects to a transportation fund instead of the state’s general fund.

The Senate proposal includes more than $8 billion for road projects that include the North-South Freeway in Spokane and I-90 on Snoqualmie Pass, and puts money toward transit and local rail projects, as well as bike paths and pedestrian walkways. It also would allow Sound Transit to ask voters to fund potential expansions of its rail line.

The package has a total of 11 bills, and King said public hearings would likely start early next week. The plan does not incorporate elements of Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate-based proposal, which would have charged polluters under a cap-and-trade program to pay for transportation projects.

Part of the plan also addresses another idea Inslee is considering, a low carbon fuel standard that would require cleaner fuels over time. If that standard is ultimately adopted, under the Senate plan, all non-bondable revenues — such as fee-based money going toward transit and bike paths — would instead be moved into the main transportation account.

Hobbs noted that there are issues where he and his Democratic colleagues have areas of disagreement, including the clean fuel standard issue, but that he thought they could work through them.

“The bottom line is this, this package moves Washington forward and will drive our economy for years to come,” he said.

Even with the lingering areas of contention, King said he remained confident.

“I don’t think the four of us would be standing here if we didn’t feel confident that we could muster enough votes,” he said.

Lawmakers have struggled the past few years to reach agreement on a transportation plan, but Fain, the vice chair on the Senate Transportation Committee said the current plan is “the most positive movement that we’ve seen on transportation in this state for many, many years.”

Rep. Judy Clibborn, a Democrat who is chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, said she was encouraged by the proposal, but noted that the measure must pass the chamber before House and Senate negotiators can begin their work.

“I look forward to a robust discussion between our two chambers once that occurs,” she said in a written statement.

In a statement issued after the announcement, Gov. Jay Inslee thanked lawmakers for their work, and said it was “a strong start.”

However, he wrote that he had some questions concerning the conditions attached to the bill.

“Under the Senate plan, if Washington adopts a low carbon fuel standard to reduce emissions, we lose transit funding,” he wrote. “As I’ve been saying, we must make progress on funding transportation and reducing carbon emissions this session.”