A transportation proposal from legislative Democrats is an ambitious effort to move Washington toward the future. Now the hard work begins.
Serving as a wish list for Democrats, the proposal warrants consideration but also scrutiny. A comprehensive transportation package must be a priority for lawmakers this year, but that does not mean that every item would be beneficial for Washington residents.
Republican legislative leaders noted that they were left out of the negotiations that formulated the plan and complained that the proposal is “partisan.” But regardless of the package’s genesis, it is chock full of necessary projects.
For Clark County, that means an earmark of $1 billion to pay for the state’s portion of an eventual Interstate 5 Bridge replacement. Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma and chair of the House Transportation Committee, said: “We also must look ahead to areas where we might have issues in the future. That’s why we are funding a replacement for the Columbia River bridge.”
A possible replacement is in the early planning stages. But having dedicated state money would be a big step forward in the process; in 2013, the Columbia River Crossing was scuttled when lawmakers declined to fund the project, after years of planning.
Overall, the new proposal would provide $16.8 billion in transportation funding over 16 years. Unlike previous transportation packages, it would not include a gas-tax hike for Washington drivers. The bulk of the funding — $5.4 billion — would come from a carbon pricing program signed into law last year that charges the state’s largest emitters. Some $3.4 billion would come from the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed in November by President Joe Biden, and $2 billion would come through a transfer from the state’s operating fund.
One innovation in the proposal would be a tax of 6 cents per gallon on fuel exported to states that have a lower gas tax than Washington. Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, said: “There are about 80,000 people in my county that go across the old bridge to work in Oregon, and every one of them pays about 10 percent Oregon income tax. Having both states pay for a little bit of infrastructure on both sides of the river makes a whole lot of sense.”
Portions of the plan will draw criticism. The package contains more than $2 billion in additional fees, including on license plates for cars and motorcycles. Considering that Washington residents have voted several times to reduce vehicle registration fees — votes that have been overturned by either the Legislature or the courts — it is folly to think that an increase will go unnoticed. But under Washington’s tax structure, lawmakers are limited in their options for raising funds.
Most important, the proposal emphasizes transit and multimodal forms of transportation such as bicycles and pedestrian walkways. The focus, said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, is on “building the transportation system of the future that is increasingly carbon free, that’s focused on moving people and goods, and thinks about how to embed multimodal planning and multimodal options.”
That is essential for meeting Washington’s obligation to reduce carbon emissions, and for creating a state that can attract businesses and residents in the future. But it can make for a tough sell to Washington residents in areas that will not directly benefit from those projects.
Democrats have put forth an aggressive proposal to bolster transportation throughout the state. Now it is time for a robust discussion about that plan.
