From freeways to railroad tracks, from sidewalks to side roads, a discussion Tuesday is aimed at how people and goods move around Snohomish County.
It’s the third and final talk County Councilman Dave Gossett plans to host on the county’s long-term transportation needs.
The 9 a.m. meet
ing at the county campus will include panelists from Bayer HealthCare in Lynnwood, aerospace manufacturer Esterline at Paine Field, the Transportation Choices Coalition and possibly Naval Station Everett.
“I’ll be interested in hearing how some of our major employers perceive their transportation needs, their employees’ transportation needs and their customers’ transportation needs,” Gossett said.
The talks come as county leaders contend with a projected $263 million shortfall in long-term road funding. That’s how far the county is from paying for an estimated $400 million in transportation projects planners have identified through 2025.
County Executive Aaron Reardon’s staff has argued that road funding isn’t in such rough shape, since long-term population growth has tapered off since the list was drawn up.
One option for raising revenues is imposing a $20 car-tab fee for unincorporated areas, a step cities such as Edmonds and Lynnwood already have taken. The County Council has scheduled a hearing at 10:30 a.m. July 13 to discuss forming a transportation benefit district, a possible precursor to imposing the car-tab fee.
A panel Gossett assembled last month included representatives from a local freight company, The Boeing Co., chambers of commerce and a construction union. A meeting in May focused on the three local transit agencies.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
Meeting Tuesday
The third and final meeting on transportation needs in Snohomish County is planned for 9 a.m. Tuesday on the eighth floor of the Robert J. Drewel building, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett.
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